Producer

KYLE CABLE joined the producing team of Against the Grain/Men in Dance in the fall of 1996 after the success of the previous spring’s successful first production. He has been involved with musical theater performance and production for well over 30 years. From touring productions for Children’s theatre venues to performing in over 100 musical productions in the NW region, his work has been seen at The Cirque Dinner Theatre, MusiComedy Northwest, Civic Light Opera, The Village Theatre, Evergreen Theatre Conservatory, Tacoma Actors Guild, ACT and, most recently, with the Seattle Opeara. He performed with Spectrum Dance Theatre from 1984 to 1992 and has been included in 12 Minutes Max. Kyle’s employment in the “corporate world” has brought choreographic opportunities for large corporate events and recently created the steps for “The Briefcase Brigade”, the GSBA entry for the Pride Parade.

Producer

STEVE CASTEEL has worked in the dance field for over twenty years.  His performing career ranges from classical ballet to contemporary work.  At age sixteen Steve was a member of Boston Ballet II.  From 1987 to 1997 he was a member of Houston Ballet where he was promoted to soloist.  In addition, he has performed with Diablo Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Next Stage Dance Theatre, and Spectrum Dance Theatre. Locally, Steve has danced in works by Kay Englert, Dominique Gabella, Amii LeGendre, Wade Madsen, Dale Merrill, Crispen Spaeth and Deborah Wolf. From 1997 to 1999 he worked for Washington Contemporary Ballet in Tacoma as Assistant to the Director.

In 2001, Steve received his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle WA. In 2004, he received his Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona in Tucson AZ. From 2004 to 2006 Steve was the Public Relations Coordinator for Next Stage Dance Theatre.  Steve has taught at Bainbridge Dance Center (Bainbridge Island), Berkeley Ballet Theater (Berkeley CA), Cornish Preparatory Dance Program (Seattle), Dance Fremont (Seattle), Spectrum Dance Theater (Seattle), and The University of Washington (Seattle). 

Producer

RAYMOND HOULE-a Seattle choreographer, performer and teacher for over 30 years, has a degree in Theater/ Dance and Psychology.  His early performing career was in San Francisco where he helped found and worked with a performing arts collective.  He spent two seasons performing with the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland OR.  He was one of the original performers working with Bill Irwin during the development at the Seattle Rep of Largely New York, and went with the show to Broadway in New York City. 

Ray is a certified Pilates Instructor teaching at the Training Center on Fairview Ave.  He also works at the U of W in Alzheimer’s and Dementia research for the School of Nursing.  He has been heading up the production team of Against the Grain/ Men in Dance since its first production in 1996.  In spring 2008 he remounted his 2006 festival piece, Dancing with Demons, developed for 6 men onto the Kaleidoscope company using 13 girls. In 2010, Ray is organizing the September Flash Mob at the Seattle Center.

Producer

RICHARD H. JESSUP has been dancing, singing, acting, and choreographing since 1977. He has also been both directing and choreographing musical theatre productions since 1994. Richard was instrumental in opening and running Jessup/Jenkins Dance Studios in Seattle; he also artistic directed Dance Centre/Seattle.Richard spent almost ten years as Artistic Director of Rogue Music Theatre in Grants Pass, OR. He directed and/or choreographed over 60 productions for that company.

Richard is now busy as a bodyworker, doing water therapy work called watsu. He has been a certifed shiatsu masseur since 1986. He currently continues his teaching of jazz and musical theatre at Spectrum Dance Theatre. He also continues to travel to direct and choreograph, having just opened BRIGADOON and WIZARD OF OZ for The Oregon Festival of American Music in Eugene, OR. Richard was the originator of AGAINST THE GRAIN/MEN IN DANCE, conceptualizing the festival, writing and receiving the first grant from the King County Arts Commission in 1995.

Producer

BRIAN JOE has danced in 2 festivals for Men In Dance in "Dying Swan" (2004, 2008) and is happy to join Men In Dance in a new role as producer in 2010. Brian Joe was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia and began his ballet training under Ron Colton at the Augusta Ballet School and became a company member for 6 years. While he resided in Seattle, he continued his training in jazz, ballet and modern with Olympic Ballet Theater and became a company member with Spectrum Dance Theater for 11 years. Brian has worked and performed in works by Anne Reinking, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Daniel Ezralow, Frank Chavas, Randy Duncan, Dwight Rhoden, Lar Lubovitch, Tom Pazik, Maria Grandy, Sally Bliss and Peter Powlus. Locally, he worked with Dale Merrill, John Wilkins, Wade Madesen, Lori Wilson, and Pat Graney to name a few.

Brian went on to join a New York based comedy ballet company, Les Ballets Grandiva, creating an ever popular Japanese personality "Yoko Moshi-Moshii" performing in over 50 cities in Japan and worldwide since 1996 years in such roles as Spectra de la Rose, Pas de Quartre, and the Dying Swan. He remains the original member still performing since the inception of the company.

Brian has choreographed for the Fantastiks, Babes in Arms, A Chorus Line, and industrials and has performed in dance, theater, musical theater, industrials , operas, movies and television.

Producer

GARY REED first appeared on stage in Guys and Dolls 34 years ago and has been involved with dance, movement education, and the theater ever since. He received a BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah.He danced with Co Motion Dance in Seattle through the 80's and 90's. He has been a WSAC rostered Artist in Residence for over 18 years. He has performed for many local theaters, including The 5th Avenue.

He choreographs for Lakeside School and works with the nationally awarded family music group Tickle Tune Typhoon, as a dancer and choreographer. He is also a certified level 2 snowboard instructor.

Gary is proud to have been involved with Men in Dance/Against theGrain since its inception as a performer, choreographer, and producer

Producer | Choreographer

GÉRARD THÉORÊT'S professional background includes Dance, Theatre, Musical Theatre, Opera, film and television, and since 2007, Circus. Some of the highlights beyond Men In Dance, follow: His early career took him around the world touring as a Soloist with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Upon his retirement, he attended and graduated from the Drama Studio - London and returned to Canada to work at the Stratford Festival as a Shakespearian actor and a triple threat in Musicals across the country. Looking for new experiences, he became Associate Artistic Director for an International tour of Phantom of the Opera for six years; an Assistant Professor in the Drama dept. at the University of Alberta for four years and Full Professor in the Dance dept. at Cornish College of the Arts for eight years. He was an Associate Artistic Director for the Opera (summer) program at the Banff School of Fine Arts and has choreographed, taught and directed internationally. In the winter of 2007 he joined Cirque du Soleil as Artistic Director of CORTEO. He left that post in March of 2010 after spending fifteen months touring Japan and is returning to CDS in December as a performer in the role of The Baron in its production of Saltimbanco.

Producer | Choreographer

DEBORAH WOLF was Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer and dancer for Concert Dance Company of Boston, New England’s premiere modern repertory company performing in works by over 50 choreographers including Merce Cunningham, Laura Dean, Bebe Miller, Mark Dendy, and Mark Morris.

A recipient of a MA Artist Foundation Fellowship and seven Finalist Awards in choreography, Deborah has also received grants from the NEA, Boston Arts Councils, as well as Seattle’s Artist Trust. She’s created work for Boston Ballet, Boston Symphony, and numerous other companies. She’s been produced by Boston Dance Umbrella, Jacob's Pillow, Rockhopper Dance, Velocity’s Under Construction & Strictly Seattle, Composer/Choreographer, Lehua Dance Theater, Bellingham Repertory Dance Company and OTB’s 12 MinMax Mainstage & Northwest Newworks and The A.W.A.R.D. Show! 2009 at On the Boards, produced by the Joyce Theater Foundation. Deborah is currently Professor of Dance at Cornish College of the Arts.