Maria Rendina-Frantz: is the Artistic Director of the Motion Theatre Dance Company and has taught dance and created over 35 concert dances for the stage since 1978. Maria Rendina Performance Company premiered in 1983 at the Merce Cunningham Theater in NYC.  Ms. Rendina studied choreography with Leonide Massine, Bessie Schonberg, Erick Hawkins, June Lewis and Pearl Lang and technique extensively with the companies of Martha Graham, Erick Hawkins, Paul Taylor, Dan Wagoner, Judith Leifer, Twyla Tharp and Dance June Lewis.  Maria danced professionally with Dance June Lewis & Company and with choreographer Dan Wagoner after she earned a B.A. in Dance from Point Park University.  Maria studied ballet with Edward Caton, Jane Hillyer, Tina Bernal and Jocelyn Lorenz and she studied jazz with Luigi and Lee Theodore. MotionTheatre has co -produced with the Pennsylvania Dance Theatre and since presented original works in NYC, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Maine, New Mexico, Ohio, California and in Avignon, France. Since then the company has premiered many works at the Lobero Theater and Centerstage in Santa Barbara. Maria taught the Erick Hawkins Winter Dance Intensive with Katherine Duke, Artistic Director the Erick Hawkins Dance Company in 2009. She is a member of National Dance Association, Congress Of Research in Dance, Congress of International Dance, Screen Actors Guild, and the SB Dance Alliance. She resides in Santa Barbara with her life partner David M. Frantz and is the mother of three amazing children.