Visiting Artists

Every year, the Cal Poly Theatre & Dance Department brings in guest artists to support our productions, demonstrate new techniques, and share their talents and knowledge. We also have guest lecturers in select classes that augment the learning experience for our students.

Here are some of this year's guests:

Mike Esperanza

Mike Esperana is an acclaimed artist from New York City who has established an international presence in dance community. Mike has presented on prestigious stages including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Sergerstrom Center for the Arts, McCalllum Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Salvatore Capezio Theater at Peridance, The Royal Conservatory in Cordoba, Spain, and the Australian Circus Festival. The Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Whim W’him and other universities around the United States have commissioned Mike’s work. Mike’s experience garnered Dance: Creation for Performance grant presented by Dance/USA and the Irvine Foundation, “Innerstate” tour presented by ODC Theater, the paid engagement award at the Palm Desert Choreography Under the Stars Festival, the Reverb Dance Festival commission award, and the CUNY Dance Initiative.

Angela Rosenkrans

Angela Rosenkrans is the Dance Program Director at Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, AZ and founding member/Artistic Director for Rosenkrans Dans which premiered in the summer of 2012. Angela Received her BA in Dance from Centenary College of Louisiana and her MFA from Sam Houston State University. She has been teaching and choreographing for the past 30 years at colleges and dance studios in California, Colorado, Texas, Arizona and Louisiana. She has performed professionally with Rosenkrans Dans, Ormao Contemporary Dance, Scorpious Dance Theatre, Conder Dance, 32 Flavors and Lizcasebolt Dance.

Ashli St. Armant 

Ashli St. Armant is known for her award-winning work in children's education and entertainment, including her band, Jazza Ash and Leaping Lizards, and her Audible mystery series, Viva Durant, which includes the Nationally Bestselling story, Viva Durant and the Secret of the Silver Buttons. NORTH: The Musical is St. Armant's debut theatrical production. 

Larry Southall

Larry Southall holds an MFA in Performance and Choreography from the University of Colorado. A native of the Bronx, NY, he began working with Hiphop dance forms in the early 1980's. He has worked with the Boulder Ballet, The Harambee African Dance Ensemble, Blue Moon Dance Company, Motion Underground, Longmont Symphony and Dance Theatre, Cleo Parker Robinson Summer Institute, Denver school of the Arts, and Steamboat Springs Dance Theatre. He has served as a master teacher at Dance Place in Washington, D.C., at Slippery Rock University, and for the American College Dance Festival. Larry has choreographed for the Native Tongue Dance Theatre, Skeleton Dance Project, The Black College Dance Exchange, and the Legacies concert of the American College Dance Festival in Boulder, Co and is respected nationally as one of the great traditional Hip-hop teachers. Larry is currently Rehearsal Director of The Grass Roots Project under the direction of Rennie Harris and co-creator of the Hip-hop studies certificate along with Rennie Harris at CU Boulder through the Theatre and Dance Department.

Shae Palic

Shae Palic (she/her) is an Intimacy Coordinator based in California. She is trained through SAG accredited certification program IDC Professionals. Trained with world experts in intimacy coordination Claire Warden (Three Women, West Side Story, Billions) and Marcus Watson (American Horror Story, Succession). Her most recent project was SAG Feature Film Marmalade. She has been a working Intimacy Professional since 2018. Trained with Tonia Sina for stage and opera, Shae was working at most regional houses in the midwest. Shae has over a decade of experience in theatre and film.