Red Rhythms Conference - Old Man Kokopeli

Old Man Kokopeli was conceived by John Jaramillo and is choreographed, directed and performed by John Jaramillo and Sandra L. Hughes (http://www.darbysanders.com/hughes.) This production combines dance, mime and masks and has been performed throughout the U.S. at Native American venues such as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (Albuquerque) and The Circle (theatre) at the American Indian Community House (NYC) as well as at colleges, festivals and museums. Jaramillo has also performed with Daystar Native American Dance Theatre and Naa! ka Hidi Native American Theatre Company. Hughes is the founding Artistic Director of Gateway Performance Productions (www.masktheatre.org) in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work for the stage has been performed in 38 states and 10 foreign countries. She has, since 1984, participated in cr eating Native American productions by invitation with Rosalie Jones, John Jaramillo, Ken Cannon, Woodrow Haney and Pauline Haney.

Jaramillo's father gave Hughes permission to adapt traditional stories told by his grandfather into a play for the stage. This play - Coyote Tales - has been performed throughout the U.S. at Native American and other venues with two performance runs at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NYC). Both Hughes and Jaramillo have taught the performing arts to Native American Youth at Isleta Pueblo Indian Reservation (NM), Red Lake Indian Reservation (MN), Riverside Indian School (OK) and for the American Indian Institute's Project L.O.G.I.C for gifted and talented Native American Youth.

Sandra L. Hughes

Director, Performer, Choreographer

Artistic Director of Gateway Performance Productions

Sandra Hughes combines elements of mask theatre, mime, dance, puppetry and text to create innovate performances for the live stage and television. Her work has toured to theatres, festivals, museums, colleges, universities, schools and other community sites in 35 states in the U.S. and to Belgium, Slovenia, Hungary, Northern Ireland, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.

Highlights include performances at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NYC) and Historic Christ Church in Philadelphia. Television productions of her work have received regional and national distribution on Public Television. She won a regional EMMY for “Outstanding Entertainment Program of the Year” and her video adaptation of her stage production Bring Me Yellow Flowers – a tribute to the life and art of Mexican Visual Artist Frida Kahlo – was selected for inclusion in the American Film Institute Video Showcase in Los Angeles where is was nominated for the Robert Bennett Award.

Sandra has taught for the theatre departments at the University of Akron, Lake Erie College and Antioch College. She dedicates a significant portion of her time to arts in education programs and projects throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has also worked with Native American youth in the performing arts at Isleta Pueblo in New Mexico for 8 years, Riverside Indian School in Oklahoma for the American Indian Institute’s Project L.O.G.I.C. and Red Lake High School at Redlake Indian Reservation in Minnesota.

Sandra’s background includes Japanese Noh Theatre training on scholarship with master teachers Akira Matsui and Richard Emmert, advanced mime seminars on scholarship with Marcel Marceau, playwriting workshops with Mark Medoff and Maria Irene Fornes, an acting and directing apprenticeship at the Cleveland Playhouse (Ohio), the pre-professional theatre program at Ohio University and acting training at Stella Adler in NYC.

John Jaramillo

Director, Performer, Choreographer

Joh n Jaramillo has been a principal performer with Gateway Performance Productions since 1993. During this time he has performed and taught at theatres, festivals, art c enters, colleges, universities and schools throughout the United States and toured to Northern Ireland. With grant support from the New Mexico Arts Division John produced Old Man Kokopeli – a work inspired by his Native American Pueblo Indian heritage - in collaboration with Artistic Director Sandra Hughes and mask carver Michael Hickey.

John has also toured nationally as a principal performer with Naa Kahidi Native American Theatre, Daystar Native American Dance Theatre and Ehecatl Aztec Dance Troupe. He’s also been a principal performer with the following Spanish/Flamenco dance companies: Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenc o y Segunda Compania, Ritmo Flamenco, Dance España and Pueblo Flamenco de Santa Fe. His professional dance background includes performances at the Dance Theatre Workshop (NYC), Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors (NYC), American Dance Festival (Durham, N.C.), The Dallas Opera and the Mark Taper Forum (Los Angeles).