Ascential Dance

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Jennifer Fagan Archer,

Founder/Artistic Navigator/Outreach

   Jennifer has been dancing since she could walk.  Her early training at South Dade Civic Dance Theatre, Southwood and New World School of the Arts included extensive studies with world-renowned dance professionals, although she attributes her best training to the ‘nobodies.’  Her particular interests are in various ethnic styles as she combines these with classical and contemporary movement to form her own teaching technique and style. 

   Jen has choreographed for stage and film and has performed with such diverse companies as Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Georgia Dance Theatre, The Performance Experience (Atlanta), South Dade Civic Dance Theatre, Concepts in Motion and Moving In The Spirit.  As a soloist, she danced in roles created for her including Persecution, by Sherri Davis, and Sanctuary, by Dana Phelps Marschalk.  Most notably, she had the honor of performing Donald McKayle's Rainbow Etude at the 2002 National Black Arts Festival with Moving in the Spirit.  While studying dance at Florida State University Mrs. Archer earned a BS in Anthropology and History (Interdisciplinary Social Science) and an AA in Nutrition and Fitness as she continued to choreograph, train, teach, direct, and produce in the dance scene. 

   Jennifer has been commissioned in the US and abroad to create and collaborate on over 100 works which includes Bacardi, The United Way, XL Capital, BellSouth, Goslings, dance competitions, pageants, weddings, concerts, and theatre companies.  Her concert work has been integrated into Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s Urban Bush Women’s Summer Intensive, selected for Bermuda ’s “Excellence in Arts” Cultural Affairs Festival and applauded in 1996 by Hilary Clinton at the Florida Democratic Convention.   Recently she has enjoyed the distinguished privilege of studying with dance masters and innovators such as Arthur Mitchell, MOMIX, Hannah Kahn, Mary Wohl Haan, and Wayne Sleep.

   As Associate Director of Renascent Dance Theatre, Jen co-wrote and directed Pandora’s Box and Woodstock- A Rock Ballet in Tallahassee, Florida.   The success of this venture spawned a community children’s theatre company called Tallahassee Arts Project (TAP) which aspired to train young artists in dance, music, and theatre whilst presenting annual collaborative efforts such as Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, and A Muppets Christmas. 

     Mrs. Archer’s current endeavors include being granted permission to choreograph to the songs of Blues Traveler and Mad Agnes, completing a two year residency as Jazz Program Director at In Motion School of Dance in Bermuda and developing and implementing a new dance division as Dance Program Coordinator for YMCA Greater Miami-Homestead. She is a new member of the Hannah Kahn Dance Company in Denver enjoying her second season.  This summer, 2008, she is in residency at the Kent Denver School teaching dance classes for at-risk youth as part of the 'Bridge" program.  You can see her perform with Hannah Kahn this fall at Denver School of the Arts and Haan Dances at the 2008 Boulder Fringe Festival this summer.

   Jen teaches Ballet, Tap, Modern, Jazz and her very own 'JaM' classes at our school.  She is a resident choreographer of ADT2 and an artistic director of Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado.

Tobi Johnson-Compton,

Executive Director

     Tobi Johnson-Compton began dancing at the age of 7 but did not really understand how much a part of her it was until she moved out to Colorado over 20 something years ago.  She has been dancing ever since.  She studied ballet, modern and jazz under Cleo Parker Robinson, Marceline Freeman, Franca Telesio, Gary Abbot, Randy Brooks, Thomas Dixon, Debra Mercer, Roger Turner, Leni Wylliams and various other artists throughout her high school and college career. 

     Tobi Compton has danced, taught, and choreographed throughout the Colorado area.  She performed with Blue Moon Dance Company from 1997 – 2002 and with Interweave Dance Theatre in 1996, 1997 and then again in 2006, both based in Boulder, CO.  Tobi was also a principal dancer and rehearsal director for Denver Contemporary Dance Theatre, under the direction of the late Thomas Dixon.  Her theatre performances include dancing with the Denver Centre for the Performing Arts in a production of StarFever, directed by Pavel Dubrovsky and also as a dancer with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in a production of AIDA with the Colorado Opera. 

     Tobi danced for the Denver Nuggets Performance Dance Team for 2 seasons, from 1992 – 1994.  Her choreography has won 2 consecutive entries in the Aspen Dance Showcase and she has also been afforded the opportunity to work with dance/poms teams in the Denver and Arvada area.  Tobi feels very fortunate to be working alongside Jennifer Fagan Archer as the Executive Director for the Ascential Dance School and a member of the Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado as well as dancing for LegaCy Dance Ensemble with Colleen Noelani Young.  She is married with 3 beautiful children and thanks them for putting up with the craziness of her schedule.

email Tobi

Carla Menchinella,

Associate Director/Teen Programs/Outreach

    Carla graduated from C.W. Post - Long Island University in May 2004. Her solo Numb::Fallen was performed at STEPS NYC in an Emerging Choreographer’s showcase that same year.  Carla worked with Immersion Dance Company as a research director, choreographer, and dancer from 2004 to 2007.  She has showcased her works, Numb:: Fallen, In Memoria, Support System, and Threads with Immersion in various venues throughout New York and beyond, including: Dance New Amsterdam, the Collective Unconscious sponsored by The Tank, the Oasis Festival sponsored by chashama, the opening show for Pilobolus and Savion Glover at the Tilles Center, and the International Choreographers Showcase at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. 

   Carla began teaching at the age of 16 in the Bronx and has taught all age groups in many styles of dance. She has had the pleasure of working in performing arts studios, after-school programs and enrichment/outreach programs throughout the tri-state area and has taught modern dance in upstate New York

to a company of students for four consecutive years where she was able to showcase her work at local venues and competitions.  At the Berwick Academy in Maine 2007, she completed her second dance residency and had the opportunity to collaborate with Sasha Randall and Gina Hesse in a performance with New England Dance Project.  Her piece, Coffee and Candles was chosen by STEPS on Broadway for their Emerging Choreographer’s Showcase in April 2007. 

    Recently, Carla collaborated with a NYC-based dance company, And Dancers.  Her piece Without was part of a full length evening performance at the Collective Unconscious as well as the Philadelphia Fringe Festival.  In the summer of 2007, she was asked to travel to Boulder, Colorado with And Dancers to dance in two group pieces at the Boulder Fringe Festival.  She performed these same pieces at the Joyce SOHO in a full length evening performance for Kelly Donovan and Dancers and special guests.

     Carla is pleased to be teaching, choreographing and dancing for Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado where she is involved in both the school and professional company.  Carla is currently re-working past choreography to create a new piece for Ascential Dance Theatre Colorado to be showcased in November 2008 and she will be performing in the Summer 2008 Boulder Fringe Festival with The Schiff Dance Collective.  She looks forward to showcasing her own work - both old and new - as well as being a part of the artistic endeavors of her peers. 

Life Boat Drill, Bermuda 2003

Choreography by Jen Archer

XL Capital

Christmas Party 2005