DDC News:
Past Instructors that have contributed to our studio's success:
Michelle Contrino Fall 2009
MICHELLE CONTRINO, teaches upper levels of ballet at DDC and is Artistic Director of Outstanding Balance Contemporary Dance Ensemble. She is originally from Kansas City, Missouri. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance in 1991 and traveled abroad for nine years, working as a dancer for various luxury cruise lines, performing in Broadway and Vegas Revue Shows. Michelle, and her husband Jay, lived in Nashville, Tennessee for three years, where she was on faculty at the School of Nashville Ballet and a member of Epiphany Modern Dance Company. Michelle earned her Masters in Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from Texas Woman’s University in 2006, as a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honors Society and the National Dean's List. She is a choreographer, director, and performance artist in the DFW area, an adjunct faculty member at Texas Woman’s University, the University of North Texas and North Central Texas College, and faculty member and assistant to the director of Tuscan Summer Dance Intensive. Michelle is leaving her teaching at DDC to accept a position as a dance professor at Southeastern Missouri State University!
Alumni News:
SILVER STAR AWARD
The Silver Star Award is Denton Dance Conservatory's recognition of those students who have achieved their pre-professional goals in dance and have chosen to continue advanced study or performance activities which will move them into the professional dance world either as performers, teachers, dance health professionals, or any number of other related occupations.
Hannah Briggs (graduated 2008)
Hannah is a
12th year DDC student and four year principal dancer with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet as well as coming up through the ranks of the Denton Youth City Ballet, Hannah is truly a shining star! After graduating near the top of her class, Hannah was awarded a full academic scholarship to Texas Woman’s University where she will attend this fall as a Modern Dance Major. We look forward to Hannah’s continued involvement with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet!
Sarah Goocher (graduated 2004)
DDC’s “Dancer of the Year” - Joe Tremaine Jan 2002 during her stay at DDC was accepted to the High School ‘division of the Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan for summer study in Ballet (1 years old) - 11 year student at DDC- Principal dancer for Denton City Contemporary Ballet and Denton Youth City Ballet. Sarah appeared in many community events including Festival Ballet’s “Nutcracker”, the local Collage Dance Festivals, Dance for the Planet 98-2001, the Denton Arts/Jazz Festival, Denton Community Theatre, Music Theatre of Denton, and others. During the summer of 2000, Sarah was accepted by and attended The Rock School of ballet summer dance program. Sarah also worked as an Asst Teacher and as a teacher at Denton Dance Conservatory. During the summer 2001, she attended the Pacific Coast Dance Festival in Los Angeles. Since graduating high school, she attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York as a musical theatre major, but is currently a Junior Dance Major at University of Texas at Austin. Sarah continues to set choreography on our dance company when she is able and is on tour in Europe with the UT Dance Department this summer!
Olivia Martin (graduated 2006)
Olivia is a five year principal with Denton City Contemporary Ballet and Denton Youth City Ballet, also accepted to Interlochen Arts Camp summer program, Intermediate Division with a major in Ballet. `She studied dance at Denton Dance Conservatory for 14 years and attended the Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive in New York, the Texas Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, Kansas City Ballet Summer Intensive, and others. Major influences in her training include Lisa Racina, Lesley Snelson-Figueroa, Stephanie Milling-Robbins, Amy Davis, Thom Clower, Ceyhun Otzoy, James Clouser and others. Most recently, Olivia auditioned for and was accepted by the Dallas Black Dance Theatre as a professional dancer in their first company. Olivia is currently completing her BFA in Ballet at the University of Oklahoma.
Kelsey Murphy (moved 2006)
Kelsey is a recent graduate of the Booker T. Washington School for the Performing Arts is planning to attend university as a dance major. Kelsey was a five year member of the Denton Youth City Ballet and a two year member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet. Kelsey left DDC in 2006 to finish high school at Dallas Arts Magnet where she was a member of their Folklorico Company. Kelsey also attended the Ballet Austin Summer Intensive as well as the Chicago Ballet summer program.
Rachel Cummings (graduated 2006)
Rachel has been dancing for 16 years. She was a six year member of Denton City Contemporary Ballet, attended Texas Christian University summer dance intensive, Pennsylvania’s University of Arts Summer World of Dance, and New York City special classes. She studied with Lisa Racina, Lesley Snelson-Figueroa, Gracie Tune, Thom Clower and James Clouser. Currently a junior Modern Dance Major at Texas Christian University, working toward her dance degree, Rachel was recently hired to choreograph for Casa Manana’s summer workshop. Rachel teaches ballet, jazz, tap, and modern at Denton Dance Conservatory while also choreographing for our dance company.
Robyn Brand (graduated 2001)
Robyn won internship thru Institute of Political Journalism with a media outlet in Washington, DC. Company member of DCCB and former principal with DYCB
Erin Clegg (moved 2004)
Erin attended Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive in Alabama (2002),accepted to Booker T. Washington School of Performing Arts. Three year member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet and five year member of the Denton Youth City Ballet. Currently attending University of North Texas as a Pre-Law Major.
Kathryn Anderson
Kathryn has performed steadily over the past 20 years. A former member of the Dance Preparatory Workshops at Southern Methodist University, the Denton Civic Ballet and Festival Ballet of North Central Texas, she was a 13 year principal with DancExpress dba Denton City Contemporary Ballet. A registered nurse by profession and a dance teacher by trade, she is currently overseeing the adult ballet program at Denton Dance Conservatory.
Shirai Meseguer (moved 2001)
Shirai danced and created the role of “Emma” in “A Gift for Emma”; principal dancer of Denton City Contemporary Ballet, she performed in her native Mexico since 1993, plus Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. A 1996 graduate of the University of Veracruz School of Dance where she studied ballet, modern dance, choreography, music and acting. She was the recipient of the University of Veracruz Scholarship 1990-1996, the Veracruz Culture Institute Performance Scholarship 1990-2000, and the Medal of Academic Merit 1997, from the State of Veracruz. She studied ballet with Joauin Banegas and Silvia Marichal, both teachers of the Cuba National Ballet. We were fortunate to have Shirai with us for three years as a principal in Denton City Contemporary Ballet. She was instrumental in helping to create the role of “Emma”, as well as sharing her performance and staging knowledge with us. We were blessed to have her with us even for such a short time. Shirai and her husband , a professional pianist, now reside in another state and have two beautiful children.
Caitlin Becker (graduated 2006)
A four year principal with DancExpress dba/Denton City Contemporary Ballet, Caitlin studied dance for 15 years at Denton Dance Conservatory. She was a featured performer in several productions of “A Gift for Emma”, and the Collage Dance Festival. Those influential in her career include Lisa Racina, Lesley Snelson-Figueroa, Anne Black-Scalf, Kayla Hamilton, James Clouser and Thom Clower. Gifted with a beautiful voice and the ability to act, she is a graduate of the AMTDA (American Musical Theatre and Drama Academy) in New York City 2008, and plans to focus on a career in musical theatre.
Juliana Baird (graduated 2006)
A twelve year DDC student, Juliana was also a 5 year principal member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet and a four year member of the Denton Youth City Ballet. She was featured in many beloved roles in DCCB’s “A Gift for Emma,” and the Collage Dance Festival over the years. Juliana is currently a Nutrition Major at the University of Texas at Austin, but continues to dance for “sanity’s sake.”
Samantha Binns (graduated 2006)
Samantha attends Brigham Young University in Idaho as a physical education major, and danced for 8 years at Denton Dance Conservatory in Denton, TX. She attended Interlochen Arts Camp Michigan in 2005. A member for many years of the DCCB, she danced in many local festivals, the Collage Dance Festival, as well as “A Gift for Emma”, the Arts and Jazz Festival and others. Samantha will marry in the Fall of 2008 and she her dad will dance to a piece choreographed especially for them by Lisa Racina.
Jennifer Bridges (graduated 2002)
Jennifer began her dance studies at the age of three and attended DDC her last four years in school. Jennifer’s performance quality and stage presence made her a favorite of Denton audiences! Her training included tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, clogging as well as gymnastics, baton and piano. She has studied dance with Joy Griffin, Tammy Loftis, Suzanne Withers, Christy Currey, Becky Herman, George Giatrakis, Liz Gallegos, Susan Friday, Lisa Racina, Anne Black-Scalf and James Clouser. Jennifer performed with the Denton Dance Theatre, Festival Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and Denton Civic Ballet. She was a three year member of DCCB and the Denton Youth City Ballet. Hailing from Tioga, Texas, Jennifer graduated from Texas A&M University, got married, and is currently pursuing her graduate degree in English.
Shelly Joyner (moved 1999)
Shelly was our very first dance student and came to us at barely three years old. She is the model and the “experimental child” for the design of Miss Lisa’s teaching methods for young students. Shelly made up the “Butterfly Song” learned by all new four years olds at the school. She danced with Denton City Contemporary Ballet (then DancExpress) for several years, helped unceasingly with the studio, encouraged the younger children as she grew in technical ability and responsibility. She was our first Teaching Assistant, and her beautiful picture is on the front of every brochure that leaves our studio. Shelly graduated from our school, continues to teach dance, and has found her “soul mate” .Living now in Tennessee, she often checks in to see how things are going and we love to hear from her!!
Julie Spector (graduated 2001)
Julie had 16 years of dance training, most of it at Denton Dance Conservatory!. A seven year member of DCCB, Julie also danced with Denton Youth City Ballet for four years. Her dance education includes instruction from Lisa Racina, Anne Black-Scalf, James Clouser and Elizabeth Boodt, from DDC as well as Fernando Schaffenberg, and Liz Gallegos. She appeared regularly with the Denton community Theater and in the Collage dance festivals, plus the Denton Arts & Jazz Festivals, County Seat Saturday and the Nutcracker. Julie has served as the captain of the varsity cheerleading squad, in Student council and in the National Honor Society at Ryan High School. After graduation from HS, she attended the University of Texas at Austin as a dance major, and then transferred to Texas A & M University. Julie was married in 2006 and now teaches dance in the Houston area.
Tricia Ragsdale (graduated 2007)
Tricia danced at Denton Dance Conservatory for 10 years and was very active with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet for three years. She came up through the ranks of the Denton Youth City Ballet and even danced the role of Emma in the company’s “A Gift for Emma.” Tricia was also very active in choir and drill team in high school and is now attending Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City as a Modern Dance Major. In her “spare” time, Tricia is assisting in the development of a non-profit Latin dance ensemble and teaching ballroom.
Madeline Clark (graduated 2006)
Madeline was a principle dancer with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet with emphasis in the modern style. A 12 year student at DDC, Madeline graduated from Denton High School and was inducted into the French International Honor Society. A gifted writer, poet, artist, and choreographer, as well as a dancer, Madeline attends University of Texas in Austin, studying Linguistics with emphasis in Middle Eastern languages.
Lorena Hickman (graduated 2007)
Lorena was a one year member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet and came to serious dancing a little later than most. Her hard work ethic, determination, and passion for ballet helped her attain some very commendable dance goals in a very short time. Lorena graduated from Sanger High School in 2007 and is currently a Pre-Med Major at Texas Tech University.
Jasmine Jaramillo
Jasmine has been dancing for nearly 12 years. Besides serving as the rehearsal assistant for Denton City Contemporary Ballet and the Denton Youth City Ballet, she also teaches ballet, tap, jazz, and modern at Denton Dance Conservatory for the past four years. Jasmine has studied at DDC for six years, and attended the Dallas Black Dance Theatre summer intensive for the past two years. In the summers of 2006 and 2007 she was accepted into the Dallas Black Dance Theatre II. One of the Denton dance scene’s most prolific new choreographers, Jasmine continues to share her talent with the young people of Denton & the surrounding community, while advancing her academic career. Accepted this year (2008)into the Texas Woman’s University dance program, we continue to be very proud of her accomplishments.
Libby Quigg
Libby has been dancing for over 20 years in the Denton/Dallas area. She danced and performed extensively with Lisa Racina, James Clouser, Anne Black-Scalf, UNT and Columbia College Chicago. During her college dance education, she completed choreography and dance workshops with Simone Forti, Mark Morris and David Dorfman. Because of her travels to Uruguay, Senegal, China and Europe, she incorporates cultural expressions through art, music , literature and dance. This year, Libby will complete her Master’s thesis regarding Early Christian Art at Southwester Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to teaching dance, she is a freelance writer and teaches classical guitar for the Denton Childbloom Program as well as continuing to teach at Denton Dance Conservatory.
Jenna Quigg (graduated 2005)
Jenna was a 15 year student at DDC, and six year principal with Denton City Contemporary Ballet (formerly DancExpress). Jenna went through the ranks of the Denton Youth City Ballet and also assisted with teaching classes. She performed numerous roles in the company’s “A Gift for Emma,” and was featured in the lead role both her Junior and Senior years at Ponder High School where she graduated Valedictorian of her class. After attending University of North Texas for two years, Jenna then transferred to University of Oklahoma as an Interior Design Major and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2009.
Virginia Reynolds (graduated 2001)
Virginia was a 12 year student at DDC, and six year principal with Denton City Contemporary Ballet (formerly DancExpress), and after serving as an Assistant Teacher, even taught jazz for us for one year. Virginia was also quite active volunteering for the Denton Humane Society and after graduating from Ryan High School, Virginia attended college in California as a Biology Major, and then went on to Veterinary School at Texas A & M University.
Aubri Thomas (graduated 2008)
Aubri danced at DDC for 14 years! She also grew up through the ranks of the Denton Youth City Ballet and became a four year principal member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet. Aubri was quite involved with choir and the drill team at Denton High School and has been accepted as a Dance Major at West Texas A & M University. Aubri was also an assistant teacher and even taught her own class at Denton Dance Conservatory.
