Desert Dance Theatre
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AZ  Dance  Festival 2019 Scottsdale  
Performing  companies

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Afternoon/Evening Lineup
Dates & Times
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AlignDance Theatre 
Contemporary Modern
Wendy Ellis / Director & Choreographer
​www.studiokineticsdance.com


Wendy Ellis started AlignDanceTheatre as a Foundation Choreographer Grant recipient in Texas.  Now back in Arizona after years of professional work as dance educator, dancer, choreographer, Pilates instructor and studio owner  she has had the opportunity start growing from her roots again. Wendy is excited to share her dance work at ADF.
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Astarte Belly Dance Troupe 
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Middle Eastern Cabaret Belly Dance
Gazelle Robertson, Director
Facebook: Astarte Belly Dance
 
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Astarte is a Professional Belly Dance Troupe created and directed by Gazelle since 1995. The group performs at Restaurants, Cultural Festivals, Special Events, Conventions, and Private Parties.A variety of cultural influences and dance artists have inspired Gazelle to develop her Universal Cabaret Style of Belly Dance.   Performing professionally since 1979, she began teaching the art of Belly Dance in 1991 and now is an Egyptian Trained Certified Belly Dance Instructor.   A professional Costume Designer Gazelle owns “Cloud Creations” Custom Costumes.  Gazelle’s designs and experience include producing a diversity of custom exotic clothing and costumes for Dancers.
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CaZo Dance Theatre 
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Contemporary Modern
Bridgette Borzillo, Artistic Director
www.cazodance.com


​CaZo Dance Theatre is currently an education partner with Mesa Arts Center and is lead by Bridgette Caron Borzillo. CaZo is a Kinesthetic Storytelling Company that prides themselves on evoking emotion to their audience while using dance as therapy for the dancers. Their work has been seen all over Arizona, including Flagstaff, and in Las Vegas.
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Angel Castro/HALO Movement Collective 
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Contemporary Modern
Angel Castro, Director

www.halomovementcollective.com

Angel’s work has been recognized by JAVA Magazine as “At the Forefront of Contemporary Dance in Phoenix, and has received multiple nominations for Phoenix Mayor’s Arts Award. He was also named one of Phoenix’s 100 Creatives of 2015 by Phoenix New Times.
Angel is excited to be celebrating HALO Movement Collective’s 7th season.  Since its inception he has produced multiple dance films and six original evening length productions. He is currently hard at work with HALO Movement Collective on their 5th original evening length work REST IN THE MOURNING set to premiere February 2020.
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Candy Jimenez / Dulce Dance Company 
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Contemporary Modern
Candy Jimenez, Artistic Director/Choreographer
DulceDanceCompany/Facebook

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Dulce is a Contemporary Modern Dance company emphasizing in technical artistic expression.  Dulce’s mission is to access something greater through the timeless universal language of dance.  Candy earned her BFA at Arizona State University and was awarded the “Outstanding Undergraduate Dance Major” award from the National Dance Association.  She continued her training at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center in New York City.  Upon returning to the valley, Candy joined Desert Dance Theater as a Core Dancer, Choreographer, and Associate Artistic Director.  She then founded Dulce Dance Company and has been producing work since it’s inception in 2006.  As she continues to work artistically, Candy continues enriching Education with Dance through earning her Master’s in Educational Administration Degree.  
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Crossroads Performance Group 
Interdisciplinary Music and Dance Collaboration
Lisa R. Chow & Step Raptis / Co-Founders, Co-Artistic Directors
Email: crossroadsduo@yahoo.com

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Crossroads Performance Group is an interdisciplinary – music and dance duet company that creates performances with an intimate, entertaining and artistic atmosphere. The collaborating duo, Step Raptis and Lisa Chow, have performed together since 1989. They explore the merging of movement, sound and drama to create new forms of performance art in its purest form. Crossroads Performance Group embraces many styles of music and dance. CPG offers classes, workshops, lecture demonstrations, special presentations and performances.
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Armando "Decoy" Muñoz 
Pop Locking

www.facebook.com/armando.munoz.12


Armando Muñoz, known as “Decoy,” specializes in hip hop and pop locking. He has been dancing for ten years and is a member of Funny Bones Crew.  Decoy performed on America’s Got Talent Season 3, Arizona Lowrider Super Show, and “HYPE” (Helping Young People Excel) hosted by Pastor Stuart Smith. He has opened up festival concerts for Ice Cube, Future, T.i, Jordan Sparks, Kirko Bangz, Mc Magic, DJ Richie Rich, Dj Voz, Dj Inferno / Sweet 16 Guest Entertainer, and Church for the Nations holiday performances.  Decoy was First Place All Styles Champion in the 2018 World of Dance Championship of Arizona hosted by Paul Mitchell, Neyo, and Jennifer Lopez.  A Phoenix resident, he is particularly interested in showcasing, performing, teaching, facilitating and providing workshops, and is open to collaborations. His services are available for private and/or public performances and classes.
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Desert Dance Theatre 
Contemporary Modern
Lisa R. Chow / Artistic Director, Choreographer Step Raptis / Artistic Director, Music Director, Choreographer 
www.DesertDanceTheatre.org


Desert Dance Theatre is a contemporary dance company that was founded in 1979. The company has an eclectic variety of dances in the current repertory, which range from classical, comical, abstract and theatrical. The company offers a variety of quality programs to schools and communities that are inspiring, entertaining and educational, including: master classes, lecture demonstrations and performances. Desert Dance Theatre also specializes in theme-related programs that focus on cultural diversity and about the lives of prominent people who have fought for freedom in America through the form of music, dance, dramas. We have completed a trilogy of civil rights productions, “Free At Last,” “Sister Moses: The Story of Harriet Tubman,” and “Judgments.” The company has also collaborated with String Sounds (string quartet), touring and performing over thousands of children’s performances in elementary schools since 1985.
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Gauri Bhobe / Sanskaar Nritya Dance Academy Bharatanatyam/Indian Classical
Gauri Bhobe-Director and Founder
Facebook: Gauri bhobe; Insta@dancingauri

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Gauri has been learning this art form called Bharatanatyam, a 3000 years old classical dance style originating from the South of India, since the age of six. Now after three decades she is teaching and performing in Arizona and travels within USA and India to perform and conduct workshops. Her wish is to make this style popular and relatable to the audience.  
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Gauri has her dance school called SNDA in Chandler where  students ages from 5 years to even adults come and enjoy learning this art.  She taught a world cultural class in Chandler Gilbert community college and intends to make this a course in the curriculum in performing arts subject.  Gauri has won prestigious awards from Government of India with junior and senior level for scholarship and has achieved a diploma in dance as well.
Recent performance have been the Herberger Theatre, the Wednesday Club, Fine Arts Association festivals and as regular performer for ADF.   She has also performed in Asian cultural festivals and regularly performs in all Indian cultural events across the valley.
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Analia Farfan/Ajkun Ballet Theatre
Classical Ballet

Analia Farfan, Principal Dancer
www.ilililili.com/analia-farfan.html 


Ms. Analia Farfan, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, began studying Classical Ballet with Josefina Serrano, Olga Ferri, and Gurkel-Lereder among others. She graduated with Honors from “Maria Ruanova Institute” as a National Ballet and Contemporary Dance Teacher. Ms. Farfan received a scholarship from Marika Besobrasova at Princess Grace Academy in Monaco and later trained with Valentina Kozlova, Galina Panova and Hector Zaraspe. She was a member of the “Liliana Belfiore Studio Company “ (Buenos Aires), “Pennsylvania Youth Ballet” (Pennsylvania), ”The Metropolitan Opera Ballet” (New York), “American Youth Ballet” (New York), “Richard Marsden Ballet” (New York), “Tbilisi Paliashvili Ballet and Opera, directed by Nina Ananiashvili (Georgia, Tbilisi), “Ray Ballet” (Russian-American Ballet, New York, Holland, St. Petersburg), “Homo Veritas Dance Theater (HVDT)” (New York).  Ms. Farfan is currently performing with Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City as a Principal Dancer.

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Hoorvash Dance Co.
Classical Persian Dance
Heidi Javaheri, Artistic Director
Email: heidi@shahrezad.com

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Hoorvash Dance Co. formed in 2012 consist of mainly Persian native ladies, dedicated to preserving, improving, teaching and performing the art of  the Persian Dance.
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Jeremiah Jenkins 
Contemporary Modern

Jeremiah Jenkins/ Choreographer
Email: candyjmnz5@gmail.com


Jeremiah D Jenkins earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts 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 Theater (AZ), Gaspard Dance Company (NYC) Lotus Contemporary Arts Co-Artistic Director (ATX), Halo Dance Company (AZ) and has guest artist with numerous companies as a independent artist. Jeremiah has had his worked selected at Breaking Ground Dance Festival, BETA Dance Festival, MultiPurpose Dance Works, and Las Vegas Dancing in the Desert Festival to name a few. Jeremiah participated in Dance Italia on a full scholarship in Lucca, Italy. He has taught in over six states, for numerous dance studios and multiple master classes. He also sits on the Judges Panel for eight national dance competitions and is on faculty for Motiv8 Dance Conventions state-wide.
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Danielle McNeal Johnson/DMJ dance collective  Contemporary Modern
Danielle Johnson/Choreographer
 www.dmjdancecollective.com

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Danielle McNeal Johnson draws from a diverse training in modern, classical/contemporary jazz, ballet and African dance.  Born and raised in Queens, NY. Danielle 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.   She received a scholarship to study dance at ASU and completed her BA in dance.  Danielle’s dance career has afforded her the opportunity to work with choreographers from all over the country and in various genres of dance.  She serves as faculty member for the Dance Academy of the White Mountains.  
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MAC & Company
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Modern Jazz
Micaela Church, Artistic Director
www.macdance.org


MAC & Company was founded from a shared passion for dance education and performance between Micaela Church and Li Pei Khoo in 2014. While being full time dance educators, Church and Khoo continue to be committed to the creative process and practice of dance as a performing art. Being both dancers and musicians, they have a particular interest in exploring the different processes that have been utilized in the integration between dance and music. With the common goal of presenting innovative work and nurturing professional growth in the field of dance and music, Church and Khoo hope to provide a platform for fellow dancers who share their passion.
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Movement Source Dance Company
Contemporary Modern

Mary Anne Fernandez Herding, Director
www.movementsourcedancecompany.org


Movement Source is an innovative, multi media contemporary dance company based in Phoenix, Arizona since 1988. Movement Source enjoys bringing dance performance and arts education programming to audiences and community members in traditional and non traditional settings. The company collaborates with other artists and art forms, creating new, exciting, relevant dance works each season. The company is made up of diverse, passionate dance artists.
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Movement Source is housed at Dance Theater West and offers open company classes Monday evenings. Movement Source hosts guiDANCE, a mentorship program for serious dance students and professional dancers. The company is committed to bringing dance into our community with generosity and enthusiasm. The company is supported in part this season by Arizona Commission on the Arts and is a member of AZDEO and Arizona Dance Coalition.
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Paradise Valley Community College Dance Program Contemporary Modern
Sonia Valle, Dance Program Director
www.paradisevalley.edu/dance 

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The dance program at Paradise Valley Community College is dedicated to providing professional dance training, to prepare students for dance careers, and offer dance classes and workshops to the community. Our program offers an Associates Degree in Fine Arts Dance as well as dance scholarships to outstanding students who are dedicated to the study of dance.

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Derrick Bernard Patten 
Contemporary Modern

Derrick Bernard Patten, Choreographer
Facebook: Derrick Patten, Instagram @drrckpatten

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A fresh new choreographer, Derrick Bernard Patten draws upon his experiences as a registered nurse to put movement on the unseen moments of human connection, helplessness, and resistance that goes on away from the public eye within healthcare.  Regardless of the topic, Derrick pushes for his pieces to contain a sediment of the lives that touch him daily through working at a hospital with smooth floor work and balletic contemporary movement.
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Step’s Junk Funk
Interdisciplinary Percussion and Movement

Step Raptis, Artistic Director
www.facebook.com/step.raptis

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Step Raptis has been dancing, creating music and exploring “junk funk” since the early 1970s in Detroit, New York City, and various parts of Canada. Using found recycled and bought items that are carefully chosen for their fine tonal quality. He creates a world in which music and dance become as one entity. Step has presented choreography for groups in Canada, New York, Michigan and Arizona. While on the roster of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, he has led workshops and outreach programs, sharing with youth the exhilaration of Step’s “junk funk” experience. Step is also the associate artistic director of Desert Dance Theatre, and co-artistic director of Crossroads Performance Group.
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Urban Øutcast Dance Company
Urban Contemporary Hip Hop

Herschel Jackson Jr., Co-Director
Urbanoutcastaz @Youtube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

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Conceived in 2016 by local dancers in Phoenix, Urban Øutcast was formed based on a small conversations. Teachers, fashion designers, hairdressers and dancers involved came from diverse aspects in life who had the same passion to teach dance and perform artistically. Urban Øutcast uses a wide variety of styles of dance styles to tell stories of life and art. Urban Øutcast is a slowly emerging dance company who works in the community by offering dances classes and participating in dance events all over!
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Yumi La Rosa
Flamenco
Yumi La Rosa, Flamenco Artist
www.yumimilarosa.com


Yumi La Rosa has studied in Spain with renowned Flamenco artists including Rafaela Carrasco, Juana Amaya, and Leonor Leal to name a few. Upon returning to Phoenix, she joined Viva Flamenco directed by Lydia Torea, and later became a soloist with Mosaico Flamenco at Hyatt Scottsdale Resort. Yumi was also selected as a soloist with the touring group, Calo Flamenco, directed by Martin Gaxiola. She was later invited to Mexico, India and Singapore to teach workshops and to perform. Currently, she is a featured dancer at Tapas Papa Frita in Scottsdale. She also organizes an annual production, Amor al Baile to give the public an appreciation of other cultures in general and Spanish culture in particular.
Yumi has been teaching flamenco for all ages throughout the valley; the School of Ballet Arizona, Arizona School for the Arts, Yen-Li Chen Ballet School, Ballet Etudes, and Arizona School of Classical Ballet.

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Zouk Phoenix Dance Company
Brazilian Zouk

Kiki Jenkins, President & Artistic Director
www.zoukphoenix.com


Zouk Phoenix Dance Company is comprised of all the Phoenix area zouk instructors. This collaboration of unity and love represents the spirit of Brazilian Zouk. Ben Sodenkamp and Kiki Jenkins have been dancing together since 2012 and are known for their electric chemistry on the dance floor and crowd-pleasing choreographies. They won first place in the 2015 Zouk US Open and launched Zouk Phoenix in 2017. Beyond their extensive training in Zouk, Ben has experience in blues dance and salsa. Kiki has experience in modern dance, ballet, jazz, and salsa.
Elijah and Deenie have been dancing together since 2011, and have experience ranging from Brazilian Samba to competitive Ballroom/Latin to West Coast Swing, Salsa, and Bachata. They took 1st place in the Amateur US Open at LA Zouk Festival 2017 and Semi-Pro division in 2018. Their dancing and teaching exhibit the creativity, expression, technique, and beauty of Zouk.
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CONTACT US
Picture
  • Home
  • Upcoming Events
    • PVCC FALL DANCE COLLECTION
    • Herberger Festival of the Arts
    • 11th Annual MIKIZTLI: Dia de Los Muertos Festival
    • ARIZONA ASIAN FESTIVAL 2022
    • OUR CEO NETWORK GALA
    • ARIZONA DANCE FESTIVAL 2022
  • About
    • Directors >
      • Board of Directors
    • Dancers
    • History >
      • Marion Kirk Jones
    • Open Classes
  • ARCHIVES
    • PVCC SPRING DANCE COLLECTION
    • NATIONAL WATER DANCE 2022
    • ARIZONA DANCE FESTIVAL 2021 >
      • ADF 2021 Poster
    • 40th Anniversary Concert >
      • Descriptions of Dances
    • Arizona Dance Festival 2019 >
      • Scottsdale Festival Companies >
        • Scottsdale Aft/Eve Lineup
      • Prescott Festival Lineup >
        • Prescott Festival Companies
        • Prescott Master Classes
    • Past Events 2019
  • Repertory
    • Sister Moses
  • Bookings
  • Your Support
    • WAYS TO GIVE
    • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Deborah Pualani Blackmon
  • Home
  • Open Classes
  • PVCC FALL DANCE COLLECTION