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The Company
Co-Artistic Directors, Irada Djelassi and Katherine Hooper established BoSoma Dance Company in 2003. BoSoma is a Boston based professional contemporary dance company that produces high energy, athletic and stimulating performances with its own signature of vibrant, vital movement. Their mission is to make dance a captivating art form through dynamic performance and first rate education for our community. BoSoma is also committed to collaborate with local musicians and visual artists with the intent of reaching out to audiences of different artistic mediums. The company believes that it is mutually beneficial for arts organizations to work together and develop meaningful partnerships for sustainability. The Artistic Directors/Choreographers
 Irada Djelassi began her dance training at the age of two in Central Massachusetts at Mass Motion Dance Academy (formallyknown as the Terri Gordon Dance Centre). She continued her education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where she received a BFA in Dance and held a Chancellors Award in dance all four years. While in college Irada produced and performed in several dance and musical theater performances throughout the Five Colleges. After college Ms Djelassi moved to Manhattan to further her education. While studying in New York, she taught at the American Youth Dance Theater on the Upper East Side. During her stay in New York, Irada was asked to teach for the Dance Department of a Performing Arts Magnet School in Worcester, Massachusetts, which eventually led to her relocation to Boston. Irada has performed choreography by Andre Tyson of Alvin Ailey, Leslie Partridge, Billbob Brown, Nia Love, Janis Brenner, Katherine Hooper, Jin Wen Yu, as well as others. She has participated in the World Jazz Dance Congress for two years. She is currently the Assistant Director of Mass Motion Dance where she is developing The Dance Project, a community service based teen performance group. She is also a board member of Allston Village Main Streets in Boston.
Katherine Hooper began her professional training at the University of North Carolina and finished her BFA at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Five College Dance Program. As an undergraduate, she co-developed an Arts Collective and an Improvisation Group while producing, directing and choreographing 2 full-scale productions. Following graduation, Katherine moved to Colorado where she co-founded Performance Works, Ltd., a contemporary dance and theatre company. For five years, as the choreographer and co-artistic director of the company, she taught and performed throughout the area inspiring local dancers and non-dancers to achieve their personal best through movement. While in Colorado, Katherine also certified through Polestar Education in Pilates Matt Work, which has enhanced her passion for creating highly athletic and dynamic movement. In 2001 and 2002, Katherine was commissioned to choreograph original works for the Patricia Kenny Dance Collection, formerly of the David Parsons Dance Company. In 2004, she taught a weeklong workshop at Peridance Center in Manhattan. Katherine is the owner/director of Mass Motion Dance North Location in Peabody, MA: Opening February 2010. The Dancers  Maeghan Flynn (Maine) began her dance training at the age of 3 in Lewiston/Auburn with Elizabeth Hansen. She later attended the Maine State Ballet of Performing Arts, and ultimately began serious training with the Portland Ballet Company under the instruction and guidance of Daielma Decker and Artistic Director Eugenia O’Brien. She went on to study at Point Park University’s dance conservatory, in Pittsburgh, PA where she received her BA in Dance. She studied extensively in Ballet, Modern (Graham), Contemporary, and Jazz, as well as in choreography, improvisation, kinesiology, and psychology. She has worked with such artists as Edgar Zendejas, Bill T. Jones company members, Doug Bentz, Keisha Lalama-White, Ron Tassone, Dana Arey, Jason McDole, and numerous other artists. She also has shown her work in a number of collaborative demonstrations and set her most recent work “Boxed?” in Bridgeworks at Point Park University. Maeghan feels privileged to be a part of Bosoma and excited to be a part of their creative works and development!
Jillian Grunnah (Maine) Upon Jillian’s arrival at Bowdoin College, she fell in love with modern dance and began her professional training in 2002. As an undergraduate she choreographed for every major concert and received summer study scholarships to the Boulder Jazz Dance Workshop and Jose Limon Summer Program. After g raduating she directed a dance program in Portland, ME and danced with Jill Eng/Forward and Up and SONAR Dance Company. In May of 2009, Jillian completed her MFA in Choreography and Performance from Smith College, where she was granted a Teaching Fellowship and summer scholarships to study with Doug Varone and participate in the Sankofa Dance Project with choreographer George Faison. Jillian has also performed in works by jazz great Danny Buraczeski, David Dorfman, Carl Flink/Black Label Movement, Jose Limon and Mark Morris. As a full-time teacher, Jillian has taught modern, jazz, ballet, hip hop and creative movement to students of all ages at Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Bates Dance Festival and the American College Dance Festival. She is currently the interim Director of Dance at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA and teaches young students at the Kathy McCrohon Dance Center in Needham, MA. Jillian is thrilled to begin her first season with BoSoma!
 Meghan Hood (Connecticut) began her dance training at the Priscilla Gibson School of Dance Arts, home of The Manchester Ballet, in CT. She continued her studies at Mass Motion Dance Academy in Sturbridge, MA and graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a BA in Dance and a BA in Early Childhood Education. While there, she also earned the Chancellor’s Talent Award in Dance. She has performed with Plexus Dance and ACF Dance. Meghan teaches third grade in Brimfield, MA and has been a faculty member at Mass Motion Dance Academy since 2001. She has been with BoSoma since its conception in 2003 and feels blessed to work with this amazing group of artists.
 Erika Johnson (Arizona) has trained extensively in ballet, Pointe, modern, jazz, and improvisation and has had some training in Afro-Brazilian. She has performed with Bennett Dance Company, Kate Digby, Windhover Dance Company, ACF Dance, and Freedman-Coleman Dance Company. Erika graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a BA in Dance and a BS in Exercise Science; she recently completed her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree and is treating patients at a local clinic. Erika joined BoSoma in the fall of 2004. Erika would like to thank her family and friends for their continued support and encouragement.
 Esther Kennedy (Kansas) recently graduated from Emerson College with a BFA in Dance Theatre. While at Emerson Esther studied release technique, ballet, jazz, contact improvisation, dance composition, acting, and filmmaking. She has performed at the Montreal Fringe Festival with Impulse Dance Company in a dance theatre piece titled, This Fairytale Is Not Working Out.
 Audrey La Vallée (Massachusetts) graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst (Summa Cum Laude) with a BFA in Dance and a Minor in Spanish. While there she performed as a member of University Dancers and Brazz Dance Theater touring throughout Massachusetts and New York. As a recipient of the Chancellor’s Talent Award in Dance, she was chosen for an exchange program to Cuba where she studied Afro-Cuban dance with Conjunto Folklorico Nacional and Spanish at the University of Havana. Audrey is currently pursuing a Masters in Dance Therapy at Lesley University. Audrey joined BoSoma in the fall of 2004.
 Li-Ann Lim (Massachusetts) began her dance training at the Lexington School of Ballet. She continued her dance studies at the Joffrey Ballet School while pursuing a BA in anthropology at Columbia University. In 2004, she joined Chen and Dancers and performed with the ensemble in the New York City area. She later moved to California and received an MFA in dance at teh University of California, Irvine. While in California, Li-Ann served as adjunct faculty at Fullerton College and Scripps College and continued performing, appearing with the Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble and Rosanna Gamson/World Wide. She is thrilled to be back in the Boston area and to have joined BoSoma.  Heather Lombardo (New Jersey) has studied at the Hamilton Ballet Theater, under the direction of Julie Caprio and also at the Simone Dance Studio with Madge Alessi, Deana Frascella and Lois Enorato. She holds of B.F.A in dance performance from the Hartt School of Dance. Heather has danced feature roles in Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Godspell, Grease, Hello Dolly and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. She has performed works by Martha Graham and Jose Limon. Heather has worked with Peggy Lyman, Kiki Lucas, Stephanie Powel and Adam Miller of the Adam Miller Dance Project. For two seasons she was a part of Full Force Dance Theatre, with Artistic director Katie Stevinson-Nollet. Heather feels honored and privileged to be working with BoSoma.
Tara McCrystal (Connecticut) began her early training as a high level gymnast, and grew up dancing under the direction of Lee Lund. She went on to pursue a professional dance career and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory (graduated cum laude), where she performed with Th e Boston Conservatory Dance Theater in reconstructions of Jóse Limon and Martha Graham works and showcased her own choreography. She has worked with artists including but not limited to Ani Javian, Collage Dance Ensemble, Lorraine Chapman, the Lee Lund Dance Company and Bosoma Dance Company. Tara joined Bosoma in 2005, has been on the grant committee and has sat on the Board. Her lifelong passion for creativity and movement continues to take her on a journey allowing her to grow as a mover, artist and educator. She absolutely loves teaching movement/dance and yoga to all ages, has worked as an Expressive Arts Facilitator bringing the joy of movement to the lives on individuals with cognitive and physical disabilities and she most recently earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) from the MGH Institute of Health Professions and is a licensed physical therapist. She would like to thank her partner, family and friends for their unconditional support! Guest Choreographers Adrienne Hawkins (Boston) received her BA from Arizona State University and her MFA from Connecticut College. Adrienne has been artistic director of Impulse Dance for 27 years and has taught at the American Dance Festival, Harvard Summer Dance Program and extensively in Japan and Europe. She is an award-winning concert choreographer who has also choreographed rock musicals and videos. Eddy Ocampo (Chicago) Since discovering, during his studies as a pre-med student, his calling in life was dance, Eddy Ocampo has worked in the Chicago musical theater and with some of Chicago’s premiere dance companies. He has performed in such shows, as Westside Story, Carousel, The King and I and It’s a Wonderful Life, as well as danced with companies such as the Joel Hall Dancers, River North Chicago Dance Company and Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. He has studied under ballet masters, Homer Hans Bryant of Dance Theatre of Harlem, Pamela Johnson Tanis of the Joffrey Ballet, as well as jazz masters Frank Chavez and Sherry Zunker of River North Chicago Dance Company. Eddy has also worked with such choreographers as Gus Giordano, Randy Duncan, Frank Chavez, Sam Watson, Sherry Zunker and Liz Imperio. He has made guest appearances with the Kalamazoo Ballet, Augusta Opera, Cerqua Rivera Art Experience, Terpsichore Dancers, LaJazz Dance as well as appeared in many television and film cameos. Mr. Ocampo has served as school director of the Giordano Dance Center, as well as the director of Giordano II and the Giordano Merit Scholarship program. As a master jazz teacher, Eddy has taught in Europe, Mexico, Canada, Turkey, the Russian Republic and throughout the U.S. He is also the founding artistic director the American Jazz Dance Festival-New Generation in the Russian Republic and continues to travel to Russia yearly to spread his passion of jazz dance to many who may have never been exposed to the art form. As a choreographer, Mr. Ocampo’s works can be seen on such companies as Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Odyssey Dance Theatre (Salt Lake City, UT), Kannon Dance (St. Petersburg, Russia), Lisa Clark Dancers (San Francisco, CA), Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Thodos Dance Chicago and many regional ballet companies across the U.S. He has worked with recording artists Josie Aeillo, Suzanne Palmer and London-based recording artist, Affe Adel. Mr. Ocampo is also the resident and founding choreographer of the Chicago-based burlesque cabaret, Flirt, which made its premier at the Black Orchid Theater in November 2003. Eddy received the Dance Chicago 2004 Outstanding Choreography Award as well as the Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation Choreography Award for Dance Chicago in 2005. He was a featured jazz dance teacher in the June 2005 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine as well as named one of the best jazz dance teachers in the country by Dance Spirit Magazine. In the December 2005 issue of Chicago Magazine, Eddy was featured as an up and coming choreographer and in November 2005 Mr. Ocampo was honored as Filipino American of the Year – 2005 by the Filipino Association of America. Eddy Ocampo currently works as an independent teacher and choreographer for his own production company, Bento Box Productions, and resides in Chicago. |
