I am a teacher and a theatre/dance artist from San Diego, California.
From an early age my passions have included literature, writing, theatre, dance, travel, and photography. Performance has always been a large part of my life. I began performing as a member of San Diego’s Precision Ice Skating Team; Team del Sol in 1991. Skating with the team for 7 years, I competed at the national level in Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Portland, Providence, San Diego, Seattle, and Syracuse. In 1998 I decided to end my career as a skater and pursue theatre and dance. After receiving the La Jolla Country Day School Award in Drama, I attended UC San Diego and majored in theatre, taking part in numerous theatrical productions while writing and directing for UC San Diego's Student Safety Awareness Program (now known as SARC).
After graduating I traveled and worked in Rome, Italy, giving guided tours of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. When I returned to San Diego, I worked as a tutor and ran an education outreach program for a pediatric dental office, giving presentations to over thirty elementary schools annually in the Greater San Diego area.
In 2004 I walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain for the first time. After this pilgrimage I decided to refocus my energies on writing, acting, and dancing. As a performance artist, I began writing and choreographing my own work in 2006 when asked to perform for Sushi Visual and Performing Art's 4x4 series. Through the integration of narrative text, spoken word, and movement, I create performance pieces that explore my past.
Outside of the U.S. I have studied and/or performed at Oxford University in England, The Lee Foster School of Dance in Switzerland, and La Carpa in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. I have taught modern dance and theatre to children in Mexico and interdisciplinary writing for UC San Diego's Sixth College Writing Program: The Culture, Art, and Technology (CAT) Program, and UC San Diego's Thurgood Marshall College Writing Program: The Dimensions of Culture (DOC) Program.
In 2006 I decided to go back to UC San Diego for graduate school and pursue my Master of Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. During this period I was an ArtsBridge Scholar, Teaching Assistant for the Education Studies Program, and volunteer dance teacher at The ARC of San Diego; an agency that seeks to better the lives of people with physical and developmental challenges.
After completing my graduate studies in July of 2008 and earning my Master of Education, I went on a second pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. During this walk, I was exposed to a variety of new ideas, cultures, and people, all of which inspired me to rededicate my efforts toward acting, dancing, and the joy of simply Being.
I have just finished two teaching appointments at UC San Diego for the Sociology Department and the Dimensions of Culture Program. I plan on relocating to San Francisco this summer to pursue a teaching career and opportunities in the Theatre / Dance field.
Namaste
Jakey