le cancan bijou
Cast Roster
Management
Cindy Lu
Co-Director & Dancer
Cindy is delighted to be a member of Le Cancan Bijou and has been dancing with the troupe since 2008. She's always loved dancing, and studied ballet for a few years at an early age. She wasn't able to actively pursue dance until college, where she studied ballroom dancing and was a member of a swing dancing performance group. Some of Cindy's interests include vintage and contra dancing, and she actively participates in yoga and kickboxing. Her love for vintage led her to a membership with 1930s vintage dance troupe, the Decobelles. Cindy is a marketing professional by day, but her passions are dance and costuming, with a penchant for corsetry. Each year she looks forward to performing at the Great Dickens Fair & Victorian Holiday Party - one of her favorite annual events.
Meredith Sherwin
Co-Director & Dancer
A lover of all types of movement from Classical Ballet to impromptu sidewalk dance parties, Meredith grew up dabbling in various dance styles including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Irish Step Dancing. Most frequently she was found enacting some “Musical Theater” style, reminiscent of her favorite classic films. This mixture of technique and performance drew her to the cancan, finally succumbing to the seduction of ruffles, high-kicks, and feathers and joining Le Cancan Bijou in 2013. She is also a member of the Decobelles with several other Bijou ladies, and spends her free time searching for vintage treasures, drinking wine in the sunshine, and chasing her cats around her apartment.!
Marnie Worel Wilson
Communications & Finance Maven
Marnie started Irish dancing with Annie McBride in her 20's when her daughter wanted to learn, thinking it would be good exercise. Six months later she was competing on a National level. Marnie went on to dance for several years with the Irish dance troupe Siamsa le Cheile. She happily joined Le Cancan Bijou in 2006, and has been helping to 'herd cats' for the last two years. When she isn't dancing you can find her singing with the all women nautical group Queen Anne's Revenge.
Current Performers
Barbara Pond
Dancer
Barbara was introduced by her mother at a very early age to the unusual combination of Golden Age musicals, Star Trek reruns, and the novels of Louisa May Alcott. Convinced she had been born in the wrong era (or dimension) Barbara was excited to discover in 1995 that musical theatre and ballroom dance were alive and well! She immediately auditioned for both a local production of My Fair Lady and the UC Davis Ballroom Dance Team, and has performed with various companies ever since. Favorite roles include Maria in The Sound of Music, Lucy Schmeeler in On The Town, and an unforgettable turn as a giant, tap dancing lobster. She has received two Solano County ARTY awards for her work: Lead Actress in a Musical (Maria, The Sound of Music), and Supporting Actress in a Musical (Sister Mary Leo, Nunsense!). In an attempt to cover all her historical bases, Barbara also dances with The Decobelles, performs with The Stark Ravens Historical Players at Renaissance festivals, and sings with the piratical Queen Anne’s Revenge. Most recently, she has been involved in film and television projects , and is studying on-camera acting with Nancy Berwid at San Francisco’s First Take.
Bonnie Rose
Dancer
At a young age, Bonnie Rose studied a variety of dance classes including tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop. From sixth through eighth grade she danced with her middle school cheer team while continuing to compete with her dance school team in national competitions. A member of her high school Varsity Dance Team, Bonnie Rose became the captain her junior and senior years, affording her the opportunity to compete and perform globally from the Florida Citrus Bowl Half-Time Show to events in Paris, France. Studying Fine Arts, Interior Design and Dance in college, Bonnie Rose has also dabbled in the Go-Go scene in San Francisco and Italy. From 2011-2012 she also danced with another bay area cancan troupe, the Can-Cannibals. Her other interests include modeling for photography, figure drawing, and fashion. Bonnie Rose currently lives in San Francisco where she practices her fine arts skills as a painter. She joined Le Cancan Bijou in 2008, and continues to dance at The Dickens Fair as well as outside performance when she can fit it into her busy schedule.
Rachel Young
Dancer
Coming Soon!
Christophe Taylor
Dancer
Christophe started dancing ballroom in college a decade ago. After making his rounds on the competition circuit, he picked up a a large assortment of social dance styles - from blues and lindy hop to tango and vintage waltz. He spent several years performing burlesque as well as being a member of The Can-Cannibals, Decadance, and several other troupes. Christophe founded the monthly event East Bay Waltz, and continues to teach, travel, and DJ at dance events across the country. In his spare time, Christophe enjoys aerial acrobatics, partner flips, acro-yoga, and board games. He's also enjoyed a previous life training for and competing in triathlons and marathons.
Corey March
Dancer
Corey began physical activity as a competitive gymnast, training in gymnastics for thirteen years, studying dance within it and later coaching it. She danced and choreographed dance throughout college and has performed randomly over the years including dancing in a contemporary piece with West Wave at the Yerba Buena Center in Aug 2008 and being a supernumerary on stilts in the SF Opera's production of "Mephistopheles". She has been a martial artist for over fifteen years and enjoys stilting, tightrope walking, ballroom dancing, swing dancing and yoga. She is a contemporary artist by profession.
Cybele Baker
Dancer
Cybele joined Le Cancan Bijou in 2003, having previously worked as a competitive Irish dancer for over a decade. A singer and actor, Cybele has performed twice in Gilbert & Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance, seven years with the 19th century Musical Hall vocal group The LORS, and was the director of the all-ladies nautical-themed singing group Queens Anne's Revenge from 2008-2012. She has performed in productions spotlighting stage combat with The Albion Schoole of Defense. Cybele has loved dancing with Le Cancan Bijou for more than 10 years and feels it is the most exciting and invigorating dance form she has ever had the ability to perform.
Elizabeth Rislove Etler
Dancer & Choreographer
Liz is thrilled to be performing with Le Cancan Bijou for her 5th year! She comes to the troupe with over 20 years of dance and performance experience in tap, jazz, ballet, musical theatre, swing, latin, and ballroom, for which she has earned many awards and accolades. She particularly loves cancan for its high-energy mix of traditional steps, classic technique, humor, and modern dance sensibilities. Her favorite performance venues with LCCB have included the Dickens Fair, the Edwardian Ball, Old Sacramento Time Traveler Weekends, and Dark Kabaret.
Amber Steele
Dancer
As a tenured professor, Amber Steele leads the Dance Program at Skyline College serving as the Choreographer, Artistic Director and Coordinator for the Skyline College Performing Arts Showcase, Spring Musicals and Annual Dance Shows. She also is the faculty advisor for the Spirit Squad and Dance Club, and Dance Honor Society.
Jessie Potter
Dancer
Jessie has spent much of her life dancing and performing. She started out as a gymnast in her childhood and then moved on to ballet as she gained proficiency. She later found a love for Irish, swing, and Morris dance, along with other fun forms of performance and movement. She started dancing with Le Cancan Bijou in 2000, and is happily back this year after a four-year break. When she’s not dancing Jessie likes to play the cello and sing with her band, The Honeybelles, which includes her sister and her daughter.
Joshua Haiman
Dancer
Joshua fell in love with dance at age 15 when he fell into Scottish Country Dancing. His love of jumping lured him into the realm of Scottish Highland Dance, where he competed for several years and currently teaches weekly at the Piedmont Parks and Recreation Department. In college he explored both ballet and modern dance, and now thoroughly enjoys swing, waltz, and tango. In 2008 he joined Le Cancan Bijou, and hasn't looked back!
Lindsay Ferguson
Dancer
Lindsay has been dancing for much of her life. She dreamed of one day being in a dance troupe to round out her repertoire jam-packed full of geekeries and sundries including online gaming and acting. In 2011, Lindsay's dream became a reality when she joined Le Cancan Bijou. Finally home, Lindsay found freedom to pursue her acting career full-gusto and now models, livestreams PC games, stars in fantasy-themed and geeky web shows, and produces video-game related YouTube content from her home studio she shares with her boyfriend, . When Lindsay isn't on-camera, she enjoys yoga, making people laugh with dinosaur impressions, strumming on her banjos, using any excuse to play dress-up and playing all the games!
Michael Roy
Dancer
Coming Soon!
Heather Feeney
Dancer & Choreographer
Heather has been performing with the Le Cancan Bijou since 2007. She loves dancing and can often be found shaking her derriere to any and all music she encounters. She has studied a wide variety of dance forms including ballet, jazz, salsa, flamenco, hip hop, and Appalachian clogging.
Amy Gray
Dancer
A lover of all things theatric and movement-oriented, Amy began studying ballet, tap, and jazz at the age of four. While ballet always remained her primary passion, later studies in modern dance, tribal fusion bellydance, and butoh finally relaxed the bun on top of her head a bit. Not long before joining LCCB, Amy had been performing with Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo, Variable Velocity Performance Group, and Tokyo-based cabaret act Bombyx Mori – with whom she has performed in Japan and throughout Russia. In 2011 and 2012, Amy was a featured choreographer in Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo's Emerging Choreographers' Showcase, and presented additional choreographic works at events in California and Japan. Amy is thrilled to be now dancing amid the glitzy, high energy ruffles of Le Cancan Bijou.*
Katy Bornholdt
Dancer
Coming Soon!
Keegan Tyler
Dancer
Keegan devoted much of her early life to performing, but gave up the glamorous life for good – until she found Le Cancan Bijou. Keegan joined the troupe in 2011 after 10 years away from the stage and couldn’t be more overjoyed to have found her home. Keegan grew up in the theater, performing in her first musical, “Showboat,” at 6 years old. She also spent many years as a competitive figure skater and ballroom dancer. When she’s not kicking up her heels with Bijou, Keegan can be found teaching Pilates, sewing ridiculous costumes, and searching for sparklies in Azeroth.
Lillian Porter
Dancer
Lillian is an enthusiastic dancer who loves to perform. She began dancing at the age of 4 and joined a performance dance team at age 13 in which she performed clogging and jazz dance in over 8 countries. She loves being on stage and entertaining the audience. Lilian also loves to sing and has also sang in several choirs and performed in several musicals, including Oliver and The Sound of Music. Lillian is a dedicated swing dancer (Lindy Hop, Balboa, East Coast and Collegiate Shag) and enjoys teaching and competing. When she's not dancing she is a consultant to large companies and advises them on financial, operational and compliance solutions. Lillian joined LeCanCan Bijou in 2003 and has had a fabulous, fun time being a CanCan dancer at the Dickens Christmas Fair and other venues.
Vanessa River
Dancer
Vanessa River, dancing much of her life through theater and impromptu dance parties, found the rip roaring talent of Bijou in 2011. dazzled by ruffles, and stripy stockings she was overjoyed to don some feathers and boots and kick her heels up with these incredible ladies and gents. When offstage Vanessa River can be found inspiring students of all ages as a Outdoor Science Teacher, scuba diving, costuming, and reading comics.
Tara Roberts
Dancer
Tara began dancing when she was just three years old, and hasn't stopped since! Being trained in ballet, tap and jazz led her to dancing in musicals, and eventually turned her passion for dance into a passion for performance. That passion has led her to become a choreographer and teacher, training the next generation of dancers in ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater and lyrical/contemporary styles all over the Bay Area (as well as a bit in Michigan, where she grew up). She was roped into the magical world of Le Cancan Bijou in 2014, and added cancan to her repertoire of classical ballets, musicals, social dancing, and stage plays. When she's not dancing or teaching - which is rare - she enjoys barre3 classes, and performs with Barely Legal, a local Rocky Horror Picture Show shadowcast.
Krista Miller
Dancer
Coming Soon!
Company Members
Monique Ivan Woodruff
Founder
Monique has been performing for over twenty-five years. She started her training in ballet and soon added a number of other dance styles to her repertoire. After dancing cancan for several years, she was asked to direct for a special event and Le Cancan Bijou was born. Monique has also acted in the theatrical sword fighting comedy Shakespeare's "Bloody Bits," as Milady in "The Three Musketeers", Louise Brooks in the 70th Anniversary production of "War of the Worlds", Dauphenie LaCroix in "All's Well That Ends Badly" and various other theatre performances in the SF Bay Area. She has studied acting at Studio ACT in San Francisco and Waterfront Playhouse and Conservatory in Berkeley. Monique also holds a degree from California College of the Arts.