​

 

Athena Bergen is thrilled to be working as an actress, singer, dancer and choreographer and coach.  Raised in rural Auburn,California,  she knew she wanted to live life as an artist and performer and was active in many creative pursuits. 

 

While attending UC Davis, she studied English, Opera and dance.  She was selected for a master class with the Beijing Modern Dance Company and focused her dance training on modern and lyrical dance working with Broadway choreographer Mindy Cooper and Paul Taylor Dancer David Grenke.  While studying dance she was also training in opera with mezzo-soprano Zoila Munoz and working with the concert chorus under Jeffery Thomas.  While still at Davis she signed her first contract with the Sacramento Opera and soon moved up to Opera Chorus Company member.  After graduation from UC Davis, she moved to New York City and studied acting at the Terry Schreiber Studios, performing Off-Broadway in a new version of the Greek tragedy Hecuba and a showcase of Clifford Oddets' works .

 

During summer, an opportunity to travel to Paris presented itself and later that year she would be cast in an original musical “Liquid Love” in Amsterdam. Enjoying The Netherlands, she stayed on for 11 months, teaching acting workshops and soaking in the art museums and landscapes of Holland, Germany and France. 

 

Upon returning to the US, she set her sights on LA and has been working as an actress, singer and dancer, recently winning “Best Actress in a Western Feature Film” at the Sunny Side Up Film Festival, modeling for Xiox magazine's Vintage Palm Springs Photoshoot, and receiving rave reviews and a theater award nomination for her work in "Play it Again Sam." 

 

Now back in northern CA, she continues her love for the performing arts and can be found performing and Coaching.  She can’t wait to see what is next.

 

Career Highlights include:

 

Favorite Stage roles include: Maulelita/ Gypsy dancer in Carmen (Sacramento Opera) Madge in Picnic (River Stage)  Milly in 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Auburn Summer Theater)  Linda in Play it Again Sam (Morgan Wixson, LA)  

 

Choreographing Handel’s Opera Orlando for the Sacramento Opera

 

Film work: Specialty Dancer, Forever (Amazon), Eve in Dream/Girl(Jeremiah Jones), musical short film Bei Mir Bist du Schoen, Nancy in feature western Prospectors,  as well various Gypsy Jazz music recordings and videos.

 

Awards include:

 

2021 Best Actress in a Western Feature Film

        Sunny side Up Film Festival Winner

 

2021 Best Actress Western Feature nom

        Cowpokes International Film Festival

 

2021 Best Actress in a Feature Film nom

         Las Vegas International Film

& Screenplay Festival

 

2020 Best Actress in a Feature Film nom

         Wild Bunch Film Festival

 

Capitol Opera Teresa Tweed Opera Award