DTSB&Co Dancers

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Connie Fink
Connie Fink, Associate Artistic Director
Photo credit: Mary Noble Ours
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Connie Fink received her Master's of Fine Arts degree in dance from the University of Maryland, College Park. She has danced for numerous companies and choreographers in the Washington, D.C. and New York City areas, including City Dance Ensemble, Mason/Rhynes Productions, Doug Varone, Dan Wagoner, Meriam Rosen and Ed Tyler. She currently teaches at The George Washington University and Episcopal High School. Ms. Fink is a wellness consultant and holds certifications in personal training, pilates, yoga, kettlebells and TRX. She has toured extensively with the company and has received critical acclaim and two Metro DC Dance Awards for her performances.

Ricardo Alvarez
Ricardo Alvarez
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Ricardo Alvarez is a graduate of Indiana University with a BFA in Graphic Design and a BA in Creative Studies in Dance and Technology, with honors. In 2005 he was the recipient of the Battenhouse Award for Outstanding Performance in Contemporary Dance by the National Society of Arts and Letters, Bloomington Chapter. He also attended the American Dance Festival on scholarship in 2006. Alvarez also received a fellowship through the Hispanic Scholarship Fund/McNamara Family Grant for his work in dance and technology. In 2005, he had the pleasure of presenting his studies in video dance collaborations at the National Dance Education Conference in Buffalo, NY. His dance for camera work has been featured nationally in numerous galleries and film festivals.
Odbayar Batsuuri
Odbayar Batsuuri
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Odbayar Batsuuri trained at the State Music and Dance College of Mongolia in classical ballet and Mongolian folk dance, graduating in 2004. After graduating Batsuuri joined Tumen Ekh and has been part of the folk dance ensemble's major productions and international tours including the Annual National Independence Day Festival and modern dance performance tours to Korea, Canada, the United States and Japan. In addition to his work in folk dance, he has trained intensively in modern dance through the American Dance Festival Summer School, Emio Greco | PC and Pieter Scholten Company workshops in Mongolia in 2009, and Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Company workshop in Mongolia in 2011. In 2007-2008, he received two contemporary dance-training scholarships from the Chicago Moving Company and the American Dance Festival. The scholarships awarded 10 months of dance training at the Hubbard Street Dance Company, Columbia College in Chicago, Joe Hall Dance School and attendance at the Summer School of American Dance Festival 2008 in Durham, NC. During his residency in the US, he was a selected as a dancer for the "Tyego" Dance Project 2008. In 2009, he created his first contemporary dance performance "Sense and Feeling" devoted to the 20th Anniversary of the Tumen Ekh. This work was supported by the Arts Council of Mongolia and Open Society Institute. 
Yeonjin Cho
Yeonjin Cho
Yeonjin Cho was born in Pusan, South Korea and started taking ballet at age 13. She continued her dance training at Duck-won Performing Arts High School and Chung-Ang University. After graduating Cho performed as a guest artist in a Korea National Ballet production of "The Nutcracker", choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich. In 2002 Cho joined the Korea National Ballet and a year later she transitioned to the Canada National Ballet School. She completed her professional training in 2006 at the 'Academie de Danse Classique Princesse Grace' de Monaco under the direction of Marika Besobrasova. Cho moved to Los Angeles, CA where she started her freelance dance career. She performed with City Ballet of Los Angeles, Pasadena Dance Theater,  and Monet Ballet.  Cho taught at Lee Ballet Academy and has been certified as a Bikram Yoga instructor. Currently, Cho is living in Washington DC pursuing an MFA in Dance at George Washington University.
Katia Chupashko
Katia Chupashko
Photo credit: Jeff Watts
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Katia Chupashko graduated with honors from The George Washington University where she majored in Business and Dance. She has participated in company teaching residencies at Georgetown and George Washington University and has had the honor to tour internationally with the company.
Sarah Halzack
Sarah Halzack
Photo credit: Jeff Watts
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Sarah Halzack graduated from The George Washington University with degrees in Journalism and Dance. She has performed with The Maida Withers Dance Construction Company and The Sonia Plumb Dance Company and was an intern at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Halzack is also a member of Unevenlane Dance Company, directed by Mary Lane.
Miyako Nitadori
Miyako Nitadori
Photo credit: Jeff Watts
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Miyako Nitadori is the senior company member and many works have been inspired by her unique quality as a dancer. Nitadori studied the methodology of the Royal Academy of Dance at Kimura Izumi Ballet Academy in Japan and obtained the title of ARAD in 1994. She holds an Associate Degree in Physical Education/Dance from Japan Women's Junior College in Tokyo.    Ms. Nitadori was recognized as the Outstanding Individual Performer from the Annual Metro D.C. Dance Awards, 2003. Nitadori is a nationally certified and massage therapist and practitioner in Washington, DC.
Felipe Oyarzun
Felipe Oyarzun
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Felipe Oyarzunl is from Santiago, Chile.  He began dancing at the age of 12 and has since received Chile's Best Dancer Inter-American Circle of Dance Professionals Award, First Place standard mode in Ballroom dance and the Best All Around Group in Hip Hop.  Oyarzun also ran his own folkloric company in Santiago which toured extensively. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Dance with honors from the University of Chile. Oyarzun has danced in various choreographies which have led to multiple tours in Chile and abroad.
Hala Shah
Hala Shah
Photo credit: Zain Shah
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Hala Shah trained in ballet and modern dance at the Washington School of Ballet, Steps on Broadway and Peridance Center in New York. She also studied Flamenco with the Jose Greco and holds a BA in Journalism from New York University. She danced with El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea de El Salvador for two years, toured Central America with Ballet Teatro Internacional, and has appeared as a guest artist with BalletNova. Shah heads the adult dance program at BTI Dance Institute and teaches at Episcopal High School.
Kelly Southall
Kelly Southall
Photo credit: Jeff Watts
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Kelly Southall graduated with honors from Ohio University, earning a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. He performed in works by Sean Curran, Azaguno, African Dance and Percussion Ensemble and the Shelter Repertory Dance Theater. Southall's choreography has been performed at the American College Dance Festival and at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He won the 2001 US Midwest Championships in Traditional Irish Dance.  Southall is a faculty member at The George Washington University and coordinates the DTSB&Co. Asian American Dance Program.  
Tati Valle-Riestra
Tati Valle-Riestra
Photo credit: Jeff Watts
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Tati (Maria Del Carmen) Valle-Riestra was originally trained in Latin America where she danced with various contemporary dance and dance theater companies such as Retazos, Humanizarte, Pata de Cabra and Integro.  She has toured Europe and Latin America extensively and is critically acclaimed throughout Latin and South America.