Artists

THE ARTISTS

Matisse Madden hails from Kauai and received her early training from Royal Ballet Kauai. She has performed to critical acclaim in both the United States and Europe. She has danced with Ballet West and Connecticut Ballet. Although Madden is focusing on performing at present, she has a strong academic background. She received her B.A. in Dance (Ballet emphasis) and B.S in Zoology from Brigham Young University, and her MFA from The University of Utah. Madden currently teaches the intermediate and advanced Ballet classes at Yale University. Madden has performed the lead in Dimensional Dance’s Wyeth:Looking Beyond and Peaceable Kingdom and as Prudence Crandall, in Whole-Souled Women: The Story of Prudence Crandall and Sarah Harris. She has danced with Dimensional Dance since 2012.

Jamar Goodman is originally from Waterbury, Connecticut. He began his dance training when he was eight years old at The School of the Hartford Ballet, where he studied in the pre-professional program from 1990-1998. He joined the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in 1998, and in 2000, joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where he performed soloist and corps de ballet roles in works by George Balanchine, Harald Lander, Ronald Hynd, and Kevin McKenzie. From 2003-2005, Goodman was a member of the Pennsylvania Ballet, where he danced soloist roles in ballets by Christopher Wheeldon, Peter Martins, and George Balanchine. Goodman expanded his repertoire and was a dancer with Carnival Cruise Lines performing in Vegas-style productions. He later moved to the Bay Area to join Diablo Ballet. Goodman is a dancer in the film Center Stage, the film Libera produced by Diablo Ballet, and appears in the published work The Ballet Book: Learing and Appreciating the Secrets of Dance, written by American Ballet Theatre, Nancy Ellison. This is Jamar Goodman’s debut with Dimensional Dance.

Victoria Jaenson is originally from Kampala, Uganda, and began her formal dance training at the age of seven in Vermont. She later studied at the Rock School in Philadelphia, training with Natasha Ziegler, Mariaelena Ruiz, and Stephanie Spassoff. She also joined the faculty at the Rock School while training. In 2017, Jaenson spent a year studying at The Hartt School at University of Hartford. In the fall of 2018, Victoria joined Charlotte Ballet II under the artistic direction of Hope Muir. There, Victoria had the opportunity to perform Alonzo King’s Map, and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker and Peter Pan. In January 2020, Victoria was awarded 2nd Place in the Senior Classical Division at the Ballet Beyond Borders dance festival in Montana. Victoria performed as the lead, Sarah Harris, in Dimensional Dance’s award-winning production of Whole-Souled Women: The Story of Prudence Crandall and Sarah Harris. This is Victoria Jaenson’s second season with Dimensional Dance.

1 Sq develope side Vincenzo D'Alessandro -

Gennaro Della Ragione was born in Naples, Italy in 1995 where he began his studies at “Sheherazade” dance school. After graduation he studied at the Palucca Hochschule für Tanz, in Dresden, Germany, where he had the chance to study Kyliàn technique and Mats Ek repertory. He became a dancer with Mystic Ballet in 2017. In 2019 Della Ragione returned to Naples, Italy and performed in numerous shows that took place the theaters of Naples: Teatro Mediterraneo, Teatro Politeama, Teatro Caivano Arte. He was also a dancer for the show “Pegu’s world”, a performance based on the story of Cinzia Leo, choreographed by Luigi Fortunato. In 2019 he participated in the video recording of the new single by an italian singer Sergio Sylvestre “Parolacce”. The video was previewed on 09/05/2019 on the “Real Time” TV channel and was officially released on 10/05/2019 on YouTube VEVO and on all social networks. He was featured as Sarah Harris’ fiance in Whole-Souled Women: The Story of Prudence Crandall and Sarah Harris. Gennaro Della Ragione joined Dimensional Dance in the fall of 2019.

Pam Glauber began her dance career at age six at the School of the Hartford Ballet. She later trained at Connecticut Dance School and Connecticut Ballet Center before joining the Connecticut Ballet as a company dancer. She has also trained with Kat Wildish at Alvin Ailey’s Extension Program, BalletMet Columbus, and Columbus Dance Theater, as well as summer dance programs with Boston Ballet and the Walnut Hill School. As a professional dancer, she has performed with Connecticut Ballet; Ballet Theater Company; Liane Fisher in Bristol, CT; Ajkun Ballet Theatre in Albany, NY; Staten Island Ballet; Performing in New York showcases at Alvin Ailey; and Xclaim Dance Company in Columbus, Ohio, where she served as a company dancer and marketing manager for three years. She teaches at the Hartt School Community Division. She is also a prize-winning Irish dancer and has competed in the World Irish Dancing Championships. She holds a BA from Cornell University and a certificate in editing from NYU, and has enjoyed a parallel career in publishing. She freelances as a children’s book editor and copy editor while raising two young children when she is not dancing. Pam Glauber has been a member of Dimensional Dance since 2018.

Jacob Shoup grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, studying ballet and jazz at the University of Akron’s Dance Institute. In high school at the Interlochen Arts Academy he performed the lead in Christopher William’s Afternoon of the Faun and as Johnny in Paul Taylor’s Company B. Upon graduating, Jacob pursued higher education through Butler University, receiving a BA in Dance Pedagogy. At Butler, he danced soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and in the premiere of Patrick de Bana’s Falling Sky. Shoup developed an interest in choreography while at Butler, making dances on his fellow students, and even choreographing for weddings. He has danced for Neos Dance Theatre, performing in the Heinz Poll festivals that he grew up watching. Shoup dances with Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet where he performs, teaches and choreographs. This is Jacob Shoup’s first season with Dimensional Dance.

Hope Blackburn grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she began her dance training at the Philadelphia Dance Theatre. With PDT, she attended annual Regional Dance America festivals and had the opportunity to portray lead classical roles as the Firebird and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Blackburn went on to dance at Butler University, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and a BA in English Literature in 2021. Blackburn also earned a distinction for her choreography from Butler’s dance department for her work entitled By Name. With Butler Ballet, she performed soloist roles in full-length ballets including The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty and was a part of works created by Cynthia Pratt, David Ingram, and Susan McGuire. Last year, she joined Ekklesia Contemporary Ballet where she currently dances, teaches, and choreographs. She is an advocate for the transformative power of dance for all people. This is Hope Blackburn’s first season with Dimensional Dance.

James Felton II started training at Sandra Brewer’s Dance Connection and later at the Flint School of Performing Arts with the Flint Youth Ballet under the direction of Karen Mills-Jennings. Felton graduated from Western Michigan University with his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography in 2021, where he performed works by George Balanchine, Mikhail Fokine, Jennifer Archibald, Seyong Kim, Mike Esperanza, David Curwen and more. Felton began guest performing with Ballet Theatre Company in the Spring of 2022 and has since joined the Resident Company as well as the Faculty of The School of Ballet Theatre Company. This will be James Felton’s debut with Dimensional Dance Company.

Caitlin Quinn (Cat) Originally from Windsor Locks, CT, Caitlin started her professional training at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts where she majored in dance. Caitlin then went on to earn her BFA in Dance at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. During her time at Mason’s School of Dance, Caitlin has been a part of 21 student choreographed pieces and performed in Robert Battle’s Mass. During her collegiate career, she had the opportunity to learn various repertory from Mark Morris, Lar Lubovitch, and Doug Varone. Additionally, she has trained at the Hartt School, the Ailey School, Bounce! and at the Mark Morris Dance Group. Caitlin has performed and choreographed with various companies in CT. She was appointed as the Assistant Choreographer of the 78 Dance Company, under the direction of Ervis Nallbani and has performed in CONNetic Dance’s “The Nutcracker Suite and Spicy,” under the direction of Carolyn Paine. Caitlin has also had the honor to perform several works with Dimensional Dance such as Whole Souled Women: The Story of Prudence Crandall and Sarah Harris at the premiere at the Guilford Performing Arts Festival, and O Squared for the company’s “Remember Me” showcase. She is looking forward to performing with the company again in The Story of RUTH. This is her fourth season with Dimensional Dance.

Top Photo: Pam Glauber, Jacob Shoup, Hope Blackburn, Matisse Madden, Ruth Lewis, Victoria Jaenson, Gennaro Della Ragione, James Felton