PATRICK O’BRIEN DANCE COLLECTIVE

PATRICK O’BRIEN

 

 

Patrick O’Brien is a dancer, choreographer, teaching artist, and the artistic director of Patrick O’Brien Dance Collective, a New York based contemporary dance freelance ensemble. He began his dance training in Bakersfield, CA before moving to New York in 2012 to attend The Joffrey Ballet School. Since spring 2016, Patrick’s company has presented original works at The Brooklyn Museum, The Hudson Guild Theatre, Dixon Place, The Royal Theatre (Producers Club), Socrates Sculpture Park, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, Earl Mosley’s Intensive of the Arts, DeBaun Performing Arts Center, Green Space, LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, Nimbus Dance Works, 14th Street Y, The Ailey Citigroup Theatre, and the Loew’s Theatre. O’Brien has been commissioned to set original works in Honolulu, Hawaii, Bakersfield, CA, and at Joffrey Ballet School. Patrick is currently dancing for Gabrielle Lamb/Pigeonwing Dance. Utilizing a distinct choreographic language, his work strives to elevate art so that its impact is held on the same level of importance as science as a method of investigating the human condition.

DANCERS

 

Alexzandra Knapp

Alexzandra Knapp is a Pittsburgh-born, New York-based artist; a 2016 graduate of Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz & Contemporary Trainee Program. Alex has been a choreographer’s assistant to Maleek Washington, Candice Michelle Franklin, and Sekou McMiller. She has worked closely with Patrick O’Brien since Spring of 2016. As a choreographer, Alex creates for both Flair Entertainment NYC, as well as dark pop activist singer, Roxiny – her work has been featured in Roxiny’s live performances and music videos for “Goliath” and “Golden Prophet”. Additional performance credits include: AWS Summit Berlin; People Magazine Español; Bryant Park Dance Festival; Panorama Music Festival; Bill T. Jones, Elisa Monte Dance. Off the stage, Alex works as a production coordinator, certified yoga teacher, and nightlife promoter! Alex hopes to continue performing, creating, and inspiring others throughout her career

Margaret Jones

Margaret Jones was born and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. She grew up training and dancing competitively and continued on to attend University of North Carolina School of the Arts, achieving a BFA in contemporary dance. Since moving to New York Margaret has performed with BARE dance company, Abarukas, DEPTH Dance, Inclined Dance and various independent choreographers, both nationally and internationally. She recently started working with Patrick O’Brien and is thoroughly enjoying the process and the curiosity involved in every rehearsal.

Jill Pajer

Jill Pajer – raised just outside of NYC, began her training at Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance. She continued on to study at SUNY Purchase where she received her BFA in dance. Over the course of her career she’s been given the opportunity to perform works of Lar Lubovich,  The Median Movement, Bill T. Jones, Lucca Signoretti, Anton Rudakov, Doug Varone, Megan Bascom and Nadine Bommer. Jill is currently working with Patrick O’Brien, Inclined Dance Project and is the Assistant Director of Ayalis in Motion.

Connor Speetjens

Connor Speetjens originally from Greensboro, NC, graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts high school program in 2013. She went on to study at the SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, and spent a semester abroad at Codarts in Rotterdam, NL during her third year. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance, finishing a semester early in December of 2016. She has performed works by Helen Simoneau, Juel Lane, Emory LeCrone, Twyla Tharp, Sarah Mettin, Iker Arrue, Ohad Naharin, Alexandra Beller, Andrea Miller, and Bobbi Jene Smith. She joined Gallim Dance as an apprentice in September of 2016 and danced as a full time company member from May of 2017 until June 2018. Connor has been working with Patrick O’Brian since 2018, and is grateful to be joining the company for the culmination of his CUNY residency.

Richard Walters

Born and Raised in Rochester, NY, Richard Walters began his dance training at the age of 7. He continued his training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Studying classical ballet, Richard performed works by Merce Cunningham and James Kudelka. In 2012 he joined Hubbard Street 2 under Taryn Kaschock-Russel and later Terence Marling, touring nationally and internationally. His repertoire included work by Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, and Greg Dolbashian amongst many others. Richard then joined Oklahoma City Ballet, performing classical ballets as well as work by Ma Cong, Twyla Tharpe and Nacho Duato. Richard has been a member of Amy Seiwert’s Imagery in San Francisco for their SKETCH series. In 2017 he joined Ballet X, performing works by Mathew Neenan, Jorma Elo and Cayetano Soto. In the summer of 2018, Richard moved to New York City to pursue a career as a freelance artist. He has been a member of Broadway Dance Lab directed by Joshua Prince and numerous dance film projects by Andrew Harper, including a music video of Violet Sands “No Matter What” and “New York Moment,” which was an official selection of the 92Y mobile dance film festival.

 

Maxwell Parr Perkins

Maxwell Parr Perkins is from Chicago and is a graduate of New York University – Tisch School of the Arts.  He has performed as a guest artist with LED Boise, Loni Landon Dance Project, NVA & Guests, LoudHoundMovement, Sean Curran Company, Isodoc Dance Group, Danielle Russo Performance Project, C5 – Create with No Limits, and others. Maxwell has been part of dance film and live installation projects with Amy Gardner, Derrick Belcham, Erik Madigan, Elena Vazintaris, Askel Stasny, Elliot Storey, Emily Terndrup and Mary John Frank. Maxwell is a National YoungArts Foundation dance alum and U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.

  

Cody D. Berkeley

Originally from Dallas, TX, began dancing at age six and has trained to elite levels in many styles of dance, including: Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Modern, Tap and Partnering. At 19, Cody was awarded a full tuition scholarship to the UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS in Philadelphia courtesy of the NYCDA College Scholarship Foundation. He has performed the works of Doug Varone, L-E-V, Aszure Barton and William Forsythe to name a few. His studies took him abroad to perform and train throughout Europe, most notably at CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA DANSE PARIS. Berkeley graduated in 2015 with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and received the Expressivity Award, in recognition of his outstanding performance and leadership excellence. He’s attended workshops with BODYTRAFFIC, NW DANCE Project, SPRINGBOARD DANSE MONTREAL and JOFFREY BALLET SCHOOL. In 2015 Cody joined CLAIROBSCUR DANCE COMPANY in Los Angeles under the direction of Laurie Sefton. Berkeley then returned home to Dallas to join DARK CIRCLES CONTEMPORARY DANCE USA for their 4th season where he performed the work of MADBOOTS Dance, Joshua L. Peugh and Gregory Dolbashian. In the summer of 2017, Berkeley moved to New York City to work and teach for THE ELLISON BALLET SCHOOL. Most recently, Cody has performed with PIGEONWING DANCE under the direction of Gabrielle Lambin numerous venues throughout the city. His award winning choreography has been shown at YOUNG ARTS FOUNDATION high school finalists and YOUTH AMERICA GRAND PRIX in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Berkeley was awarded “Outstanding Choreographer 2018” by YAGP for his work on the students of Ellison Ballet on both regional and national levels. Berkeley currently leads the contemporary program for The Ellison Ballet and tours with NEW YORK CITY DANCE ALLIANCE as an adjunct faculty member. Additionally, he joined the inaugural cast of STEP ONE DANCE COMPANY to tour and perform with Holland America Line.

 

Additional Collaborators:

Barry Steele (Lighting Design)

Justin Woo (videographer)

Jacob Hiss (videographer)

Andreea Mincic (set design)

Ramona Ponce (Costume Design)

***Michel Banabila (Musical Composer)

Charles Roussell (Photographer)

Jaqlin Medlock (Photographer)

Torie Rufolo (Assistant, Aesthetic Consultant)