Voices from our Chorus
Meet Joseph, Jonathan, and Ryan: The Three Choreographers 

For this holiday issue of NOTES, we wanted to shine a light on a part of OaklandGMC that has transformed our performances in recent seasons, our movement. From crisp choralography to full-out featured dance numbers, our visual storytelling is now shaped by three creative, wildly different, and wonderfully collaborative choreographers: Jonathan Leavy, Ryan Justus, and our newest addition, Joseph Bahlman.

Each arrived at OaklandGMC through a unique path. Each brings a lifetime of training and experience in dance, music, and performance. And each has helped build the exciting movement culture our chorus now enjoys. I sat down with all three to learn how they got here and what inspires them.

Joseph Bahlman: Motion, Music, and a Scientist’s Eye

“I love to study motion. So it’s no surprise that I moved into dance with such passion.”

When Joseph moved from Sacramento back to his East Bay roots, he searched for a musical community, something creative to balance his work as a science professor. A veteran of several choruses, he discovered OaklandGMC online and auditioned soon after settling into his new teaching job.

Joseph’s artistic life began in a bustling world of school bands, where he played flute, saxophone, and trombone before serving as drum major and designing marching-band field shows. That early love of creating large-scale moving patterns now shapes his choralography: “Different rows and groups moving at different times… it looks great from a distance.”

His dance training came later through Latin dance in Costa Rica, years of ballroom, then deeper artistry when he joined the Vancouver Gay Men’s Chorus. That experience led him to choreograph for large ensembles, blending singing, movement, costuming, and theatricality.

After choreographing for Sacramento GMC, Joseph arrived at OaklandGMC ready to help if needed. “Near the end of my first season, Jonathan and Ryan asked me to help choreograph the next show. It’s been a great collaboration—our different styles show off different sides of the chorus.”

Joseph’s academic background? A PhD in Biomechanics and Locomotion. “Physics of movement, engineering principles, mechanical design of motion—it all ties into dance,” he says. Birds, bats, robots, dancers… for Joseph, it’s all motion at its most expressive..

Jonathan Leavy: A Life in Music, Movement, and Heart

“I’m a heart-centered, high-feeling person. The energy of this chorus is so powerful.”

Jonathan’s OaklandGMC story begins with a spring concert in 2023. a collaborative performance with New Voices Bay Area TIGQ Chorus that moved both him and his husband. When auditions opened, they joined immediately. That joyful impulse led Jonathan back to a lifetime steeped in music, dance, and performance.

Raised in a musical household, he played piano, joined choirs, performed in bands, and found his theatrical home in show choir. Dance entered early (with a brief detour into gymnastics) and ultimately carried him through college, where he majored in voice and spent summers dancing parades at Walt Disney World. “I got to dress up, dance, and make people happy. I kept going back every summer and winter break.”

Professional summer stock followed, then full-time entertainment at Epcot. Eventually, he moved to New York City, carrying decades of performance experience with him.

Jonathan’s path to OaklandGMC choreography began simply; at his first concert, he auditioned to be a featured dancer. Soon after, choreographer Joe Rosenmayer and Artistic Committee Chair Brian Tognotti invited him to choreograph two holiday numbers, including the now-legendary reindeer dance.

Today, Jonathan is energized by the collaboration between the three choreographers. “Our movement adds theatricality and surprise. It lifts us up.” He also champions inclusivity in movement. Inspired by a GALA Festival workshop, he and Ryan developed the three-tier system of movement levels, ensuring that everyone can dance, not just featured dancers.

Jonathan’s heart shines brightest when he describes the musical journey of each season: “Those ‘WOW’ moments of harmony and connection… I never want the concert cycle to end.” His dream? Bringing OaklandGMC’s music to more audiences…schools, senior homes, and community spaces.

Ryan Justus: Dance, Community, and Creativity for the Joy of It

“The whole point of me joining the chorus was just for fun… I wouldn’t do the choreography if it wasn’t fun.”

Ryan first encountered OaklandGMC on social media. Though he had never seen a concert, something about the community felt right. When auditions were posted, he showed up and immediately found his artistic home.

His musical journey began in high school through a musical theater class that morphed into a pseudo-show choir. Dance, however, started even earlier. “My sister took dance classes, so I joined her. I just kept dancing and dancing, and it became a thing.” Dance training, competitions, and teaching carried him all the way into adulthood.

After spending nearly twenty-five years teaching and serving as the operations manager for the dance studio he grew up dancing with, the opportunity to take over the business and continue the legacy of the previous owner has set him on the path of small business ownership and education in the arts.

His OaklandGMC choreography started innocently enough: Brian asked him to tap dance in a Santa suit for his first holiday show. “It snowballed from there,” Ryan laughs. He and Jonathan quickly connected, supporting one another as the chorus expanded its movement vocabulary.

Ryan’s choreography philosophy is grounded in accessibility, joy, and audience experience: “We’re not putting on a Broadway show. My goal is for everyone to have fun. I try to create movement that looks good, feels doable, and enhances what our audience sees.”

He loves the variety that comes from having multiple choreographers. “We all have different styles, so the movement and the look of the chorus stays varied. Featured dancers versus full-chorus choralography are very different processes; it takes work, but it’s all about having fun!”

Three Artists, One Vision

Though Jonathan, Ryan, and Joseph each bring unique training and perspectives, Disney parades, biomechanics research, ballroom, musical theater, and studio ownership, they share a remarkable synergy.

Together, they have:

• Expanded movement across the chorus
• Developed multi-level choreography to include everyone
• Enhanced the theatricality of each concert
• Fostered a joyful, collaborative environment
• Helped shape OaklandGMC’s evolving visual identity

Their combined talents help make OaklandGMC’s performances not just heard, but seen.

We are deeply grateful for their artistry, humor, generosity, and the passion they bring to every rehearsal. Their work creates magic…one step, one ripple, one moment of connection at a time.