** THIS page is still being updated. video, character names, and extra details will be added soon.
"Bang! The Most Patriotic Show in the History of the United States of America" is a title only America can live up to in its girth and grit. This satirical dance-theatre show, set at the exact time the D-Day Invasion in Normandy began on the other side of the world, is a long love letter to the people written out of American war history. On this fever dream of a night, four showgirls, three soldiers, a bartender, a young kid, and some bar-goers gather in a nightclub, and much is revealed about each character's place in American society. Through movement and dance, the stories of each of these individuals are laid out, American values in the era of World War II put under a microscope. As a progressive, ever-evolving society, how much have we actually left behind? How different have we really become?
Show Synopsis
DIRECTED/CHOREOGRAPHED BY NASTIA YAVORSKI
Nastia Yavorski is a dance artist and filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. Their background as a movement choreographer and stage technician has blended into a unique passion for dance film and live performance, all with a focus in movement-based storytelling that weaves between narrative and experimental. Their dance film work has been screened in the California Bay Area, Los Angeles, and New York City, and their debut dance film 'Plugged In." was an Official Selection for the 2024 Mobile Dance Film Festival.
DRAMATURGY BY MARíA JURADO
maría is a multi-hyphenate creative, avid music listener, curious observer, noticeably fast talker, and overall, performer. born and raised in mexico city, they are currently pursuing a bfa in acting from calarts.
THE CHOREOGRAPHERS
ainsley beard
Ainsley Beard is a dedicated dancer with 19 years of training in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. She is originally from Columbia, Missouri. Ainsley honed her craft at Columbia Performing Arts Center before continuing her education at the California Institute of the Arts School of Dance, working towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts.
choreography: “five foot two, eyes of blue”
Shane Higa
shane higa is a dancer/choreographer/performer based in OC and LA. They come from a diverse background of contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and others. They trained with Future Shock Los Angeles, Zero Below, Impact Dance Center, Project 21, and Orange County School of the Arts.
choreography: “jingle, jangle, jingle”
PIPER REINWALD
Piper Reinwald is originally from Charleston, South Carolina. She is excited for the opportunity to choreograph on and alongside her peers DURING her final CHAPTER at Calarts.
choreography: “boogie woogie bugle boy”
THE CAST
GIANna yaccino (Showgirl 1)
Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Gianna Yaccino began her dance training at the early age of three. She studied ballet, pointe, contemporary, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern and musical theatre under the Britney Boyd Dance Company, as well as Douglas Anderson School of the Arts where she was named a 2023 YoungArts winner in modern-contemporary dance in her final year. Currently, Gianna attends California Institute of the Arts, pursuing her BFA in dance. Along with her training, Gianna’s passion for choreography led her to create numerous works for competitions, concerts, and even her own dance film. She focuses on contemporary fusion, incorporating contemporary grooves with an upbeat musicality.
reed garfinkel (emmett)
Reed Garfinkel is a dancer and performer in their final semester at California Institute of the Arts, and is more than thrilled to be a part of the cast of Bang! While growing up in Boston, they learned the fundamentals of Ballet, Jazz, Contemporary, and Street Styles and expanded into choreography for regional competitions. After being admitted to CalArts in 2020, their focus shifted into performance art, improvisation, and dance theatre as they continued to drill the techniques they had grown up with. Reed hopes to start their professional dance career immediately after graduation and work as a freelance dancer or member of a company, continuing to create and perform unique and playful works of art.
LAUREN HUMES (BAR-GOER 2)
Lauren Humes is a movement artist from Dallas, TX. Her studies include Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Steps on Broadway, The Dunham Legacy Project at The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and now California Institute of the Arts. In Dallas, she also worked as the Assistant Choreographer for musicals such as Little Shop of Horrors, and was the Programs Assistant for an Arts Nonprofit organization called Agora Artists. She has a diverse training background, ranging from Classical Ballet to West African Drum and Dance. At California Institute of the Arts, she is excited to explore how her voice fits among/has been shaped by the variety of experiences she has been a part of.
ainsley beard (SHOWGIRL 4)
Ainsley Beard is a dedicated dancer with 19 years of training in Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. She is originally from Columbia, Missouri. Ainsley honed her craft at Columbia Performing Arts Center before continuing her education at the California Institute of the Arts School of Dance, working towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts.
maría jurado (the sergeant)
maría is a multi-hyphenate creative, avid music listener, curious observer, noticeably fast talker, and overall, performer. born and raised in mexico city, they are currently pursuing a bfa in acting from calarts.
DAELYN PHELAN (BAR-GOER 3)
Daelyn Phelan is a movement artist from Philadelphia, PA. She has been dancing for 16 years. She received her formative training and education from Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and is furthering her dance education at California Institute for the Arts. During her time at Charter Arts, she performed and choreographed in the dance department's yearly shows, Mamma Mia, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Daelyn has a background in choreography and styles varying from Ballet to Street Styles. She can not wait to further her career and knowledge at CalArts.
noelani van loon (violet)
Noelani van Loon is an upcoming dancer who is a current student at California Institute of the Arts, working towards her BFA in Dance. She has been dancing since she was three and has plans to pursue a professional dance career, working with contemporary dance companies and live installations. She is passionate about collaboration with other artists and finding multifaceted outlets of expression. When she's not dancing, she enjoys hiking, drawing and listening to music.
andrew ball (soldier 2)
Andrew Ball, a BFA 1 actor at Calarts, is a 19-year-old performer striving to create authentic, emotionally resonant experiences for audiences through the stage or screen. Throughout his artistic journey, Andrew’s focus has primarily gravitated toward acting & musical theatre; however, he’s worked with dance companies worldwide, including Elite Academy of Dance, BIDA Bangkok International Dance Academy, and Boston Ballet. He is thrilled to incorporate his hidden skills in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, male-troupe musical theatre, and acrobatics into a movement-based performance. Andrew hopes to amplify diverse perspectives while continuing to blend his acting and dance, contributing to stories like “Bang” that inspire and unite audiences.
SHANE HIGA (BAR-GOER 1)
shane higa is a dancer/choreographer/performer based in OC and LA. They come from a diverse background of contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, ballet, pointe, and others. They trained with Future Shock Los Angeles, Zero Below, Impact Dance Center, Project 21, and Orange County School of the Arts.
gabriela guedes calo (showgirl 3)
Gabriela Guedes Calo is from Miami, FLorida. She is a full time dancer who is trained in multiple styles, as both a performer and choreographer.
aj storey (soldier 1)
AJ Storey is a choreographer and dancer based in Los Angeles, california and Las Vegas, nevada. He started creating at the age of 12 in his hometown of Charlotte and has choreographed multiple pieces both there and in Los Angeles, and gained his dance technique at the Rock Center for Dance and Las Vegas Academy of the Arts. Currently, AJ is a BFA dance student at the CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance, where he is working on contemporary concert work alongside his previous training in Latin and Smooth Ballroom Styles. He is excited to see where his path will lead him from projects in progress to final products.
SAVANNA RAE GONZALEZ (THE BARTENDER)
Savanna Rae Gonzalez took her first Hip-Hop class at the age of ten. She later took interest in other art forms such as acting, singing, cheerleading and martial arts, but she faced an undeniable love for dance in which she proceeded to chase her dream of becoming a professional dancer. She started her journey at Champs Charter High School of the Arts where she trained in Modern, Ballet, Contemporary and Hip-Hop after school. Her hard work led her to being accepted into all her dream schools for dance. This included Calarts, Boston Conservatory and CalState Long Beach. Once attending Calarts, her dreams only grew bigger. Although her focus is in dance, she does take time to study her other favorite art forms such as stage management/production, acting, digital media arts, photography and intro to programming.
bella ricciardi (bar-goer 4)
Bella Ricciardi is currently training in the School of Dance at California Institute of the Arts. Her dance training started at the age of 10 in many styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, hip hop, musical theatre, and ballroom, as well as 6 years of vocal training. She began dancing competitively at The Company Space at age 14 after moving to Washington, but later fell in love with more contemporary concert work. Following high school graduation, Bella began exploring the professional dance scene in Seattle, as well as attending the Zeitgeist Dance Theatre trainee summer program in 2024. Her current focus is to continue honing in on her technique and performance skills, while also building her own choreographic style and vocabulary. She hopes to graduate from the CalArts Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, as well as continuing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology through Washington State University.