Meet Our Team

Directors

Spencer John PowellArtistic Director & Co-Owner

Spencer John Powell has been in the performing arts all of his life. He retired from the professional stage 17 years ago and has only done rare performances here and there. Powell has been teaching for over 25 years. He has been the Education Coordinator for the Head Start program in Utah. Kidz Danz Kompany, founded and Directed by Powell in 1994 and was recently revive at VSPA. Powell Choreographed his first major work at 19 years old. He has performed in all dance genres from Ballet to Tap. His passion is choreography. In addition to being the Artistic Director of Visionary Dance Theatre, Powell has also joined forces with Mickey Mounarath to create Mounarath-Powell Productions. They focus on producing up-and-coming and professional artists in all art forms.

Powell is the former artistic director of Ogden Contemporary Dance Theatre. He was the co-founder and director of Tanner and Powell Dance Theatre. Powell attended Weber State University on a talent scholarship. He has studied dance and theatre in New York and Houston, TX under the likes of Ben Lokey(director of Santa Monica Dance Theatre), Diane Ramos, and Cliff Keuter. Powell has danced and studied under his mentor Jeanne Travers (Associate Professor School of Theatre and Dance USF), Abbie Fiat, and Patti O’Neal. Powell has also worked with Penelope Dudleston(former dancer with New York City Ballet). He has performed with such institutions as Utah Musical Theatre, Orchesis Dance Theatre, Weber State Performing Arts, Discovery Dance Theatre, Junction City Theatre, and Another Language Performing Arts Company. Powell’s work Kaffir(1989) won many awards and was commissioned by the Utah Arts and Humanities Book group. Powell’s choreography is in rep. with many dance companies. In addition to being an award-winning Choreographer, Powell is also an award-winning Actor.

Powell has also been a dance and theatre instructor and choreographer for over 26 years. He has worked at the Dudleston School of Ballet, Norma Dutson School of Dance. Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, and Kroc Kids junior theatre company. He has been a guest artist for many dance companies, and guest teacher at many high schools, Powell was recently a guest teacher at North Coast Theatre. He has choreographed and/or directed professional and community theatre musicals such as Next To Normal, The Wiz, Music Man, and Gypsy, to name a few, as well as many musical revues. Powell’s students have graced the Broadway stage and have danced in major Ballet and Modern Dance Companies around the world. Students of Powell have gone on to be teachers, college professors, and other noble professionals.

Contact Spencer at: Spencer.Powell@VisionaryDanceTheatre.org

Recognition & Accreditation

Member, Board of Directors, College Area Business District
Professional Photographer
Choreographer, Dance & Musical Theater
Artistic Director, Ogden Contemporary Dance Theatre (2001-2007)
Co-Founder & Director, Tanner and Powell Dance Theatre

Mickey MounarathBusiness Director

Mickey is a former member of Ogden Contemporary Dance Theatre. He has also performed with Orchesis Dance Theatre and Another Language Performing Arts.

Mickey has co-produced all of the dance concert productions for Visionary Dance Theatre. He occasionally participates as a dancer in the Visionary Dance Theatre concerts. Mickey has also produced/co-produced numerous dance productions and artists within the San Diego area, including the Choreographer’s Showcase series. For Visionary School for the Performing Arts, Mickey has co-produced all recitals and musical theatre productions. He has co-produced numerous theatrical productions from plays in the Director’s Showcase Series to musical theatre productions for Visionary Musical Theatre Company. Mickey has also coordinated and arranged numerous public performance events and opportunities for Visionary Dance Theatre, Visionary School for the Performing Arts, and Visionary Musical Theatre Company.

Alongside being the Business Director for Visionary Dance Theatre, Visionary School for the Performing Arts, and Mounarath-Powell Productions, he continues his career in the computer industry. He additionally does consulting for both IT and the performing arts.

Contact Mickey at: Mickey.Mounarath@VisionaryDanceTheatre.org

Recognition & Accreditation

Co-Producer, Visionary Dance Theater
Dancer, Visionary Dance Theater
Producer, Choreographer’s Showcase series
Member, Ogden Contemporary Dance Theatre (2001-2007)
Performer, Orchesis Dance Theatre (2001-2007)
Performer, Another Language Performing Arts (2001-2007)

Visionary staff, thanks for all you do.

We're so blessed to work with you beautiful, talented and creative people!

Ramon MontesAssistant Artistic Director

Ramon Montes started his training at the age of 16 where he joined Sweetwater High School’s dance program. After that he attended San Diego City College where he studied under Terry Wilson, Debbie Toth, Alicia Rincon, and Grace Jun. Since then Ramon has been in various companies and shows such as Axxiom Dance Collective, North Park Arts Festival, San Diego Trolley Dance (with great choreographer Jean Isaac), and Young Choreographers Showcase (choreography by Zaquia Mahler Salinas). He joined Visionary Dance Theatre as a core dancer in 2012 where he had the chance to learn from amazing choreographers like Spencer Powell, Michael Mizerany in shows such as Labors of Love, and Visions of Broadway. He also got a chance to Co-Direct plays like Next to Normal, Annie the Musical, and Seussical, Jr.

Ramon Montes is a contributing teacher and choreographer as part of Visionary’s outreach team. He also teaches classes at Visionary and is a guest teacher/choreographer for Young Visionary, Helix Charter School and K.O. Dance Co. Ramon is always working on his craft of dance.

Tyler KleinTechnical Director

Tyler’s career in theatre and dance started when he was in elementary school. He played the part of Doody in Grease. Starring in a six show regiment in front of 600 people, he was hooked. Tyler slowly grew out of acting and into the technical side of theatre. He started working sound and lights in high school and by his sophomore year he was technical director for the theatre. Once Tyler got out of high school he began freelance work for film festivals and private concerts. He is happy to be a part of the team!

Artistic Staff

Taylor SmithMusic Coordinator & Composer

Taylor Smith is a musician, producer, composer, musicologist, and educator. He is equally at home in pop, jazz, electronic, classical, and early music settings. Taylor has performed with the Idaho Falls Symphony, and the Loma Linda Lyric Symphony; he has played alongside Gladys Knight, Nicholas Payton, and Kevin Mahogany; he has produced albums by Three, Gunther Yazoo, and Kiltergrey.

Jeanne TraversIn-Residence Choreographer

Jeanne Travers received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography and Performance from the University of Utah where she graduated with honors. Professor Travers has been a member of the Dance faculty at the University of South Florida for the past 17 years where she teaches Modern dance, Choreography, Pedagogy and Improvisation. Professor Travers is deeply involved in collaboration and in interdisciplinary, multicultural choreographic projects. Ms. Travers has also taught master classes, seminars and dance workshops abroad, most recently she’s premiered her choreography, Visions of Peace in Paris, France under the high patronage of the Mayor of Paris.

Dancers

Trixi Anne Agiao

She joined Visionary Dance Theatre and [the] movement initiative in the spring of 2013. Trixi grew up dancing traditional Igorot dances. Her first ties to dance were family, tradition, music, singing, and community. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in Dance from UCSD in 2011. She is a founding member of the Collective Dance Collective, based in San Diego and New York. Besides performing and choreographing, Trixi enjoys teaching dance and working for arts organizations like contACT ARTS and San Diego Fringe.

Melissa Gallegos-Lenz

Lenz was a national competitor in figure skating for 13 years. She is a triple gold medalist through the USFSA as well as being a PSA certified instructor. She received her B.A. in Dance from the University of California San Diego with honors and earned the Patricia Rincon Diversity Award. Currently, she works for Visionary Dance Theatre as a dance manager as well as a dancer in the company, and at 3 Be3ts dance company as a modern instructor. Her inspirations include mind and body connections with emphasis on explorative, improvisational, and technical release movements.

Sheridan Hartman

Sheridan Hartman is a dancer at Visionary Dance Theatre, and a senior at Helix Charter High School. “New Skins” will be her first performance as a Company Dancer. She began dancing at the age of 2 at East County School of Dance, and danced at Studio FX as well as Helix Charter High School before dancing at Visionary. Sheridan has danced with Visionary for just over a year, and she started out on a scholarship in the teen dance program. She has studied multiple genres of dance, ranging from ballet all the way to break dancing, but she is most experienced in ballet, modern, and jazz.

Arthur Huang

Huang started his dance training at UCSD. Thanks to its exceptional dance program and nurturing teachers, he was able to experience dance in all its different facets, from being a choreographer to being a dancer, from jazz to contemporary to dance theater, and realize that he loved them all. He graduated in 2010 with the Stewart Prize in Choreography. Arthur is also a co-founder of the company the Collective Dance Collective along with Trixi Agiao and four other friends. Since graduation, Arthur has danced in a variety of shows, from Trolley Dances to gay pride festivals to competing in San Diego’s Young Choreographer’s Prize.

Sarah Miller

Sarah Miller, born and raised in San Diego, started her dance training at a young age with eight years in competitive Irish Dance. She then started her Modern Dance training with Visionary Dance Theater in 2012 and continued at Grossmont College in both Modern Dance and Ballet. Sarah has performed with several companies in San Diego including KO Dance co and signing with Visionary Dance theatre this year. She has danced for San Diego choreographers including Spencer Powell, Katie O’Rourke, Tanya Lewis, Diane Valero and many others.

Nicole Oga

Oga attended the University of California, San Diego as a physiology and neuroscience major. To take the pressure of college off, she took dance classes for fun. Then a year into school she realized her real passion was to pursue a career in dance. At UC San Diego Nicole studied contemporary, modern, ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, choreography, and contact improvisation. Now she is performing with various artists throughout San Diego, teaching dance and gymnastics, and choreographing.

Drew Ornelas

Drew enrolled in to Belhaven College in Jackson, MS where he received a full-ride scholarship from the dance department. He then trained at Academy of the Performing Arts here in San Diego at the same time that he met his current dance/business partner, Erin Jelacic. Erin and Drew co-founded Dark Horse Dance Productions (DHDP). DHDP is currently producing new work and has had the great pleasure of working with Spencer Powell and Visionary Dance Theatre for several of DHDP’s past productions.