2012 Collaborators

Weslie Ching began dancing with SonneBlauma in 2009 performing in Stephen Kelly's Lucky Ducks at SpectorDance's Choreographer Showcase in Monterey.  Since then she has performed in Misa Kelly's work at Max10, the MixMatch Festival, NECTAR, and the SB-ADaPT Festival.  She is presently working with SonneBlauma prepping for their winter tour.

Weslie graduated magna cum laude with a B.F.A. in dance from UC Santa Barbara in 2002. While at UCSB she was a Regent's Scholar; member of the Provost's Honors Council and the UCSB Student Dance Company; the recipient of the Sparrow scholarship for summer study, ArtsBridge scholarship for community arts outreach, Undergraduate Reseach Award for her departmental Honor's Project, and Corwin Award for choreography; and represented UCSB at the American College Dance Festival. Upon graduation she began teaching, performing and choreographing in the Orange County and Los Angeles area. She has been on faculty at the Academy for the Performing Arts Magnet High School, the Huntington Beach Community Education Program and the Regina Klenjoski Dance Company Community Program, and has performed in her own work, with Karin Jensen's Mandala DanceWorks, and Benita Bike's Dance Art, with whom she toured to Gdynia, Poland and Boston, Massachusetts. Since returning to Santa Barbara in 2007, Weslie has performed locally with Heather Carney Shea, Devyn Duex, Stephen Kelly, Emily Wheeler, and Erin Martinez.

Tina Corbett began her creative relationship with SonneBlauma in spring of 2010 when she entered Stephen's choreographic process.   Although an unfortunate bicycle accident prevented her from completing the project there was a very positive outcome!  Tina had planned on moving to New York but given the nature of her  injury & additional surgery required she has to stay in Santa Barbara for awhile. She is presently working with both Stephen and Misa on works for their winter tour. 

Tina began dancing in San Francisco Bay Area at the ripe age of 11. At Ohlone College she was a member of the FootNotes Dance Company as well as the all female company Bliss from 2007-2008. In 2009 she returned to Ohlone to choreograph Just Weight for Bliss.

Her choreographic repeater also includes works at UCSB, where she graduated in 2011 with a B.A. in Dance. While at UCSB she trained with majestic dancers like Christopher Pilafian, Nancy Colehan and Valerie Huston. While studying abroad in Siena, Italy, Tina had the serendipitous opportunity to dance with Marco Batti and New York Opera's Suzanna Marek. She also has been working with movement artist Steven Kelly since February of 2011 and is so entirely happy that her journey with the Kellys not only gets to continue, but grow. Tina enjoys setting dance to film and hopes to one day make documentaries about dance around the world.









Kevin Deelen began his relationship with SonneBlauma in Fall of 2010 entering into the creative process with 9 other Santa Barbara City College students and SonneBlauma choreographer Misa Kelly.   The work that resulted, Flint, was performed for the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance's Kinesis concert.  In 2011 Kevin was a part of the creative process of creating two new works for the SB-ADaPT Festival performing in both Stephen and Misa's work.  Presently he is engaged in the research process for Stephen's latest work.  Kevin is a student at Santa Barbara City College and also works with Rina Van De Kamp's DOZ company in Santa Ynez.  Photo by Robert Salas

Mojca Majcen

About Mojca coming soon! photo of Mojca in rehearsal for Moki's Wedding by Sue Bell.

Joanna Nobbe is a native of Carpinteria and now lives in New York City. She has a general interest in human biobehavioral engagement with the world and organizes her life, including dance, around these interests. Joanna is honored and inspired to be working with Misa Kelly and SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre once again. 

Joanna began a creative relationship with the company in 2006 performing in Misa Kelly's Twang. She spent a number of years in Istanbul and is presently living in New York.  To spite the distance their creative relationship has continued.  Joanna Nobbe will be performing in "Unzipped" with the company as a part of their winter tour.  The performance will occur at Green Studios as a part of their Take Root series.

Joanna is a native of Carpinteria and now lives in New York City. She has a general interest in human biobehavioral engagement with the world and organizes her life, including dance, around these interests. Joanna is honored and inspired to be working with Misa Kelly and SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre once again.  Photo by Misa Kelly

Michelle Lynch is our most recent addition to the SonneBlauma family!  She was born and raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico where she studied dance with Susan Baker-Dillingham of New Mexico Dance Theater. During the summers she also trained at programs in California, Vermont, and New York before moving to California for college. She graduated in the spring of 2011 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her time at UCSB she choreographed It’s Not Your Head, It’s Me and co-produced an honors project, Roots. As a member of the UCSB Student Dance Company, Michelle had the opportunity to perform works by Nancy Colahan, Valerie Huston, Mira Kingsley, and Jennifer Muller’s pivotal work Speeds. She toured with the company to throughout California, Italy, and New York. She also received the Patricia Sparrow Scholarship and the Tonia Shimin Award for Excellence and Promise in the Field of Dance. Michelle continues to live in Santa Barbara to study and dance, and will soon move to New York.

    Misa Kelly

    Natalie Van Zelm