“Lydia Johnson became overnight one of my favorite contemporary choreographers...her dancers took the floor and within seconds I knew I had found something I loved...for me one of the most moving dance experiences in the last decade.” —Philip Gardner, Oberon’s Grove, 2009
R. Colby Damon was born and raised in Richmond Virginia, and received his training at the Richmond Ballet, Boston Ballet, and the Virginia School of the Arts. He joined the Sacramento Ballet, where for five years he performed soloist and principal roles in numerous classical and contemporary works, including pieces by George Balanchine, Trey McIntyre, Dwight Rhoden, and John Selya among others. He has also appeared as a guest artist with the Cincinnatti Ballet at the Guggenheim Museum's Works and Process series featuring works of choreographer Luca Veggetti, and has additionally danced for Amy Seiwert’s im’ig-ery, Thang Dao Dance Company, Piedmont Dance Theater, and the Northwest Professional Dance Project. This is his second season with Lydia Johnson Dance.
Sean Patrick Mahoney was born and raised in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. At age 12, he began training with Fred Knecht and attended the Princeton Ballet School on scholarship. He became an apprentice at American Repertory Ballet and then became a featured dancer with the company. After graduating from high school in 1993, he was chosen as one of the first members of Taylor 2. Mr. Mahoney later danced for David Parsons, Alex Tressor and Geoffrey Doig-Marx and was in Radio City's Christmas Spectacular. Mr. Mahoney rejoined Taylor 2 in summer 2002. He debuted with the Paul Taylor Dance Company in January 2004.
Jeremy Smith graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Florida State University, after attending New World School of the Arts High School in Miami, Florida. At Florida State, he performed, choreographed, and taught extensively with Dance Repertory Theatre. His many teachers include Lynda Davis, Jane Wood-Smith, Daniel Lewis, Peter London, Gerard Ebitz, Paula Cunningham, Kim Brokaw, and Debbi Dee. He has performed choreography by Clay Taliaferro, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Alonzo King, Alex Ketley, Sara Pearson/Patrik Widrig, and Brent Schneider, and has appeared as a guest artist with Ballet West and The Tallahassee Ballet Company. He danced with danced the Parsons Dance Company for several years. Jeremy is currently a member of ODC/San Francisco and dances with Ben Munisteri Dance Projects and with Lydia Johnson Dance when in New York City.
Max van der Sterre is originally from San Francisco, California. He began his ballet training with Damara Bennett and Henry Burg at City Ballet School in San Francisco. He continued his classical training at The School of American Ballet for two more years before being named an apprentice with New York City Ballet by Peter Martins in June of 2005. While attending SAB, he trained with Peter Boal, Peter Frame, Nikolaj Hubbe, Andrei Kramarevsky and Jock Soto. Mr. van der Sterre danced with New York City Ballet from 2005 to 2009, and he currently dances with Sensedance in NYC and has collaborated with Emery LeCrone, Pontus Lidberg, Elena Kunikova and Montgomery Ballet. This is his first season as a Guest Artist with Lydia Johnson Dance.
Still photographs throughout the site by Julie Lemberger (© Julie Lemberger, 2004–2009) and Kokyat (© Kokyat, 2009), as noted.
All photos on this page by Julie Lemberger.
