DANCERS & COLLABORATORS
DANCERS
Rose Barbantan
Dancer
Began her dance training at the Regional Conservatory of Dance in Avignon, France and later moved to Portugal from her home in Barbentane, France where she appeared on Got Talent Portugal and participated in Youth America Grand Prix, New York. During her studies at the Alvin Ailey School Certificate Program, Barbantan performed in Memoria alongside the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Company and Ailey II at City Center. As a member of the Ailey Student Performance Group, Barbantan worked closely with choreographers Brice Mousset, Patrick Coker and Hollie Wright. She is fluent in French, Portuguese, Spanish and English. Aftergraduating from the Ailey School in May 2022, Barbantan began dancing professionally with CRDANCE, Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet, Shift Dance Company and Accent Dance Company. Barbantan participated in Jacqulyn Buglisi’s Dance Theater Table of Silence, 2022 and Walk with Amal, a program dedicated to raising hope for children who are war refugees.
Henry Steele
Dancer
Comes to New York from Wollongong, NSW, Australia where he began his career as an elite gymnast, achieving national gold medals for three consecutive years before taking the leap to becoming a dancer. Steele earned a BFA with honors in 2016 from Point Park University where he worked with choreographers Lar Lubovitch, Mark Morris, Madboots Dance, Ronin Koresh, Jessica Hendricks, and others. With a background in Modern and Jazz dance, Steele has danced professionally with Owen/Cox Dance Group, Texture Contemporary Balletand toured internationally with The Bad Boys of Ballet. Steele spent five years as company member with Parsons Dance, where he notably performed the iconic solo Caught, and functioned as the company’s rehearsal director. Steele joined CRDANCE in 2023 and appears in the World Premiere performance of ALTA MAREA at KNJ Theater, Peridance.
Amika Konatè
Dancer
From La Rochelle, France, studied at the Conservatoire of Music, Dance of La Rochelle and the Rudra Béjart School, Switzerland. Having attended the Ailey School in New York, Konatéalso danced in Philadelphia as a Philadanco 2 (D/2) member and in New York with Jamel Gaines Creative Outlet and Borne dance company. Konaté joined TORCH Dance Theatre and has danced with Felice Lesser Dance Theatre, Yaa!Samar Dance Theatre, Linda Diamond & Company, performing works by Maurice Béjart, Julio Arozarena, Tancredo Tavarez, Janice Rosario, Christopher Huggins, Jeroboam Bozeman, Djassi Dacosta Johnson, Will A. Ervin and Walter Rutledge.Konaté joined CRDANCE in 2022 and has performed choreographic works by Caterina Rago including an early staging of ALTA MAREA.
Antonio Leone
Dancer
A native of Italy, attended the Rudra Bejart School in Switzerland in 2021. Moving to New York to join Graham II, Leone receivedthe Pearl Lang Award for Excellence in Performance. In 2022, he joined the Martha Graham Dance Companywhere he continues to perform feature roles in Errand into the Maze and Diversion of Angels by Martha Graham, as well as in contemporary works like Canticle for Innocent Comedians by Sonya Tayeh and Yin Yue. Leone joined CRDANCE in 2022 as one of the first male dancers in the Company.
Lissa Smith
Dancer
From Florida, Smith attended the New World School of the Arts and Boston Conservatory and also studied at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The Juilliard School, Martha Graham, Lines Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet School. Winner of Arts For Life presented by former First Lady of Florida Columba Bush and winner of The Martha Hill Young Professional Dance Award, Smith performed with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago nationally and internationally. Smith was a dancer for Walt Disney Imagineering in LA and for YYDC and currently dances with Abarukas and CRDANCE. Having joined CRDANCE in 2015, Smith has performed the entire repertoire of Rago’s choreographic works, from LABIR INTO to ALTA MAREA.
Cara Macmanus
Dancer
Joined CRDANCE in 2020. She earned a BFA in Dance and a BA in Comparative Literature from Fordham University and the Ailey School, and an MA in English Literature from CCNY. She performed with Graham II and the Martha Graham Dance Company for five years, and now teaches at the Graham School. Currently, McManus performs with CRDANCE, Tabula Rasa Dance Theater and Lydia Johnson Dance. She has also performed with the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, The Pantos Project, Joshua Beamish / MOVETHECOMPANY, and in Beau Bree Rhee’s Shadow of the Sea, commissioned by the Kitchen.
COLLABORATORS
Pier Paolo Bisleri
Production Designer
Directed the Visual Arts space La Cappella Underground in Trieste where he presented artists including Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol, as well as notable Arte Povera and Conceptual artists. Having graduated in scenography and costume designer from the Academy of Fine Arts, Florence, Bisleri’s focus on visual art, and in particular on contemporary art, is ever present in his artistic research and practice. As a set and costume designer, Bisleri has collaborated with some of the greatest Italian directors on productions for major national and international theaters from la Scala, Milan; La Fenice, Venice; Maggio Musicale, Firenze; San Carlo, Naples; Regio di Torino, l’Opera de Monte-Carlo; and l’Opera de Toulouse, as well as the National Greek Opera; l’Opera di Bilbao; l’Opera de La Maestranza di Siviglia; Opera Theatre, Baltimore; Seattle Opera; Bunkamura,Tokyo; Centre of Performing Arts, Osaka; Centre of Performing Arts, Seoul; InnsbruckerFestwochen der Alten Musik, Innsbruck; New Israeli Opera, Tel-Aviv; Bolshoi, Moscow; and Mariinskij, San Petersburg among others. Bisleri is currently at work on a production of Carmen for the New National Theater of Albania in Tirana. Bisleri is a long-time collaborator for CRDANCE in New York. ALTA MAREA features Bisleri’s minimalist and powerful set design.
Michelle Angelica di Pierno
Costume Designer
Was born in Milan, Italy where she currently lives. Having graduated from the NABA Academy as a Fashion and Costume Designer, Di Pierno is fascinated by the world of entertainment. Her background is not only in costume design and styling, but in theatre, singing and acting. Her interest in design and fashion began as a child, dreaming of launching her own collection while watching her mother create clothing. ANGELÍQUE is Di Pierno’s new online venue and brand page where her line of garments and accessories are now featured. This is Di Pierno’s first season designing costumes for CRDANCE.
Fabien Capèran
Production Designer
Is born in France and based in New York. He is a Set Designer as well as an Interior and Industrial Designer who creates everything from small sets to large interior design projects that he fabricates, engineers and produces himself. Capéran works for non-profits like MoMA and Le petit Musée in Conakry, Guinea as well as for international brands like LaMer and BenjaminMoore. Capéran loves challenging new projects such as this first collaboration with CRDANCE and the renowned Set Designer Pier Paolo Bisleri.