odi faculty
Holly Handman-Lopez is a member of the Oberlin College Dance faculty and has choreographed numerous concert works, plays, musicals, and operas; most recently, Spring Awakening (director Chris Flaharty), eleven years in (duet with Bobby Wesner), and The Only Way (original evening-length dance/theater piece), for which she was awarded an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, and Mr Burns: A post Electric play (Cleveland Public Theater, director Matthew Wright). In her creative process, Holly has had the privilege of collaborating with composers, actors, directors, poets, artists, architects, scholars and videographers. She has been awarded numerous guest-artist residencies at such institutions as New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Sarah Lawrence College, and The New School. Holly danced professionally in New York City where she worked with many prominent choreographers, including David Dorfman, Nicholas Leichter, and Lisa Race; and performed extensively in New York City venues, as well as touring nationally and internationally. Most recently she has performed as a guest with Neos Dance Theatre, Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre and internationally acclaimed poet Esther Dischereit.
Holly Handman-Lopez
Bobby Wesner, Neos Artistic Director, began his career as a professional dancer with Ballet Arizona, under the direction of Michael Uthoff (now Ib Anderson). During his stay in Phoenix, he had the honor of working with American Classics such as Fredrick Franklin, Daniel Ezralow, Moses Pendelton of Momix, the Artistic Directors of Pilobolus, Kevin O’Day, Jowali Willa Jo Zolar of Urban Bush Woman, and his wife Brooke Wesner. Other great masterpieces that Wesner has performed are the “Profiteer” in The Green Table by Kurt Josse; “Iago” in The Moore’s Pavone by Jose Limon; “Tico” in Company B by Paul Taylor, (also in Taylor’s Esplanade); three works of Anthony Tudor: Lilac Garden, Leaves are Fading and Continuo; and The Jester in Earnst Uthoff’s Carmina Burana. Independently, Wesner has traveled and performed with various companies all over the northeast region of the US and in Italy. As Director and Co-Founder Bobby has choreographed four evening length ballets for Neos Dance Theatre and produced an additional ballet by resident choreographer Mary-Elizabeth Fenn. Neos also performs many of Wesner’s repertory works including Spinning Plates, Various Principals, Norm and Cleo, and more. Bobby and Brooke live in Ashland, Ohio where they raise their four beautiful daughters, Genevieve, Ella, Mekah, and Arowyn. Wesite: www.robertwesner.com , Oberlin College link
