STUFF STAGE ONE DANCE

Julie Sevier

Artistic Director

Beginning my formal dance training at the age of 7 with classical ballet in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was entranced by the flow of the movement and the ethereal quality of dancers moving seemingly effortlessly across the stage. I looked forward to being in the classroom after school and was delighted to perform my first dance as a duet with my sister when I was 9; I was a beautiful flower in a lovely blue tutu. What a wonderful first stage experience. As a member of the Tulsa Dance Theater and Tulsa Ballet Theater I enjoyed each moment on stage. After teaching jazz, ballet and tap with several dance academies in Tulsa, Edmond and Norman, Oklahoma and graduating with a BBA in Finance and a certificate in Elementary Education, I moved to Benicia with the dream of owning my own dance studio.

I have been involved with training, performing and teaching dance for over 30 years. To share the love of dance with those who relish it as much as I brings a fulfilling joy within me. I am an instructor, administrator, coach, I laugh with my students and am the disciplinarian, I make them work ...hard, I have the unique opportunity to lift their souls and set them upon the wind ...I am a teacher of dance. With the love of dance and the enjoyment of working with youth I couldn’t think of a more satisfying career. I now have 2 beautiful girls of my own that love dancing and performing and are with me most days at the studio!

Julie Sevier
Artistic Director

Carla Farnsworth-Henry

Jazz, Tap, Ballet and Company

Carla began her dance training at the age of three at her Mother’s and Aunt’s school of dance. She studied Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Gymnastics with many wonderful teachers until going on to Butler, Indiana and Ohio State Universities, where she majored in Dance. After college she took over her Mother’s dance school for three years. During this time she received her Actor’s Equity card and sang and danced in Summer Stock Musicals with John Raitt, Ken Berry, Nanette Fabray, Juliet Prowse, Shirley Jones and Louis Jourdan to name a few. Carla moved to New York City at twenty four and after only two weeks she landed her first Broadway show “Don’t Step On My Olive Branch”. While rehearsing for opening night she was hired by Bob Fosse to perform in “CHICAGO” with Gwen Verdon, Jerry Orbach and Chita Rivera (whom she later went on to understudy) in the role of Roxie Hart. Carla performed in four more Broadway shows, played Sheila in “A CHORUS LINE” in London’s West End, toured nationally and internationally, and danced live on the Grammy Award’s with Irene Cara. While living in N.Y.C. for ten years, Carla had the opportunity to study Jazz and Ballet with world renowned Teachers and Choreographers. Carla is very excited to be with our teaching staff at Stage One, where her daughter Juliet is a student and North Bay Performing Arts company member.

Isaiah Tyrelle Boyd

Jazz

Isaiah is very excited to share his passion of dance with others. As a musical theater dancer Isaiah has been exposed to many genres of dance such as jazz, modern, West African, Bollywood and Ballroom. He has performance, choreographed and has been the dance captain for many productions across the Bay Area. Some is his favorite roles include; Seaweed in Hairspray, Gary Coleman in Avenue Q, and Ren in Footloose. During middle school and high school Isaiah was active in the dance and drama departments. He choreographed many numbers for the Advanced Dance class at Benicia High and also volunteered at Benicia Middle School as a choreographer and a director. During his senior year of high school, Isaiah was offered to choreograph the Spring musical Beauty and the Beast (which was a hit!). He is very thrilled to teach others what he loves most!

"I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to dance better than myself." -Mikhail Baryshnikov

Juliet Henry

Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Company

Juliet began her dance training at Stage One when she was six years old. One year later she became a member of North Bay Performing Arts. She was in 6th grade she was selected to bee in a dance group which consisted of mainly high school students. In addition to her teaching duties and dance classes at Stage One she also dances, choreographs and performs with the high school dance department. Her grandmother and mother were and are still both professional dancers and teachers.

Juliet has been the recipient of a Tremaine National Dance Scholarship and recently was chosen as a member of the Tremaine Performance program and will be touring with the National Convention as a Tremaine dancer and demonstrator! Juliet has also been selected to perform with the Radio City Rockettes Christmas show. She continues her education with extensive dance workshops and travels to L.A. and New York for fresh dance concepts. Juliet is a wonderful teacher whom adores children and sharing her love and passion for dance with others!

Rochelle Mendoza

Ballet, Tap, Jazz

Rochelle has been a student of Stage One for ten years and a member of North Bay Performing Arts for 8 years and has studied with Moving Arts Dance Academy during their summer programs. She has also performed various roles with The Black Diamond Ballet Theater and the Oakland Ballet Company during their Nutcracker performances. Rochelle has received top awards for competing with group dances at bay area competitions as a member of our North Bay Performing Arts dance companies. She is a motivating instructor with a positive approach to her classes!

Becka Crowe

Jazz and Ballet

Becka began her dance training at the age of 4 with Stage One Dance with pre-ballet/tap and continued with ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, hip hop and pointe. She is one of 4 Crowe girls all of whom have danced with Stage One Dance Center. Becka has won top awards for competing with solos and group dances at bay area competitions as a member of our North Bay Performing Arts dance companies. She is an inspiration to many young dancers at Stage One and works well with youth. She is a positive, energetic instructor and a vibrant young lady.

Terrin McGee-Kelly

Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary and Company

Terrin began dancing at the age of 5. She began studying jazz and tap, and later fell in love with ballet as well. At the age of 15, Terrin began dancing professionally with Theater Ballet of San Francisco. There, she danced the role of the Snow Queen in the Nutcracker at age 16, and later performed other principal roles such as Sugar Plum, and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Terrin was asked to join the Joffrey Ballet as an apprentice, after high school graduation, but decided to stay in California, and dance for Oakland Ballet instead. Later, Terrin went on to dance for Ballet Magnificat!, America’s premiere Christian Ballet Company.

Terrin is currently a principal dancer for Peninsula Ballet, and Moving Arts Dance, with whom she has performed extensively and toured internationally. She is also completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at Saint Mary’s College. Terrin has been teaching dance for 8 years, she has won several preliminary awards to the Miss America Pageant.

Isabelle Sjasham

Ballet, Jazz and Contemporary

Isabelle received her early dance training with Bay Area Royal Academy of Dance teacher, Connie Vaughan, and then with Susan Robinson in England. At the age of eighteen, she completed her Advanced 1 Examination, receiving her initial certification to teach the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She studied Jazz under the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing program. She reached the Quarter Finals of the All England Dance Competition with her ballet solo and musical theater dance. Contemporary dance became Isabelle's passion after seeing the Mark Morris Dance Group perform in England, prompting her to attend the Taylor School in New York and complete her BA in dance at Mills College in 2002. Since then, she has performed in the Bay Area and throughout the United States with Bibliodance, EM Space Dance, Moving Arts Dance, and currently dances with Dance Elixir and Black Diamond Ballet Theater. She has also taught ballet, modern, conditioning, creative dance and jazz for the last ten years. Sjahsam loves to choreograph and has presented her work at Counterpulse, the Cowell Theater, Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival, Cal Arts Electronic Music Festival,Temescal Arts Center and The Works among others. Her most recent work,*Standing Mother*, was commissioned by Middlebury Dance Company, and performed in the Czech Republic. Currently Isabelle is a co-director of Temescal Arts Center in Oakland, and also co-directs ArtFace, an Oakland based dance-theater troupe with Malinda Trimble.