Coastline Dance

Coastline Dance is dedicated to presenting a new way to view dance. The viewer is invited to witness an online journal of how nature, events, and other art influence the creation of a modern dance piece. The fragile act of creation is exposed to the public to allow a greater influence through its many developmental stages to performance. Artistic director and choreographer of Coastline Dance, Sarah Canfield is devoted to presenting dynamic, organic performances for the stage, film, and the internet. The vision is to inspire human creativity by exposing the journey Coastline Dance takes from life to art.

Contact us for more information at : (coastlinedance@gmail.com)

COASTLINE DANCE is a contemporary dance organization in Los Angeles founded by Sarah Canfield, choreographer and artistic director. SARAH CANFIELD grew up in Sebastopol, California, where she began her movement career in dance and ice-skating. She graduated from California State University Long Beach with a B.A. in Dance. She has had the pleasure of performing along the coast of California with some amazing choreographers such as Fred Mathews, Arturo Fernandez, Doug Nielsen, Louise Reichlin & Dancers, Opera San Jose, and A Christmas Celebration presented by Charles Schulz. After attending Doug Varone’s summer workshop in 2003, Sarah packed her bags and moved to New York City. For three years in New York she performed with Red Wall Dance Theatre and explored in performing her own choreography. Sarah created Coastline Dance in her journeys of living and performing on both the East and West Coast.

Ivanna Wei - Dancer
Ivanna Wei began dancing in university while studying theatre. Although she did not remain in the theatre program, opting for a science degree, she continued to dance for the university dance company and a local folk company. Upon graduation she moved to Chicago to attend the Pilates Studio of New York. There she studied dance at the Gus Giordano studio and performed with many local choreographers. She eventually moved to New York City to dance and teach Pilates. She was delighted to have studied and performed with many brilliant choreographers such as Teri and Oliver Steele, Ezra Caldwell, Stephan Koplowitz, Jana Hicks and Paul Taylor. She also taught for and performed with a New York based aerial company. Ivanna moved to California to further her career in bodywork and is excited to continue dancing on this coast.

Mary Haynes - Dancer
Mary Haynes began her dance studies in ballet and jazz in Northern California. She participated in the Boulder Jazz dance workshop for four summers which led to her dancing down in Southern California. She majored in dance at UC Irvine for the first two years before changing to international studies. Mary received her BA in International Studies from UC Irvine in 2003. Soon after Mary joined AmeriCorps and began her work with homeless veterans. She now works as a disabled housing coordinator and case manager for homeless veterans in Long Beach CA. Mary recently began incorporating performance dance back into her life and looks forward to performing more in the future.

Joss Barnett/Black - Dancer
Josseline Black-Barnett began studying dance at five in Philidelphia after seeing the Pennsylvania Ballet perform the Nutcracker. She was taught later in Santa Fe, N.M by choreographer/dancer Pearl Potts, of the Sttutgart Ballet. After moving to Los Angeles at 11, Black began studying hip hop and jazz and then danced under the guidance of Karen McDonald, of Alvin Ailey. Josseline went on to win the Gaynor Minden award for Excellence in Ballet from the Royal Academy of Dance. Her studies continued privately under the brilliant guidance of principals who had danced with the Paris Opera Ballet, and Victor Moreno of the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. After a Summer intensive with Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet in San Francisco, Josseline deepened her study of modern ballet. She danced principally with Thais Mazur, creator Women in Black Dance project. With the company Black, she performed at Danspace in Manhattan. Black created a film titled the Yucatecan Histories, after a trip to the Yucatan in which she followed in Isadora Duncan’s footsteps doing improvisational dance in sites of cultural memory (mayan pyramids). Her training continued in both modern under Susan Sgorbati at Bennington College, and then classical training Nadya Koulmanovskaya of the Bolshoi Ballet. She recently discovered Flamenco and has been training with Carla Luna, who danced with the Jose Greco dance Theatre. Ms. Black-Barnett is overjoyed to be working collaboratively under the brilliant guidance of choreographer/dancer Sarah Canfield of Coastline Dance.

Suzanne Schwetz - Musician
Suzanne started playing flute in elementary school and was influenced by Baroque, Classical and French music. She continued to play flute and gradually added piano and guitar. By the end of college Suzanne also started playing Dulcimer which is her current focus as a musician. She graduated from Chapman University in 2001 with a Bachelor’s Degree in music therapy, and has been happily playing her music for all kinds of people ever since.