With the support from the City of Oakland's Neighborhood Voices grant program, Ballet22 is hosting two choreographer residencies at BlackBox Studios in Oakland

2022 Resident Choreographers:

Anna Gichan

Anna Gichan is a deaf/hoh freelance dancer. She received her B.F.A in Dance from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, completing a year abroad at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance in Israel where she immersed herself in the gaga movement language. Anna has performed at Park Ave Armory, The Cooper Hewitt Museum, Dixon Place, Judson Memorial Church, Loews Jersey Theater, Newburgh Illuminated Dance Festival, Triskelion Arts, Roulette, Yi Gallery and more. Her work has been presented at CultureHub LaMaMa, Gibney, The Tank, Flux Factory and supported by the Brooklyn Arts Exchange Disabled Artist Space Grant and CDI Brooklyn College. Anna currently is an admin assistant for Dancers Group based out of San Francisco.

Miche Wong

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Miche Wong is a dancer, educator, and choreographer. Seasoned in that order, it has led her to join Guangdong Modern Dance Company, Garret +Moulton Productions, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, Ziru Dance, and most recently, ODC. She brings her well-rounded experience in the field to the classes and workshops she teaches throughout California and abroad. Miche’s choreographic work has been shown in the Beijing International Dance Festival, Silicon Valley Dance Festival, at the Asian Art Museum, Dance Mission Theater, and Cowell Theater. Follow her on Instagram @miche_moves

About the Residency

Each choreographer will be awarded 25 hours of studio time at BlackBox Studios (April 18, 2022-June 19, 2022) and a budget of $1,250 to support their vision. At the end of their residency choreographers will be given time to present their work in process to the public at BlackBox Studios.The residency is intended to offer an opportunity to Oakland based choreographers who are underrepresented in the dance field, prioritizing: womxn, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community. We seek artists that have a clear proposal of work or artist statement. We wish to give artists space to choreograph work that is a true reflection of the vision they wish to express.

The goal of the residency is to contribute to the critical efforts to diversify concert dance by providing an opportunity for Oakland artists to access studio space and funds to create, and to provide the community with accessible engagement with concert dance.

The City of Oakland's Neighborhood Voices grant program aims to promote cultural equity, belonging, and well-being to the communities that make Oakland unique, vibrant, and resilient.

Panelists of the 2022 Residency Program are:

Roberto Vega Ortiz, Ballet22 Artistic Director & Co-Founder

Theresa Knudson, Ballet22 Executive Director & Co-Founder

Joanne Kim, Ballet22 Board Secretary & Company Manager

Durante Verzola, Ballet22 Choreographer

Photo by Concept o4 from Mi Pequeñito Sueño choreographed by Omar Román De Jesús for Ballet22 2020