We are excited to share the work of the following very talented undergraduate artists in our Spring Dance Concert AFTERLIGHT. Below are the biographies of the artists showcased in this dance concert.

AUGUST ARMSTRONG (LIGHTING DESIGN / Continuum of Art; LIGHTING AND SCENIC DESIGN / the point being) is a passionate lighting designer with a talent for crafting immersive visual experiences across theater, dance, live events, and film. They enjoy blending artistic vision with technical expertise, creating dynamic and evocative lighting that enhances storytelling. As a lighting designer, August has shaped the visual landscapes of productions such as Spring Dance Concert: Transcend - Do I See What You See, A Night of Jazz Dance Performance, and the Shrunken Heads production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Their ability to collaborate with directors, choreographers, and fellow designers ensures that each production achieves its full visual potential. Additionally, August has served as Lead Electrician and Assistant Lighting Designer for A Threepenny Opera, as well as Light Board Operator and Electrician for productions like Cabaret and Indecent. August’s experience also extends to film, where they have worked as Gaffer on Only in Isla Vista and Crude Purple, and they are looking forward to working as Key Grip on Signs of a Dying Relationship. With a commitment to innovation and precision, August continues to push the boundaries of lighting design, bringing stories to life on both stage and screen. 

MILANA BECK (CHOREOGRAPHER/ A Waltz Through Time) has been immersed in pre-professional ballet since the age of four and is now in her fourth year at UCSB, pursuing a BFA in Dance. She is currently honing her skills as a choreographer and aspires to continue creating innovative dance works. Milana enjoys infusing ballet with a creative twist, as seen in her "Sailor Moon Ballet," which incorporated projection and a whimsical reimagining of traditional ballet steps. Throughout her career, she has performed prestigious roles, including Snow Queen, Lead Marzipan, and Clara in The Nutcracker, as well as Raymonda and other specially choreographed roles. 

KADRIK BLATT (LIGHTING DESIGN AND SCENIC DESIGN / Katharsis; LIGHTING DESIGN / We Were Light) (he/him/his) is a third-year Theatrical Design and Production major. He has worked on a variety of dance shows and theatrical performances at UCSB in a wide range of positions, including assistant stage managing a production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, designing lights for The Crucible and TRANSCEND: Spring Dance, and designing sound for Night Night, Roger Roger (which was later nominated for Best Sound Design in Broadway World, Santa Barbara). Kadrik was also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to design lights for productions of both The Merry Wives of Windsor and Troilus and Cressida through the Prague Shakespeare Company this past summer. He was heavily involved in theatre before coming to UCSB, including stage managing productions of The Addam’s Family, Dead Man’s Cell Phone, and She Loves Me. Outside of his life in theater, he is a College Television Academy-nominated film producer and is part owner of A Butterfly Production. 

YASMINE CASTANEDA (COSTUME DESIGNER / Katharsis) is a 3rd-year Theater and Communications double major. Previously at UCSB, she was an Assistant Scenic Designer and Properties Artisan for Strange Birds and an Assistant Costume Designer for The Threepenny Opera and the 2024 Spring Dance Concert: Transcend. Overall, she is excited to be designing for this year's Spring Dance Concert and is grateful to join the team. 

SIDDHARTH CHATTORAJ (LIGHTING DESIGN / A Waltz Through Time; LIGHTING DIRECTOR AND PROJECTION DESIGN / Curio) is a visual storyteller blending technology, performance, and design who is thrilled to work on his 16th show with UCSB Theater and Dance. He is a third-year pursuing a B.S. in Statistics and Data Science, B.A. in Theater (Design), and a minor in Language and Speech Technologies. His selected credits include serving as the projection designer for UCSB Dance Company's Refractions, The Threepenny Opera, and Moonlight Symphony in the Kinetic Lab Dance Concert, assistant projection designing Indecent, assistant lighting designing Strange Birds, stage managing The Crucible and the Fall and Spring UCSB Dance Concerts, and working as the lead technician and production supervisor for Santa Barbara Dance Theater's The Ties That Bind and The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. He has also previously exhibited interactive generative visuals at The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science and Technology and the transLAB. In April 2025, Siddharth will serve as the technical director for the UCSB Dance Company’s European Tour, supporting performances across Spain, Poland, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. He loves exploring the intersection of art, social science, and technology to tell stories through data and performance, and he would like to thank his mentors, friends, and family for their unwavering love and support. 

ANNALISE EVANS (CHOREOGRAPHER/ We Were Light) is a double major in Dance (BFA) and Psychological and Brain Sciences (BS) at UCSB. She is from Los Angeles, CA, and trained primarily with Artist Entrance Dance Company and Amirian Ballet Academy. At UCSB, she has been in several student choreography productions and most recently had her choreographic debut in Kinetic Lab in the spring of 2024. This year, she is excited to be debuting her BFA Capstone piece, as well as dancing as an apprentice for Santa Barbara Dance Theater and a company member in UCSB Dance Company.   

DIANA MATEESCU (COSTUME DESIGNER / A Waltz Through Time) is a third year Theater Design student concentrating in Costume Design. She is incredibly excited to be working on her first ever solo costume design project, A Waltz Through Time. Diana has previously been an Assistant Costume Designer on last year's Spring Dance Concert, TRANSCEND, as well as two theatrical productions, Indecent and Strange Birds. She thanks her mentor, Alexa Behm, and the UCSB Theater and Dance Costume Shop for helping bring her ideas to life and she hopes you enjoy the show!  

SHANE MAXINE (MAXI) LARGO (COSTUME DESIGNER / Continuum of Art) is a 4th-year student at UCSB pursuing a B.A. in Communication and minoring in Theater Production & Design and Education. It will be her first time designing costumes for dance. In the past, she worked as the assistant costume designer for the Spring Dance Concert (2022) and made her costume designer debut with Night Night, Roger Roger (2023). She also previously collaborated on a few other plays at UCSB as an assistant costume designer, including The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, Hay Fever, and The Threepenny Opera.  She is beyond thrilled for everyone to behold the artistry and dedication that went into this show. She would like to sincerely thank everyone who has been there to provide her with love and encouragement! 

MEGHA RAMACHANDRAN (CHOREOGRAPHER/ the point being) began her movement journey in the Bay Area, training rigorously at San Jose Ballet and Airborne Gymnastics. By the age of 13, after winning the 2015 State Gymnastics Championship, she shifted her focus entirely to dance, training competitively and pre-professionally with Dance Attack in Mountain View, California. At 14, Megha took on a leadership role as a choreographer for the Mountain View High School Dance Program, creating several contemporary and ballet pieces. During this time, she was also accepted as a member into the Dance Attack Performance Arts Company, where she honed her skills in modern and contemporary concert dance under notable instructors. In 2020, she embarked on her journey toward obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Now in her final year, Megha is a member of the UCSB Dance Company for the 2024-25 season, preparing to tour internationally and further her career as a performer and choreographer. Megha aims to use dance as a medium to connect, to challenge, and to care. Through her role as a mover, she seeks to catalyze a reimagining of reality, paving the way for a better world.  

BROOKE RYAN (COSTUME DESIGNER / We Were Light & the point of being) is thrilled to be part of UCSB’s 2025 Spring Dance! She honed her skills as a seamstress for the UCSB Costume Shop from February 2023 to June 2024 and served as an Assistant Costume Designer for last year’s Spring Dance. Brooke is grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented team and continue developing her design skills this season. 

MARLA TAKAHASHI (ASSISTANT COSTUME DESIGNER) is fourth-year Communication and Theater Production & Design Minor with a passion for sports and live performance. As an Assistant Costume Designer,  she has greatly enjoyed supporting this creative team and witnessing the collaboration that brings this production to life. Contributing to this process has deepened Marla’s appreciation and understanding of functional costume designs. She hopes to continue working in theater and live events after graduation. 

JENNA TURNER (CHOREOGRAPHER/ Katharsis) received her pre-professional training at The Kirov Academy, Washington DC, and The Rock School for Dance Education, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She then went on to dance professionally with Huntsville Ballet and City Ballet of San Diego before pursuing her BFA degree at UCSB. She has choreographed student pieces at San Diego Mesa College, Malashock Dance School in San Diego, and multiple works at UCSB including her piece Egregore in the UCSB show Kinetic Lab2024. Most recently, she directed the UCSB Senior Dance Company Fundraiser, premiering four of her own original works.  

NIDIXIN (DESMOND) ZHANG (ASSISTANT LIGHTING DESIGNER) is a third-year theater major with a Concentrated in Design. He has previously worked in lighting for theater, designing lights for the 2025 Winter One Acts or No Exit. This is the first time that Desmond is working on a dance performance as a designer. He is very excited to be a part of this production process and promises to do his best to make the performance the best that it can be. Enjoy the show!