PERFORMERS

Holly Rothschild

Holly is a founding member of String Theory. Her multi-disciplinary background in dance, choreography and theater brings a broad spectrum of influences to String Theory's work.

Holly has worked with many dance and theater companies. Her independent and collaborative work has been presented at The Edye Second Space at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, The Athenaeum Theater in Chicago, The Electric Lodge in LA, The Blue Rider Theatre, The MET Theatre, Northwestern University, University of Anchorage, University of Fairbanks and at many other venues throughout the US and abroad. Holly's short dance film "Grey Shanty" premiered at The Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema and in 2010, she was the recipient of the Annenberg Community Beach House Artist in Residency program where she created a site-specific movement piece for the Annenberg Community Beach House/Marion Davies Guest House. This summer, Holly worked with Mexican/American artist Yoshua Okon and the LAND project choreographing 15 pit bulls for an exhibition.

Her choreography has received critical acclaim for its' "startling imagery" and movement from Performing Arts Journal. She has choreographed for fashion shows, films, site-specific installations, The 2006 & 2007 Grammy's, theater works and dance companies. She is also a movement educator. She spent several years on faculty as artist in residence at Columbia College, Chicago in the Theater Dept. teaching movement for actors. She teaches contemporary dance to professional level dancers and also has worked with kids, seniors, at correctional facilities, and with kids with disabilities. She has also worked with teachers on developing programs to integrate movement arts into their curriculums. Recently, She created an arts enhancement program for Temple Israel of Hollywood pre-school. Visit Holly's dance/choreography website at strangeandelegant.com. You can also find her at the Electric Lodge on Tuesday mornings where she teaches an adult beg. dance class.

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Luke Rothschild

Luke Rothschild is a composer, musician, and visual artist whose work spans a broad stylistic spectrum. Luke composes music and creates scores for film and television. He is a multi-instrumentalist who has written music and designed sound for many dance and theater productions. Luke co-founded String Theory in 2002 with his wife Holly and colleague Joseph Harvey. String Theory has been creating performance installations and performances in southern California, the US, and abroad to critical acclaim since its inception. Luke designs and constructs all of the sculptural resonators, as well as the long-string architectural installations that are at the heart of the String Theory sound and performance environment. After graduating from The Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts, Luke received his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he nurtured a multidisciplinary approach to integrating various mediums. By approaching music and design challenges with an integrated artist’s aesthetic, Luke creates unconventional and stunning work that moves beyond traditional boundaries inherent in any one medium. His composition and score-work can be heard in feature films such as “Cat Dancers” (HBO), “Shadow Billionaire” (BMP), “Red Sands (Sony Pictures), “Jean Michel Basquiat: Radiant Child” (A Tamra Davis Film), “Dispatch” (A Steven Sprung Film), “Fly Away” (A Janet Grillo Film).

Luke’s architectural long-string instrument designs have been installed to buildings by architects: Santiago Calatrava, Frank Gehry, Richard Meier, Arata Isozaki, Christoph Kapeller, Minoru Yamasaki, Cesar Pelli, Frank Lloyd Wright, Mies Van Der Rohe among others.

Luke is happy to be living in Venice California and working with String Theory, as well as collaborating with talented musicians, directors, and choreographers.

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Joseph Harvey

began playing 'cello in the 5th grade because he was too small for the double bass, which is what he really wanted to play. After finishing his undergraduate work in 'cello performance, Joseph moved to Chicago for graduate studies. In his classical incarnation, Joseph has played 'cello with various orchestras and chamber ensembles, including The New Music Group at the University of Akron, the Gladden String Quartet, and the Marini String Quartet. His teachers have included Scott Cook, Michael Haber, Kim Scholes, and John Rozendaal, with chamber music coachings by Andrew Jennings, Leonard Schranze, Alan Bodman, The Cavani String Quartet, The Kandinsky Trio, and The Turtle Island String Quartet. Joseph began working with the Rothschilds and long-strings in 1996. He has also performed with The Emilie Autumn Band and presently is playing and singing in String Theory's rock persona, Debacle, in addition to teaching privately.

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Julie Pusch

was introduced to the magic of the violin at age two, learning rhythms and fingerings on a margarine box with a stick fingerboard and a bow. By age three, she acquired a real violin, and began her financial endeavors when her uncles would give her money to make her stop. Over time, the shrill screeches became beautiful songs and then concertos. She began studying voice at thirteen. Julie pursued vocal performance, under the instruction of Dr. Carren Moham; and violin performance, under Professor Vadim Mazo, at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she served as concertmaster of the Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra. She spent a year studying in Vienna, Austria, with world-renowned opera singer Paulette Herbich; and studied violin with Renee Star, member of the Vienna Philharmonic and accomplished composer. Somewhere along the way, she began playing the guitar; and, after graduating college, moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a singer/songwriter and violinist.

Julie's musical endeavors have taken her all over the world, from a performance at Carnegie Hall under the baton of composer John Rutter, to performing in the palaces of Vienna for U.S., Hungarian, and Austrian ambassadors. She has recorded with Matthew Sweet, Cyrus Melchor and the Camarillo Blues Triangle, and has performed with The Big Wu, Blue Meridian, and The Cousin Lovers. She also teaches voice, violin, viola, and piano.

Julie believes that music is a healing power that extends from the soul, and she has dedicated her life to developing and sharing it.

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Danny Moynahan

is a composer, singer/songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He made his debut in the Los Angeles music scene as a saxophonist with The J-Walkers and L.A. ska pioneers The Untouchables. Other early musical collaborations that shaped him irreparably include CoCu, Osrama, The Dubtet, Dave Wakeling/General Public, and The Happy Mediums to name just a few. He continued to explore his singing and songwriting in House Brew and The Guy Fluffner Memorial, which he co-founded with bandmates from CoCu. Nowadays he spends much of his time scoring for film but can also be seen in and around L.A. singing and performing his original compositions with his trio. In 2006 he was welcomed into the String Theory cult, where he continues to feel very much at home.

(Editor's note: String Theory is not a cult.)

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Stuart Johnson

Kentucky native Stuart Johnson works as a multi-instrumentalist with String Theory, participating on drums, guitar, bass, long strings, and as a composer. He brings to String Theory a history of pop and rock recording and touring. Featured album credits include artists Matthew Sweet, John Doe (X), The New Radicals, Love Jones and the Cousin Lovers as well as TV soundtracks for "CSI" and "Malcolm in the Middle." David Letterman, Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, MTV and VH1 have all been stops along the way.

Movie sound track sessions include Ali featuring Will Smith, Swingers featuring Vince Vaughn, The Sweetest Thing featuring Cameron Diaz, Since You've Been Gone featuring David Schwimmer, and Dogtown featuring John Favreau. Stuart is the original and recurring "shagadelic" drummer in the Austin Powers movie band Ming Tea. If you look fast you'll catch him in Austin Powers Intl. Man Of Mystery, Austin Powers Goldmember, The Sweetest Thing, Since You've Been Gone, and Dogtown.

"Playing a variety of nourishing music in organic situations with close friends makes my career a pleasure." Always up for a new twist, Stuart is proud to contribute and enjoys "participating in the amorphous, always challenging musical kaleidoscope of String Theory."

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Austin Nicholsen

Austin traveled many light years, thru many different cosmos, along the astral plane and is currently found in the greater Los Angeles area.... I think. Austin is aiding in the life long pursuit to awaken the masses thru sound vibrations.

Primarily seen with the bass. Austin says "the bass plays me, I don't play the bass." He also states that he is very blessed to have met some of the super humans in L.A. and loves creating with all the creations he has come to be a part of.

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Robert Amjarv

is a multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter/composer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, his musical pursuit started when he sang for his first recording at 4 years old. At the age of 6, he performed his first live rock show; and at 7 he strummed his first guitar. He didn't quite have the attention span to learn from his instructors, so he decidedly took the self-teaching route. Between the ages of 10 and 12, he attended his middle school's Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band and Choir; playing the violin, trumpet, double-bass, electric bass, guitar. Around that same age, his mother would take him to an open-mic venue every time he wrote and learned a new tune. At 14, he graduated High School and attended College thereafter. He studied film, animation and multi-media. In 2003, at 17 years old, Robert left college to return to his primary passion of music, and hasn't stopped since. As a result, Robert managed to write, perform, produce, and engineer three full-length albums for his current project 'Pentamental.' One of which, mixed in 5.1 surround sound, earned him a nomination for the 2005 Surround Music Awards.

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Tina Finkelman Berkett

grew up in New York City and attended Barnard College, Columbia University where she performed the works of Martha Graham, Jose Limon, and Paul Taylor and was a featured soloist in the works of Lila York, Ted Thomas, and Aszure Barton. Tina also performed with dance companies including The Notario Dance Company during their season at the Duke Theater and ASH Contemporary at The Jazz Dance World Congress. Upon graduation, Tina joined the ASzURe & Artists Dance Company as a soloist and has performed throughout the United States, including at the renowned Jacob's Pillow and Spoleto Festivals. In Los Angeles, she has danced with Evolution Dance Company, Collage Dance Theatre and Strange & Elegant. Tina most recently toured with Mikhail Baryshnikov as a founding member of his new contemporary dance company, Hell's Kitchen Dance.

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Alesia Young

has worked professionally as a choreographer, performer, educator, administrator, and researcher/writer of dance for over a decade. She received her earliest dance training at The Performing Arts Center in New Jersey and additional instruction in the studios of New York and throughout Europe, with a brief stay at Amsterdam's School for New Dance Development. With her first performance at the age of six and first professional experience with a touring company at the young age of sixteen, Young has had the privilege of performing in such venues as Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors in New York City; The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles; working with such artists as Dana Tai Soon Burgess, Katie Duck, Liz Lerman, Joseph Mills, David Rousseve, and Maida Withers. She has been awarded several service and arts honors and was most recently nominated for a Lester Horton Dance Award.

A diehard east coaster originally from New Jersey, Young made the move to Los Angeles eight years ago. Gaining her B. A. in Dance and American Studies from The George Washington University and her M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures, Young has pursued a fruitful career in dance education ­ ranging from youth and adult classes in studios and community centers to lecture and technique courses in private secondary schools and universities. Young presently serves as Dance Faculty and Diversity Coordinator at the Windward School in West LA and previously in UCLA's dance program. Simultaneously, she has developed a thriving career as a performer working in both commercial dance and staged performance. She has worked as a principal dancer for new LA-based contemporary modern dance companies such as Maria Gillespie's OniDance and Holly Rothschild's Strange and Elegant Productions, as well as longstanding companies like Collage Dance Theatre (LA), Trip Dance Theatre(LA), Sakoba Dance Theatre (London/LA), which she joined during their U.S. national tour, and most recently, Contra-Tiempo, an activist performance ensemble utilizing salsa as its core movement.

Choreography has always been a part of Young's creative and professional life, continually presenting original work throughout the country. Her most recent work, "Streams of Emergence," created for the Skirball's Siteworks Series in conjunction with the LA River Reborn photo exhibit taking her into areas she is most passionate about: site specific, multimedia, and community focused. She will continue to dance with the artists that inspire her and pass on her knowledge to aspiring artists through dance education, but her pursuits as Choreographer have reemerged at the forefront with an emphasis on site specific and dance on film work.

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Lillian Rose Barbeito

is originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she worked with Santa Fe Opera, Southwest Ballet and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. She graduated from The Juilliard School, where she studied on a four year, full tuition scholarship awarded by Tomorrow's Leaders of America for her essay about dance and disability. In New York, Lillian worked with The Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, Zvi Gotheiner, Terrain and The Agnes deMille Project. Since moving to Los Angeles, she has performed with American Repertory Dance Company, Collage Dance Theater, Helios Dance Theater, John Malashock and Raiford Rogers . Lillian has taught progressive ballet and modern technique internationally, including Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet, Halifax Dance Theater, Lyon Opera Ballet, Long Beach Ballet, Southland Ballet, UCLA's Department of World Arts and Cultures and Westside Academy of Dance. She was nominated for outstanding female performance in the 2004 Lester Horton Awards for her work with PTERO Dance Theater. Lillian recently toured with Strange and Elegant Productions for Dom Perignon, Aston Martin, W Hotel New Orleans and the 2006 Grammy Awards. Lillian enjoys judging for Celebrity Dance Competitions and choreographing for the Jacksonville, Lousanne and Youth American Grand Prix. Her piece "WINK," premiered at and won 1st Place at the 2005 Czar Dance Competition.

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Andrew Cowan

Andrew Cowan was born in Southern California and trained at the Idyllwild Arts Academy. He continued at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he received his BFA in Dance. Andrew performed with the BareBones Dance Company in Birmingham, England and has worked with various choreographers in New York. Most recently Andrew toured with Shen Wei Dance Arts. While with Shen Wei Dance Arts he performed and taught master classes around the world. Andrew has recently returned to Southern California to continue dancing and teaching, and has returned to school to do a little more studying.

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Ja Young Kim

Ja was born in Seoul, Korea. She began her training at age nine. From 200-2002 she trained at the Kubo Dance Academy and also attended Seoul Arts High School (SAHS) from 2002-2005. At SAHS she was the number one student in modern dance for three consecutive years. Ja then attended Korea National University of Arts and graduated with a BFA in Modern Dance in 2008. While attending KNUA she studied many modern dance techniques including those of Graham, Limon, Cunningham and Horton. She is also trained in ballet, jazz and traditional Korean dance. Some of Ja's workshop experience includes those taught at Ultima Vez and Centre Choregraphique National De Nantes. Ja has performed in Europe, Asia, Central America and North America. In 2009, she relocated to Los Angeles where she has worked with diverse companies including Winifred Harris' Between the Lines Dance Company and Body Traffic.

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Merett Miller

was born and raised in Los Angeles and received her ballet training at Le Studio in Pasadena, California. She has danced with State Street Ballet (2002-2004) and Sacramento Ballet (2004-2009) among other companies where she performed in a wide range of both classical and contemporary repertoire, including works by Trey McIntyre, Helen Pickett and Amy Seiwert. Home now in LA she is excited to be dancing with BODYTRAFFIC and String Theory.

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Natanya Marks

With producing projects ranging from feature films to docuseries to live events, Natanya Marks brings an eclectic background to the String Theory family. She has produced two feature films, Temptation and The Trip, as well as numerous short films, documentaries, commercials and live shows. Additional credits include casting for HBO, Lifetime, and independent companies and production work for MTV, Comedy Central, and Warner Brothers. She has also worked extensively as an event producer. Natanya's greatest passion is music and although she cannot play an instrument, she is thrilled to play a part in this talented company of musicians.

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John Fitzgerald

After a brief but traumatic encounter with the Bb Tuba during those oh-so-confusing prepubescent years, John overcame his misgivings about music and began to study drums and percussion. And he still hasn't stopped!

He has been trained in Classical European, Nigerian, Indonesian, South Indian, Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Pop and Jazz percussiontechniques, and is a trained Drum Circle Facilitator. He freelances in Los Angeles doing live performances and recordings (major motion picture film scores include Spiderman 2, Runaway Jury, and Swordfish among others). He has also developed and taught programs for the Mark Taper Forum, and LA Philharmonic Association in-school programs, and composed and performed for numerous theatrical productions. John is the Manager of Recreational Music Activities for Remo Inc. where he oversees Remo's Recreational Drumming products and programs. He has facilitated drum circles in the US and abroad including three Asian tours to Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, and Korea, and continues to facilitate community drum circles at Remo's Recreational Music Center in North Hollywood, California and around the United States.

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Alexa Kerschner

grew up in Southern California, studying dance with Cynthia Young and Charles and Philip Fuller. She graduated with a BFA from Purchase College where she worked well with Neil Greenberg, Larry Clark, Megan Williams and the class of 2002. Becoming a founding member of Shen Wei Dance Arts (2001-2005), she had the great opportunity of creating works with Shen Wei, Sara Procopio, Jesse Zarritt, James Healey, Brooke Broussard, Kennis Hawkins, Tony Orrico, Kana Sato, Jessica Harris, Vicki Skinner and Hou Ying. Now living in Los Angeles, she has had the great chance of connecting with YourHUGEhead and String Theory.

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Melanie A. King

is a professional modern dance artist whose performances and choreography have taken her through Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco and now, Los Angeles. With her eclectic technical background she has had the opportunity to dance for Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Joel Hall Dancers, Courage Group-SF, Company Chaddick and the Creative Studies Tap Ensemble. Melanie received her Masters Degree in Performance and Choreography from the University of California, Irvine in June 2009, working as Rehearsal Assistant to Donald McKayle and his Etude Ensemble, performing William Forsythe's Artifact under the direction of Jodi Gates as well as dancing with Yvonne Rainer in Rainer's Pedagogical Vaudeville.

In 2009 she traveled to Istanbul, Turkey participating in Danse Kamera Istanbul as a performer and Assistant Choreographer to Loretta Livingston for a project titled, Surface. Ms. King's choreography has been presented at the American College Dance Festival, Laguna Beach Art Walk in conjunction with the Laguna Beach Dance Festival, and the INDO/US Conference in Irvine, California.Melanie also holds a Pilates certification from A Body of Work in San Francisco and continues to explore movement through somatic practices linking body and mind awareness to dance's expressivity. She is an Associate Professor of Dance at MiraCosta College and on the dance faculty at Long Beach City College while continuing her Pilates practice as a trainer at Angel City Body Kinetics in Marina Del Rey. Melanie's current endeavor involves exploring the connection between visual art and dance intellectually and physically while sharing her life and love with Myles, her amazing other half.

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Sevenju Pepper

grew up in Northern California and received a BA in Political Economy from UC Berkeley, where she danced with Bay Area Repertory Dance and performed works by Martha Graham. Sevenju has danced for companies including Mark Morris Dance Group, San Francisco Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Robert Moses' Kin and with choreographers Sean Curran and Heidi Schweiker.

She has performed in venues including Jacob's Pillow, Sadler's Wells in London, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and at several Opera Theaters across the U.S.

She assisted in teaching Master classes at Columbia College in Chicago and at Bates College and was a California Arts Council Grant recipient. Recently, Sevenju traveled to the Philippines on behalf of UNICEF in a partner program with Art Center College of Design. Sevenju teaches Pilates and lives with her husband and young daughter in Culver City.

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Julie Rose Shulman

grew up in Los Angeles, California. She received her training from Meredith Baylis and the Los Angeles County High school for the Performing Arts. She began her professional career under the direction of Septime Webre at American Repertory Ballet. Julie was then invited by Lawrence Rhodes to join Les Grands Ballets Canadians. During her time there, she danced works by Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin and various European choreographers, as well as the classics by Balanchine and Tudor. She spent the next four years working in Europe. The first two years were in Switzerland where she developed her contemporary style with the Orma Dance Company under the direction of Enrico Musmeci. The past two years, she worked in Sicily with Compagnia Zappala Danza, and the dance theatre company MotoMimetico. From March 2005 through May 2005, Julie was fortunate enough to be invited in Bari to dance with the Compagnia Niccolo Piccini. In November of 2005 Julie returned to the United Sates and joined Collage Dance Theatre under the direction of Heidi Duckler, for the Premiere of "Copera". In February 2006 "Copera" premiered at the Los Angeles Police Academy. That same month Julie joined the John Malashock Company, to begin work on "Fathom", Mr.Malashock?s newest creation. In May 2006 "Fathom" premiered to glorious success in San Diego, California. Julie is currently a member of Helios Dance Theatre, under the direction of Laura Gorenstein-Miller.

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Richard Fultineer

has played drums with Superbroke Brass and Tin Marching Band Ensemble and House Brew. Originally from the East coast, Richard now resides on the westside of Los Angeles. Having supplied a solid foundation to so many other bands, Richard is finally bringing his own creations to life. You won't find a better drummer or friend this side of the Mississippi River.

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Joe Wohlmuth

grew up in the Chicago area and began playing piano at an early age. While studying music at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, he began mixing live sound for a band. That led to a transfer to Columbia College in Chicago to pursue recording. During school he began working at Gravity Studios in Chicago on a variety of projects and continued there for 3 years as a staff producer, engineer and programmer.

He went freelance in 2000 with a fellow alum, recording independent acts around the Midwest in some unusual spaces including concert halls, warehouses, and houses. In 2002, he moved to Los Angeles to work on his tan.

On arrival, he pulled up at the studio and that's the last time he was seen. We've heard he has worked with producers Lester Mendez, Walter Afanasieff, David Foster, and Humberto Gatica while continuing to produce independently. Credits include: Shakira, Santana, Nelly Furtado, Veruca Salt, Celine Dion, Rachael Yamagata, Helen Stellar, String Theory, Josh Groban. Michael Buble and more.

He is still not tan.

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