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Sarah Bortis
Sarah grew up on the Oregon Coast studying with Nancy Mittleman
at the Newport School of Artistic Movement and dancing with
Pacific Dance Ensemble. After one semester of study at Bennington
College in Vermont, Sarah’s irrational fear of conformity
made her run, confirming her vagabonding ways. She later attended
the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine in Bisbee, AZ.
She finds she often likes plants a lot more than people, though
she does what she can to adjust this. Growing food is a central
theme in Sarah’s life. She works for Garden City Harvest
organizing a community garden, growing food for Missoula’s
food-aid agencies. If she could she would meet Bruce Lee and
discuss her not-so-secret suspicion that they are very closely
related.
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Amy Ragsdale
Amy was born in Manhattan, carted off to Thailand before
settling in Madison, Wisconsin, before being carted off to
the Philippines and Egypt. As a result she loves to travel.
She graduated from Harvard-Radcliffe, another country in its
own way, with an A.B. in Art History. She still loves to look
at and talk about modern art whenever she can find someone
else who likes to do the same. After performing with Impulse
in Boston, she moved to Manhattan to dance with several modern
companies. She credits her time with Fred Benjamin for her
love of full-out moving, Bill T. Jones for her desire to use
dance to explore meaningful things, Sincha Hong and Laughing
Stone for her admiration for minimalism and strong imagery,
Douglas Dunn for her pleasure in wit and ambiguity, and is
grateful to Richard Bull and Cynthia Novack for introducing
her to improvisation. She treasures teamwork when it’s
good, as it has been with her partners in the Dept. of Drama/Dance
at The University of Montana, where she’s a Full Professor.
Amy’s married to Peter Stark, a write, and has two children,
Molly, 13 and Skyler, 9, whom she adores.
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Ashley Griffith
Ashley was raised in Helena, Montana where she began her
dance training at a young age. Though trained mostly in ballet
while growing up, she is now very excited to be dancing with
a contemporary company. Ashley is currently an honors student
at The University of Montana working towards a degree in Dance
and perhaps Anthropology. She is very interested in African
culture and is going to go dance and study there…someday.
Ashley’s favorite part about Missoula is the squirrels.
She’d like to thank her family and close friends for
their continual support.
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Jessica Mullette
Jes graduated from The University of Montana with a BFA in
Dance and a Minor in Women's and Gender Studies. Before attending
the university, Jes danced for five seasons with Artisan Dance
Theater in Helena, her hometown, under the direction of Sallyann
Mulcahy. Jes has chosen to make her living as an artist because
nothing else has ever felt like living quite like it does.
The ability, privilege, and opportunity to do it is something
that she is thankful for every single day, and tries never
to take advantage of. She whole-heartedly believes art that
is intentional, committed, and fully embodied has the potential
to change the world and has dedicated every cell in her body
to the study of and exploration of such art and living. She
wants to thank those who have inspired her in this endeavor;
a list that begins with her parents and grows longer every
day.
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Kitty Sailer
Kitty has danced in various places throughout her life –
with the Loudoun Ballet in Leesburg, Virginia, the Lake Erie
Ballet in Pennsylvania, at Vassar College -- where she earned
a B.A. in Social Policy -- and in New York – but Missoula
has been the most recent and the most fun. She enjoys the
camaraderie and general kindness of the Montana dance scene.
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Brian Gerke
Brian Gerke is originally from MT, and he is in love. It seems
no matter what pulls him from, what he calls, "the vortex
of eternal wellness," AKA Missoula, he is sucked right
back, again and again and again. In Missoula, Brian joyfully
dances with Amy Ragsdale and Headwaters Dance Company, and
excitedly continues collaborations with local dancers Nicole
Bradley Browning and Anya Cloud. In New York City, where he
is currently living, he works with Hilary Easton + Company,
Juliana May's Maydance, and is currently dancing on scholarship
with the Trisha Brown Dance Company. His next adventure will
unfold in Iceland where he will be performing with Steinnun
Ketilsdottir's Ugly Duck Productions in the Reykajavik Dance
Festival. Brian has been described by those close to him as
an old soul with an exceptionally youthful spirit. The very
best of his friends know him as fatty B, Gerkelerke, or the
simple "b." But, his biggest fans know him as bridoug,
brother, and son. Brian is a long-legged water bird, looking
deeply black due to the presence of many colors; the myriad
of which appear glimmering under the sun at Fish Creek with
his true loves, his friends.
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Melissa Dawn
Melissa Dawn is a native of South Carolina who recently moved
to Montana from New York City. In New York she trained extensively
at the Cunningham Dance Studio where she was a Merit Scholarship
recipient and was awarded a Certificate of Completion in 2004.
Melissa participated in numerous workshops at the studios
of Merce Cunningham and Trisha Brown. Most recently she completed
the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s Winter Workshop,
Beautiful Movement/Ugly World? In New York she performed in
the works of June finch, Hiske Dooper, Himiko Minato and Richard
Decker. This is her first season with Headwaters.
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Liz Martin (Apprentice)
Liz Martin hails from Northern California and moved to
Missoula in 2000. She began studying dance in 2004 at
the University of Montana in Missoula where she is
currently in hot persuit of a BFA in
choreography/performance. Liz is a little black cat
of a person and enjoys her existance as a dancer
immensely. She is greatful to be part of the
Headwaters Dance Company and continues to learn from
and appreciate all of her artistic cohorts.
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MichaelL Leu Becker (Special Guest)
Dance was never prevalent in Michael Becker's early life.
Upon entering the University of Montana at 21 he decided zoology
was his future. But at the age of 23 he decided it wasn't
for him and turned to dancing and acting. He is currently
pursuing degrees in both Choreography and Performance and
Drama. He is hoping to dance in Berlin with the Wee Dance
Company after college and own his own company and studio,
down the road. In a future life he would be a giraffe, to
be really tall with more than enough leg to go around. He
thanks Headwaters for this wonderful opportunity.
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Matty Hancock (Special Guest)
Matty grew up in Niles, Michigan, where he began dancing
on his parent's kitchen floor. After graduating from high
school, he moved to Missoula and attended The University of
Montana's Dance Program. During this time he performed in
many on- and off-campus dance productions, as well as dancing
with Mo-Trans Dance Co.. In 2000, Matty moved to New York
City where he worked as a fashion model, movie and commercial
extra and danced in music videos. After three and a half years,
Matty moved back to Missoula to live the simple life. He is
doing just that with his twin, Virgo dogs, Georgie and Daphne.
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