ODC’s teen contemporary dance company is directed by ODC School Director, Kimi Okada, and Jam Co-Artistic Director Tanya Bello. The Dance Jam was founded in 1996 to offer technical/creative training and performance opportunities to talented and committed young dancers. Dancers are selected by audition.
The Jam has a rigorous training program, taking seven classes per week, cross-training in contemporary, ballet, composition/choreography, Pilates, and special classes in multiple styles. Many Jam members go on to have careers in the professional dance world.
With guidance from ODC staff, the Dance Jam self-produces their own home season at the ODC Theater, richly expanding their skill sets and understanding of what happens offstage as well as in the studio and onstage to create a season. They carry these skills forward to whatever career path they take.
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Nina Delos Reyes-Webb
Nina Delos Reyes-WebbNina Delos Reyes-Webb is 16 years old and a junior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts where she studies dance. This is her second year in the Jam but she has been dancing at ODC since she was 2 years old. At ODC, she worked her way through the ballet and contemporary programs, performing in The Velveteen Rabbit, with Step Onstage, and now with the Jam! She also works as an assistant for some of the youth classes at ODC. She has a deep passion for contemporary dance and choreography, and is excited to work towards some of her artistic goals this year. When she’s not dancing, you can find her baking cookies or thrifting!
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Natalie Rovner
Natalie RovnerNatalie Rovner is 17 years old and a senior at Lowell High School. She started dancing at ODC when she was 6, training mostly in ballet but later incorporating contemporary and trying out a variety of other styles as well. She now assists with the youth classes at ODC, some of which she grew up taking! This is her second year in the Jam, and she is incredibly excited and grateful to be back. Outside of dance, you can find her decorating cakes, reading, and talking about pigeons and doves to anyone who will listen.
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Lucia Villanueva
Lucia VillanuevaLucía Villanueva is a 15-year-old student at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, where she studies various forms of contemporary dance. She has lived in San Francisco her whole life and has worked with various companies in the city as well as some abroad. While this is her first year in the jam and ODC, she has been dancing since the age of three. Starting at Dance Mission Theater, she was a part of the Grrrl Brigade company for ten years, studying contemporary, hip-hop, taiko, belly dance, and contemporary technique. Lucia is incredibly passionate about dance and all forms of art, and is super excited to work with her peers in the ODC Dance Jam! When she isn’t dancing, you can find her listening to music, thrifting, or dyeing her hair!
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Louise Jessen
Louise JessenLouise Jessen (she/her) is in her first year with JAM, where she is excited to be part of the company and continue growing as a dancer. While this is her first year in JAM, she has been taking ballet and contemporary classes at ODC.
Born and raised in Paris, France, Louise lived there for six years and began dancing at the age of three. At age six, she moved to San Francisco and joined a local dance studio, where she trained for ten years. She also spent a year taking classes across various studios to explore different movement styles and broaden her dance background.
Louise is currently a junior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. Dance has been a central part of her life for as long as she can remember, serving as a powerful outlet for self-expression, personal growth, and community connection. Outside of the studio, she enjoys baking, taking long walks with her dog, and spending time with friends.
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Kris Giese
Kris GieseKris Giese (she/her) was born in Hong Kong, China, and moved to Los Angeles when she was three before moving to San Francisco at age six. She attends Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, where she is part of the Conservatory Dance program and trains in ballet, modern, jazz, and contemporary. She hopes to continue growing as a dancer and get closer to her dream of pursuing dance professionally.
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Ellory Stover
Ellory StoverEllory Stover is 16 years old and a junior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts with a focus on dance. This is his first year in Jam, which he is excited to explore and grow in. His training is largely modern with ballet foundations, but he loves to branch out and discover different styles. He is grateful for all his past dance experience and choreographers, and looks forward to working with new dancers! When he's not dancing, he's reading, cooking, or taking a nap.
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Amelia Levine
Amelia LevineAmelia Levine (she/her) is a 16 year old junior at The Drew School in San Francisco. This is her first year in the ODC Dance Jam but she has been taking summer intensives and drop-in classes over the last 2 years. She started training in contemporary, and hip hop, but has discovered and started training ballet and jazz in the past couple of years. Amelia is very excited and grateful to join and perform with the group this year and can’t wait to get to know and share her passion for dance with everyone. Outside of dance you can find her baking, drawing, or taking photography.
KIMI OKADA (Associate Choreographer, Director of ODC School) is a founding member of ODC. Her work includes more than 30 choreographies for ODC/Dance, as well as commissions and collaborations with Geoff Hoyle, Bill Irwin, Julie Taymor, and Robin Williams. She has choreographed productions for the American Conservatory Theater of San Francisco, Yale Repertory Theater, the New Victory Theater in New York, the Children’s Theater Company in Minneapolis, Theatre for a New Audience in New York, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, the American Music Theater Festival, the Santa Fe Opera, Los Angeles Music Center Opera, Los Angeles Theatre Center, the Pickle Family Circus, and the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
She was nominated for a Tony Award for the Broadway production of Largely New York, which she co-choreographed with Bill Irwin. She received a 2014 Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Choreography for ODC’s Two If by Sea. Since 1996, Kimi has served as director of ODC School, which she has brought to the forefront of international and national dance education for youth and adults. She has been honored with a California State Legislature Assembly Resolution for choreographic and community contributions. She also directs ODC’s pre-professional teen company, ODC Dance Jam.
Tanya Bello, Co-Artistic Director
Tanya Bello is a distinguished Arts Executive, Choreographer, and Pedagogical Architect with over 25 years of experience leading high-level artistic collaborations and cultural initiatives. Her career is defined by a unique ability to bridge the gap between rigorous technical standards and strategic program management, making her a recognized force in the Bay Area’s professional dance and nonprofit sectors.
A foundational collaborator within the ODC ecosystem, Tanya has a proven history of upholding the institution’s artistic excellence. She previously served as the Repetiteur for the children's cast of The Velveteen Rabbit and the Co-Choreographer and Repetiteur for the annual Step on Stage production. In these capacities, she worked directly with Artistic Directors Kimi Okada and KT Nelson to translate ODC’s visionary repertoire for young performers. This deep institutional knowledge is complemented by her extensive faculty work across ODC’s Contemporary levels, where she specialized in the technical progression of students aged 5–18.
Tanya’s executive acumen is anchored by a decade of leadership as the National Cultural Development Director for Wood Partners and Greystar (2016–2026). As the chief architect of the Ground Floor Project, she directed a national arts and placemaking initiative that achieved ten years of sustained success. This role required mastery of complex production logistics, multi-city budgeting, and stakeholder communication. Previously, as the Founder and Artistic Director of Project. B. (2010–2018), she managed the full lifecycle of a professional contemporary company, from recruitment of high level dancers, setting of original choreography to securing institutional grant support.
Her roots are firmly planted in the highest tiers of American dance. A graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, Tanya began her career as the Liaison for the Martha Graham Dance Trust at the Library of Congress. Her performance career includes tenures as a soloist and Repetiteur for Garrett/Moulton Productions, as well as credits with Robert Moses’ Kin and Rincones & Company Dance Theater, among many other companies in the Bay Area, Italy, Washington, DC, and New York City.
A dedicated educator and mentor, Tanya has held faculty positions at Dominican University, Sonoma State University, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. Since 2020, she has led the dance program at The Healdsburg School, focusing on long-term student development and performance excellence. Her commitment to the arts ecosystem extends to her current service on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus.
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