Board of Directors
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Dancer: Cameron McKinney
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For over 30 years, Fran Spector Atkins, choreographer, has created socially-relevant performance projects with associated engagement programs. Her signature style involves extensive research and filmed interviews with experts and community members related to each topic. Her work weaves together selected sound bites from these interviews and related visual images into a music mix. This becomes the framework for the dance performance. In this way, each project merges factual information with aesthetic elements that heightens awareness of a topic in a way that reaches peoples’ hearts!
Collaboration with outstanding non-arts organizations is key to every project. Examples include Figures in the Dust, a collaboration with the National Steinbeck Center about Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath; Common Ground, a collaboration with the United Farm Workers, about California agriculture; East West, a collaboration with Rancho Cielo about gang violence; Ocean Trilogy, a collaboration with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute about challenges confronting our ocean and hopeful possibilities for ocean health from cutting- edge ocean science research; When You Were Gone, a collaboration with the Porter Youth Center for military families, about deployment from the perspective of youth, and In Real Time, a virtual piece about the Coronavirus experience based on interviews with SpectorDance company performers. Wildfires, a work-in progress, celebrates Indigenous approaches to fire ecology.
For these projects and others, Fran has received numerous awards including the prestigious Dewar’s Young Artist Recognition Award for the State of California and was featured in Carmel Magazine as one of 10 individuals making “altruistic contributions to the community,” and she was featured in the film Luminaries of Monterey County. SpectorDance was selected by the Arts Council for Monterey County as the “Outstanding Arts Organization in Monterey County,” and as a national finalist for the Ovation TV award for “Excellence in the Performing Arts.” She has twice been a presenter at TedX Monterey and in 2020, she was honored to have received the Florence Haspel Zeve Award for Outstanding Female Artist in Monterey serving Women, Families and the Arts.
Fran Spector Atkins is proud to be the artistic director and founder of SpectorDance. With major community support, she established a School, a Company, a Community Engagement Programs, numerous Creative Projects, the Choreographers Showcase and the Sadie Rose Residency Program. She has directed studios in NYC, Cleveland, and Monterey and has choreographed throughout the United States and abroad. Some of her outstanding experiences include being a guest artist at Oberlin College, Brown University, Stanford University and in Denmark, Egypt, England, Israel, Italy, Guam and Taiwan.
Fran’s academic and professional credits include a B. S. in Occupational Therapy from Boston University, an M.F.A. from Mills College in Dance and Choreography, and Certification in Laban Movement Analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in NYC. She also is certified in the American Ballet Theater National Teachers Training Curriculum. Fran’s works have been funded by the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, James Irvine Foundation. She has been a finalist for the Creative Capital, the Creative Work Fund, and the MAP Fund and her work was selected for Up Next at APAP.
Collaboration with outstanding non-arts organizations is key to every project. Examples include Figures in the Dust, a collaboration with the National Steinbeck Center about Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath; Common Ground, a collaboration with the United Farm Workers, about California agriculture; East West, a collaboration with Rancho Cielo about gang violence; Ocean Trilogy, a collaboration with Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute about challenges confronting our ocean and hopeful possibilities for ocean health from cutting- edge ocean science research; When You Were Gone, a collaboration with the Porter Youth Center for military families, about deployment from the perspective of youth, and In Real Time, a virtual piece about the Coronavirus experience based on interviews with SpectorDance company performers. Wildfires, a work-in progress, celebrates Indigenous approaches to fire ecology.
For these projects and others, Fran has received numerous awards including the prestigious Dewar’s Young Artist Recognition Award for the State of California and was featured in Carmel Magazine as one of 10 individuals making “altruistic contributions to the community,” and she was featured in the film Luminaries of Monterey County. SpectorDance was selected by the Arts Council for Monterey County as the “Outstanding Arts Organization in Monterey County,” and as a national finalist for the Ovation TV award for “Excellence in the Performing Arts.” She has twice been a presenter at TedX Monterey and in 2020, she was honored to have received the Florence Haspel Zeve Award for Outstanding Female Artist in Monterey serving Women, Families and the Arts.
Fran Spector Atkins is proud to be the artistic director and founder of SpectorDance. With major community support, she established a School, a Company, a Community Engagement Programs, numerous Creative Projects, the Choreographers Showcase and the Sadie Rose Residency Program. She has directed studios in NYC, Cleveland, and Monterey and has choreographed throughout the United States and abroad. Some of her outstanding experiences include being a guest artist at Oberlin College, Brown University, Stanford University and in Denmark, Egypt, England, Israel, Italy, Guam and Taiwan.
Fran’s academic and professional credits include a B. S. in Occupational Therapy from Boston University, an M.F.A. from Mills College in Dance and Choreography, and Certification in Laban Movement Analysis from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in NYC. She also is certified in the American Ballet Theater National Teachers Training Curriculum. Fran’s works have been funded by the California Arts Council, the National Endowment for the Arts, James Irvine Foundation. She has been a finalist for the Creative Capital, the Creative Work Fund, and the MAP Fund and her work was selected for Up Next at APAP.
Roger D. Stewart, Ph.D., SpectorDance Board Chair, is a Management Consultant. He is focused primarily on improving SpectorDance’s organizational structure, efficiency, information management, and financial oversight. He served as Associate Dean at the Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television. Previously he worked for many deans for over more than thirty years at the University of Southern California. He was Executive Associate Dean of the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and was responsible for a half billion-dollar annual budget, staff personnel, technology, and facilities. He is a graduate of Goddard College, Harvard Divinity School, and Boston University.
Amy Byington was trained in dance (ballet, jazz, modern, character and tap) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, Joffrey Ballet School ,and Broadway Dance Center in New York. Amy came to SpectorDance in 2006 to share her love of dance by teaching ballet classes to all ages. In 2009, she accepted the role of Assistant School Director, 2015 Director of the Youth Company, and in 2017-2021 School Director. Today she is teaching community dance classes are the YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula Amy holds a B.S in Marine Science from Texas A&M University and a M.S in Marine Science from San Jose State University. She is a senior analyst and research technician at the Marine Pollution Studies Laboratory at Moss Landing Maine Laboratories.
Jonathan Lipow holds a PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics from the University of California–Berkeley, and is currently a professor at the Defense Resources Management Institute located at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Jonathan has conducted numerous overseas assignments for the Department of Defense, and in 2014 was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terror in recognition of his contributions to US national security. Jonathan recently published his first book, Survival: The Economic Foundations of American National Security (Lexington Books, 2016).
Shany Dagan is a Proud Israeli- American Dancer Choreographer, and Aerialist. She holds a Degree in Dance and Musical theater - from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Shany trained at Broadway Dance Center- at the Professional Semester as well as the Warehouse Circus Intensive Program. After serving 3 years in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) while continuing her dance training in Tel Aviv, Shany moved to the United States to pursue her performance career and has performed nationally and internationally over 30 states in the past few years.
Credits include: Little mermaid-played Adella (The Fireside Theatre), Christmas Wonderland National Tour and Le Grand Cirque (Dublin Productions), RWS & Holland America Cruise Line, Dancing With The Stars- ISR, NY Horror Festival, The Dreaming (LIC Theatre), France and Holland Jewish community International Tour, Vassy's 'Concrete Heart' dance video, Danced on NBC on Red Nose Day, and The Collaborators with Rachelle Rack. etc.
In 2018 Shany joined SpectorDance company, under the lead of Fran Spector Atkins where she performed- Ocean-Trilogy (in NYC) and in 2019 -East-West in Monterey, CA. When not performing, Shany works as a Personal Trainer with over 20 professional fitness and nutrition certifications. In addition to her numerous private clients all around NYC and TLV, she also works as a CrossFIT Coach.
Credits include: Little mermaid-played Adella (The Fireside Theatre), Christmas Wonderland National Tour and Le Grand Cirque (Dublin Productions), RWS & Holland America Cruise Line, Dancing With The Stars- ISR, NY Horror Festival, The Dreaming (LIC Theatre), France and Holland Jewish community International Tour, Vassy's 'Concrete Heart' dance video, Danced on NBC on Red Nose Day, and The Collaborators with Rachelle Rack. etc.
In 2018 Shany joined SpectorDance company, under the lead of Fran Spector Atkins where she performed- Ocean-Trilogy (in NYC) and in 2019 -East-West in Monterey, CA. When not performing, Shany works as a Personal Trainer with over 20 professional fitness and nutrition certifications. In addition to her numerous private clients all around NYC and TLV, she also works as a CrossFIT Coach.
Connie DeNault received a minor in dance education and composition at San Jose State University along with her BS degree in Business Administration. With her creative, independent spirit she created Middle Earth in Motion --A School
of Natural Movement, Tumbleweed Gymnastics Company, and The Art of Moving Through Life which collectively featured small concerts with local Santa Cruz choreographers. In 2002 Connie produced a San Jose State Alumnae Dance Concert honoring the retirement of Dance Department Chair and Dean of Humanities, Mina Garman, She has organized several Christmas Dance Concerts at La Posada Senior Center, performances at Santa Cruz Vets Hall and three successful Isadora Duncan Workshops with Master Duncan Dance teacher, Lois Flood. Over the years she has created original choreography using diverse styles and themes such as: the environment, political satire, historic reconstruction, emotional visualization, and literary theatrical narrative. She has completed several dance oral history projects giving honor to aging dancers and performers. She has a passion for dance history and the evolution of all styles of dance and movement.
of Natural Movement, Tumbleweed Gymnastics Company, and The Art of Moving Through Life which collectively featured small concerts with local Santa Cruz choreographers. In 2002 Connie produced a San Jose State Alumnae Dance Concert honoring the retirement of Dance Department Chair and Dean of Humanities, Mina Garman, She has organized several Christmas Dance Concerts at La Posada Senior Center, performances at Santa Cruz Vets Hall and three successful Isadora Duncan Workshops with Master Duncan Dance teacher, Lois Flood. Over the years she has created original choreography using diverse styles and themes such as: the environment, political satire, historic reconstruction, emotional visualization, and literary theatrical narrative. She has completed several dance oral history projects giving honor to aging dancers and performers. She has a passion for dance history and the evolution of all styles of dance and movement.
Advisory Board
Diana Huang - SpectorDance Board President Emerita
Kyra Schlining– SpectorDance Board Emerita
Ziona Goren – SpectorDance Board President Emerita
Karen A. Cook, L. Ac, QME– SpectorDance Board Emerita
Roger L. Thompson– SpectorDance Board Emeritus
Major Volunteers
Toni Gibbs (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Mark Gibbs, Cecilia Contreras Mejia (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Malcom Mejia, Emily Zefferman (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Harley Thompson, Garnett Quarles, Audellia Galindo, Jesus Galindo, and Crystal Forbes
Diana Huang - SpectorDance Board President Emerita
Kyra Schlining– SpectorDance Board Emerita
Ziona Goren – SpectorDance Board President Emerita
Karen A. Cook, L. Ac, QME– SpectorDance Board Emerita
Roger L. Thompson– SpectorDance Board Emeritus
Major Volunteers
Toni Gibbs (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Mark Gibbs, Cecilia Contreras Mejia (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Malcom Mejia, Emily Zefferman (SpectorDance Board Emeritus), Harley Thompson, Garnett Quarles, Audellia Galindo, Jesus Galindo, and Crystal Forbes