06/17/2026
About My Brother - From Mark
It’s tough for me to recall the year I met my brother from another mother. Savage always told others that only someone ‘older’ could refer to him as Reg, so I called him Reg. I know it pi**ed him off that I could do that, but it was his own rule. I first met him when we were hired to photograph Savage Jazz Dance Company (SJDC). Juan Rivera from Tetro ZinZanni recommended us to Reg. He was in another room and pointed us to set up in an adjacent studio. I watched him for a bit and said to Tracy, “Wow, I won’t have to yell at the dancers since he yells as I do!”
He poked his head into the room where we were going to shoot and said: “Wow, you are already setting up?!” “I’m not sure what you are used to, but I like to get to work right away.” He gave me that smile I became familiar with throughout the rest of our time over the next decade. I’m a natural observer of people, and that became my superpower as a commercial photographer in the arts.
Working with Reg during the SJDC and Oakland School for the Arts (OSA), it became immediately apparent that he is ‘old school’ and I say that in the very best way. No coddling, no pretense of false compliments. Yet not mean-spirited in his feedback, to discourage a dancer. Those who didn’t have the personal strength to endure his high standards often rose to the standards he set. I watched as dancers would lick their wounds after his notes, and in most cases would come back better, bit by bit. He was not a “participation trophy” teacher. As a matter of fact, an adult I knew who took one of his adult dance classes was afraid of him. And she herself was a college professor of mathematics. Not a wilting flower!
His teaching and life partner, Alison, known to students as “Miss Hurley,” was the right balance to Reg’s tough demeanor. Ali is no pushover, but her approach to giving notes was different than Reg’s. I watched and listened to his feedback through the decade I worked with him. It took quite some time for me to transition from being his vendor to him becoming a friend. Not an easy transition for two men who are ‘acquired tastes’ to most other humans.
On my photo blog, I began writing “Living Eulogies,” and Reg’s was one of them. I’ve often watched and listened to what is said about someone who has passed, and wondered, “Why do we wait until someone has died before we express how we feel about them?!” It’s what motivated me to start that series.
Reg and I were both smokers, long-time smokers. Once when we were standing outside of OSA, I discovered that I had smoked my last cigarette. “Brother, there is a liquor store just down the street; if you need money I can loan you some.” He then pulled out the largest roll of cash I had seen in years. About 3 inches in diameter with large bills. “REG WTF IS WITH THAT ROLL!?” He looked at me with an expression of disbelief as if I must have the same cash roll. I later found out that his students all knew about “Savage’s roll.” Unlike my young brother, Reg was a fashion plate and adorned himself with jewelry that would have given me a hernia. It’s one of those situations where it’s best to just give in and not even attempt to keep up.
I worked with another dance director at San Mateo High School. Robyn would always look at OSA photos on my iPad and said, ‘OK, I’ve had it. I’m going to wear an outfit so I can look at least 10% as cool as him!!!”
Reg and I were involved in a situation in which the entire OSA campus was evacuated due to our activity. I was constantly telling him about concepts in lighting I wanted to try. Not once did he ever question me about what I wanted to do. NOT ONCE. I let him know I wanted to add some atmosphere to my shots, so if he could check to see if his dance room had smoke detectors. “Why?” I want to fill his room with smoke so that the light rays would appear and add drama to the image story. He said he would check and let me know. “We have them, but it won’t be a problem.”
Brought my smoke machine into the room, and after setting up the lights and dancers, I turned on the smoke generator. The fire alarm started, and he said: “It will be fine.” Tracy said to me, “Mark, that is TOO MUCH SMOKE, TURN IT OFF!” to which I replied, “Stop; we both know what we are doing.” Just then, over the loudspeakers, a voice said: “Due to an active fire alarm, all students please follow our fire evacuation drill and assemble outside at the front of the campus.”
The fire trucks with sirens were pulling up just as I went downstairs. I had no idea where Reg was. I found the captain and said, “Sir, the alarm was caused by my smoke machine; I don’t think there is a fire.” “OK, but we still need to check.” Ten minutes later, his crew came out and gave the all clear. “Well, it was your smoke machine, but since we were required to roll and the school evacuated, I have to cite you personally.”
My expression must have been as if I was going to prison for ten years. I remember Malia standing there, and her face was in the OMG emoji expression. “Naw, I’m just f$%king with you. We’re all good.”
I found my brother after that, and this is what he said to me: “We all good? Did you take care of it?” Typical younger brother $hit!
Our time together was not without tragedy. Toby ending his young life shook the entire community. That was the first time both of us got to see one another in such a raw emotional state. It was at that time when we moved from client/vendor to friends. Out of tragedy, we formed a friendship that we both cherished.
As his illness progressed, I wanted to spend time with him. For both Reg and Ali. We all shared meals at a Japanese restaurant outside of Oakland. Getting my brother to go to a Japanese restaurant was like taking an act of Congress, but he loved it.
We went to the movies, to a Japanese garden park, and wandered around as friends do on a day off. I will cherish those moments with my brother.
Reg is a multifaceted man, one fiercely proud of the kids he influenced who went on to other dance segments like the SF Ballet as well as other companies. Trying to classify my brother into any category is impossible. Some only know him as a teacher; some only as a hard ass. For me, as well as others, he is a man whose impact on the lives of others is something so rare. I’m grateful to know him, and thankful as well as proud to call him my brother.
