About SuarezDanceTheater - Company Biographies

Christine Suarez (artistic/executive director) was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She began her dance career 25 years ago in her parents' back yard putting on dance recitals to the Grease soundtrack. Her high school years were spent as a competitive long distance runner. She has united these two parts of her history to greatly inform her dances-the playful performer with the athletic beauty of the human form. She graduated from Emory University with a BA in Theater and English Literature. She founded SuarezDanceTheater in 1998, which debuted at HERE's American Living Room. The Company has performed at various venues in NYC including P.S. 122, Dixon Place, Timsloft, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Context Studios, the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, Queensborough Community College and the Dance Film Association: Dance on Camera at the Anthology Film Archives. Ms. Suarez self-produced the Company's 2001 and 2002 New York City seasons at the Williamsburg Art neXus. This past year marked the Company's first touring efforts with performances at the First Glance Atlanta Festival produced by EstroFest and residency in Louisiana with performances at Baton Rouge's Independence Park Theatre. In July 03 Christine began an Artist in Residence position at Tribeca Performing Arts Center. She has been invited to continue as Artist in Residence at TRIBECA for the 04/05 season. She has also been commissioned to collaborate with a variety of theater directors. Her choreography for Keen Company's June 03 production was called "smart and stylist" by the Village Voice. She had the pleasure to assistant direct for South African playwright, Athol Fugard at the Manhattan Theater Club. Additionally she was the recipient of the Kenneth Frankel Memorial Directing Fellowship. Her work for the theater has been presented at the Atlantic Theater, Ohio Theater, Ontological-Hysteric Theater, HERE and Urban Stages. Over the years, she has taught acting technique, ballet and modern dance at the French Woods Performing Arts Camp and Southern Arts Academy in Atlanta. As a guest artist, she has taught at Emory University, Indiana University and Louisiana State University. Christine is also a New York State licensed massage therapist in private practice.

Donna Costello (company member/dancer) has performed with SuarezDanceTheater since 1998. She has had the pleasure of working with Stephan Koplowitz, Naomi Goldberg and Steeledance, and currently performs for Melissa Briggs Dance, Shannon Hummel / CORA and Mollie O'Brien's MOB productions and collaborating with fellow dancer Laura Hymers. Her work has been presented at Williamsburg Art Nexus, Dixon Place, New Dance Space in Charlottesville, Virginia and James Madison University where she received her bachelor's degrees in dance and speech communication. She recently choreographed for Flying Fig theater company's production of Shirtwaist at the NYC fringe festival and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Donna has worked as a teacher of young movers in a wide range of capacities and has been on faculty at Queensborough College. She currently teaches students of all ages at Poly Prep Country Day School and Brooklyn Arts Exchange.

Lindsay Forsythe (company member/dancer) has been dancing with SuarezDanceTheater since 2000. She has worked with many choreographers in Seattle and NYC including Philippa Kaye, Tom Truss, Michelle Miller, and Swedish choreographer, Orian Andersson. Ms. Forsythe is also a Pilates instructor and most recently a full time graduate student at New York University studying for a Masters in Social Work.

Aaron Haskell (company member/dancer) is a performing and visual artist who grew up in Atlanta, GA. In 2000, he received a fellowship to study at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance in New York City. In 2002, he developed a children's show in collaboration with his brother, Tim Haskell, which premiered and had a month long run in the city's Lower East Side. In both Atlanta and NYC, he has taught ballet and modern technique to young students. Aaron has been working with SuarezDanceTheater since 2002. He also performs with director Rebecca Ramirez and has performed with Dzul Dance Company.

Daniela Hoff (company member/dancer) was born in Germany and studied at the School for the Arts, at the Department for Modern Theater Dance, in Amsterdam/Holland. In Europe she danced with various choreographers and presented her own work. Since moving to New York in 1999 she has danced with Christina Briggs & Edward Winslow/ Incidents Physical Theater, Peggy Peloquin, Ariane Anthony, Patricia Nichelson, Stephen Koplowitz, as well as in an improvisational group compromised of both musicians and dancers. Daniela also received a Scholarship at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio. Her own work has been shown at the Cathedral Arts Festival, the Williamsburg/ Greenpoint Dance Festival, the Wight Room Series, Hatch, Dancespace, WAX, SWEAT and the d.u.m.b.o. Dance Festival. Currently Daniela is working with Erica Essner Performance Co-Op and Christine Suarez/ SuarezDanceTheater.

Andy Miccolis (company member/composer) has been playing piano since the age of 5 and bass since he was 9 years old. Born in Nashville and raised outside Philadelphia, Andy moved to the Big Apple 3 years ago to study jazz at the New School. He currently is performing with Anistar (middle-eastern jazz group), Xibaba (live jungle/drum n' bass trio), and Advanced Demeanor (electro-acoustic improv sextet), as well as freelance work. For more information, check out www.andymiccolis.com.

Becky Pearl (company member/dancer) studied dance at Connecticut College, where she was deeply influenced by teachers and choreographers such as Dan Wagoner, Wally Cardona and Eddie Taketa. After graduating, she moved to New York to continue to study and perform with the companies of Jeremy Nelson, Jeff Rebudal and Heidi Latsky. Becky is a dance teacher and loves working with children of all ages and abilities.