Misa is a warm, inspirational & compassionate artist with a passion for making a difference in this world by manifesting her lifework as a creative being working in many disciplines. Education Misa graduated Lambda Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara holding a B.A. in dance/business economics. She earned an M.F.A. from California Institute of the Arts and has supplemented her formal education with visual art studies in painting, sculpture, & life drawing; music studies in piano, Tablas, guitar; in dance as a ten year workshop participant of SUMMERDANCE Santa Barbara & workshop participant at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; and improvisation and Commedia Dell’arte at Scuola Dimitri in Verscio Switzerland. Additionally, she is a certified mediator and graduate of Women’s Economic Ventures. Professional Affiliations She is the Founder, Company Manager, and Artistic Director of SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre and Co-Founder and Executive Director of its 501 (c) 3 The Future Traditions Foundation. Presently she also serves as a volunteer for the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance helping to maintain their website. Teacher As an educator, Misa has studied with over 150 teachers of the arts. Presently she serves as primary faculty for SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre. She has taught at Çati in Istanbul & has also led master classes at Moorpark College & Santa Barbara City College. Contemporary Dance Her choreographic work has been shown at the COOL New York Dance Festival, the AFL Kultur Mezkezi, in Istanbul, the Monterey Dance Festival/SpectorDance Emerging Choreographers Showcase, in the Electric Lodge’s MAX10 performance series, at Moorpark College, in Los Angeles, Santa Cruz, Pacific Grove & Santa Barbara as a part of the 3 Cities: 3 Choreographers Project, at California Institute of the Arts, the Sylvia White Gallery, and in Santa Barbara at the Karpeles Museum, the University of California at Santa Barbara, Center Stage Theater, the Montecito School of Ballet & Yoga Soup. Visual Arts Her work as a visual artist working in the mediums of works on paper, painting, sculpture, and installation has appeared at Santa Barbara’s Contemporary Arts Forum, the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Women’s Center, the Hatlen Theater, the Faulkner Gallery, the Unitarian Church, Victoria Street Theater, Alice Keck Park, the Santa Barbara Farmers Market, State Street Santa Barbara, and Yoga Soup. Experimental & Explorative Work Misa’s guerilla style movement dances have taken place at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, & MOMA as a part of the Museum Dances: Exploring Perceptions of Performance in Guerilla Spaces. She is the lead facilitator of a multi-year experimental “virtual theater” project called The Fasebook Performance Project contributing as a choreographer, photographer, poet, and visual artist. Producer Misa has produced and co-produced many events under the umbrella of the Future Traditions Foundation serving to share not only her work but the work of other artists. Projects include: Collective-Choreographic Dreams, Islands of Joy, Raga Kings, Tongue, Open Spaces, Rhapsodies for Humanity and the Glorious Beings Award Concert, Get Inspired!, Dance at the Top of the Hill, 3 Cities: 3 Choreographers, Endangered Species I & II, From Chopin to Senegal I & II, SonneBlauma Master Class Series, & SonneBlauma Studio Showings. Film Her work in film includes producing and directing Dancing on my Father’s Grave and as a soloist in Tonia Shimin and Dana Driskel's award willing dance film Passage. Work with other artists/companies In addition to her work with SonneBlauma Misa has worked with Santa Barbara Dance Theatre, Mark Parisian Mime Troupe, James Donlon, Motion Dance Theatre, Smudges Performance Group, Christine Loizeaux, Christina McCarthy, Christopher Pilafian, and Tonia Shimin. She is presently Co-Artistic Director of the Misa & Jo Project. A bi-coastal movement research project. Awards, Grants, & Funding Kelly has received numerous awards, multiple grants, and funding from many businesses and private donors including the California Arts Council, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, the Profant Foundation, the Rudi Schulte Family Foundation, The Crosby Family Fund, The Dianne and Daniel Vapnek Family Foundation, Christiane Schlumberger of the Karuna Foundation, Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, and Community West Bank. Author Misa is also a published author in the field of ombudsmanship having written for the California Caucus of College and University Ombuds: The Journal and the Conflict Management in Higher Education Report. Career Highlight Recently I sent some materials to DV8 for a casting call (resume, YouTube links) & got a reply back asking to send pics. Ha, ha, ha - I look a little young for the part, the woman who originally played the role decided to come back to play her part, and Lloyd isn't ruling out future projects. Fun! To just be considered by a company that rocks like them is a thrill beyond compare. It is especially nice to come at a time when I'm content either way. In Love Misa is head over heels in love with her partner in passion of nearly 2 decades, Stephen D. Kelly. A brilliant pianist, composer, visual artist, and budding choreographer. No kids! Just lots of art. Not a day goes by when "I don't give thanks. It has been a tough life, but it has been a good life, and for this I'm incredibly grateful."
 Stephen helping Misa celebrate her 50th at Lotus Land |
