DANCING FOR A CURE 2019!
BRAIN TUMOR BENEFIT DANCE FESTIVAL
Sponsored by Adelphi Technology Inc. and Gold Biotechnology Inc.
November 3rd, 2019 at 4PM
VPAC Theater in Cupertino, CA
Our very first "Dancing for a Cure 2019!" event focused on supporting the brain tumor community. The goal of this event was to help raise awareness of brain tumors, as well as raise funds to support the National Brain Tumor Society, a Nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to serving people whose lives are affected by brain tumors. The event was huge success and we had over 100 dancers performed with 400 sold-out audiences. Moreover, we had two incredible brain tumors survivors who shared their stories and gave hope to others! The event proceed of $8,600 donated to the National Brain Tumor Society!
San Jose Dance International deeply appreciated to the following people who contributed their time to this benefit performance.
FEATURED ARTISTS
Principal dancer at National Ballet of Ukraine, Kiev
Principal dancer at Los Angeles Ballet
Principal dancer at Los Angeles Ballet
THE SURVIVORS
Craig Frost and Karl Pontau
THE FOUNDER and ORGANIZER
Dr. Tomoko Ozawa at UCSF
THE PRODUCTION DIRECTORS
Yu Xin, Tomoko Ozawa and Miko Fogarty
THE PERFORMERS (Alphabetical)
All Star Kung Fu (Chinese Kung Fu)
Arabesque (Middle-eastern Belly Dance)
Ballet Folklorico Mexico Danza (Mexican Dance)
Bay Area Ballet Youth Company (Classical Ballet)
Dimensions Dance Theater (African Dance)
Flux Vertical Theatre (Vertical Dance)
Hai Yan Jackson Chinese Dance (Chinese Classical Dance)
Koko de la Isla Flamenco (Flamenco)
Madhuri Kishore Kuchipudi Dance School (Kuchipudi Dance)
Mambo Groovin' Latin Dance Theater (Fusion Bachata)
Mannakin Theater and Dance (Contemporary)
Natyalaya Kuchipudi School of Dance (Kuchipudi Dance)
Peninsula Ballet Theatre (Classical Ballet)
Silicon Valley Stompers (Clog Dance)
SJDI Adult Ballet Performing Group (Ballet)
SJDI Youth Ballet (Ballet)
Sneha Patkar (Kathak Dance)
Stephanie Herman (Contemporary, Jazzy, Lyrical Ballet)
Yu Xin Ballet School (Ballet)
Zouk SF (Brazilian Zouk Dance)
THE EVENT VOLUNTEERS
Iren Chen, Shin Chen, Sakura Fitzgerald, Yumiko Fitzgerald, Satoko Fogarty, Joey Hsieh, Laura Kodaverdian, Jonathan Lee, Olivia Pritchard, Leah Santos, Raquel Santos, Rohan Tirumala, Emily Tieu, Naoko Yoshida and Stephanie Zhao
ANA SOPHIA SCHELLER
Dedicates her dance to her sister who is fighting brain tumor.
Principal Dancer at National Ballet Ukraine, Kiev (Started September 1st, 2019)
Former Principal Dancer at New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet
Born in Buenos Aires Argentina, Ana Sophia Scheller began dancing at the age of six. At the age of nine, she started taking Ballet classes with Katty Gallo (former soloist ballet dancer at the Teatro Colon) and Raul Candal (former principal ballet dancer at the Teatro Colon). Ana was admitted to the institution named Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires at the age of 10. At the age of 13, she received a scholarship as part of Argentinas National Presidential Prize for Cultural Excellence in Classical Dance for three consecutive years before moving to New York.
In 2000, Ana enrolled as a full time student at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. At SAB Ana performed at the 2002 and 2003 Workshop Performances dancing the principal role in Ballo della Regina and Brahms Schoenberg Quartet third movement (Balanchine) and Aurora in the Wedding Pas de Deux from the Sleeping Beauty (Martins). In August 2003, Ana joined American Ballet Theater Studio Company where she performed featured roles in Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (Forsythe), Symphony in C and Tarantella (Balanchine).
Ana joined New York City Ballet as a member of the corps of ballet in April 2004.
In December 2006, Ana was promoted to soloist, then in May 2012 she was made principal with the New York City Ballet. At the age of 18 Ana was partnered with Julio Bocca as a principal guest in his farewell world tour in Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela and Madrid Spain. In 2012, Ana guested with Teatro Massimo in Palermo for the production of Cinderella as Cinderella under de Direction of Luciano Canito. Ana is also guest artist in many Galas around the world such as Nureyev Ballet Festival in Kazan (Russia), Gala International del Teatro Colon (Argentina), Gala de Ballet de Buenos Aires, Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition, Singapure and many more.
In July 2017, Ana joined San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer under the direction of Helgi Tomasson.
In September 2019, Ana moved to the National Ballet of Ukraine, Kiev as a principal dancer .
ERIS NEZHA
Principal Dancer at Los Angeles Ballet
Former Principal Dancer at Boston Ballet and La Scala, Milan, Italy
Eris Nezha was born inTirana, Albania. He graduated from Teatro alla Scala Ballet School (Milan, Italy) in 2002, and immediately joined La Scala Ballet Company, where he later was promoted to Principal Dancer. With La Scala Nezha performed leading roles on international tours in Brazil, Russia, Oman, Poland, Israel, and Japan. In 2013 Eris Nezha has been invited by Mikko Nissinen to join the Boston Ballet as a Principal Dancer.
From the 2018-2019 season Eris is a Principal Dancer with Los Angeles Ballet. Nezha has danced with famous guest artists including Svetlana Zakharova, Natalia Osipova, Polina Semionova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Alina Somova and Eleonora Abbagnato, Hee Seo, Petra Conti. Eris Nezha has performed in some of the most renowned theaters in the world, like the Bolshoi, the Staatsballett in Berlin, the Kremlin, the Dolby Theatre, the Arena of Verona, the Operas of Muscat, Kiev, San Paolo, Rio de Janeiro, Ekaterinburg, Zagreb, Tirana, Rome, Naples, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Toronto, Fukuoka.
Eris Nezha is married to International Principal Dancer Petra Conti.
PETRA CONTI
Cancer Survivor
Principal Dancer at Los Angeles Ballet
Former Principal Dancer at Boston Ballet and La Scala, Milan, Italy
Petra Conti was born in Italy in 1988 from an Italian father and a Polish mother. She graduated with honors from the National Academy of Dance in Rome in 2006. At the age of 17 Conti has been invited by the Arena di Verona Ballet as an étoile guest to perform her first full length ballet, Cinderella.
In 2007, she joined the Mariinsky Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, to prepare major ballet roles with Elvira Tarasova. In 2008 she became part of the Bavarian State Ballet Company. In 2009 she has been invited by former director Mahar Vaziev to join La Scala Ballet Company. She was appointed Prima Ballerina at La Scala in 2011.
After being promoted to Prima ballerina at La Scala in Milan, Italy at the age of 23, Petra Conti joins the Boston Ballet as a Principal Dancer in 2013. Now, after surviving a Kidney Cancer, she has moved to California, dances with the Los Angels Ballet, and travels around the world as a free-lance Principal Dancer.
Her personal story inspires hundreds of people everyday. Petra Conti's name has become a symbol of strength, grace, preserverance, courage, passion, and love.