p-89X5PwUtsJ23F Pigeonwing Dancers
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who?

Meet the pigeons

2023-24 Dancers

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Robin Cantrell (Dancer)

Robin Cantrell has a professional performing career spanning two decades, and has worked with numerous dance companies including City Ballet of San Diego, Rioult, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, and, most notably, as a member of Battery Dance for 12 years. With Battery, Robin performed, taught, and presented her own choreography in over 60 countries. She is the subject of the award-winning documentary Moving Stories, about the company's cultural diplomacy work, and most recently led a successful teacher training pilot program at Vassar College during their fall semester. Robin is the Artistic Director of Indelible Dance: a Brooklyn-based dance company that creates otherworldly dance films and presents multimedia immersive dance events. Her most recent dance films, ODYSSEY, and TRIPTYCH, have garnered numerous awards and accolades, including Best Screendance of the Year at the 2022 Independent Shorts Awards.  She is a native of St. Paul MN and received her BFA in ballet performance at the University of Utah. She loves her bird very much and continues to expand her mindfulness practice. Robin joined Pigeonwing Dance in 2014.

@robincantrell

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Tiffany Mangulabnan (Dancer)

Tiffany Mangulabnan (Dancer), born and raised in Manila, Philippines, was a principal dancer with the Philippine Ballet Theatre before moving to NYC in 2012.  She danced with BalletNext for four years, and also performed with Claudia Schreier & Co., Emery LeCrone DANCE, Gleich Dances, Trainor Dance, and Terra Firma Dance.  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, as well as for DanceLab NY, Columbia University, and Woman in Motion Dance Co; in August 2023 she created a new piece for Carolina Ballet. She also performs with The Metropolitan Opera, Indelible Dance, John Passafiume Dancers, and for the conceptual artist Brendan Fernandes.  Tiffany joined Pigeonwing Dance in 2018  @tiff__em

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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 5 years. Giovanna has worked with Pigeonwing Dance/Gabrielle Lamb since 2014.

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Victoria Sames (Dancer)

Victoria Sames, originally of Annapolis, MD, 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 artist working with Pigeonwing Dance and Twyla Tharp. She has performed at some of New York’s prestigious theaters such as the Minskoff Theatre (for Broadway Cares EFA) and The Joyce Theater. Featured in a collection of works in Howard Schatz’s newest book “Pairs”, she modeled for “Dance Study 1439”. Victoria is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA appearing in TV/film including The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Maestro. Victoria joined Pigeonwing in 2019.  @vicsames

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Allegra Herman (Dancer)

Allegra Herman is a native New Yorker and Bessie Award winning dancer.  She trained classically at Manhattan Youth Ballet and the School of American Ballet and furthered her contemporary training at the NDT summer intensive, Springboard Danse Montreal, and b12 Berlin.  Allegra has been a member of Trainor Dance since 2014 and joined Pigeonwing Dance in 2022. She has performed with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the Little Orchestra Society, OUI DANSE, and DanceLab NY. From 2018-2019, she joined the first national tour of Fiddler on the Roof, directed by Bartlett Sher and choreographed by Hofesh Shechter. Allegra is a graduate of Columbia University, where she majored in French Language and Literature, and is currently the head of contemporary curriculum at Rye Ballet Conservatory.  Allegra joined Pigeonwing in 2022.

@allegraherman

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Blue Richardson (Dancer)

Blue Richardson was born and raised in Boston MA. His mission to better his community blossomed at a young age. Working with his first community service organization, Close To Home, Blue aided in helping teens and young adults utilize their time in ways that would promote a promising future. He began his training in Classical and Modern techniques at the age of 14, upon being accepted to Boston Arts Academy. Blue graduated from the University of Hartford (Hartt School), where he was able to expand his artistry and further develop his dance training. Here, Blue performed historical works by Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovich, and Jose Limon. He also worked with exquisite freelance artists such as Gabrielle Lamb and Bryan Arias. Blue currently resides in NYC, where he works with Pigeonwing Dance, White Wave Dance, and the Metropolitan Opera. He has also worked with Limon 2 , and the Cunningham Trust. Blue’s artistry is expansive and wildy versatile. This allows him to continue his mission of uniting his community through artistic creation and collaboration.  Blue joined Pigeonwing in 2022.

@blue.618

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Amy Saunder (Dancer)

Amy Saunder is a Brooklyn-based artist who was born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe. She studied classical ballet at Baltimore School for the Arts and at North Carolina School of the Arts and began her professional career with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, where she performed at The Kennedy Center for three seasons. In 2014 she moved to NYC to work with companies such as Indelible Dance, MorDance, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Ballet Next. In 2016 she co-founded konverjdans with Tiffany Mangulabnan and Jordan Miller, and she has created numerous original works for the company as performed new works by Gabrielle Lamb, Caili Quan, Peter Cheng, Mangulabnan, and Miller. She joined Battery Dance during its 2022-23 Season. Amy is also a videographer and filmmaker, and in 2021 she was commissioned by Battery Dance to work as the DP for a new dance film by Robin Cantrell called “City of Dreams.” She joined Pigeonwing Dance in 2022.  @amyjsaunder

Other Collaborators

 

Christian Allen

Giorgia Bovo

Chelsea Bonosky

Cody Berkeley

Billy Cannon

Jane Cracovaner

Forrest Hersey

Kody T. Jauron

Caitlin Marks

Patrick O'Brien

Caili Quan

Kailei Sin

James Budinich (Composer)

Christine Darch (Costumes)

Robert Sirota (Composer)

The Neave Trio (musicians)

Mike Nowatarski (guitar)

Derek Ratzenboeck (violin)

Barry Steele (Lighting)

Itohan Edoloyi (Lighting)

Headshots by Charles Roussel and Joe Raffanti

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