The Cattleya Team
From left to right: Alejandra Dominguez, Janeth Herrera, Maria Torres, Sandra Paola, Hannah Nichols, Ana Suffle and Ale Simone Velazquez.
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Ale Simone Velazquez
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Simoné is a Senior International student pursuing a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Dance at the University of Texas in El Paso. Dance has been part of her life since she was born; her family says she got it from her grandmother who would dance to anything. She is from Juarez, Chihuahua, México and has the complete support of her family. Simoné started her dance lessons like most little girls, doing ballet and traditional Mexican Folkloric dance. But, once she came to the U.S. she discovered contemporary dance and it changed her life. With great mentorships like Cristina Mitchell, Andrea Vazquez, Paola Lopez, and other great dance instructors from EPCC and UTEP, Simoné has been able to explore different aspects of the dance world. She has explored areas like ballet, improvisation, hip-hop, and Spanish dance. However, contemporary has always been her main style. In the future she plans to get a Masters in Movement Therapy or Performance to be able to share with others the joy and love for dance as well as help others experiment the reliefs that dancing gives. Simoné is also a member of knee-jerk and The Cattleya Project Coordinator.
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Janeth Herrera
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Janeth is a social anthropologist who has been passionate in researching and developing the relationship between Art, Performance theory, Ritual and Play in certain social events, which has led her to the practice of Performance Art. For several years she was part of the “Frecuencia Perforadora” Collective in Chihuahua, Mexico, where she actively participated in the creation and implementation of multidisciplinar art projects. Her artistic explorations revolve around the search for the time of the flow, where mind and body are fused, where the reason is not involved in the action and the body reflects life stories, collective memories and social contexts. Janeth is also part of knee-jerk and is in2improv’s Programs Manager.
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Hannah Nichols
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Hannah is a student of dance currently studying at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Born and raised in South Dakota, she studied dance for 15 years under the guidance and direction of Melissa Hauschild-Mork at Expanding Harmony dance studio in Brookings, SD and Balleraena Dance Studio in Sioux Falls, SD. She has been a member of Balleraena Dance Company and Exaltation Choral and Dance Company. Her studies have taken her around the U.S. to dance with artists such as Eric John Campros, Tracie Stanfield, Jen Mack, Andy Noble, Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, and Ririe Woodbury Dance Company. She is currently a member of the New Mexico State Contemporary Dance Theater, knee-jerk, and LiRa Dance Company. Hannah is also a member of knee-jerk.
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Sandra Paola LR
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Sandra Paola (BFA, MEd) has a multifaceted career involving performance, dance education, activism and community building/organizing. Her work is characterized by the exploration of issues such as relationship, gender, race, identity, awareness, kinesthetic listening and perception and it has taken her throughout the US, Colombia, Brazil, Cyprus, France, Canada and Mexico. She uses collaborative improvisation to foster human development and community building, blending elements from Ensemble Thinking, Contact Improvisation, Action Theatre, Social Therapeutics, Vipassana meditation, improv theatre and social/partner dances. She has studied and/or performed with Ruth Zaporah, Kristie Simson, Jennifer Monson, Johanna Meyer, Rebecca Bryant and the Lower Left collective, among others. Paola is currently a Lecturer for the dance program at the University of Texas at El Paso and is in2improv’s Director. For more information you can check her website.
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