MEET  THE  DANCERS

George Johnson started studying dance at the age of 20 under the direction of Lena De Marco.  He has danced with numerous companies including Movement Source, Footwork Dance Project, and Dulce Dance Company.  George also had the privilege of being part of special dance projects such as "The White Oak Dance Project," where he had the opportunity to perform in a piece with Mikhail Baryshnikov.  He also worked with Nina Watt in a remake of "Missa Brevis" a piece by Jose Limon.  George has also choreographed for Dulce Dance Company and has shown his work at the Arizona Dance Festival. In the community, he is also very active as an artist, designer, and actor.
Arielle Lemke began dancing when she was 14 years old at her high school in Gilbert, AZ. She continued her dance studies and received her BFA in Dance Education from Arizona State University in 2019. Arielle has performed in events around the Phoenix area such as Beta Dance Festival and Experimental Art Night. She also danced with Rogue Dance Theater for four seasons. She is now excited to be a part of Desert Dance Theatre. 
Caroline Liddicoat started dancing at the age of three.  Her love for the arts eventually led to playing the piano and flute, singing in various honor, all-state, jazz, and show choirs; theater, performance and competitive dance, and varsity cheer.   After high school she entered medical school and received her Doctor of Pharmacy in 2008.  In  2011 she returned to dance and since has been blessed to dance with burlesque companies The Catchpenny Dandies, Troubadour Cafe and Scandalesque.  She has danced with Evolution Hip Hop Crew, Kinematix Hip Hop Crew, was a guest dancer with HT Chen & Dancers from New York City and Center Dance Ensemble; she's danced in music videos, and has been a backup dancer for many local and non-local performers, including Frenchie Davis. Currently Caroline is dancing her 8th season with Desert Dance Theatre.
Ignacio Jara Morales
Originally from Chile, Ignacio began his formal studies at the Universidad Academia de Humanismo Christiano with a major in Modern Dance in 2012. In parallel since 2013, he has specialized independently in the study of various  forms of Urban Dance and Performance. He has performed for several modern and contemporary choreographers in Chile, wit companies such as INVICTUS (2010), DANZA JAM (2013), VOLAR (2013), POLAR (2016), CÍa Experimental (2021), among others. He has also participated in various national and international festivals, such as the International Dance Meeting "De Wuppertal" - Cycle II, with members of thyme "Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch" (2015), Festival Danza EXTREMA in Mexico (2018), Festival de Viña del Mar (2020), among others. Professor with extensive experience, Ignacio has been able to teach classes to athletes and dancers in Chile, Mexico and USA. As a choreographer, he has presented pieces in Chile, Peru and Argentina.
Jennifer Milani is a native of Alberta, Canada, and grew up in Western Maryland and began her dance training at the City Ballet School under the direction of Danielle Horochowski. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Point Park University in 2019. During her time at Point Park, Jennifer performed works by Maree ReMalia, Kiesha Lalama, Colleen Hooper, Susan Stowe, among others. She also has attended workshops at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance with Bobbi Jene Smith as well as an intensive with the American Ballet Theatre. Prior to moving to Arizona, Jennifer spent two seasons dancing with Ballet Legato in Cleveland, Ohio. This is Jennifer's first season with Desert Dance Theatre.
Carrie (CJ) Avalos was born and raised in Neptune, New Jersey. She began her studies as a dancer after being accepted in the dance/musical theater program at Red Bank Regional Performing Arts Center in 1987. Carrie has performed in numerous theater productions such as Hello Dolly, Pippin, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Grease. After relocating to Phoenix in 1989, Carrie continued her dance training with Francis Cohen Smith, Lisa Chow and Step Raptis. Carrie’s love of movement prompted her to study yoga, she has been teaching since 2005. Carrie is a Certified peer support, health and wellness coach. She utilizes her experience in dance and yoga to create enriching healing services, provided in the recovery and behavioral health community.
Candy Jimenez earned her BFA at Arizona State University and was awarded the "Outstanding Undergraduate Dance Major" award from the National Dance Association.  Candy continued her training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York City.  Upon returning to the valley, Candy joined Desert Dance Theater where she eventually became a Core Dancer, Choreographer, and Associate Artistic Director.  She has worked with choreographers, artists and teachers such as Cliff Keuter, Elina Mooney, Neta Pulvamacher, Jennifer Tsukayma, Mary Fitzgerald, Nina Watt, Denise Jefferson, HT Chen, Billbob Brown, Marion Kirk Jones, teachers of Donald McKayle Intensive, Diane McNeal Hunt, Pamela Pietro, and Chad Michael Hall.  She has worked with artists such as Lee Berger, Ernesto Moncada, Jack Evans and composers/musicians such as Azul, James Cerrachio, and RPM Orchestra, Michael Watt, and Judd Greenstein.  Candy shares her love of dance with her students at Cesar Chavez High School where she started the dance program; now going on  her 20th year there.   Wanting to cultivate the dance community in Arizona, Candy founded Dulce Dance Company, where she has been able to share her work and perform the work of others throughout the country.   Candy recently earned her Masters in Educational Administration with Principalship. 
Danielle Johnson is from Queens, NY.  She began her formal dance training at the age of 12.  Danielle went on to pursue dance as a professional career and received scholarships to study at the Alvin Ailey School of Dance (Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and Dunham Technique) and Nanette Bearden Contemporary Dance Theater (African Dance and Jazz). While in New York, Danielle had the honor to train for two years under Jazz dance master Luigi. Danielle received a scholarship to study dance at ASU and received her BA in dance.  Danielle has been a company member of Desert Dance Theatre for over 20 years, where she had the opportunity to work with choreographers from all over the country, such as H.T. Chen, Neta Pulvamacher, Cliff Keuter, Elina Mooney,  Billbob Brown, Candy Jimenez, Virginia Nicolas, and Marion Kirk Jones.
Sakeena Cavanar has been a dancer with Desert Dance Theatre since childhood in various roles, eventually becoming a core company member while earning her BA in Chinese and Asian Studies from ASU. Since childhood, Sakeena has studied a variety of dance disciplines including Ballet, Modern, Lyrical, Latin Salsa, African, Tap, and Scottish Highland where she won several competition awards.   She trained at Eastside Ballet in Phoenix  and Tapestry Dance Academy in Austin, TX where she danced with Visions in Rhythm, the junior company of Tapestry Dance Company. Sakeena continues her dance training at Contemporary Ballet Dallas and Dallas Black Dance Theatre. She is an original cast member of Desert Dance’s longest-running production, “Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman,” dancing alongside her mother Renee Davis.
Erik Canales is a proud Mexican American artist who began his love for dance at 13 years old, dancing and choreographing at Cesar Chavez High School under the guidance of Candy Jimenez.  He has since danced with Jimenez's Dulce Dance Company, Liliana Gomez, and is now currently in his third season dancing and choreographing for Ignite Collaborative.  Erik explores dance by choreographing pieces that are personal,  yet speak to the community as well.  He was part of the 2018 lineup for the much-acclaimed BlakTina festival in Phoenix, a festival which celebrates the work of Black and Latinx choreographers.  There he premiered “The Invisibles,” a dance that sheds light on the struggles of the immigrant in our time.  This is his first season with Desert Dance Theatre.
Jeremiah D. Jenkins earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree at Sam Houston State University. He has danced with numerous dance companies around the U.S. including: Urban Souls (TX), Dulce Dance Company and Scorpius Dance Theatre (AZ), Gaspard Dance Company (NYC), Lotus Contemporary Arts, Co-Artistic Director (TX), Halo Movement Collective (AZ), and has been an independent guest artist with numerous companies. Jeremiah has had his dance works performed at Breaking Ground Dance Festival, BETA Dance Festival, MultiPurpose Dance Works, Las Vegas Dance in the Desert Festival and more. Jeremiah participated in Dance Italia on a full scholarship in Lucca, Italy. He has taught and conducted multiple master classes in numerous dance studios in over 6 states. He is also a judge for 8 National Dance Competitions and on the faculty for Motiv8 Dance Conventions statewide.
Derrick Patten began his training at the age of 13 in the rural town of Show Low, Arizona. He grew up as a competition dancer under the direction of Rebecca Eagle and Breanna Adams at the Dance Academy of the White Mountains, while seeking further modern training from Danielle Mcneal Johnson. He then transferred for eight months to Ballet Etudes in Gilbert, Arizona under the direction of Sharon Seder Meko.  Eventually returning to Show Low, he obtained his Associate of Applied Science in Nursing and is currently working on his Master’s of Applied Science in Nursing at ASU while working at the Summit Healthcare Regional Medical Center. He is so blessed to have danced with Desert Dance Theatre for the last two years and continues to teach at the Dance Academy of the White Mountains. 
Shayna da Cruz grew up in Presque Isle, Maine. She has been dancing for 18 years and teaching for 15 of those years. She trained under Kim Lauritsen at MoonDance Studios in various areas of dance. Shayna has also trained in figure skating and competed and tested through out New England in Freestyle and Dance. Shayna has a BA in Christian School Education from Kingswood University in Sussex, New Brunswick, Canada, and a BA in Education from the University of Maine Presque Isle. Shayna moved to Show Low, AZ in 2015 to teach third grade at Mountain Christian School and now works at White Mountain Bible Church as the Directory of Children’s Minstry working with Infants-6th grade. Shayna teaches at The Dance Academy and Company and has been able to perform at dance festivals such as Breaking Ground, Dance in the Desert and The Arizona Dance Festival under DMJ Dance Collective.  This is her first season with Desert Dance Theatre.