FACULTY 2010-11
JACQUELINE PORTER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR and Instructor in all levels Ballet, Pointe +Variations, Theatre Dance, Broadway Jazz, Jazz Technique and Broadway Babies) moved to New York at 17 and landed her first Actor’s Equity role within a month. In 25 years as a dancer, actress, Master Teacher, writer and businesswoman Jacqueline has performed in two Broadway shows (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jerome Robbins’ Broadway), three National Tours including The Unsinkable Molly Brown (covering Debbie Reynolds in the title role) and acted in principal roles Off-Broadway and in regional theatre. She has taught over 4,000 students of all ages to dance from Beverly Hills to Tokyo -- in venues ranging from public school blacktops and international poverty missions to top ballet schools, upscale gyms and Hollywood producers’ homes. Jacqueline was ballet-trained at the world renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, is a graduate of Smith College in Comparative Literature (French and English) and since 2006 is CEO + Founder of the nationally recognized J.Q. PORTER Exquisite Travel, an award-winning travel company specializing in elite Arts + Sports Travel. She just arrived from New York in 2008 and is delighted to be a part of the Dallas Arts Boom!
ALLISON WATSON (Ballet Instructor Ballet + Pointe for all ages and levels, YAGP competition coach) is Dallas' most experienced instructor of very young ballet students. Formerly a professional ballet dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Allison is a Dallas Native and studied with Tuzer Ballet and the Etgen Atkinson School, dancing leading roles for the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. As a student she was scholarship recipient to the prestigious summer programs at the Joffrey, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet and The Rock School. Concurrent with her post at Park Cities Dance /The Dallas Conservatory for the Arts, Ms. Watson is Director of Dance at St. Christopher's Montessori. Allison has been teaching all ages and levels, from 2 through adult for twelve years.
KEIRA LEVERTON (Tap Instructor, all ages and levels) toured nationally and internationally with Barney’s "Colorful World" as dance captain as well as nationally and internationally with "Sesame Street Live" for a total of three years. The granddaughter of tap legend Buster Cooper, Keira has studied with her grandfather an many great tap artists such as Barbara Philips, Acia Gray, Lane Alexander, and Fagan. An accomplished actress too, Acting credits include the leading role in a film that played at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Keira co-directs the Drawbacks Youth Tap Ensemble, a touring semi-pro tap group based in Dallas, and maintains constant interaction with the international tap community so that she may bring fresh and up-to-date material to her students.
TODD TERRY (TV+Film Acting, ages 7-Adult) began a career in television, film and theater over 20 years ago. He has performed i n theaters from Texas to Europe, and worked with Sally Field, Jeff Bridges, Clint Black, Chuck Norris, Earnest Borgnine , Richard Crenna and John Schneider. Among some 20 TV shows and movies and a half-dozen films, Todd has co-starred in two network TV movies of the week: In the Name of Love: A Texas Tragedy and co-starred or guest-starred in the TV series Friday Night Lights, Breaking Bad, Chase, My Generation, Walker-Texas Ranger andWishbone . A native Dallasite, Todd studied at The National Youth Theater of Great Britain, American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco and Professional Actors Conservatory in Los Angeles. He served as the President of the Dallas/Ft Worth branch of the Screen Actors Guild in 2001.
______________________________
ELIZABETH PARKINSON (Permanent Guest Faculty, Ballet and Theatre Dance) is considered to be the greatest female Broadway dancer to emerge in the last decade. Her Tony Award-nominated performance in Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out is iconic to all dancers, and thousands of dancers and teachers throughout the world made the pilgrimage to New York to see her performance. She is a former principal dancer with the Joffrey and Feld Ballet Companies, and is married to the legendary Broadway song and dance man-turned producer, Scott Wise! Elizabeth is a faculty member of Broadway Dance Center, a Master Teacher nationwide, and she and husband Scott Wise have their own studio, FineLine Arts, in Connecticut.
Write info@parkcitiesdance.com for info on Elizabeth's next visit!
Registration for Permanent Guest Faculty workshops is being taken now. Write us a note to reserve your spot with your name, dance background, age, and contact info here.
DOUG MILLER (Director of Musical Theatre and Intructor of Voice, Acting, and Musical Theatre for all ages and levels) is well known to Dallas audiences as a Director, Actor, Casting Director and Vocal Instructor. He has won numerous awards for his stage work in Dallas; a partial listing of Best Director awards includes the Leon Rabin Award (2004, 2005), the Dallas Observer People's Choice Award (2005, 2006), The Column People's Choice Award (2004, 2005, 2007) and the DFW Critics Choice Award as Dallas’ Best Director (2004). Doug served as Performance Director for BARNEY & FRIENDS (PBS) for several seasons and is a former President of the Dallas Theatre League. He recently directed Dallas Children's Theater's successful mini-series of Clack, Clack, Moo and Giggle Giggle, Quack, as well as the DCT National Tour of Giggle, Giggle, Quack on tour through 2011.
ALLISON WATSON (Ballet Instructor Ballet + Pointe for all ages and levels, YAGP competition coach) is Dallas' most experienced instructor of very young ballet students. Formerly a professional ballet dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, Allison is a Dallas Native and studied with Tuzer Ballet and the Etgen Atkinson School, dancing leading roles for the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. As a student she was scholarship recipient to the prestigious summer programs at the Joffrey, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet and The Rock School. Concurrent with her post at Park Cities Dance /The Dallas Conservatory for the Arts, Ms. Watson is Director of Dance at St. Christopher's Montessori. Allison has been teaching all ages and levels, from 2 through adult for twelve years.
ROGER LEE (Hip Hop Instructor, ages 7-Adult) has choreographed and danced for Justin Timberlake ("Justifed" World Tour), Britney Spears, Janet Jackson ("All For You" World Tour), Gwen Stefani and Pink. He earned the title of professional dancer/choreographer even before graduating from high school in his hometown of Dallas. Commercial productions, live theater, and a four year stint as choreographer for the Dallas Maverick Dancers preceded his move to Los Angeles 2001 to work on Janet Jackson’s "All For You" World Tour. Since then, music videos "Like I Love You", "Rock Your Body", "Slave", the MTV Music Video Awards, and The Today Show are just a handful of places to see Roger performing. Today Roger teaches master classes all over the world and promotes his new instructional DVDs.
DARRELL CLEVELAND (Jazz Instructor, Level II-Adult) danced professionally with Top 10 recording artists Toni Braxton and En Vogue before spending eight seasons dancing with Dallas Black Dance Theatre. Now one of Dallas' busiest jazz instructors and choreographers, Darrell was recently awarded "Best Choreographer" at the 2010 PULSE Convention Southwest Region. Darrell's choreography credits include work for Dallas Summer Musicals, The Inaugural Brinker International Lecture Series, Texas Lottery commercials, Lyric Stage productions and Regional Dance America Conference. As a Master Teacher, Darrell has taught at festivals and conferences, and his outreach work includes going into the DISD school system and introducing disadvantaged children to the world of dance.
JILL S. RUCCI (Jazz Technique Instructor, all ages and levels) was a principal dancer and guest choreographer for Vissi Dance Theater in New York City for over 10 years. While in NY, Jill also performed with New Jersey Squires, Bare Bones Dance Company and was a principal West African-style dancer with Magna BA Drum and Dance Company. Jill has trained, taught, performed and presented her choreography in many cities including Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York, and also produces dance and theater including her current endeavor, the new dance drama, "Exchange Street ". With a formal degree from Dean College in Franklin, MA (where she studied all forms of dance, musical theater, dance education, and voice), Jill also studied at Alvin Ailey, earning Certifications in Modern and Contemporary. She has recently relocated to Dallas from NYC, and continues to dance professionally with Contemporary Ballet Dallas, where she was a guest choreographer for CBD’s Wild & Free Concert, and "Sidewalk Stories".
KEIRA LEVERTON (Tap Instructor, all ages and levels) toured nationally and internationally with Barney’s "Colorful World" as dance captain as well as nationally and internationally with "Sesame Street Live" for a total of three years. The granddaughter of tap legend Buster Cooper, Keira has studied with her grandfather an many great tap artists such as Barbara Philips, Acia Gray, Lane Alexander, and Fagan. An accomplished actress too, Acting credits include the leading role in a film that played at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Keira co-directs the Drawbacks Youth Tap Ensemble, a touring semi-pro tap group based in Dallas, and maintains constant interaction with the international tap community so that she may bring fresh and up-to-date material to her students.
______________________________
FRANCOIS PERRON (Regular Visiting Guest Faculty 2011-12, Ballet Instructor Level II-Adult) is a graduate of the Paris Opera Ballet School, and comes from a family of French ballet dancers and stars. Before moving to the US in 1984, Francois danced with La Scala in Milan, where Maurice Bejart invited him to Brussels to be a part of Bejart’s famed company. His first principal contract came in 1980 with the Northern Ballet Theatre of England, and later in the US with the Joffrey Ballet. Invited by Peter Martins to dance for New York City Ballet, Francois remained with that company for six years before leaving to accept a position with American Ballet Theatre. He has guest danced heavily throughout America, and taught and choreographed extensively for the nations’ most prestigious training schools including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Juilliard. Francois devoted the last ten years to his work as Managing Artistic Director of Studio Maestro in NYC and its performing company, the Manhattan Youth Ballet. He is now Artistic Director of his own school, the prestigious French Academie of Ballet in NYC.
Write info@parkcitiesdance.com for info on Francois' next visit July 9-13th, 2012
ELIZABETH PARKINSON (Permanent Guest Faculty, Ballet and Theatre Dance) is considered to be the greatest female Broadway dancer to emerge in the last decade. Her Tony Award-nominated performance in Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out is iconic to all dancers, and thousands of dancers and teachers throughout the world made the pilgrimage to New York to see her performance. She is a former principal dancer with the Joffrey and Feld Ballet Companies, and is married to the legendary Broadway song and dance man-turned producer, Scott Wise! Elizabeth is a faculty member of Broadway Dance Center, a Master Teacher nationwide, and she and husband Scott Wise have their own studio, FineLine Arts, in Connecticut.
Write info@parkcitiesdance.com for info on Elizabeth's next visit!
MICHELLE KITTRELL (Permanent Guest Faculty, Theatre Dance and How To Audition) has performed in eight Broadway shows, most recently as Dance Captain and featured performer in the runaway hit Legally Blonde. A winner of Broadway’s coveted Gypsy Robe not once but three times, Michelle’s special energy and verve have lit the stages ofHairspray, Footloose (both as Dance Captain), Grease, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Wonderful Town and more. Read all about her busy career at MichelleKittrell.com!Now working as a theatrical agent for the prestigious Gersh agency, Michelle is a leading authority from BOTH sides of the table on auditioning for - and GETTING the role.
Write info@ParkCitiesDance.com for info on Michelle's next visit!
___________________________
WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR YOU!!! If you are a top dance, theatre, fitness, film, TV, art, photography or music professional living in DFW with good professioanl credits, please let us know about you here!