Passage – collaborators
Collaborating Artists
Jesse Bannister
Composer / Musician
Jesse Bannister is a British-Indian musician based in London who left contemporary jazz to return to the classical Hindustani music teachings of his ancestors. Having studied with masters such as Dharambir Singh, Pandit Rajan and Sajan Mishra, he brings his mixed heritage into a synergy that pushes the boundaries of classical Indian music to new levels. He is currently doing a PhD at York University, exploring the fundamental impact of music on our well-being.
Durante Verzola
Choreographer
Durante Verzola is a Filipino-American choreographer currently on staff of Miami City Ballet. He has choreographed works for Miami City Ballet, New York City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and more throughout the country. He work has been shown at The Guggenheim and The Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU. He works to expand the vocabulary and reach of classical ballet into today’s ever changing modern world.
“What sets this project apart is the marriage of visual art, music, and dance which hearkens back to the days of the Ballet Russe: The likes of Nijinsky, Balanchine, Fokine, Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Debussy, Chanel, Matisse, and Picasso were all brought together to collaborate and make art together. Passage feels like a reincarnation of this idea, working to communicate ideas of today’s time through our unique disciplines.”
Itzkan Dzul Barbosa
Dancer under the direction of Durante Verzola
Itzkan Dzul Barbosa is currently a member of NY Theatre Ballet and former dancer with Miami City Ballet. She began classical ballet training at age 2 at the USC Dance Conservatory and the Center for Dance Education with Carolina Ballet, where she performed several roles including Odette in Swan Lake. Itzkan has studied Summer Intensive Trainings at CPYB, ABT, SFB, Barcelona Dance Center and she was awarded a full scholarship with the Paris Opera Ballet. She has trained in NYC at Ballet Academy East where she has performed the lead role in Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht Ballet, amongst many other works. Itzkan has been highlighted by the Adrienne Arsht Center Mural Project in Miami, FL, painted by Brazilian Artist Eduardo Kobra.
Michael Holden
Dancer under the direction of Durante Verzola
From a small town in Maine, Michael Holden started dancing at the age of 3. Later he began professional training at the Miami City Ballet School and danced professionally with the Miami City Ballet company. From there he performed with other major companies such as the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Now, based in NYC, Michael has entered the Broadway theater world and is thriving in the commercial dance scene.
Charlotte Watson
Cellist
Charlotte Watson is a professional cellist based in Leeds, UK. Her interest in cross-disciplinary projects has led her to collaborate with different artists, including dancers, visual artists, sculptors, poets, composers and performing musicians from various backgrounds. For many years, she was the cellist in Black Hair, a contemporary music theatre ensemble, collaborating with composers and performing nationally and internationally. More recently, she was the cellist in the much acclaimed Rachel Kneebone Dance Project with choreographer TC Howard and women from Rochdale. In addition, Charlotte has collaborated with TC Howard and Yorkshire Dance on a new dance work created with and for people with dementia and performed in dementia care homes around Leeds.