Board of Directors
| Executive Committee |
Board Members |
| Lisa R. Chow
President & Co-founder of Arizona Dance Coalition Artistic Director of Desert Dance Theatre BFA Dance, Arizona State University Lisa is Desert Dance Theatre’s (DDT) artistic director, company manager, choreographer, performer and educator. DDT has been on the roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts since 1981 and has toured throughout Arizona, Mexico, California, Nevada, Texas, New York and the northwestern states. She choreographs children’s programs in collaboration with String Sounds (String Quartet). Chow is the co-founder and co-artistic director of Crossroads Performance Group along with Step Raptis, performing interdisciplinary music and dance projects since 1989. She was 1st Vice President of the Arizona Dance Arts Alliance(2002- 05), coordinated many Arizona Dance Festivals, and was a major force in the formation of the Arizona Dance Coalition. |
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DiTina Jade Vice President & Co-founder Choreographer/Dancer Reiki Teacher; ChT; LMT DiTina’s work has always involved stepping inside the body — emotions, spirit and soul –to create an individual idiom of dance. Her passion for expression without hesitation has led to the discovery that every day has its own dance. She brings this energy to ADC with a desire to create a vital networking organization for dancers in Arizona. DiTina has worked in New Mexico at the Santa Fe School of Ballet, Las Vegas Ballet Company and many local studios. While living in Texas she performed with Collin County Community College and taught gymnastics, ballet, jazz, and balance for TEAM. She is currently the Dance Instructor & Coordinator at Bourgade Catholic High School (Phoenix) and after school production manager of the dance squad. |
| Casey Blake, Treasurer MFA Dance & Technology, Arizona State University BA Theatre & Dance, James Madison University Casey is the is the Visual Arts & Performing Arts Program Associate and Special Projects Coordinator at the at the Arizona Commission on the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her talents as dancer to technical manager to co–director have been utilized by such Arizona dance groups as Rayn Dance Theatre, Desert Dance Theatre, CALO Flamenco and and SCC Moving Company. Her choreographic and collaborative works have received recognition at the American College Dance Festival American College Dance Festival, the Underexposed Series in NYC and the Third International Symposium of Interactive Media Art and Designin Istanbul, Turkey. She is a recent recipient of an MCLI Learning Grant (Scottsdale Community College). Casey continues to develop her Phoenix dance listing website danceinphoenix.com and is collaborating with Beth Bradford on exciting new dance works. |
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Kelsey Wolf, Secretary Assistant Director Gravity Jazz Dance Theatre Kelsey is a graduate of the Arizona School for the Arts in Phoenix and has also trained at the School of Ballet Arizona, Eastside Ballet Center Ballet Arizona, and Studio One Studio Performing Arts Center where she studied ballet, jazz, modern, tap, pointe and musical theater. She continued her training as a dance major at the University of Arizona in Tucson. In addition to working with the professional jazz dance company Gravity Jazz Dance Theatre, Kelsey teaches classes at at DancEnergy Performing Arts Center in Gilbert. She is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Science in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at Arizona State University. |
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Gina Darlington Executive Director Canyon Movement Company Gina has performed in dance companies in Utah, Missouri, Nebraska and Arizona. She has traveled to Ireland and Italy with Canyon Movement Company, directed numerous community events and has been an Artist-in Residence for the State of Arizona. Gina is a faculty member for Coconino Community College and has recently been a guest teacher at the American College Dance Festival. She received her degree in Professional Dance from Brigham Young University. Gina keeps busy with her husband, five sons, daughter-in-law and new granddaughter. |
| Marlina Kessler BFA Dance, Arizona State University Costume Designer Marlina is currently in charge of the dance program for the Mesa Arts Center. She earned a B.F.A. in dance with a secondary education emphasis from Arizona State University. Throughout her 25-year career, Marlina has studied with a variety of teachers: Cliff &Elina Keuter, Bill Evansand Marian Giannatti, to name a few. She is a founding member of The Movement Source Dance Company and currently resides as their costume designer. |
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Jayne Lee Co-director Human Nature Dance Theatre Canyon Movement Company Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner® Jayne has been teaching movement arts for over 30 years and has choreographed more than 100 dances for companies worldwide. Trained as a dancer in London and at Julliard, she danced and choreographed for London Contemporary Dance Theatre for 10 years and toured internationally. In addition to being on the artists’ roster for the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Jayne is an associate faculty member at Coconino Community College, she choreographs regularly for Northern Arizona University’s theatre department and is a visiting instructor at Prescott College. Jayne resides in Flagstaff, is a Grand Canyon river guide and sits on the board of Grand Canyon River Guides. |
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Ann Ludwig Artistic Director A Ludwig Dance Theatre Ann has been Artistic Director of A Ludwig Dance Theatre since 1977 and has received wide acclaim for her choreography in the US, Portugal, Germany and Mexico. She is Professor Emerita of Dance at Arizona State University(ASU)and has taught at the University of Kansas, San Diego State University and the University of Iowa, where she chaired the Dance Program. Ann has received the Arizona Governor’s Award for Women Who Create and is on the Tempe list of All-American Women. She has an Alumni Achievement Award from North Dakota State University(NDSU)and an Honorary Dance Award from the Arizona Dance Arts Alliance. She is on the Council of Emeritus College of ASU and the Board of Visitors for College of Human Development and Education, NDSU. |
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Kenda Newbury Artistic Director, AZDance Group Creator/Director, Movement E-Motion www.azdance.org and www.kendanewbury.com. Kenda Newbury, classically trained by Mr. Kelly Brown of the Phoenix School of Ballet, has been a working professional for over 29 years. She is the artistic director of AZDance Group, a professional contemporary touring dance company and created her educational and inspirational dance program for individuals with different abilities, Movement E-Motion (MEM). Her training, performing and choreographic credits are varied and include the entertainment industry as well as concert dance. She is a former dance instructor/professor of Boston College, Boston University, Dean College and through the Maricopa County Community College District (SCC, PC and PVCC) as well as the Phoenix School of Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Pineapple Studio/England, The Studio/Australia and the Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education. She has a MFA from The Boston Conservatory and a BFA from Ottawa University. Ms. Newbury is a founding board member of the Arts Council of the North Valley, is their performing arts co-chair and is on the advisory board of Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble. She is a proud mother of two children, daughter Shaeleigh, aged 5 and Colin, 1 years old. |
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Krystyna Parafinczuk President, DancInc. Krystyna has been active in the Tucson dance community as a producer, business manager and consultant. She has been invited to present her research at national and international dance conferences and is a freelance dance educator, choreographer, entertainer and writer. Her current focus is on the psychological components of dance performance and the benefits of dancing for the general public. Recent productions were specifically designed to educate school children in music and dance performance and provide them with some insight into the creative process of the artists. Krystyna moved to Tucson from Chicago in 2002 and is a certified Master Dance Educator with the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. She has more than 30 years experience in classical ballet, tap, jazz, character/folk, theater and ballroom dance. |
