Brendan Barthel is a student of movement, studying Japanese martial arts, healing arts and dance. He maintains a goal of movement fluency in order to best convey and express that which needs to be put forth. In dance, Brendan has worked and performed with choreographers throughout the Greater Bay Area, including Tandy Beal, Mary Carbonara, Todd Courage, Todd Eckert, Janice Garrett, Richard Gibson, Paco Gomes, Joanna Haigood, Fran Spector-Atkins, and Margaret Wingrove. Brendan also dances with Robert Moses Kin.
Jennifer Beamer Fernandez is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet Performance. She attended UCSF medical school and was a founding member of the Dance Medicine and Prevention Clinic in San Francisco. She performed on scholarship in Paris, France for two years and toured with various choreographers throughout France, Morocco, Egypt and Japan. Upon returning to the Bay Area, she joined Liss Fain Dance and is now enjoying her eighth year with the company. Jennifer has appeared in several music videos and TV commercials, and off season enjoys living in LA with her husband, Jorge. Jennifer is a Certified Athletic Trainer and actively participates in the Dance Medicine community. In addition to performing with the company, she is the International Touring and Development Director for Liss Fain Dance. Jennifer expresses deep thanks to Stefan Wenta for his masterful teaching.
Mira Cook was born in Austin, Texas where she studied and performed with Ballet Austin and the Austin Dance Ensemble. She went on to join City Ballet of San Diego, dancing lead roles in "The Rite of Spring" and Balanchine's "Rubies." Mira's choreography has been performed by City Ballet of San Diego, The Austin Dance Ensemble and SUSHI Performance and Visual Art. She moved to San Francisco in 2007 to pursue contemporary dance and has performed with Double Vision Dance and Intermedia, Capacitor, and Brooke Broussard. Mira sings with a women's a cappella choir and writes music of her own playing solo shows in the bay area. She also enjoys making dance films and is co-director of the international dance-film project, Trans-Continental Dance Collaborative. Mira joined Liss Fain Dance in 2008.
Jeremiah Crank began his dance training in his hometown of Flint, Michigan and has since studied at the American Dance Festival, Grand Valley State University, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, as well as The University of Michigan, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Art's in Dance Performance. In addition to dance training he also has studied and performed classical voice, music theory and musical theater. After years of education and professional performance in Michigan, he recently moved to the Bay Area to advance his career in Dance. He has danced the role of the Cavalier with the Nutcracker Ballet Theater and Peninsula Ballet Theater; Prince Charming in Snow White with the Kansas Regional Ballet; and appeared as a Guest Artist with Peter Sparling Dance Company and Opera Grand Rapids. He is also currently a member of Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir and recently returned from a tour to New York and teaching a master class in contemporary technique at Middlebury College in Vermont. This is Jeremiah's second season with the Liss Fain Dance Company.
Shannon Kurashige, from San Mateo, California, went to high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied under Melissa Hayden, and graduated from UC Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance. She has also received extensive training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the tutelage of Summer Lee Rhatigan. She has performed the work of William Forsythe, Alex Ketley, Donald McKayle and Ohad Naharian. This is Shannon’s first season with Liss Fain Dance.
Alec Lytton, born in Houston, received his formal training at the Houston Ballet Academy while attending the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He received his BFA in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory while working with the Boston Ballet. In NYC, after graduation, he danced with New York Theater Ballet and the New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He moved to the Bay Area to work with Company C Contemporary Ballet, in Walnut Creek, where he danced for four seasons. This is his first season with Liss Fain Dance.
Bethany Mitchell was raised in Mission Viejo, California. She began training at a young age at the Ballet Conservatory of Saddleback Valley under the direction of Alan McCarter. She continued her training at the Ballet Pacifica Conservatory where she performed in works such as Choo-San Goh's Unknown Territory and Molly Lynch's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bethany has performed professionally with Ballet Pacifica, State Street Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego performing soloist roles in ballets such as Robert Sund's Alice and Wonderland and Elizabeth Wistrich's Strawfeet. Bethany also teaches for the Youth Program at ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco and currently attends San Francisco State University. This is Bethany's third season with Liss Fain Dance.
The Dancers
Jennifer Beamer Fernandez is a graduate of the University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet Performance. She attended UCSF medical school and was a founding member of the Dance Medicine and Prevention Clinic in San Francisco. She performed on scholarship in Paris, France for two years and toured with various choreographers throughout France, Morocco, Egypt and Japan. Upon returning to the Bay Area, she joined Liss Fain Dance and is now enjoying her eighth year with the company. Jennifer has appeared in several music videos and TV commercials, and off season enjoys living in LA with her husband, Jorge. Jennifer is a Certified Athletic Trainer and actively participates in the Dance Medicine community. In addition to performing with the company, she is the International Touring and Development Director for Liss Fain Dance. Jennifer expresses deep thanks to Stefan Wenta for his masterful teaching.
Mira Cook was born in Austin, Texas where she studied and performed with Ballet Austin and the Austin Dance Ensemble. She went on to join City Ballet of San Diego, dancing lead roles in "The Rite of Spring" and Balanchine's "Rubies." Mira's choreography has been performed by City Ballet of San Diego, The Austin Dance Ensemble and SUSHI Performance and Visual Art. She moved to San Francisco in 2007 to pursue contemporary dance and has performed with Double Vision Dance and Intermedia, Capacitor, and Brooke Broussard. Mira sings with a women's a cappella choir and writes music of her own playing solo shows in the bay area. She also enjoys making dance films and is co-director of the international dance-film project, Trans-Continental Dance Collaborative. Mira joined Liss Fain Dance in 2008.
Jeremiah Crank began his dance training in his hometown of Flint, Michigan and has since studied at the American Dance Festival, Grand Valley State University, Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, as well as The University of Michigan, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Art's in Dance Performance. In addition to dance training he also has studied and performed classical voice, music theory and musical theater. After years of education and professional performance in Michigan, he recently moved to the Bay Area to advance his career in Dance. He has danced the role of the Cavalier with the Nutcracker Ballet Theater and Peninsula Ballet Theater; Prince Charming in Snow White with the Kansas Regional Ballet; and appeared as a Guest Artist with Peter Sparling Dance Company and Opera Grand Rapids. He is also currently a member of Leyya Tawil's Dance Elixir and recently returned from a tour to New York and teaching a master class in contemporary technique at Middlebury College in Vermont. This is Jeremiah's second season with the Liss Fain Dance Company.
Shannon Kurashige, from San Mateo, California, went to high school at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she studied under Melissa Hayden, and graduated from UC Irvine with a BFA in Dance Performance. She has also received extensive training at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance under the tutelage of Summer Lee Rhatigan. She has performed the work of William Forsythe, Alex Ketley, Donald McKayle and Ohad Naharian. This is Shannon’s first season with Liss Fain Dance.
Alec Lytton, born in Houston, received his formal training at the Houston Ballet Academy while attending the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He received his BFA in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory while working with the Boston Ballet. In NYC, after graduation, he danced with New York Theater Ballet and the New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He moved to the Bay Area to work with Company C Contemporary Ballet, in Walnut Creek, where he danced for four seasons. This is his first season with Liss Fain Dance. 
Bethany Mitchell was raised in Mission Viejo, California. She began training at a young age at the Ballet Conservatory of Saddleback Valley under the direction of Alan McCarter. She continued her training at the Ballet Pacifica Conservatory where she performed in works such as Choo-San Goh's Unknown Territory and Molly Lynch's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Bethany has performed professionally with Ballet Pacifica, State Street Ballet, and City Ballet of San Diego performing soloist roles in ballets such as Robert Sund's Alice and Wonderland and Elizabeth Wistrich's Strawfeet. Bethany also teaches for the Youth Program at ODC Dance Commons in San Francisco and currently attends San Francisco State University. This is Bethany's third season with Liss Fain Dance.