Sarah Berges
Artistic Director
Sarah Berges has been creating and presenting her visionary choreography since 1984. A Berkeley native, Sarah had the luck to grow up immersed in Creative Dance and Improvisation taught by Ruth Hatfield. She studied Modern Dance technique and Choreography with Marcia Sakamoto, Wendy Rogers, David Wood, Carol Murota, Margaret Jenkins, and Brenda Way.
Meet the Company!
Nika AntuanetteNika Antuanette is a freelance performing artist who has worked as a Company Member of Sarah Berges Dance, Alison Cook Beatty Dance, Gaspard & Dancers, Gotham Dance Theater, & ColliDe Theatrical Dance Company. In addition, she has performed works by Rami Be'er, Mats Ek, Larry Keigwin, Carl Flink, Penelope Freeh, & Arnie Zane. She has been featured in commercials, music videos, & immersive events as a Dancer & Choreographer. She recently released a new dance film, HOLOGRAM & continues to create. @nika.antuanette.
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Davonna BattOriginally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Davonna fell in love with dance at an early age. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Arizona, graduating summa cum laude with honors.
Since moving to New York City in 2014, Ms. Batt has danced in and collaborated with many companies, including ALMA NYC, Gotham Dance Theater, Amanda + James, of Bones Dance, and ACB Dance. She has toured nationally with DAMAGEDANCE and internationally with Sarah Berges DANCE. Along the way, Ms. Batt discovered an affinity for teaching. Encouraging dancers and movers of all ages to discover their physical power, control, and expression, Ms. Batt teaches regularly in New York City, and when in residence at Sisti Dance Place in Puebla, Mexico. @d_moves |
Carmen CacerasOriginally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carmen Caceres graduated from the National School of Dance and studied Dance Composition at the National University of the Arts UNA. After moving to the U.S., she received a B.A. in Dance and Education at SUNY Empire State College.
Ms. Caceres has been creating and presenting dance works in Argentina and New York since 2009. She also works as a movement and dance educator. As a performer/choreographer, Ms. Caceres has worked with artists Katie Rose McLaughlin, Isabel Lewis, Jillian Peña, Lisa Parra, Elia Mrak, Jody Oberfelder, and Sarah Berges among others. In 2012, Ms. Caceres founded DanceAction (DA), dedicated to collaborative creation of artworks and to providing educational opportunities for the dance community at large. DA has appeared in numerous performance series in New York City, as well as dance festivals in Mexico, Switzerland and the U.S. DA’s latest project, BLINDSPOT, was sponsored, in part, by the Brooklyn Arts Fund community grant, administered by Brooklyn Arts Council (BAC). |
Jayson DouglasJayson Douglas is from Paterson, New Jersey where he began his training at Dance World Academy. He was a Dance Major at Point Park University and attended summer programs at Dance Place, Orlando Ballet 2, and Boston Ballet - all on full scholarship.
In New York City his training continued at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center and The Ailey School. Mr. Douglas' professional career began as a Trainee with North Carolina Dance Theatre, now known as Charlotte Ballet. He has also danced with Lexington Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Ballet Nouveau Colorado, Company C Contemporary Ballet, Jose Mateo Ballet, and has performed around the world on cruise liners. Since 2014, Jayson has been a soloist with Sarah Berges DANCE, performing with the company in New York City, San Francisco and Paris, France. |
Lisa FitzgeraldOriginally from Massachusetts, Lisa Fitzgerald received her professional training at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. Ms. Fitzgerald’s professional credits include Connecticut Ballet, Ballet Theatre Company, Sarah Berges DANCE, Urban Interface Dance UK and various New York and London based choreographers. Co-founder of Exit12 Dance Company, Ms. Fitzgerald currently serves as Associate Artistic Director.
Ms. Fitzgerald has taught at the Mark Morris Dance Group (NYC), the United Nations Recreational Council (NYC) and Regal Ballet (London). Additionally, she has taught for Sarah Berges Dance while in residence at Sisti Dance Place in Puebla, Mexico. Ms. Fitzgerald graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Performing Arts from St. Mary’s College of California and holds a teaching certificate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Teacher Certification Program. |
Shoko FujitaShoko Fujita was born, raised and educated in Japan. She graduated summa cum laude from Japan Women’s College of Physical Education in Tokyo where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Movement Science, specializing in Dance. In 2008, Ms. Fujita completed the UArts Summer Institute Program for Dance, Joffrey Ballet School’s pre-professional summer intensive in New York City. She then joined The Joffrey Ballet Concert Group under the direction of Davis Robertson and performed with the company for a year.
Since 2013, Ms. Fujita has pursued a freelance performance career in New York City. She has worked with many choreographers including Juanjo Arqués, Jenny Rocha and Sarah Berges. She has performed at MoMA, the Whitney Museum, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, CES with Intel, and at “Night of Ballet” produced by American Ballet Theater at Bryant Park in New York City A soloist with Sarah Berges DANCE since 2015, Ms. Fujita performs with the company in New York City, and has toured with SBD to San Francisco and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. |
Hope KroogHope Kroog trained with Nadine Revene and Noriko Hara, among others. Along with Sarah Berges Dance, she currently dances with Dance Visions NY and Loco 7 Theatre Company.
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Katie MontoyaKatie Montoya, native of Santa Fe, New Mexico, benefited from early training at the National Dance Institute of New Mexico. In 2011, she received her B.A. in Dance and Drama from the University of California, Irvine. Ms. Montoya's dance studies took her to many parts of the world, including Ecuador, in 2009, with Dramatic Adventure Theater, and Ghana, in 2010, where she studied both traditional and contemporary African dance with the Ghana Dance Ensemble.
Ms. Montoya first worked with Sarah Berges DANCE in 2012 in Santa Fe, creating solo roles in Ms. Berges' Women's Work. Currently in her eighth season with Sarah Berges DANCE, Ms. Montoya is also a member of Treehouse Shakers, performing as dancer, actor, and puppeteer. She has also appeared with Arcos Dance, Beth Soll and Company, and Susan Vencl Dance. |
Richard PhilionOriginally from British Columbia, Canada, Richard Philion trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Numerous appearances with the National Ballet of Canada include the world premiere of John Alleyne’s Tristan and Isolde. Mr. Philion has also performed with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Albany Berkshire Ballet, Sarah Berges DANCE, Jean Ann Ryan Productions, Royal Caribbean Productions, Galan Entertainment’s Tango Buenos Aires and the APEC Summit in Vladivostok, Russia. Musical theater highlights include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; Promises, Promises; Singin’ in the Rain; Sweet Charity; Guys and Dolls; and Beauty and the Beast.
Mr. Philion is among the first Western Canadian male dancers to receive an advanced Cecchetti certification. |
Joanna PriwieziencewJoanna Priwieziencew was born in Paris, France. She is an alumni of the State Ballet School of Warsaw, Poland. While studying, Ms. Priwieziencew performed at the Grand Opera of Warsaw, at St. Petersburg's Open Dance Festival, and with the Stuttgart Ballet. In her professional career, she has danced with, among others, Ballet Carmen Roche (Spain), Progetto Compagnia (Italy), Central West Ballet (USA), Cork City Ballet (Ireland), and Cairo Opera House (Egypt).
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Marcos VedovettoDancer and choreographer, Marcos Vedovetto began his studies in Brazil with renowned teachers at Ballet Art Sandra Godoy and Ballet & Cia. He has performed in numerous dance festivals, in film and on TV. He has also performed as backup dancer for popular singers including Sandy and Junior, and in 2017, worked as a PRO Dancer on the Brazilian version of the TV show “Dancing with the Stars.”
Recently Mr. Vedovetto became a US citizen, having resided in the United States for the past 15 years. In the US, he has performed with Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Connecticut Ballet, and Santa Clara Ballet Company, among others. He is currently a Corps dancer at San Francisco Opera and has been a soloist with Sarah Berges DANCE since 2014. As a choreographer, Mr. Vedovetto has created pieces for Dance Theatre of San Francisco, Connecticut Ballet, CelloPointe, and Santa Clara Ballet Company. Currently studying filmmaking at Laney College in Oakland, California, Mr. Vedovetto aspires to make films inspired by dance even as he continues to choreograph and perform dance for live audiences. |
Hannah WeberHannah Virginia Weber comes from a little town in swamps outside of the Big Easy (New Orleans). She has always loved creating movement and performing. Even as a tiny kid she’d choreograph epic dance recitals for her family. Still tiny, she both choreographs and performs for for the New York based dance company Periapsis.
She has a bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Contemporary Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Additionally, Hannah has performed with Cirque du Soleil at the Academy Awards, with the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Tonight Show, with Sans Limites Dance Company, the Isadora Duncan Dane Company, the Salvatore LaRussa Dance Theater, and Periapsis Music and Dance. Hannah will be performing Chrysalis & light with Sarah Berges Dance at the Muriel Schulman Theater in Brooklyn, NY. |
Melissa WeberMelissa Weber started serious ballet training as a child in Boca Raton, Florida. She trained at Boca Ballet Theatre and at Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. While still a high school student, Ms. Weber performed with Louisville Ballet, and with Christopher Fleming in his Nutcracker. She subsequently performed with Dayton Ballet II, Nashville Ballet, and as a Soloist with Charleston Ballet.
Since moving to the Connecticut/NYC area Melissa has performed with Ballet Neo, Arch Contemporary Ballet, Benjamin Briones Ballet, CT Theatre Dance, Armada Dance, and in New York Fashion Week's Style Pointe. Currently, Ms. Weber performs is a Soloist with Connecticut Ballet, Dance Key West and Sarah Berges DANCE. Melissa was featured in Jordan Matter’s book of photography, Dancers After Dark. She appeared in Cal Kehoe's music video Marilyn, was an extra for OneRepublic's video Connection and performed in the Corpse de Ballet in CBS’s series, Elementary. Some of Ms. Weber's favorite roles are The Mistress in Lew Christensen's Con Amore, Lead Gypsy girl in Don Quixote, The Matriarch in Jill Bahr's Rite of Spring, Helena (choreography by Jill Bahr) and Hippolyta (choreography by Brett Raphael) in A Midsummer Nights Dream, Lady Capulet in Jill Bahr's Romeo and Juliet, Arabian in The Nutcracker, and Lead Girl in Dan Guin's Ella Sang. |