Company

Sean Dorsey (he/him) is an Emmy award-winning choreographer, dancer, writer, educator and activist. Long recognized as the U.S.’ first acclaimed transgender modern dance choreographer, Dorsey has toured his work to more than 35 cities across the US and abroad – and taught with his explicitly trans-positive pedagogy in more than 40 cities.

Dorsey is a Doris Duke Artist, a United States Artists Fellow, and a Dance/USA Artist Fellow. He has been awarded an Emmy Award, five Isadora Duncan Dance Awards, and the Goldie Award for Performance. In 2019, he became the first openly-transgender person on the cover of Dance Magazine. Dorsey is the first openly-transgender US artist to be presented by The Joyce Theater (NYC), American Dance Festival and many other major stages.

As a transgender, white, disabled/Hard-of-hearing and queer longtime social practice artist, Dorsey creates his works over 2-3 years in deep relationship with/in community. Dorsey’s dances are powerful explorations of human experience – a fusion of full-throttle dance, luscious partnering, intimate storytelling and theater. Highly physical, accessible, rooted in story, and danced with precision and guts and deep humanity, Dorsey’s works have been praised as “exquisite…poignant and important” (BalletTanz), “trailblazing” (San Francisco Chronicle) and “evocative, compelling, elegant” (LA Weekly).

As a teaching artist, Dorsey leads workshops, classes and DREAM LABS with a trans-positive pedagogy – and centers and celebrates gender non-conforming and trans bodies, voices and aesthetics.

Dorsey has been awarded commissions from American Dance Festival (Durham), Bates Dance Festival (Lewiston), Dance Place (Washington DC), Highways Performance Space (Los Angeles), Links Hall (Chicago), Maui Arts & Cultural Center (Maui), Queer Cultural Center (San Francisco), 7 Stages (Atlanta), The Theater Offensive (Boston), and Velocity Dance Center (Seattle).

Dorsey is also the founder and Artistic Director of Fresh Meat Productions – founded in 2002, Fresh Meat Productions invests in the creative expression and cultural leadership of trans and gender-nonconforming communities through its year-round programs including the annual FRESH MEAT FESTIVAL, resident company Sean Dorsey Dance, artist commissions, education and advocacy for intersectional trans, racial and disability justice in the performing arts. 

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Brandon Graham (he/they) was born in Rochester NY and trained at School Of The Arts and Odasz Dance Theatre under Jessica Odasz. He since has graduated from Alonzo King Lines BFA program. He has had the opportunity to work with Flock Works, Robert Moses, Kara Davis, Christian Burns and Gregory Dawson. After graduating the BFA  program in 2020 he has been doing freelance work with Kristin Damrow, David Herrera Performance Company, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Alyssa Mitchel and more. This is Brandon’s second season with Sean Dorsey Dance.

Héctor Jaime (Héctor – or they/she/he) was born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, México. They began their training with Manuel Torres in El Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEART). Héctor graduated from the Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet BFA Program in San Francisco affiliated with Dominican University of California. Post graduation, they had the opportunity to be a member of Sean Dorsey Dance, Dawson Dance SF, and Detour Dance Company. Héctor started their own company “Xochipilli Dance Company based in the Bay Area. XDC has now premiered work in different residencies since its foundation including Deborah Slater Dance Theater summer residency in studio 210, Festival of Latin American Contemporary Choreographers (FLACC), BBQueer Dance Festival, PUSH Artist in residency, D.I.R.T 2023, Stapleton School of the Performing Arts Choreographic Residency and Queering Dance Festival. This is Héctor’s third season with Sean Dorsey Dance.

David Le (he/they) was born and raised in San Jose, CA. As a first-generation student with influences of cultural and street styles of dance, David earned his BFA from San Jose State University (SJSU). At SJSU, Le danced with the University Dance Theater and had the pleasure to work with Doug Varone, Kyle Abraham, Mike Esperanza and more. He embraces the collaboration of different communities, and participates in events with Decipher and Archive Dance Companies. In addition to dance, David is a neuromuscular therapist and has a deaf dog named Wilbur. David is excited for his second season with Sean Dorsey Dance! 

Nol Simonse (he/him) grew up in Washington, D.C., and trained at the Boston Conservatory of Music. He moved to San Francisco in 1997 and is a founding member of Kunst-Stoff, (artistic directors Tomi Paasonen and Yannis Adoniou). Nol has worked with Janice Garrett since the inception of her company, Janice Garrett and Dancers, and continued with her and her partner, Charles Moulton, when they formed Garrett+Moulton Productions. He has danced with Sean Dorsey Dance since 2007. He is also a longtime collaborator/performer of Sue Roginski, Eric Kupers, Christy Funsch, Stephen Pelton, and Kara Davis. Nol was awarded an Isadora Duncan Bay Area Dance Award in 2011, and in 2009 Nol received a GOLDIE for dance (Guardian Outstanding Local Discovery). Nol was the first person to win Luna Dance Institute’s Choreofund prize, and Dance Teacher Magazine published an interview with him in the September, 2016 issue. Nol currently teaches modern at the Alonzo King’s Lines Dance Center, and Shawl-Anderson Dance Center. He has taught choreography, repertory, and performance workshops for adults and teens, and has made dances for Diablo Ballet, the Lines summer program, students at USF, Shawl-Anderson Youth Ensemble, ODC’s Dance Jam, and Dance Mission Theater’s Grrrl Brigade. Nol produced eight seasons of ‘Shared Space’ with Todd Eckert at Dance Mission Theater from 2007-2016 and has had residencies at Dance Mission and Studio 210. Nol was one of the 25 nominated artists to create a dance for the 25th anniversary season of the West Wave Dance Festival, and was a mentee of Margaret Jenkins in 2017 for her CHIME Program. This is Nol’s 16th season with Sean Dorsey Dance.

WILL WOODWARD: (all pronouns) Originally from Hawai’i, Will began formal dance training under the direction of Kelly Roth at the College of Southern Nevada. After a  five-year hiatus, he began dancing again in Monterey, CA with Deanna Ross, Jackie Adams, and the Monterey Dance Collective. In 2012 he moved to San Francisco, and has since performed with Blue Scorpion Dance Theatre, Palanza Dance, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Tim Rubel Human Shakes, James Graham Dance Theatre, Printz Dance Project, and San Francisco’s premiere burlesque group: Baloney. This is Will’s sixth season collaborating with Sean Dorsey Dance; now based in Los Angeles, he performs with SDD as a Guest Artist.