LEAP 2021 Graduates
Congratulations to the Saint Mary's College of California's LEAP class of 2021!
Sara Irene Benavidez
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” – Nelson Mandela
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
My favorite time were the early days of LEAP when we would gather for class every Monday night in the boardroom of the Miyako Hotel, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Also, these last terms when I really zeroed in on my area of focus.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My senior project was documenting the way that dance saved my life. Growing up in a world of abuse, amongst the abused, dance allowed me to tap into my moxie and retract myself from the cycle. I developed the necessary steps to utilize listening and communication while remaining objective and open to consider all possible options, rather than approaching life narrowly - within what I "think" is right - to build my ideal life.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Next, I will be working towards launching a Mediation practice specializing in Conflict Resolution, Organization Leadership and Restorative Justice.
Selected Credits: Leaps N' Bounds Dance Theater; Danza Azteca Xochipillli; Martin Dancers; Compton Dance Theatre Foundation
Alex Chester*
As my therapist says "Keep it simple, and protect your space." - I try to live by this daily.
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Prior to Covid, I really enjoyed attending class in person and meeting all the wonderful NYC LEAP students. It was so much fun connection with others and finding our common ground.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My Senior Project was a marketing plan for Hapa Mag (soon to be called Mixed Asian Media) an online publication www.HapaMag.com. I have used this marketing plan for each issue we release and strategize social media to reach a broader audience and bring the Mixed API community together. We will also be implementing a pay wall for each issue. A major goal for me is to pay my 16+ person staff of volunteers for all the hard work they do.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Mixed Asian Media is planning our first annual festival celebrating mixed Asian Pacific Islanders through creative art forms. This festival will run September 15th - 19th, 2021. Once Mixed Asian Media Fest is done, I will attend Culinary School at the Institute of Culinary Education. It has always been a dream of mine to learn more about the culinary arts. I will also continue to pursue my career as an actor and continue my work with Mixed Asian Media (Hapa Mag.) As one of three online magazines listed in the 2020 Nielsen Consumer Report on Asian Americans, I want to ensure our place in main stream media. I will continue working to create a community and space for mixed APIs. Asian Americans are the fastest growing demographic and it is important we are represented in the media. This May for Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, my organization Mixed Asian Media, along with Lunar - Asian Jews, Loving Day, and Blasian Project will host a month long celebration on various social media platforms, uplifting the Mixed API community.
Selected Credits: member of the first all Asian American Sketch Comedy Troupe: Model Majority; Costar episode "The Good Fight."; Represented by Bret Adams LTD and Innovative Artists in NYC; Proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AEA.
*Alex is the recipient of the 2021 Dean's Award for the Graduate and Professional Programs at Saint Mary's College
Jason Evans
"I think that hate is a feeling that can only exist where there is no understanding." -Tennessee Williams
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Just all of the love and open-mindedness during the zoom craziness of Covid classes.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I wrote the beginning of a novel for my senior project and I am now fine-tuning that novel in pursuit of my MFA in creative writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Work as a writer!
Selected Credits: University of Nebraska-Omaha (MFA candidate), TalentWorks. Bernie Lane Productions, Inc., Anastasia The Musical
David Adrian Freeland Jr
“You know more than you think you do, just trust yourself.”
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I have honestly enjoyed every moment of this program. Going on this journey with other artists was so rewarding.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I created ‘Parking Pas’ a dance film shot in the garage of my building.Since then I have created a film that was shot at the Hauser and Wirth Museum entitled ‘It Could’ve Been Me... It Could be Me'.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I am thinking about getting my Masters in Arts Management.
Selected Credits: L.A Dance Project; 2018 Princess Grace Award Recipient for Dance
Lucy Van Cleef Held
Not a quote but an important sentiment: I'm thankful that my BA is allowing the next stages of my path to unfold. Thank you, LEAP!
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I'll never forget the trip I took with LEAP students in 2011 to South Africa for my senior project. Working with my colleagues and those amazing kids was a life-changing experience.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
That trip to South Africa was also my senior project. For me, the experience solidified that dance is a universal language that can unite people of different cultures. While I don't teach dance at the moment, this idea continues to inspire a lot of the work that I have done since then, as both a dancer and a dance writer.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I plan to further my education in the field of Dance Studies, ultimately pursuing a PhD in Dance History to research the Bournonville Aesthetic.
Selected Credits: Los Angeles Ballet; Freelance writer and translator in Berlin, Germany; Contributor to Pointe Magazine and Dance Europe.
Ian Hussey
"I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved; I have been given much and I have given something in return; I have read and traveled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world, the special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and an adventure." - Oliver Sacks, forever my inspiration
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
There are many! I will always miss ordering food and general banter with Christian. I am grateful to all the friendships I made in midtown Manhattan on Sunday nights (you know who you are)! Although, I will not miss the 11:20pm Megabus back to Philly!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I completed a Senior Project with Christian DiMatteo in long-form Memoir. Since finishing my project with Christian I have continued my memoir and am progressing towards finishing it. Before working with Christian I did not believe I was a strong writer but I have overcome that insecurity and have almost written an entire book. If you asked me a year ago I wouldn't have believed I was capable of that.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I plan to apply to graduate programs for the Fall fo '22!
Selected Credits: Pennsylvania Ballet; Rehearsal Director for American Repertory Ballet
Jennifer Jackson
This experience with LEAP has been life altering in the best way possible. I will forever be grateful for each moment I've had with this program, and I will certainly not take any of the growth for granted. I don't ever want to stop learning.
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I recall the first moment I was on the campus in person; I was captivated by its beauty, the people met were kind and intriguing, and I felt so excited for the journey about to be embarked upon. Specifically with the LEAP Program, I feel so fortunate to have been placed under the wings of brilliant professors. I remember each course and I've taken away something so valuable from each one. Too many favorite moments from each course to list! Thank you Mark Baird, for initially bringing me into the LEAP Program with enthusiasm and encouragement. Andrew and Stephanie, thank you for your ongoing support and assistance during these past two years. Christian De Matteo & Erin Sweeney, you opened my mind and spirit to new worlds I now cannot live without. Fellow students (those I knew in person and those I've not met yet), I will always feel connected to you for this shared journey we've experienced. I will miss LEAP!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My senior project was Creative Writing with Christian DeMatteo. I still cannot believe I choose to write for my project! The only subject I had avoided and feared was writing! Now, as mentioned above, I cannot imagine my life without it. I have fallen in love with words, see stories everywhere (all the time), and find myself so often humbled by the courage an author shows when sharing their perspective. How have I used these new skills and knowledge? At present, I'm an appreciative spectator enjoying the words of others in a way I never knew possible. I hope, in the near future, to develop enough courage to share my own words without holding back.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I plan to continue learning, exploring the world of literature, taking some chances, and possibly getting a Master's Degree. I hope to apply all I've learned during this journey to my future experiences. If can manage to do that, there will be many interesting chapters following this next one.
Selected Credits: Disney, Diavolo Dance Theatre
Stephanie Landwehr
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
This time slow and steady did win the race! It has been a long haul, with lots of milestones along the way, but I'm extremely proud to be crossing the finish line.
Selected Credits: Faculty at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles.
Norika Matsuyama
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I really enjoyed the readings and discussions in our Anthropology class. It was very stimulating and eye-opening to learn about different cultures near and afar.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I created a film for a dance performance dedicated to a nonprofit organization, "Dancers Responding to AIDS". Unfortunately, the performance was cancelled due to Covid, but it was still a fun project.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I am hoping to pursue a path in becoming a physical therapist or an osteopath. But I have also developed an interest in software engineering recently. I'm looking forward to what the future holds!
Selected Credits: San Francisco Ballet
Steven Morse
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Selected Credits: San Francisco Ballet
Ashley N. Murphy-Wilson
"Moving forward at any pace is still progress"
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Not a particular moment, but a great appreciation for artists who are also well rounded and intelligent in all areas. Being in this program has not only pushed me academically, but it has also made me realize how multi-faceted artists can be.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
A short film about the effects of racism on Black Ballerinas.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I hope to go to physical therapy school and ultimately work with dancers and athletes in that field.
Selected Credits: The Washington Ballet
Patrick Ogle
LEAP Cohort : New York
Selected Credits: American Ballet Theatre
Mikhael Plain
Carpe diem
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Laughter! LEAP first caught my attention after I had no longer been involved in the dance community for quite some time. I was therefore eager to reconnect with my peers when I enrolled. The instant comradery did not disappoint, and I immediately felt at home in the program. As performers, we already knew how to make the most out of challenging and stressful situations. The thrill of acing statistics my first semester was pretty memorable too!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I began writing a memoir. It was fascinating to explore underlying connections in seemingly unrelated aspects of my life. I enjoyed sifting through my most meaningful moments to discover which would best epitomize my larger life story. Having found new depth in my own experience, I try to use what I learned in the memoir process to be more deliberate in how I relate to others. Rather than completely discount someone for a small part I may not understand, I try to appreciate the whole person created through their unique circumstances.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
The journey of obtaining my degree and reconnecting with other artists was a goal itself. Graduating summa cum laude is a confidence boost I will keep in my back pocket as I continue to evolve in my career.
Selected Credits: San Francisco Ballet; Maximum Dance Company; Royal New Zealand Ballet
Kistina Ruth Pressler
"It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to be done." - My personal mantra for every writing assignment.
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
My first semester we were in person for class and one of our meetings fell on a birthday of a fellow student, Raquel Osborne. On that day, after class ended, we all stayed a bit to celebrate with cake and ice cream. It was a small, but fun moment of connecting early on in my LEAP journey.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
For my senior project I studied website development and design. I created my own artistic website, which had been a goal of mine for many years. Web design was a continuation of my independent study course Introduction to Digital Dance. I loved both of these courses, as they helped me develop a distinct artistic voice, re-awakened a passion for photography, and strengthened my video, editing, and film skills. I have used these skills while volunteering on the marketing team for the Young Choreographer's Project.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I'm definitely interested in continuing my education and, after a little break, I will be looking into Master's programs. I'm excited to take all that I've learned and apply it towards making new dance and film projects.
Selected Credits: Blue13 Dance; Dance Studio No. 1; Whitley Ballet School; Young Choreographer's Project
Christopher Revels
LEAP Cohort : New York
Selected Credits: Los Angeles Ballet
Dan Roberge
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
My fondest memories of the program also reflect the more challenging times for me: This includes traveling from D.C. to N.Y.C. almost weekly for in-person classes. Though I was so worn-out, exhausted, and terribly high strung during these times, having the opportunity to be in the classroom with incredibly bright students and professors who pushed me made it all worth the while. I grew a lot during these times, was excelling in all areas of my life, and proved to myself that truly anything is possible if you stick to your guns.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
A weird, wacky, and kind-of-dark film where I encompassed dance, cinematography, and art direction.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Grad or Law School. As a self-defined jack-of-all-trades, I guess I'm still finding my niche. I'm looking forward to what the future holds and I'm sure it's going to be kick-ass!
Selected Credits: Senior Artist with The Washington Ballet
Lindsay Roginski
LEAP Cohort : Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Christian De Matteo's class!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My senior project was a memoir writing course. I have used what I have learned to write my law school application essays.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Law School
Selected Credits: Chicago, Roxie Hart, Broadway's Ambassador Theatre
Emma Sophia Rubinowitz
Slow and steady wins the race.
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Personal Professional Assessment course - Kimmy was the best teacher I could ask for.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I created a dance music video. I learned so much about filmmaking, I'm going to keep directing dance films.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I'm teaching and dancing still; I also just started a full time design program.
Selected Credits: City Ballet School; Julia Adam Dance; City Of Dreams SF
Kalen Sakima
"Failure: a non-traditional success, offering the best life lessons - if one chooses to listen and learn from such experiences."
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I don't know if it's a "favorite memory." But I'll definitely remember and laugh about over-analyzing assignments and being a part of numerous text message chains, only to find out I overcomplicated it, again - hahaha!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My senior project was Playwrighting, through the eyes of a producer/director/dramaturg and how to create space for movement beginning with the script. Learning the playwrighting process through a hands-on experience offered me an alternative understanding of the developmental process, how to support the author, and to what extent can future creative collaborators influence the author's choices. I plan to use this knowledge in future projects and collaborations.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Besides staying sane in this Covid era and theatrical shutdown, I plan to pursue a graduate degree with the intent to start a career in theatrical producing and creative development with a specialty in movement.
Selected Credits: Miss Saigon China Tour; Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan US and China Tours
Skyla Schreter
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Selected Credits: San Francisco Ballet
Sara Elizabeth Seger
"Success breeds complacency. Complacency breeds failure. Only the paranoid survive." -- Andy Grove
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Christian DeMatteo changed my life! Working with him on Sunday nights in Midtown (which- who wants to go to Midtown on a Sunday night??) quickly became one of the highlights of my week! Discussing, writing, learning, eating dinner together, and exploring some pretty life altering concepts alongside my fellow leap-sters and with Christian as our fearless leader (and the world's greatest devils advocate) is something I will never ever forget. #donuts #jonhamm
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I worked with Christian on Memoir writing and, wow, what an excellent thing to delve into during Pandemic when our lives as performers had turned upside down. Each week Christian knew how to ask me all the questions I was afraid to ask myself while still encouraging me to feel proud and grounded in all that I have done...which was extremely wonderful, again, during a time when I generally never felt so lost! It became weekly therapy and my Final Porfolio clocked in at 95 pages because I just simply couldn't stop storytelling.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I hope to continue to perform for a few more years and after that I'd like to go to Grad School for dance in order to help secure the possibility of teaching dance on a University Level. I hope I will get the opportunity to pass off my love, passion, and experiences in the dance world to next dancing generation.
Selected Credits: Battery Dance; RIOULT Dance NY; Andrew Harper Choreography; Robert Mark Dance; Trainor Dance
Natasha Sheehan
“The best way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Finishing a matinee performance at 4 pm then rushing over to class at 5 pm!
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
Developing a Nutritional Guide for Dancers. Yes I plan to continue to use the knowledge I learned in the future!
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I hope to become a nutritionist/registered dietitian for dancers.
Selected Credits: San Francisco Ballet company member
Killian Stephens
"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science." - Albert Einstein
LEAP Cohort : San Francisco
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
The whole LEAP journey has been a memory that I will cherish forever. I do remember my first class with LEAP and how fun it was to sit around a table with so many other talented professional dancers! It is truly a unique experience for dancers to get to come together and work towards this incredible goal. As dancers, we don't often fit in to the normal world but LEAP provided a home and space for us to feel as one. Being able to learn and grow together as professional dancers will always be one of my favorite memories.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My Senior Project was a business plan for a Ballet Conservatory, including: marketing analysis, studio management and organization, profit and loss analysis, lease agreements and tenant improvement costs, marketing strategies, and curriculum development. I can happily report that California Ballet Conservatory has been up and running for over a year (including Zoom online classes).
My project was instrumental is in expanding my knowledge beyond the studio training to financial and managerial aspects of operating a successful business.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I am looking forward to dedicating this next year to the expansion and development of my ballet studio. In terms of continued education, I am planning on applying for a Masters Degree in Dance within the year. My personal goals include continued development and devotion to grow my business, help my students to excel in the professional dance world, get some property so that we can raise chickens, cows, pigs, and horses, and climb 14,000 ft mountains with my Daddy!
Alanna Rose Swovelin
Onward and yeehaw!
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I loved getting to know the other LEAP students during in-person classes at The Garland. It's amazing to be intrinsically understood by your classmates and administrators without speaking a word. I also loved Erik's dance moves in Western Traditions, Miri's support through personal development and exploration in PPA, and Jim's enthusiasm for Math, who's unique and patient teaching style made me understand that great teachers can make Calculus... fun! It was truly the people that made this experience extraordinary, and I am so grateful.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My senior project was working with Alonzo King LINES Ballet as their Arts Management Intern to coordinate and attend a quarantine bubble residency tour. This experience impacted me greatly, as I am now the LINES Company Manager for their upcoming summer tour.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
I would love to stay within arts management and continue to foster dynamic creative expression and personal empowerment through dance.
Selected Credits: Los Angeles Opera; American Guild of Musical Artists; Pivot for Dancers; United States Parachute Association
Sareen Tchekmedyian
"Wherever you go, there you are." --Author unknown
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
Seeing into the incredible minds of dancers and artists through LEAP has been a very special experience. My classmates are so inspiring and the community we have built during this pandemic has been a saving grace.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
For my senior project I will be writing a television show script that will highlight the profound effect that this past year has had on Armenians, specifically the diaspora living in the United States. I hope to tell a story that shows how culture impacts our everyday decisions, opinions, actions and reactions whether we realize it or not.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
If LEAP has taught me anything it is that we are never finished learning. As I continue to find new ways of expression, I hope to make art that is meaningful, impactful and ever evolving. My goal once I finish my senior project is to pitch the script and act in it some day.
Selected Credits: Anastasia 1st National Tour; Former Sarasota Ballet company member; AEA member
Nicky Venditti
"Be the light that helps others to see" (This was from one of my elective courses that I took through LEAP on religion and its stuck with me as a little motto/reminder ever since.)
LEAP Cohort : New York
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
As a whole, I've just loved the simple moments of connecting with other artists while learning as an adult. I'll miss all of the thought provoking and intellectual conversations.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
My SP was being the assistant to the choreographer for an off-Broadway musical. What I learned from this experience by way of scheduling, preparedness, and time management is lending itself greatly to what I am doing now with starting my own business.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
My most immediate goal is to get a successful boutique fitness and wellness space off the ground. Further down the road, I'd like to develop more programs for health coaching and fitness for my own use but for others as well. I am currently studying holistic lifestyle and exercise coaching through the Chek Institute, and am opening my own business: Nicky Venditti Fitness + Wellness.
Selected Credits: WICKED the Musical
Michelle Zeitlin
Follow Your Yellow Brick Road to Success -- Passion to Power!
LEAP Cohort : Los Angeles/Online
Do you have a favorite memory from your time in the program?
I especially loved the early part of my LEAP studies-- classes held Monday nights in downtown Little Tokyo in LA-- and I offer kudos to my math teacher for getting me to understand math! My favorite part of LEAP was the group discussions with peers. Dancers work so hard! And I found that many of the dancers became more eloquent and verbose over the course of that time. I'm grateful that I can continue to study online to finish out the credit work, and appreciate Andrew Pearson for his guidance and optimism.
What was your senior project? How have you used these new skills or knowledge?
I did my senior project first! "Nutricilicious" about children's health and the obesity issues in the K-12 school years in the U.S. I worked with a young up and coming actor/dancer I managed (Kelli Berglund; Lab Rats Disney) and a group of neighborhood kids, besides my own, and we choreographed and staged a video promo to support the message that kids need to be active. I continue to coach and earned my AFAA certification over the pandemic *(2020) so I could be up to date on the nutrition and physiological studies as I continue to be interested in this important topic. I believe the Kinesiology we studied was useful and a benefit to my continued education in this field.
What are some of your future goals now that you've completed your BA Degree?
Since I came to LEAP and college in my late 40's (into 50's) it was more for personal validation and knowing I had the BA for my resume--even in progress--rather than for any kind of continued degree or entry to other employment. However, I do think the range of courses studied have given my a well-rounded understanding and deeper dive into areas of interest and this has given me confidence in conversation on certain topics.
I continue to represent actors, artists, authors, activists and I've been producing my own podcast to invite conversations with experts in the arts, entertainment, technology and literary fields. This has broadened my collective of contacts and given me leverage in my own negotiations. I've taught as adjunct instructor at UC Weston (UK) and InStudio School (Hussian College) Los Angeles; and I've coached online students internationally. I've worked with winners of the Tony, Emmy, Grammy and Clio. I entered into the world of Literary Representation while in school- and I do think I gained confidence in my editorial abilities when working with authors.
Selected Credits: Passion to Power Podcast Host and Producer