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It's so great to meet you!!
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My name is Katherine Cooper (she/her/ella). I LOVE nicknames -- I answer to quite a few, and I'll likely give you one at some point as we get to know each other. I'm a born Californian of Mexican, Croatian, and Irish heritage, hailing from the Ancestral Homelands of the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe. Raised in a family of entertainers, I was first bitten by the stage bug at age 3. Since then, I've amassed a collection of increasingly disparate interests, including special penchants for philosophy, philanthropy, and physics (say that five times fast). Still, in all that time, I've never abandoned my first love -- Musical Theatre.
Growing up, I studied dance (duh) -- I also practiced martial arts. I went through kindergarten longing to become a Ninja Turtle, and when first grade began, I started Tae Kwon Do classes. Even on the mats, I took to performing; with the studio's Demo Squad, I got to fight like a girl (not a pejorative) and break boards in front of audiences all over northern California. And though my sparring career wasn't long, the pinnacle was high: meeting The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali.
I spent childhood summers in the pool. I started synchro when I was 5, and I just kept swimming for 15 years. Synchronized Swimming (now Artistic Swimming) is where I got my first opportunity in coaching, I got to hone leadership skills and I found I had a passion for imparting. It's also where I first learned how to watch with a meticulous eye and clean a routine. I borrowed a lot from the musical canon, choreographing & swimming to Annie, Chicago -- even adapting Will Rogers Follies showstopper Our Favorite Son for the water. There were literal oohs & ahs as our two lines fanned out into one while clapping each other's hands and the surface of the water. I knox-gelatined my hair (yep) for the last time at the end of my second year of college, for the FINA World Masters Championship meet, where my team placed 7th.
I'm a proud, four-time Schwab-Rosenhouse scholar, and a forever-SMC-Gael. Saint Mary's and the SMC Dance Company introduced me to Modern Dance and afforded me the opportunity to choreograph for and perform in ACDF and Company dance concerts, as well as the Bay Area's distinguished Works In The Works festival. I was also featured on ESPN Big Monday Broadcasts as the premier vocalist for Gael Athletics, and I accepted awards & nominations for my work in musical productions on and off campus. Moreover, as a declared student of The Integral Program (an independently accredited school within the school), I studied ancient Greek and trained in logic & persuasive writing. Along with my cohort, I worked mathematical proofs from Euclid to Einstiein, and dissected great works of literature & philosophy, from The Allegory of the Cave to The Fire Next Time. My coursework culminated with the publication of my thesis, On the Unity of Multitude, an analysis and extrapolation of Plato's Parmenides. QED
I've had a lot of adventures and worked a lot of side projects, still the arts have always felt like home to me, and I revel in every chance I get to create. I've had wonderful opportunities to learn under artists I truly admire, and I've been lucky enough to make art with friends I truly cherish. I've appeared at TEDx & debuted new material alongside Broadway composer L. Jay Kuo; I've hit the road with Grammy winning rock legends Los Lobos, collaborating on short stories & poetry projects; and I've been honored to perform in my hometown's favorite summer tradition: Broadway Sacramento's Music Circus.
I'm a big believer in the power of education and the pursuit of Balance; I love delving into new disciplines, and learning about new ideas & discoveries. I've been caught geeking out about cephalopods, updates to the periodic table, running water on Mars, and the History channel (honorable mention to National Geographic & Animal Planet). I believe in changing the world -- and in the value of the non-profit model. A life-long champion of arts education and social equity causes, I also advocate for public broadcasting as one of the voices of CapRadio, and I created the Perennial fundraising campaign for biodiversity conservation in my home state of California, a global biodiversity hotspot. I'm an RIDQC certified member of the Designer Society of America, and a proud member of Actors' Equity Association & The Association for Fundraising Professionals. I am continually grateful for opportunities to tell important stories, share joy, and serve my community. x
Growing up, I studied dance (duh) -- I also practiced martial arts. I went through kindergarten longing to become a Ninja Turtle, and when first grade began, I started Tae Kwon Do classes. Even on the mats, I took to performing; with the studio's Demo Squad, I got to fight like a girl (not a pejorative) and break boards in front of audiences all over northern California. And though my sparring career wasn't long, the pinnacle was high: meeting The Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali.
I spent childhood summers in the pool. I started synchro when I was 5, and I just kept swimming for 15 years. Synchronized Swimming (now Artistic Swimming) is where I got my first opportunity in coaching, I got to hone leadership skills and I found I had a passion for imparting. It's also where I first learned how to watch with a meticulous eye and clean a routine. I borrowed a lot from the musical canon, choreographing & swimming to Annie, Chicago -- even adapting Will Rogers Follies showstopper Our Favorite Son for the water. There were literal oohs & ahs as our two lines fanned out into one while clapping each other's hands and the surface of the water. I knox-gelatined my hair (yep) for the last time at the end of my second year of college, for the FINA World Masters Championship meet, where my team placed 7th.
I'm a proud, four-time Schwab-Rosenhouse scholar, and a forever-SMC-Gael. Saint Mary's and the SMC Dance Company introduced me to Modern Dance and afforded me the opportunity to choreograph for and perform in ACDF and Company dance concerts, as well as the Bay Area's distinguished Works In The Works festival. I was also featured on ESPN Big Monday Broadcasts as the premier vocalist for Gael Athletics, and I accepted awards & nominations for my work in musical productions on and off campus. Moreover, as a declared student of The Integral Program (an independently accredited school within the school), I studied ancient Greek and trained in logic & persuasive writing. Along with my cohort, I worked mathematical proofs from Euclid to Einstiein, and dissected great works of literature & philosophy, from The Allegory of the Cave to The Fire Next Time. My coursework culminated with the publication of my thesis, On the Unity of Multitude, an analysis and extrapolation of Plato's Parmenides. QED
I've had a lot of adventures and worked a lot of side projects, still the arts have always felt like home to me, and I revel in every chance I get to create. I've had wonderful opportunities to learn under artists I truly admire, and I've been lucky enough to make art with friends I truly cherish. I've appeared at TEDx & debuted new material alongside Broadway composer L. Jay Kuo; I've hit the road with Grammy winning rock legends Los Lobos, collaborating on short stories & poetry projects; and I've been honored to perform in my hometown's favorite summer tradition: Broadway Sacramento's Music Circus.
I'm a big believer in the power of education and the pursuit of Balance; I love delving into new disciplines, and learning about new ideas & discoveries. I've been caught geeking out about cephalopods, updates to the periodic table, running water on Mars, and the History channel (honorable mention to National Geographic & Animal Planet). I believe in changing the world -- and in the value of the non-profit model. A life-long champion of arts education and social equity causes, I also advocate for public broadcasting as one of the voices of CapRadio, and I created the Perennial fundraising campaign for biodiversity conservation in my home state of California, a global biodiversity hotspot. I'm an RIDQC certified member of the Designer Society of America, and a proud member of Actors' Equity Association & The Association for Fundraising Professionals. I am continually grateful for opportunities to tell important stories, share joy, and serve my community. x