Leadership Team
![2023AXIS_NadiaAdame_byDavidSilva_Square Nadia smile for the camera. She is a cane user and a light-skinned hispanic woman with brown hair pulled back and green/blue eyes. She is wearing a bright yellow top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_NadiaAdame_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.png)
Nadia Adame
Artistic Director
Nadia Adame is a Spanish multidisciplinary award-winning artist with a spinal cord injury. She studied Ballet & Flamenco at the Royal Dance Conservatory of Madrid and has a BA in Theatre from the University of Colorado. She was a company member with AXIS (2000-2003) and Candoco Dance Company (2007-2008). In 2004, she co-founded and was the Co-Artistic Director of Compañía Y in Spain, a multimedia and performance collective. Nadia’s credits include dance, theatre, commercial, and independent film projects in the UK, Spain, US, and Canada.
View Team Member - Nadia Adame![2023AXIS_DanaeRees_byDavidSilva_Square Danae Rees smiles for the camera. She is a white presenting woman with pale skin, medium length dark brown hair, and brown eyes. She is tall and slightly curve. She wears a crisp white top with dangly earrings.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_DanaeRees_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Danae Rees
Managing Director
Danae brings many years of experience across a variety of dance sectors. Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, she holds a double Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts (Dance) & Education (Secondary) from the Queensland University of Technology. She has provided dance instruction, training and program management to public schools, studios, universities, and dance organizations in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
View Team Member - Danae ReesAdministrative Team
![2023AXIS_KatherineHeadshot_Square Katherine (she/her) smiles directly into the camera. She is a white woman with moles and freckles, long wavy blondish-brownish hair, and blue eyes. She is 5' 5](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_KatherineHeadshot_Square.jpg)
Katherine Nauman
Engagement Project Manager
Katherine Nauman (she/her) is a Horton technique instructor, performer, and arts administrator. Katherine rejoined AXIS Dance Company in 2021 after serving as its Rehearsal and Engagement Director in 2018. She lives in New York City where she is on faculty at The Ailey School and STEPS on Broadway. While living in San Francisco, Katherine was the Director of the Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, Assistant Professor for LINES Ballet/BFA at Dominican University, faculty for the LINES Ballet Training and Summer Programs, and guest teacher for the El Cerrito HS Dance Program. In the Bay Area she performed with Ray Tadio, SOULSKIN Dance and Mary Carbonara Dances.
View Team Member - Katherine Nauman![2023AXIS_OctaviaHingle_byDavidSilva_Square Octavia poses for the camera. They are a white person with curly brown hair, rosy cheeks and a slim build. They are wearing an asymmetrical, tight black top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_OctaviaHingle_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Octavia Rose Hingle
Marketing Project Manager
Octavia Rose Hingle an East Bay born & raised choreographer and nightlife producer with a physical impairment. Their performance and installation work centers access as an aesthetic portal into visions of past and future ancestors that travel through the present moment. Most recently, their project Crip Ecstasy brought together a cast of disabled and non-disabled performance artists, visual designers, DJs, ASL interpreters and Audio Describers to conjure new blueprints for what a club space can be.
View Team Member - Octavia Rose Hingle![2023AXIS_TashiSwierkotz_byDavidSilva_Square Tashi is white-presenting person with green eyes and wavy dark red hair that reaches slightly past her shoulders. She smiles while looking to the left, and wear a furry gray sweater with blue jeans.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/2023AXIS_TashiSwierkotz_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Tashi Sweirkosz
Development Associate
Tashi Swierkosz (she/they) is a nonprofit development specialist, fusion belly dancer and instructor, and an advocate of all forms of artistic expression based in the East Bay Area. She possesses a double Bachelor’s of Arts from the University of New Mexico majoring in International Studies with a focus in Culture & Art and Women and Gender & Sexuality Studies with a focus in Sociology and Communication. During her time living in NM, Tashi served as the Development and Communications Manager for PB&J Family Services, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to child abuse prevention and improving family well-being. She believes that radical and inclusive creative expression has the power to foster a world in which our differences and unique experiences are utilized as fuel for transformative artistic innovation.
View Team Member - Tashi SweirkoszArtistic Team
![2023AXIS_JosephHernandez_byDavidSilva_Square Joseph A. Hernandez poses for the camera with a slight smile. He is a brown-skinned man with medium-length curly brown hair and brown eyes. He is wearing a denim overshirt over a white shirt.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2023AXIS_JosephHernandez_byDavidSilva_Square-1-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Joseph Hernandez
Rehearsal Director
Joseph A. Hernandez (he/him), from Chicago, Illinois, began his movement training with Shotokan Karate. He received his formal dance training from Western Michigan University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance. Joseph’s professional credits include ODC/Dance, Kate Weare Company, The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, LED Boise, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, LA Opera, Ballare Carmel, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, and River North Dance Chicago. Notable performances include Broadway’s revival of West Side Story, Miss Gay America’s 2019 winner Andora Te’tee, and the opening ceremony of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Dusseldorf, Germany with AXIS. Most recently, he was nominated for an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for outstanding performance in choreography by Natasha Adorlee. As a choreographer, Joseph has had his work formally presented at festivals, companies, and universities nationwide. In addition to dance, Joseph enjoys cat snuggles, camping, rock climbing, and spending time at the racetrack.
View Team Member - Joseph Hernandez![2023AXIS_JanpiStar_byDavidSilva_Square JanpiStar poses for the camera. They are a Latinx wheelchair user with light brown skin and long arms. They are wearing a a white athletic top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/2023AXIS_JanpiStar_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
JanpiStar
Company Dancer
JanpiStar (they/them/Janpi) was born and raised in Puerto Rico. They got involved with art for the first time through the music at the Fine Art School Anita Toro Hernández as a 12-year-old playing the clarinet. In 2012 Janpi began their Bachelor Degree in Drama at the University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras and had the opportunity to work with Viveca Vazquez, Carola Garcia and Petra Bravo.
View Team Member - JanpiStar![2023AXIS_AlajaBadalich_byDavidSilva_Square Alaja poses for the camera; they have black/caucasian mix melanated skin, short brown curly hair, and big brown eyes. They are wearing a denim jacket and tank top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_AlajaBadalich_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Alaja Badalich
Company Dancer
Native to Eugene, Oregon, A(laj) Badalich (she/they) trained at Oregon Ballet Academy and University of North Carolina School of the Art’s modern high school program. In 2018, she began her dance studies in San Francisco at the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program under the direction of Karah Abiog.
View Team Member - Alaja Badalich![2023AXIS_ZaraAnwar_byDavidSilva_Square Zara smiles for the camera; she has long brown curly hair, brown eyes and skin, wearing a white top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2023AXIS_ZaraAnwar_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.png)
Zara Anwar
Company Dancer
Zara Anwar (she/her) was born and raised in Columbia, MD. She started dancing at a small studio under the direction of former Joffrey Ballet company member Renee Meyer and former Kansas City Ballet dancer Angela Walker. She graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California summa cum laude with Honors in May of 2020. Throughout her college career, Ms. Anwar has trained with Post:Ballet, the Cambrians intensive with Benjamin Holliday Wardell, Hubbard Street Dance intensive at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at USC, Vim Vigor, Colorado Conservatory of Dance, and Oklahoma City Ballet on scholarship.
View Team Member - Zara Anwar![2023AXIS_DavidCalhoun_byDavidSilva_Square A headshot of David smiling for the camera; they are a tall, non-disabled person with fair skin, red hair and gold jewelry with a white collared shirt.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2023AXIS_DavidCalhoun_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
David Calhoun
Company Dancer
David Calhoun (they/them) was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. They spent their summers training at LINES Ballet, Ballet West, Kansas City Ballet, Hubbard Street, Martha Graham and Bates Dance Festival. David obtained their BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography, Emphasis in Ballet and Modern, from the Conservatory at University of Missouri – Kansas City in 2017 on full scholarship. After graduation, David moved to San Francisco to join dawsondancesf under Gregory Dawson. Since residing in SF they have danced professionally with ODC/Dance, SFDanceworks, Ballet22, Wylliams/Henry, Concept o4 and other Bay Area choreographers. David teaches yoga and dance to all ages with the intention to help others connect to the joy and gift of movement.
View Team Member - David Calhoun![2023AXIS_JulieHasushi_byDavidSilva_Square A headshot of Julie, a woman of Japanese descent from Brazil. She has long black hair and wears a white tank top.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023AXIS_JulieHasushi_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Julie Hasushi
Company Dancer
Julie Hasushi is dancer, actress and publicist from São Paulo, Brazil. She started dancing at the age of 9 with the dance company Arte Sem Barreiras, and then danced with Bombelela Dance Company for over 20 years. At Bombelela, she received an award for Revelation Artist, and participated in major events including: A Tour of the Paralympic Torch at the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro, and representing Brazil at SIDF (Sibu International Dance Festival) in Malaysia.
View Team Member - Julie Hasushi![2023AXIS_AnnaGichan_byDavidSilva_Square Anna, a young white woman in a white jumpsuit, smiles warmly at the camera.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2023AXIS_AnnaGichan_byDavidSilva_Square-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Anna Gichan
Company Dancer
Anna Gichan (she/her) is a Deaf contemporary dancer from NJ with a background in gymnastics, yoga and circus. She received her BFA in Dance from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts.
View Team Member - Anna Gichan![Clairey Headshot Clairey, a white woman with dark hair, dark eyebrows, and hazel eyes is pictured from the chest-up. She is looking into the camera smiling a half-smile. Clairey is wearing a light blue tank top and a gold ring at her septum. In the background, we see blurry dark green and grey colors, with light peaking through.](https://axisdance.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Clairey-Headshot-wpcf_600x600.jpg)
Clairey Evangelho
Apprentice Dancer
Grown in the San Joaquin Valley and transplanted to Oakland, Clairey has been dancing and working in special education since 2020. Clairey graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Environmental Justice and Embodiment. She’s recently had the pleasure of being in process and performance with Lizz Roman and Dancers, Água Doce Dance Company, Amy Lewis, and Carol Kueffer-Moore. Clairey’s artistry has been shaped by Gaga, site-specific work, Contact Improvisation, Silvestre Technique, and her autism.
View Team Member - Clairey Evangelho