HS Dance Faculty

Administration

Mary Lisa Burns, a dance educator and administrator, comes to Miami from New York City where she was Director of Education for the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, overseeing the Cunningham Studio's accredited Professional Training Program and spearheading its Educational Outreach program. A faculty member of the world-renowned Merce Cunningham Studio since 1988, Burns was also a part-time faculty member of the Dance Department of Barnard College for fifteen years and danced professionally in the Companies of Kenneth King, Brenda Daniels, Gina Gibney, and others. Mary Lisa Burns holds an MFA in Dance from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and a BA from Barnard College/Columbia University.

Full-time Faculty

Karin Bejerano has a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase. She received additional training through scholarships to the José Limon summer intensive and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She performed with modern dance companies; Houlihan and Dancers, Ballet Randolf, and Next Step Dance, and has performed in South Florida professional musical theater productions of West Side Story, The Pajama Game, Sweet Charity, Evita, and others. She has taught dance at; Ailey Camp Miami, the Miami City Ballet School, Joffrey Miami Summer Intensive, and the Dance Now Miami Summer Intensive, and was an adjunct dance teacher and choreographer for the NWSA musical theater program for over ten years. She served as Head of Musical Theater Dance for the University of Miami, and was the director of the dance program of The Bridgeprep Academy of Arts and Minds Charter High School for seven years. She is a certified yoga instructor, a member of the D.A.D.E., F.D.E.O, N.D.E.O and has been awarded a Teacher Recognition Certificate from the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts.

Rebecca Cannan attended Interlochen Arts Academy and received her Master of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from Florida State University, where Dr. Nancy Smith Fichter and Lynda Davis mentored her. While in Florida, she was a member of Dance Repertory Theatre performing works by modern dance legends Doris Humphrey, Alwin Nikolais, Peggy Lyman and several others. She also trained with the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company in Los Angeles for a short time and then taught at the University of Mississippi and for the Mississippi Dance Association. Ms. Cannan then joined the Evansville Dance Theatre as dancer and choreographer. She has presented a series of lecture/demonstrations for visual arts students and educators at the University of Southern Indiana, exploring the relationship between the performing and visual arts, and has taught at summer intensives for Harid Conservatory, Lexington Ballet, Kentucky Ballet Theatre and Blue Grass Youth Ballet. In 2006, she was commissioned to set a new work on COCAdance Company in St. Louis, MO. Upon returning to Florida, Ms. Cannan joined Millennium Dance Syndicate as a dancer/choreographer. She is a frequent presenter/guest teacher at the National High School Dance Festival and for the Florida Dance Education Organization (FDEO). She has served as a grant panelist for the Florida Department of State – Division of Cultural Affairs. Currently, Ms. Cannan is a full-time faculty member and choreographer at New World School of the Arts.

Peter London serves as associate professor of dance at NWSA, choreographs and teaches Graham technique and African-Caribbean Dance. His professional work also includes serving as visiting Artistic Director Senior for The Martha Graham Dance Company, faculty for the Alvin Ailey summer intensive program and at Dance Empire in Pine Crest. A former principal dancer of The Martha Graham Dance Company, Ms. Graham created the role of Shaman in Night Chant for him and recreated other major ballets which he danced with Michael Baryshnikov. With the Graham Company, he toured internationally from 1988-1997. He is a dancer and teacher of African dance retentions of Trinidad & Tobago. Mr. London is a 1987 graduate of the Julliard School, and alumni of Jose Limon Dance Company. He holds an AA & BFA Degree from MDC/NWSA/UF.

Lara Murphy is a native Miamian who began her training with Martha Mahr and Thomas Armour. She graduated from New World School of the Arts High School and has a BA in Philosophy and Comparative Religions from New York University. She has performed with Washington Square Repertory Dance Company, Miami Ballet and Juegos del Arte and has appeared as a guest artist in multiple Nutcrackers and contemporary galas around the country. Ms. Murphy was a founding member of Maximum Dance Company and currently performs with Miami Contemporary Dance Company. Locally she has taught ballet at the Mencia-Pickieris School of Dance, Miami City Ballet and the Miami Conservatory, where she continues to work with the scholarship program. Ms. Murphy has been a guest teacher at the National High School Dance Festival, the National College Dance Festival, the Florida Dance Festival and ballet academies in South Carolina and Missouri. Additionally, Ms Murphy has choreographed contemporary ballets for Miami Contemporary Dance Company and New World School of the Arts as well as the classical divertissement of The Nutcracker for the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet. Presently she is working towards her Masters of Arts at the University of Miami.

Jeffrey Lloyd Smith is a Miami based choreographer, multimedia artist, and dance educator. He received his BFA from The Boston Conservatory and his MFA from Florida State University focusing on emerging collaborative relationships between dance and multimedia technology. In 2002 Jeffrey became a member of The Martha Graham Ensemble, touring domestically and performing classic Graham works such as Diversion of Angels, Acts of Light and El Penitente as well as teaching extensively throughout New York City's five boroughs. In 2005 he became a member of The Paul Taylor Dance Company touring internationally and performing in over 40 of Mr. Taylor's masterworks. Jeffrey's multimedia pieces, choreographic works, and films have been seen at various festivals and events. Most recently he's made works for The Peter London Global Dance Company and Tulane's Newcomb Dance Company in New Orleans where he also designed interactive projections for Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

Adjunct Faculty

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Diane Brownholtz attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois as an undergraduate. She then continued on to the University of Illinois where she received a Master of Arts degree in Dance. In Illinois, she studied with former company members of Limón, Nikolais, and Cunningham. She moved to Miami in 1975 to establish a Dance Department at the Wolfson Campus of Miami Dade College where she taught for 25 years. In 1992, she was awarded the prestigious Ruth C. Anderson Endowed Teaching Chair that she held for seven years. In 2010, she received the Miami Dance Festival Award. Dr. Brownholtz is co-author of two college Dance and Fitness textbooks. Page 2 of 9 In addition, she is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine to teach Group Fitness classes to all ages. She was invited twice to Russia to participate in a Dance Delegation that observed the classical teachings at the Kirov and Bolshoi schools. She earned her Doctorate in Higher Education administration from the University of Miami.

Maria Teresa del Real was born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents. Soon after, her family moved to Puerto Rico where her early ballet training began at Ballets de San Juan. Later, she studied in New York, at the School of the American Ballet and with Vaganova specialist Gabriella Darvash. As a young ballerina, Ms. del Real danced her first Giselle opposite Rudolph Nureyev. A year later, partnered by Miguel Campaneria, she won a bronze medal at the Varna International Competition, bringing the United States its first medal in 10 years. Upon her return to the U.S., President Reagan extended an invitation to meet at the Oval Office to receive his personal congratulations. Mayor Edward Koch also received her in New York City and awarded her the Crystal Apple Award from the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting. Two years later, representing the U.S.A., she would go on to win the Soviet Ballet Prize at the Moscow International Competition. Ms. del Real's held the position of Principal Ballerina with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater (1984–1987), the Royal Ballet of Flanders (1987–1989), and the English National Ballet (1989 -1994). She was also a guest ballerina dancing internationally with world-renown partners, i.e., Rudolph Nureyev, Fernando Bujones, Carlos Acosta, Jose Manuel Carreño, and Maximiliano Guerra, among others. Upon retiring, she joined the full-time teaching staff at the prestigious Central School of Ballet in London (1998 – 2005). Ms. del Real now lives in Miami, Fl where she continues to teach at Miami Dade College and New World School of the Arts.

Kenia Garcia Cabrera holds a Ph.D. and MFA from Cuba's Instituto Superior de Arte. A ballet professor in the dance department of the National Ballet of Cuba for fifteen years, she also served as Director of the Vocational School of the Dance Department there and as a faculty member of the International Festival of Ballet Cuba, participating as a teacher and choreographer in projects internationally. She developed curricula and programs in ballet for the National Council for Culture and the Arts in Pachuca, Mexico. Ms. Garcia Cabrera has taught classical ballet, neoclassical ballet and historical dances as well as classical repertory and has had research work published in Tablas magazine and in Cuba in the Ballet magazine. She was awarded a Research Award by the Higher Art Institute (ISA) in Cuba and has worked as a teacher and choreographer at Washington DC's Centre de Dance. She is a member of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and a 2015 member of the Conseil International de la Dance (CIC).

Gentry Isaiah George was born in Miami, Florida and studied dance with Linda Agyapong at the Community Book and Dance Academy, with Sylvia Padron at the Charles R. Drew Middle School, and with Vladimir Issaev at Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida. A graduate of New World School of the Arts High School, he also studied on scholarship at The Miami Conservatory’s Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, and The Ailey School. Mr. George than went on to graduate from The Juilliard School and to dance professionally with two of the nation’s leading dance companies, the Ailey II Company and the world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem Company under the direction of Virginia Johnson/ Mr. George performed works by choreographers Alvin Ailey, , Robert Battle, Martha Graham, Ulysses Dove, Judith Jamison, Nacho Duato, Robert Garland,Uri Sands, and others. Mr. George has also been a guest performer in works by Peter London (Peter London Global Dance Company), Bessie Award winning choreographer Christopher Williams (Christopher Williams Dance), and others and with New Jersey-based Lustig Dance Theater and with New York City-based choreographer Malcolm Low’s company, Formal Structure. He was featured in the New York Post in 2012 as “one of three men to watch in Ballet” and was also a recipient of a Level1 ARTS Award, given by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts/National YoungArts Foundation. He has been featured in HBO’s “Masterclass” which also stars former New York City Ballet Principal dancer Jacques d’Amboise and appeared in the feature film “Life of an Actress,” choreographed by Rumi Oyama. In 2013 he founded his company, ZEST Collective, and has created works for that company as well as a result of commissions from Peter London Global Dance Company, The Juilliard School, Higher Ground Festival (NYC), Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA), and others.

James Harragin was born in Lima, Peru and grew up in New York State. He received a BA from Portland State University and an MM from Manhattan School of Music. Harragin was Music Director of the Portland Ballet Company and performed the role of "Grandfather" in PBC's production of "Peter and the Wolf." While in Portland he was one Page 4 of 9 of the founding members of the contemporary chamber group "Virtuosi della Rosa," and performed throughout the Pacific Northwest for over 20 years. After moving to Miami, Mr. Harragin became the Music Director of Christ Congregational Church and has worked at New World School of the Arts for the last 25 years.

A BFA graduate of The Juilliard School, Herman Payne has performed with the Aspen Ballet and has also appeared in The International tours of Fosse and West Side Story, 9 to 5 on Broadway, The New York City Center Encores’ production of The Wiz, House of Flowers, Pajama Game, Radio City Christmas Spectacular (2000 – 2012) and Michael Jackson’s 30th Anniversary Special. In addition to Michael Jackson, Herman has worked with Mariah Carey, Usher, Mya, Destiny’s Child, Whitney Houston, Deborah Cox, Thalia, Tony Moran, Lisa Lisa, Kevin Aviance, Love INC and Camp LO. Payne has choreographed industrials and corporate events and has been a faculty member for numerous summer intensives, including Miami City Ballet, Springfield Ballet, Performance Edge and The Theatre Arts and Minds. Industrials include events for LANA MARKS, Herbal Life and The International Hustle and Salsa Competition Corporation. Payne has also appeared on Saturday Night Live and in the motion pictures Marci X, Bolden/The Great Observer, and Tony Tango. Other professional credits include working with new recording artist Ashley Allen as well as singer-songwriter Ari Gold and multi-talented performer KFIR, and also serving as Resident Judge for the 2014 Midwest Starz Dance Competition Tour.

DeAnn Petruschke began training at the School of Cleveland Ballet under the tutelage of Daniel Job and Roni Mahler. She continued her training at the School of American Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Milwaukee Ballet Schools. During Ms. Petruschkes' ballet career she danced as a soloist and in the corps de ballet for Ballet Arizona, Cleveland Ballet, San Jose Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Grand Rapids Ballet and Ballet Gamonet. While performing with the Grand Rapids Ballet, she joined the school faculty. Ms. Petruschke has continued her teaching career as faculty and guest instructor at schools in Michigan, Ohio and South Florida, where she has been a faculty member at the Miami City Ballet since June 2012.

Originally from Nagoya, Japana. danced professionally with the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), Nagoya Theatre de Ballet (Japan), Maximum Dance Company (Miami), Ballet Gamonet (Miami), and Complexions Contemporary Ballet (New York) and she was repeatedly invited to Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Boca Ballet Theater and Gala performances in Holland and Japan. She received numerous awards in International Competitions including the Scholarship prize in 1989 Prix de Lausanne International Ballet Competition, the First prize in 90’ Paris International Dance Competition and others. Ms. Sakakibara-Sliva has studied at Yoko Tsukamoto Ballet Studio in Nagoya, Japan and at The Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in Belgium.

Toranika Washington, CMA, is a Certified Movement Analyst through the Laban Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, New York, and a certified Kemetic Yoga Instructor. She holds an MFA in Choreography, Jacksonville University, an MA in Teaching & Learning, Nova Southeastern University, and a BA in Radio & TV Broadcasting, University of Central Florida. Her dance training began with Michael Williams and Susan Quinn, former members of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. She is a Registered Somatic Movement Page 7 of 9 Educator, and a member of the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association. Somatic Soul Food is her private coaching practice where she helps businesses with leadership and engagement.

Born in Bethesda, Maryland, received her BFA in Dance from University of Florida/New World School of the Arts. Ms. Wiesen trained at the Miami Conservatory with Thomas Armour and Robert Pike and with Judith Newman and Gerard Ebitz at New World School of the Arts. She performed as a soloist with the Miami Ballet and New World School of the Arts. Ms. Wiesen joined the faculty of the Miami Conservatory in 1984. She progressed from instructor to Ballet Mistress of the Junior company and assumed the Directorship of the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet in 2003. In 1989, Ms. Wiesen founded the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet Scholarship Program, which under her direction has grown from 20 students to over 500 students at five locations. In addition to her directorship of the TAYB, Ms. Wiesen is a member of the dance faculty of the New World School of the Arts. Ms. Wiesen has been honored by the Arts and Business Council for her contribution to encouraging diversity in the world of dance in Miami-Dade County and for the impact she has had on the lives of so many talented, underprivileged students. Dance is Ms. Wiesen’s second career. Prior to returning to her first love, dance, Ms. Wiesen held a variety of positions as a Registered Nurse, including Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Duke University Medical Center.

Technical Staff

Joshua Gumbinner

305-237-3686
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Joshua Gumbinner began working in technical theater while a student at the University of Florida. Joshua then went on to intern at Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival and received his BFA in lighting design with honors from the University of Florida, and he is now on his twentieth year as the resident lighting designer and technical director for New World School of the Arts. Joshua is also a freelance lighting designer for many of South Florida’s dance and theatre companies and venues which have included : Peter London Global Dance Theatre, Dance Now! Miami, Freddick Bratcher Dance Company, Josee Garant Dance, The Lake Worth Playhouse, the Adrienne Arsht Center Carnival Theater, the Kravis Center, Miami-Dade County County Auditorium, the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet, BAK Middle School of the Arts, iMEE Dance, Rosie Herrera, the Miami Light Project, the Florida Dance Festival, and many others.

Costumers

Haydée Morales

Maria Morales

Therapy Staff

Christine Lessard, DPT

Accompanists

Maria Del Frade

Sean Dibble

Vivian Gonzalez

James (Jay) Harragan

Ignacio Nunez

Jose Ruiz Elcoro