Jefferson High School

Dance Faculty
 

Steve Gonzales
Artistic Director - The Jefferson Dancers, Jazz, Ballet

Steve, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, started dancing and acting at Jefferson Performing and Visual Arts High School in Portland, Oregon, under the direction of Mary Vinton Folberg. He performed with the Jefferson Dancers for three years, then went on to perform with Pacific Ballet Theatre (now Oregon Ballet Theatre) in 1986. Mr. Gonzales continued his dance training at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts as a Second Avenue Dance Company member. At NYU, he worked with directors and choreographers Jenny Way from Twyla Tharp, Kevin Wynn, Elisa Monte, and Stephen Petronio. He also choreographed several pieces for Second Avenue Dance Company members and collaborated with other choreographers at NYU. He performed Charles Wiedman’s role in the Humphery-Wiedman retrospective performance of New Dance Variations and Conclusions, presented at the Danny Kale Playhouse in New York. He began dancing with MOMIX Dance Theatre just days after graduating from NYU in 1994. 

Under the direction of Moses Pendleton, he has performed MOMIX’s entire repertoire all over Europe, Canada, South America, Australia, Israel, Greece, Russia, Japan, and the United States, including their annual season at the Joyce Theater in New York. In addition to performing, he has also taught master classes worldwide, performed live for several television shows in Spain, Italy, Germany, and for the BBC in London, has appeared in numerous European fashion magazines, and has assumed the responsibilities of rehearsal director, choreographer, and company spokesperson to ambassadors and dignitaries around the world. 

Mr. Gonzales was featured in Michael Curry’s World Premiere Production of Spirits in 2001. He worked closely with choreographers Moses Pendleton, David Parsons, Trey McIntyre, Jamey Hampton, Ashley Rolon, and Sylvia Hase. Along with performing, he collaborated with Stumptown Productions and choreographed A Chorus Line and The Wiz, in which he received a Drammy for Best Choreography. Mr. Gonzales recently received the Community Engagement Award from dance presenters Paul King and Walter Jaffe of Whitebird. He is exceptionally proud of having a small part in making Portland, our community, a better place. 

As the artistic director of The Jefferson Dancers for the past 25 years, Mr. Gonzales has taken the Company to perform worldwide, including England, France, Germany, Italy, and China. In addition to bringing in cutting-edge choreographers, he has set new and exciting works on the Company, including Rhythm is the Key, Primitive, Cancao Do Mar, Eye of RA, Time Signatures, IMPACT, Tantango, Aquatique, Endorphin, Escape Velocity, Chapter One, Anima Vita, and Chaotic Beauty which were performed in the gala concerts at the National High School Dance Festivals in Long Beach, CA, Miami, FL, and Philadelphia, PA. He credits the program at Jefferson with exposing him to the dance world and ultimately launching his career. He is determined to see the program flourish to its greatest potential and is dedicated to ensuring that The Jefferson Dancers will continue influencing future generations.

Bunky Holden-Williams

Jefferson Dancers II, Hip Hop, African

Bunky was born and now resides in Portland, Oregon. He began training at Tubman and Fernwood Middle Schools and continued dancing at Jefferson High School. He is a Jefferson Dancer alumnus trained in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, African, hip-hop, step, and gymnastics. Bunky was also a Northwest African American Ballet member for six years. He has performed internationally and nationally for shows including Nike, Avia, Reebok, and Nordstrom. He co-founded Dynasty Dance Zone and has taught dancers of all ages extensively for the past 17 years. He currently teaches jazz, hip-hop, and African at Jefferson High School. Bunky prides himself on giving back to the community and is known for his dynamic, energetic, and inspirational presence.

Lauren Smith

Modern/Jazz

Lauren Smith, who was born and raised in Southern California, has been dancing since the age of three. She trained, performed, and took part in prestigious dance competitions and conventions throughout her childhood. She holds a B.A. in Dance from California State University, Long Beach. After earning her degree, Lauren pursued a deeper knowledge of the body by studying Ashtanga Yoga and becoming a certified personal trainer. In 2011, she co-founded the Tongue Dance Project with Stephanie Gilliland and has been consistently dancing and performing in the company since its inception.

Lauren has been teaching and coaching dance for over 17 years, focusing on instilling a deeper knowledge of the art of dance to hundreds of students throughout the U.S. She has worked for non-profit organizations, private studios, and conservatories and was on the faculty for both Dance and Musical Theater at Idyllwild Arts Academy for seven years. In 2017, Lauren moved to Portland, Oregon, and has since been dedicated to enriching and supporting the local dance community. She was the Co-Founder/Director/Teacher at FLOOR Center for Dance, is the current Director of Contemporary at Steps PDX, and has earned a Master’s in Education from Portland State University.

Lauren is excited to work at Jefferson High School, where she teaches Modern and Jazz.