who?
Meet the pigeons
2020 Collaborators
Giovanna Gamna (Dancer)
Giovanna Gamna is originally from Italy and studied dance in Florence at Centro Studi Danza e Movimento. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase and has performed for Kazuko Hirabayashi, Luca Veggetti, Yung-Li Dance, and Armitage Gone!’s variety show "Werk". She has also danced for Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance, Jen Harmon Projects and, since 2014, Pigeonwing Dance. She is a Certified Balanced Body Pilates Instructor and mother of Elio, aged 1 year.
Robin Cantrell (Dancer)
Robin Cantrell is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota. She attended the University of Utah on scholarship, and received a BFA in Ballet Performance as well as a degree in Anthropology. Robin has worked with City Ballet of San Diego, Rioult, & Collective Body Dance Lab, and is currently a member of Battery Dance and John Passafiume & Dancers. She has performed, taught, and presented her choreography in over 60 countries worldwide. Robin also directs her own company: Indelible Dance, now in its 11th year. And recently made her directorial debut with her feature length dance film: Odyssey. She is so honored to take the stage with her fellow Pigeons for this performance.
Patrick O'Brien (Dancer)
Patrick O'Brien began his dance training in Bakersfield, CA before moving to New York in 2012 to attend The Joffrey Ballet School where he graduated as part of the Joffrey Concert Group. In 2016 he took a more active approach to pursue his passion for creating choreography.Patrick has presented works at The Brooklyn Museum, The Hudson Guild Theatre, Dixon Place, The Royal Theatre (Producers's Club), Socrates Sculpture Park, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Earl Mosley's Intensive of the Arts, DeBaun Performing Arts Center, and Green Space. He has also presented work in Honolulu, Hawaii, and in his hometown in California. Mr. O'Brien's body of work strives to reflect on the human condition with an aesthetically cognitive approach.
Victoria Sames (Dancer)
Victoria Sames, originally of Annapolis, MD, joined Pigeonwing Dance in 2019. She graduated from the Hartt School in 2017 with a BFA focused in Dance Pedagogy. While at Hartt she performed in works by Jose Limon, Adam Barruch, Manuel Vignoulle, Gemma Bond and Norbert de la Cruz III. She is currently a New York City-based freelance dancer and also teaches at Ballet Tech. She has appeared several times on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, including as a Principal Dancer in Season 3, Episode 5 and has performed at the Minskoff Theatre for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Cody Berkeley (Dancer)
Cody Berkeley, dancer, choreographer and teacher, hails from Dallas,TX. In 2015 he graduated with a BFA from Philadelphia's University of the Arts, having received a Full Tuition Director's Scholarship courtesy of the NYCDA Scholarship Foundation. While there, he performed repertoire by Doug Varone, LEV, and William Forsythe. He has danced with Clairobscur Dance Company Dark Circles Contemporary Dance and has attended Springboard Danse Montreal, BODYTRAFFIC intensive and Northwest Dance Project's LAUNCH. He is currently tje contemporary instructor at the Ellison Ballet School and Greenwich Ballet Academy.
Tiffany Mangulabnan (Dancer)
Tiffany, born and raised in Manila, Philippines, was a principal dancer with the Philippine Ballet Theatre before moving to New York City in 2012 and going on to dance with BalletNext for four years. In 2016, she co-founded konverjdans, a Brooklyn-based contemporary ballet company, with co-artistic directors Jordan Miller and Amy Saunder. She has since choreographed several works for the company. She continues to freelance and dance with companies like Pigeonwing Dance, Gleich Dances, Indelible Dance, Trainor Dance, John Passafiume Dancers, Abdul Latif's D2D/T, Claudia Schreier & Co., Emery LeCrone DANCE, and Terra Firma Dance.
Kailei Sin (Apprentice Dancer)
Kailei Sin is originally from Northern Virginia, a suburb of Washington DC. She received her dance training at The Ashburn Academy of Dance, Born2Dance Studio and The School at Steps. She spent many summers training at the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive in NYC. Kailei is the recipient of the Malone Foundation Scholarship for dance and was also selected for the Kennedy Center Ballet Class Series; training and learning from nationally and internationally recognized dance companies. She has performed at Culture Shock DC in addition to numerous community performances. Aside from dance, Kailei loves music, sewing, tea and cats.
Other collaborators:
Christian Allen
Giorgia Bovo
Chelsea Bonosky
Cody Berkeley
Billy Cannon
Jane Cracovaner
Christine Darch (Costumes)
Barry Steele (Lighting)
Itohan Edoloyi (Lighting)
James Budinich (Composer)
James Budinich composes music inspired by minimalism, Croatian folk traditions, and American popular music. He has written for orchestra, voice, chamber ensembles, solo instruments, and electronics.
He has collaborated with Lindsay Brown (Love’s Lost Words for mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano), Samuel Rolfe (By the Light of Day for solo flute), and Stacey Geyer (Separate Realities for soprano, viola, and fixed electronics). Recently he was commissioned to compose a new work for Ensemble Móbile; the resulting trio (Embrace for flute, violin, and guitar) was premiered in Brazil as part of their 2017-18 season. He has worked with ensembles such as the Momenta Quartet, Yarn/Wire, the Lontano Ensemble, and Roomful of Teeth.
James is currently studying towards his PhD in Composition at Duke University, and previously earned his Master of Music in Composition from Binghamton University.
Photo by Elena Sippel
