The University of Arizona

Monday, Oct. 28th
6:30-8:30pm
SARAH LISETTE CHIESA, Modern/Floorwork

Sunday, Dec. 1st
5:30-7:30pm
CHRIS COMPTON, Ballet

The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

The BFA in Dance at the University of Arizona is a professional training degree emphasizing performance, creativity, and career-sustaining practices. We offer experiences that optimally prepare dancers for future professional careers in dance. Students conduct their studies along three pathways relative to the student’s career goals: Commercial Dance; Concert Dance; or Dance Portfolio. The Dance Portfolio pathway provides a foundation for those interested in a range of career outcomes beyond performance. Students with a double degree are also able to craft a plan of study that allows for successful completion of both degrees. Students receive a well-rounded education and mentorship from a dance program with an intensive focus on professional dance performance, housed within a nationally lauded research-1 (R1) institution.

SARAH LISETTE CHIESA

Sarah Lisette Chiesa is an American born interdisciplinary artist living in Tucson Arizona, who has lived in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Venezuela. She received her education from the North Carolina School of the Arts for high school, received a BFA from Purchase College in 2004, a Post Graduate Certificate in Choreography from the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in 2014, and an MFA from the University Washington in 2020. In 2016, she studied sculpture and body casting at the Canossa Scuola di Scultura in Reggio Emilia.

As a professional dancer, Sarah was a full-time company member with Shen Wei Dance Arts for many years and continues to work with Shen Wei as a guest artist. She has performed works of Kazuko Hirabayashi, Sidra Bell, Noemie LaFrance, Tania Perez-Salas, Stefan Dreher, Hubert Lepka, Yang Jiang, Franca Ferarri, Susan Marshall, Brian Brooks, and Daniel Charon. In Theater, she has performed in productions by Steve Cooke of Stella Adler Acting Studio, Jenny Koons, and acted in a Student Academy Award winning film by John Mattuizzi. She also performed a durational work by Dorian Silec Petek which was curated by Robert Wilson for Illy Coffee. She has collaborated in interdisciplinary projects with artists such as Jacopo Foggini(designer), Yuval Avital(composer), Piergiorgio Casotti (fashion photographer), Mario Vighi (writer), Luciano Bosi (musician), Fabrizio Orsi (fashion photographer), Chanhee Choi (digital video and textile artist), Abbey Blackwell (musician), and Abigail Jara (VR and video artist).

As an independent artist her work has been shown in the US at Duo Emergence Gallery (Manhattan), Dumbo Dance Festival (Brooklyn), The Widow Jane Mine (Rosendale NY), Springboard Danse (Montrea)l, Republic Theater in (Salzburg), Centro Cultural de La Florida Santiago (Chile), Spazio Gerra, Indigo Festival, Rimini Live Festival, Fotografia Europea Festival, Teatro San Prospero, CSAC Parma Museum, and Mutty Gallery in (Italy), Shoonya Center for Somatic Arts, 1Shanthiroad Studio Gallery in (India), Meany Studio Theater, Oxbow Gallery, the ASUW Shell house, Design in Public AIA Festival in (Seattle), Deborah Slater Dance Theater, Inferno Festival Berkeley, Marin Center for Performing Arts, and SAFEhouse Arts (San Francisco), Arts for Action (Australia).

Sarah has taught at various institutions such as Fondazione Della Danza Aterballetto RE, Balletto Toscano, Nuovo Balletto Classico RE, C.I.M.D. Milano, Shoonya Center for Somatic Arts India, Bangalore School of Performing Arts, Centro Cultural del la Florida Santiago Chile, Shen Wei Dance Arts Intensive NY, University of California at Santa Barbara, Velocity Center and the University of Washington Seattle, and Alonzo Kings Lines Ballet BFA and Professional Training Programs in San Francisco. Currently Sarah is an Assistant Professor in the School of Dance at the University of Arizona. As well as Assistant Director to Karmina Silec and Paola Prestini for the Opera Old Man and the Sea premiering in Phoenix in November.

CHRIS COMPTON

Christopher Compton is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona School of Dance in Tucson, Arizona. He is also Co-Director of Dance at Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp in Steamboat Springs, CO. He teaches Ballet Technique, Ballet Repertory, Partnering, Men’s Technique, Modern Dance, Choreography, and Dance History. Chris earned his MFA from the University of Arizona for Dance with an Emphasis in Choreography and Performance in May 2015. Prior to attending UA, Chris trained with Marcia Dale Weary at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pa., and earned his BFA in Ballet under the tutelage of Andrew Pap at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pa. Chris had been on the faculty of many dance schools, and has been a guest teacher at many ballet schools, community colleges, and summer programs across the U.S., including the Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase in Tucson, AZ.

Chris has performed principal roles in the works of Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Alan Hineline, Andrew Pap, Scott Thyberg, Douglas Nielsen and Michael Williams. As a dancer for Twyla Tharp, Chris performed principal roles in the Tony-Award winning Movin’ Out. Chris was also a member of Koresh Dance Company in Philadelphia, Pa., and has been a frequent guest artist at numerous ballet companies across the U.S., including Pennsylvania Ballet, Georgia Ballet, and Lexington Ballet. Additionally, Christopher was honored perform the role of ‘Johnny,’ made famous by Patrick Swayze, in the North American Premiere of Dirty Dancing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, On. His first job out of high school, Chris was proud to make his professional debut as a dancer in the National Tour of The Music Man. Chris has also appeared in commercials and promotional materials for Movin’ Out, Dirty Dancing, Six Flags Over Georgia, The University of the Arts, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.

Chris’ choreography has been performed at The Stevie Eller Theatre in Tucson, AZ., The Drake Theatre in Philadelphia, PA., The Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs, CO., Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School and Camp in Steamboat Springs, CO., Artifact Dance Project in Tucson, AZ., as well as many ballet schools across the U.S. In 2014, Chris was presented with the prestigious Creative Achievement Award by the University of Arizona. Chris is also the proud winner of the Aleksei Judenic Ballet Prize from the University of the Arts. Christopher’s proudest achievement is being a father to John Wyatt, Jack Henry, and Cody Marshall, his wonderful sons, and a husband to Tammy, his amazing wife.