[A-Te] Sister to Sister

Joy Alpuerto Ritter was born in 1982 in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

She moved to Germany with her mother when she was 4 years old and grew up in Freiburg im Breisgau where she took her first Ballett classes at the Ballettstudio Krain.

In these 10 years she was trained in Ballett and Jazz and took part at the RAD (Royal academy of dancing), dance competitions, Ballett Performances and Shows with the philippine and polynesian Culture Dance group that was lead by her mother. At the age of 17 she graduated at the Palucca Dance School in Dresden, Germany with a diploma in 2004.

Since then Joy is a Berlin based dancer/choreographer known for her diversity & understanding of different dance styles. Starting with classical training, philippine folk, contemporary dance & urban styles, she has been touring worldwide with companies such as Akram Khan Company, Wangramirez, Christoph Winkler, Heike Hennig & Cirque du soleil.

Her passion for the communal aspect of dance culture made her connect to the Hip Hop and Voguing scene in Berlin. She also participated in many Dance Battle Events like Juste Debout, Voguing out, Funkin Stylz and Defipayette.

Joy has been nominated as “outstanding female dancer” (modern) in the Performance “Until the Lions” by the National Dance Awards UK 2016. Since 2016 she has found international response as a choreographer & creates works for film and own dance theatre pieces. Her signature is finding an interesting fusion of movement vocabulary that come from different cultural backgrounds.

Following her internationally acclaimed solo BABAE (selected for Aerowaves 2020) and the commissioned ensemble piece UNDA (as part of ISADORA NOW produced by Viviana Durante Company), Joy’s body of work develops as she leads on the direction and production of collaborative cross-pollinated performances with an array of talented artists and creatives like Akram Khan, Chen Shi-Zheng, Riz Ahmed, Viviana Durante and Florence + the Machine. Her generosity of sharing her experience and knowledge made her work as a teacher and coach in academic institutions such as in Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy and Beijing.

Ann Francis Ang is a Filipino-American dance artist from San Francisco, working in the contemporary, ballet, whacking/waacking and new style hustling scenes. She received her bachelor degree in dance at Adelphi University in New York and masters degree at London Contemporary Dance School. She has since worked internationally with choreographers and companies such as Alleyne Dance, Joy Alpuerto Ritter and Lukas Steltner, fachbetrieb rita grechen, amongst others. Her self choreographed solo ‘Makaya’ has been presented at the Playground Theatre in London, MODArts Film Festival in New York and Evenings on the Valley in Berlin. In 2022 she returned to her alma mater to choreograph for Adelphi University’s Fall for Arts Festival. Her latest solo project ‘Crepúsculo Tántalo’ was awarded residencies in 2024 at Kaleidoscope VI in Singapore and RedSapata in Austria.

Suzette Sagisi is a Filipinx-American dance artist born and raised in California. Her company credits include Sandra Chatterjee, Hope Mohr Dance, Maurya Kerr’s tiny pistol, dazaun dance, Brice Mousset, James Alsop, Academy of Villains, Gerald Casel Dance Co., and Katie Faulkner’s little seismic, among others. She has danced for music artists such as Beyoncé and Fabolous, and has appeared on shows such as MTV’s Made and America’s Best Dance Crew. Suzette holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s degree from Tufts University, both in Philosophy. She serves as a Board Co-Chair of Hope Mohr Dance and resides in Berlin, Germany.

Born in Madrid with a Filipino background and currently based in Berlin. Her curiosity and passion for dance, particularly urban and club culture dance styles, set her apart for her versatility.  She values the importance of effective learning, emphasizing the coexistence of a strong foundation, technical skills, the creative development of each individual, and above all, the enjoyment of the process. Cristina has worked on the professional dance project ComUnity Danza and also with renowned Spanish and international artists in concerts, festivals, TV/series programs, theaters, and commercials.

Vincenzo Lamagna (music composer) tbc composes and performs music of beauty and intensity. Often delving into complex emotional and psychological landscapes, Lamagna’s work explores themes of identity, contradiction, and the human condition. His evocative sonic imprint and genre defying approach made him a sought-after artist in the world of performing arts. Vincenzo Lamagna has created music for some of the world’s leading ballet companies and festivals including the English National Ballet, Göteborgsoperans Danskompani, Contemporary NINE dance theatre of Beijing and Festival D’Avignon. A longstanding collaboration with choreographer Akram Khan has seen both work together to create a string of widely acclaimed productions including the 21st-century adaptation of the romantic ballet Giselle, for which Lamagna composed a revolutionary orchestral score.

Lukas Steltner (Production) discovered breaking in 2001 through his passion for hip-hop culture. As a professional dancer, he performs on stage in a variety of contexts, including dance theatre productions, variety shows, and national and international performances. Lukas Steltner has also appeared as an actor in various film and television productions. As a choreographer, Lukas works at the intersection of urban and contemporary dance, often combining his artistic influences across genres. In recent years, his work has received support from the Berlin Senate through a work and research grant. He has also been awarded an entry-level grant and two individual project grants.

Fabian Bleisch works as a freelance lighting designer and event technology specialist, primarily in the fields of contemporary dance, performance and theatre. He has gained his many years of experience through numerous national and international productions and guest performances. Fabian lives and works in Berlin, is deeply rooted in Berlin’s independent arts scene, and tours worldwide with various companies and choreographers.