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Fran Spector Atkins, B.S., M.F.A. Fran Spector Atkins is the Artistic Director of SpectorDance, located at California State University, Monterey Bay. Ms. Spector Atkins is also on the faculty of California State University, Monterey Bay. Academically, her credits include a B.S. in Occupational Therapy from Boston University, an M.F.A. from Mills College in Dance and Choreography in California and Certification in Laban Movement Analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in New York City.Since 1977, she has been an independent teacher and choreographer. She has directed her own schools in NYC (1977-1980), Cleveland (1986-1988) and was Director of Ballet Studies at Hidden Valley (1989-93) She has been a guest teacher and presented her choreography in Denmark, Egypt, England, Israel, the Island of Guam and Taiwan. Ms. Spector Atkins has received numerous awards including the Artists in Education Award from the Ohio Arts Council (1985) and the Dewars' Young Artists Recognition Award for Choreography for the state of California (1991). Her work is currently sponsored in part by the Arkay Foundation, Cultural Council of Monterey County, the Chapman Foundation, the Community Foundations for Monterey County: Arts Initiative, the AT&T Pebble Beach Youth Fund, the Big Sur Marathon, the Blaine Jewish Family Fund, the Monterey Bay Blues Festival, CTB/McGraw-Hill, Richard MacDonald Studio, Pebble Beach Company, Slautterback Corporation, the National Steinbeck Center, Target and many local businesses and individuals. Since 1996, Ms. Spector Atkins has been collaborating with William Roden, media specialist, to develop a process of integration of dance, music, text and visual imagery. Spector Atkins and Roden have created seven works that involve media integration and pay homage to the literary masters who enriched the heritage of our community: Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller and John Steinbeck. |
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Amy Byington began her dance training (ballet, jazz, modern, and tap) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas. She has performed with the Clear Lake Metropolitan Ballet and Galveston Ballet, dancing various roles in The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake (Act II), Giselle and Don Quixote. Amy has studied under Leo Ahonen, Soli Arvola, Keith Cross, Luis Fuente, Myrta George, Lynette Mason, Richard Munro, and Beverly Williams; and has worked with choreographers Amalie Hunter and Olga Kostritsky. In 1994, Amy received a scholarship to study at the Joffery Ballet School and Broadway Dance Center in New York. Amy has continued to share her love of dance by teaching ballet classes to all ages. |
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Karen Cook, licensed Acupuncturist, certified yoga teacher and dancer has over 25 years in the movement arts, Her primary teachers have been Thomas Michael Fortel and Fran Spector Atkins. Karen invites all to experience the joy and peace in her Yoga classes. |
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Katie Grove began her dance training at Dance Tech Studio’s in Park City, Ut. She trained extensively in Jazz, Lyrical, and Ballet. Competing locally and nationally, she won numerous awards and titles. Katie went on to major in dance at the University of Utah, where she taught jazz, lyrical, and ballet at Dance Tech Studio’s. She graduated from the University of Utah in May with a degree in modern dance and a minor in nutrition. While at the U of U she trained in modern, ballet, and jazz and also studied composition, kinesiology, Pilates, folk forms, and teaching pedagogy. The Modern Dance Department at the U of U also provided many performing opportunities, one such opportunity allowed her to perform in NYC at the American Dance Guild’s 50th Anniversary Gala this past June. |
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Alexa Stevens has been involved in dance for ten years. She has studied ballet, tap, modern, acrobatics, contemporary, jazz, musical theater, and hip-hop. She is a nationally top-ranking competitive soloist with No Limits Dance and Performing Arts in Santa Cruz. In 2006, she was the recipient of an Outstanding Student award from Jason Samuels-Smith, a nationally acclaimed tap choreographer, performer, and producer. Since the age of 6, Alexa has appeared in local community theater productions in leading roles such as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, and the Queen in Cinderella. She has been affiliated with Spector Dance for five years, most recently performing in Figures in the Dust. |
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Darius Waldrup, is a Monterey Peninsula native who has recently returned to the area after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from the University of California at Riverside. While in Southern California, Darius was the hip-hop instructor for the University; founded Forte Dance Troop, a multi-genre dance company that performed throughout the Inland Empire of Southern California; and was a part of Dorothy Day Otis Artist Agency, one of the top dance agencies in Los Angeles that allowed him to work with choreographers such as Tabitha, Fatima Robinson, Frank Gatson, Wade Robson and Michael Rooney whose choreography has been seen on tour and in the music videos of Will Smith, Usher, Aaliyah, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Solange, NSYNC, and Britney Spears to name a few. Locally, Darius is the head of the choreography department for Mind Over Matter Entertainment Company and has choreographed videos and shows for their artists. As a new addition to the SpectorDance family, Darius hopes to bring his creativity energy and love for hiphop dance to all of those that share a similar passion. |
