The Cast
Alice Bacani (Writer; Dancer)
Alice Bacani graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Ohio State University with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Journalism. Alice is originally from Houston where she attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts where she studied ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, modern, musical theatre, pilates, and repertory. For about seven years, Alice was a company member of The Houston Met Too Youth Company where she was taught by members of the professional dance company and performed in various settings throughout the year. At OSU, Alice has gratefully had the opportunity to continue performing in a number of works throughout the year by faculty members, guest artists and fellow classmates. Alice is also the News Director at Buckeye TV, Ohio State’s student run television program. Alice hopes to use her interest in media and journalism to further document the rehearsal process and the final tour. Alice is extremely grateful and ecstatic to be a part of this new and exciting project!
Leisa DeCarlo (Writer; Dancer)
A native to Ohio, Leisa DeCarlo is currently pursuing an undergraduate dual B.F.A. in dance and B.A. in journalism at Ohio State University. DeCarlo’s initial training focused greatly on classical ballet at Cleveland Dance Academy. She sought later to broaden her dance exposure in supplementary training with the Ohio Dance Theatre, through which she was introduced to more various performance opportunities, such as Chicago’s Grand Prix. Her first encounter to that of modern dance was presented through her role as intern, understudy, and eventual performer for the professional repertory company, Verb Ballets. She trained extensively with Verb Ballets for three years, under the instruction of Margaret Carlson, and performed the repertory of choreographers such as Ulysses Dove, Merce Cunningham, and Terence Greene. While at OSU, DeCarlo has trained with notable artists including Vickie Blaine, Dave Covey, Meghan Durham Wall, Susan Hadley, Courtney Harris, Susan Van Pelt Petry, and Noa Zuk. She has been recommended as a potential candidate for Ohio State’s nomination of the Marshall Scholarship, served as a speaker for Ohio State’s panel on Arts and Creative Endeavors and received honors such as participation in the Martin Essex Program, Humanities Scholars, and the Helen P. Alkire Scholarship. Currently, DeCarlo holds a position as a Wexner Center for the Arts intern under School Programs Educator Dionne Custer Edwards, facilitating an enlightened personal dedication to the diverse potential and qualitative impact of the arts. Leisa is not only immensely grateful for the experience of this cultural and movement exploration through a tour of China, but excited to further her research in the communicative powers of dance in contrast and correspondence to that of written language through her documentation of the process.
Tammy Carrasco (Rehearsal Director; Dancer)
Tammy Carrasco is a dancer/choreographer previously based in Philadelphia and currently resides in Columbus, OH to pursue an MFA in Dance at The Ohio State University. She has presented her choreography in NYC at The Judson Church, Gowanus Art and Production, and Green Space, in Philadelphia at the Performance Garage and Mt. Vernon Dance Space, and has performed work by various choreographers such as Monica Bill Barnes, Camille Brown, Jerome Robbins, and Helen Simoneau. Tammy holds a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Currently, Tammy devotes much of her MFA research to choreographic process and teaching. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to travel to China and honored to perform with such a wonderful company of dancers!
Kelly Hurlburt (Dancer)
Born and raised in Ohio, Kelly Hurlburt began cultivating her passion for dance at an early age under the guidance of Phyllis Deweese at The Academy of Dance Arts. She continues to explore new choreographic, academic, performance based and therapeutic avenues of dance as an undergraduate seeking her B.F.A at The Ohio State University. Kelly has had the incredible opportunity to work with various choreographers and artists such as Susan Hadley, Esther Baker-Tarpaga and Sofie Clemmensen in performances ranging from Steve Reich’s “Drumming” in Drums Downtown 2011 to Dance Uptown’s production of “DIRT” 2012 in OSU’s agricultural arena, Plumb Hall. Her current interests and endeavors have involved exploring the conversation between dance and medicine and, specifically, how physical and mental well being, as well as response to environment plays a substantial role in movers and makers in dance. Kelly’s current involvement in the China Tour 2014 has left her feeling honored and privileged to have the opportunity to learn from, collaborate with and dance amongst the phenomenal choreographers and cast. She is eager to make connections and discover new opportunities and experiences abroad.
Ayana Freeman (Understudy)
Aloha from Ohio! Forever an island girl from Honolulu, Hawaii, Ayana Freeman is currently a junior at Ohio State University. She is studying sociology as a second major to that of dance, as dance has always been her greatest form of expression. Ayana was ecstatic to gain the opportunity to be an understudy for this tour. She feels so excited and blessed to have been given the chance to work with such a wonderful cast of people and be able to experience new worlds and realities through performance.