SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre - Stephen Kelly

Stephen Kelly is a classically trained pianist who has performed solo concerts in France, Spain, and Costa Rica, as well as across the United States.  He received his primary training from Galina Michniuk and Erno Daniel.  Locally, he has presented numerous recitals at the Music Academy of the West, as well as three solo performances at the Lobero Theatre, including one presented by the Santa Barbara Symphony.  His studies of classical Indian music have been with Krishna Govinda and Hom Nath Upadhyaya of Nepal, as well as with Montino Bourbon of the Ali Akbar Khan gharana.  As a dancer, he trained for two years in the majors program at UCSB, and continued his work under the great jazz dancer Matt Maddox in Paris, and later, with the flamenco master Pepe Mancilla in Spain.  In Europe, he played for the classes of Josette Amiel (Paris Opera Ballet) and company class of Ballets Blaska.  He has been invited to witness the choreographic process of Lucas Hoving, Felix Blaska, and Remy Charlip.   He has collaborated with a number of choreographers and dance companies, performing live onstage, as well as serving as music director and composer.  His performance at the Luckman Auditorium in Los Angeles with Nancy Colahan was termed “superb” by the Los Angeles Times.  As a choreographer, he has been privileged to work with some of the finest professional dancers from the Colorado Ballet, State Street Ballet, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. Together with Juliana Bertelson, he served as co-producer for two seasons of the “Endangered Species” dance collective at Center Stage Theater. Stephen Kelly is co-founder of the Future Traditions Foundation , co-artistic director of SonneBlauma Danscz Theatre,  and co-creator of the SB ADaPT Festival.  His most recent choreographic work is Atesh, Bayan, created for the 2011 SB ADaPT Festival.  Reviews in the Santa Barbara News-Press praised Atesh as “a brilliant trio” and also declared “Kelly’s original music was amazingly imaginative.”