Riding the Dragon: About the Artists
Writer and Directer - Jaime Coronado
Jaime Coronado is Co-Artistic Director of the Spanish Dance Theatre of the Spanish Dance Society performing throughout the United States and internationally, performing in Mexico and Great Britain. His choreography has been presented on many stages including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Smithsonian Institution, various opera productions for the prestigious IN Series of Washington, D.C., Baltimore Arts Museum, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Scena Theater and the embassies of Spain, France, and Germany. His most recent choreographic collaboration is with Universes Theater's Eyewitness Blues at New York Theatre Workshop in New York City. He is a fellow and adjunct professor at American University with a Master of Arts Degree in Performing Arts. He holds an Instructor de Baile Degree (IdB) from the International Spanish Dance Society and has taught in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Great Britain. Other faculty positions have included the Washington Ballet Summer School, the Kirov Academy of Dance Summer School, the Peabody Conservatory at John Hopkins University and the American College Dance Festival. He has performed and toured with the José Greco Spanish Dance Company, Raquel Peña Spanish Dance Company, and Carlota Santana. He is a 1997 Washington, D.C. Commission of the Arts and Humanities fellow and named 1997 Washington Arts Leader by the Cultural Alliance of Washington, D.C.
Choreographer - Christine Stone Martin
Christine Stone Martin is a native of Richmond, Virginia. In 2002 Christine received her MA in performing Arts with concentrations in Choreography, Performance and Kinesiology from the American University in Washington , D.C. She received her BA in English with minors in Dance and Communications from Virginia Tech in 1997. While at Virginia Tech, Stone choreographed, taught, directed and danced in association with the Contemporary Dance Ensemble of Virginia Tech. Her Choreography has been presented in Blacksburg , Va. , the Piccolo Spoletto Dance Festival, and throughout the D.C. area. Christine has had the opportunity to work with choreographers and companies such as: Billie Lepczyk, David Wynne, UJIMA, the Roanoke Ballet Theatre, the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Amir Kolben, Francisca Morand, Ann Halligan Donahue, Starr Foster Dance Project, and Ellis Wood. Most recently Christine had the pleasure of working with the Jr. Youth Dance ensemble as Artist in Residence.
Stage Manager -Pamela DeBato
Pamela is a native of Houston, TX. She has appeared in Hold that thought/Mama, Finding Tony/Hera, Night of January 16th/ Stevens, The Waiting Room/Brenda, Passion/Eleanor,
Cat on a Hot Tin Room/Big Mamma, Antigone/Tieresias. Pamela is also the author and co-director of History on Hands, a play performed in American Sign Language with music, which has been staged in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Chicago among other cities.
Actors - M. Keith Island, Mark Lewis, Steve Lebens and Todd Stevens
Marcus "Keith" Island has appeared in various productions throughout the DC, Dallas, and Arkansas areas. Some of the productions M. Keith has appeared in are: The Wisdom of Eve/Clement Howell, LeDroit Home Team/Rayford, Passion/Jim, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof/Brick, Othello/Iago, The Tempest/Ariel, A Chorus Line/Richie, Antigone/Haemon, Sweet Charity/Daddy Bruebeck, R.U.R./Alquist and Cinderella/Prince Charming. M. Keith is also the co-director of History on Hands, a play performed in American Sign Language with music, which has played in numerous cities around the country.
Mark Lewis has been doing theater around the DC area for about 7 years, having focused mostly on musicals. Favorite roles include Larry in Company with the Foundry Players, Admiral Peary/ADA Whitman in Ragtime with TAP and David Gold in Twilight of the Golds with Port City Players.
Steve Lebens has appeared at StudioSeconstage (A Clockwork Orange, Hot Fudge, Virgin Molly, Museeka), Signature (Cabaret, Passion), The Folger (Merchant of Venice, Playing Juliet/Casting Othello, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Purloined Patience), Horizons Theatre (Kindertransport), Trumpet Vine Theatre (Abducting Diana, The Borderland), and The Actors Theatre of Washington (Moscow). Television credits include "Law and Order: Criminal Intent," "El Amor es mas Fuerte" and "Te Amo Pecas."
Todd Stevens, a resident of Washington, DC has entertained audiences at Tracks, Secrets and Omega.
Dancer - Christopher Dalen
Christopher Dalen began his formal dance training in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. He continued training while at Mary Washington College where he received a B.A. in Performing Arts and Geography. He took his career in dance on the road, touring with Walt Disney World Productions. He has danced with Martha Graham, Stuttgart Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Washington National Opera. Mr. Dalen later obtained his Master of Arts degree in performing arts, with dance as his focus, from American University. He continues training and dancing today, practicing street dances such as hip hop, breaking, liquid and various cultural and ethnic dances.