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Lisa Racina, Founder & Director

Lisa Racina

 

 

 Lisa Racina the Owner and Director of DDC is entering her 18h year of teaching dance, all levels, in ballet, tap, jazz and modern. Although due to demand, she serves as Ballet-Mistress at DDC for intermediate, advanced and pre-professional dancers, as well as serving as Artistic Director and choreographer for Denton Youth City Ballet, the studio's performing company and Denton City Contemporary Ballet, the Conservatory's affiliation-profit dance company. In addition, Ms. Racina oversees the class curriculumfor all other disciplines available at the studio, and remains in close contactwith her instructors through monthly observation visits and faculty meetings. All instructors receive close direction and evaluation throughout the dance school year. Ms. Racina holds a BFA in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University, has served on the summer faculty of Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan in 1993 and 1995, and has performed professionally with BalletConcerto, Festival Ballet and others. Her dancers have been accepted at numerous prestigious university dance programs as well as summer dance programs throughout the country. Ms. Racina is honored to serve as a second year member of the Dallas Dance Council's Scholarship Committee and a member of their Board of Directors.

 

The Faculty

Kathryn Anderson has danced professionally for nearly 20 years. A former member of the Dance Preparatory Workshops at Southern Methodist University, the Denton Civic Ballet and the Festival Ballet of North Central Texas, Kathryn is a 13 year principal with DancExpress (Denton City Contemporary Ballet). She is married with two children and she is a registered nurse. Kathryn heads up our Adult Ballet program.

 

 

 


 		Comfort Fedoke ( GI Doll & choreographer) Comfort is a vigorous 18 year old hip-hop choreographer/artist and college student at Brookhaven. In addition to teaching at Denton Dance Conservatory, Comfort has performed with many artists alongside another group called Trakk team. They’ve performed with Ciara, Chris Brown, ying yang twins, Kayo,Sammie, Omarion and others. She has been dancing since the age of seven and graduated with a dance scholarship from Booker T. Washington School of the Performing Arts in Dallas. On Comfort’s free time she likes to draw, make her own clothes, paint, sing, write music and act. Currently Comfort and her team have their own television show called Dance Club 21. You can catch the show every Sunday at 10 PM on the new station CW. Comfort is an all around talent blessed with a gift to perform and perfect every possible thing she can get her.

 

Jasmine Jaramillo, celebrates her 4th year as an instructor at DDC. Jasmine is a Freshman at Collin County Community College and has been dancing for over eleven years. She studied teaching concepts with Miss Lisa by assisting with DanceCamps over the summers of 2005– 2007, and has assisted with numerous other classes during her apprenticeship. A principal with Denton City Contemporary Ballet as well as having performed with the Denton Youth City Ballet, Jasmine has danced throughout the Metroplex and is known for her versatility and style in both jazz and ballet and the excitement she brings to her classes. An emerging choreographer, Jasmine has premiered several works with the Denton City Contemporary Ballet and continues to dance, teach and choreograph throughout the Metroplex.

 

 

 


Alan Kinzie In 2003, Mr. Kinzie accepted a position as Artist in Residence at Southern Methodist University where he set two original creations; “Scenes de Ballet” and “Trauma into Light”. Prior to this appointment, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, Ballet Master and Choreographer for the Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Instructor at Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the Boston Ballet School. His choreographies have been presented in Europe as well as in the United States with a focus on contemporary composers and movement invention. As a performer, he danced leading roles with Boston Ballet, Chicago City Ballet, Ballet Theatre Français de Nancy, Ballet du Nord and the Dallas Ballet. Mr. Kinzie was accepted to three international competitions and has toured internationally to fifteen countries in over 100 performances with Rudolph Nureyev in his production of Don Quixote. His television credits include guest starring as the Prince in Sleeping Beauty for the 1978, “Christmas at Walt Disney World Special” on NB

 


 

 

 

 

 Lily Sloan has been accepted as a Graduate Student in dance at Texas Woman’s University starting this year, and for this reason has had to cut her teaching hours down somewhat. Lily received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Oakland University, Rochester MI in 2004. She was also an Honors College Graduate, obtained academic and dance scholarships, and received many awards, a few of which are: Undergraduate Distinguished Scholar Award, (Chosen as sole recipient out of entire graduating class), Maggie Allesee Exemplary Dance Student Award, Maggie Allesee Dance Department Summer Study Scholarship, Oakland University Undergraduate Research Scholar Grant, Handleman Honors College Scholarship, Oakland University Honors College Scholarship, Michigan Academic Merit Award, Oakland University Music Theatre and Dance Departmental Scholarship, and the Upperclass Achievement Scholarship.
Lily is qualified to teach ballet, modern, creative movement, jazz, lyrical, hip hop and conditioning and has previously taught at Danse Elan Academy of Danse for five years. Lily trained with Laurie Eisenhower, Suzanne Hawkins, Lacob Lascu, Mariah Malec, and Gregory Patterson She joined Denton Dance Conservatory in Aug. 2005 as our Office Assistant and moved shortly into teaching. She is a member of the Denton City Contemporary Ballet and premiered a new work with the “Barefoot Brigade” this past year. A wonderful dancer and teacher, we are so happy that Lily is here to share her talents in teaching, choreography, performance and leadership with us and with our students.B

 

 


Liz Turner is a University of North Texas junior majoring in Visual Arts studies. She hales from Allen, Texas and was a competition dancer at West Coast Dance Explosion, Tremaine, L.A. Dance Magic, L.A. Dance Force, Starlight Dance Competition and many more. She is a former member of Encore Dance Company through high school and is currently a member of Pulse Dance Company, a UNT affiliated hip hop performance group. She served her apprenticeship teaching at Cindy’s School of Dance, Allen, TX three years, and then taught hip hop, tap, ballet and jazz. This is her first year with DDC and she is teaching ballet, tap and jazz. We are very happy to be able to bring the energy and upbeat enthusiasm for dance that Liz represents to our students.

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 Nicole Wieczorek comes to us with extensive teaching and performing experience. Currently a 2nd year MFA Candidate in Dance at Texas Woman’s University, she received her BA from Pennsylvania State University, as a Kinesiology Major, Dance Minor, and spent two years at Fordham University/Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Lincoln Center Campus as a dance major. She currently is guest instructor in modern, ballet and jazz at TWU as well as meeting her teaching hours with Denton Dance Conservatory, where she teaches jazz and modern classes. She holds a Cecchetti Certification, Levels I and II, as well as an elementary certificate in Labanotation. Her former teaching assignments include Adjunct Faculty, Jazz Technique, University of North Texas, Guest artist in Modern dance at Johnstown Concert Ballet, PA, Instructor and facilitator of five day summer intensive at Kennedy Dance Center, Bellefonte, PA, Teaching/lab assistant to Professor Neil Sharkey at Pennsylvania State University, PA, Instructor and Technicque/Production Assistant to the director as well as choreographer at Kennedy Dance Center, Bellefonte, PA. She has been involved in research in biomechanics and dance, and studied with TWU, Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop, Pennsylvania State University, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Broadway Dance Center, Steps, New York City, Allegheny Ballet Company, and Johnstown Concert Ballet, PA. Ms. Wieczorek brings excitement, love of dance, and great training to the Conservatory. We are so pleased she is here with us!

 

Demarkus Walden (Hip Hop Instructor) Demarkus marks his second year with Denton Dance Conservatory. He is very active in the Dallas Hip Hop Scene, on TV, in numerous shows, etc. In charge of our Boyze hip Hop- Demarkus demonstrates a great talent for teaching, dance, and choreography. He is also starting up our community outreach program in hip hop and looking for opportunities to mentor younger dancers within our community.

 

 

Moving On

Lesley Snelson-Figueroa accepted a position as Professor of Dance at Collin County Community College in June of 2006.
Rachel Cummings a student instructor- graduated 2006, accepted at Texas Christian University Dance Department.
Caitlin Becker a student instructor- graduated 2006, accepted at The American Musical Dramatic Academy in NYC for musical theatre. She was also awarded an $8,000 scholarship.
Amy Davis received her Master's of Arts from Texas Woman's University and headed for California to pursue her career as a professional dancer and teacher. She will also be getting married in this next year.
Kayla Hamilton received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman's University and has accepted an intern position as a dance instructor at a community arts center in Washington, DC.
Katherine Smith received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Texas Woman's University and will be returning to her home in Lancaster, Texas.

Who's Watching the Store?

Instructors at DDC are experienced, degreed providers of dance education. They promote an atmosphere of excitement and fun, while never drifting from the true professionalism and discipline required to become proficient in the art.

Larger classes may have an Assistant Teacher working alongside the regular teacher. This allows the student to see demonstrations and to maintain focus on the lesson.

Our faculty is familiar with the "National Dance Standards", a part of the National Standards for Arts Education developed in 1994 by Consortium of National Arts Education Associations. These standards include emphasis on increased physical fitness, as well as measurable performance criteria. Our teaching methods allow us to meet or exceed those standards.

Our Students love dance and study hard to be technically strong and capable performers.
Current and former students are active with:


 

  To Contact Us:
Phone:  940 - 383-2623
4103 Mesa Drive
Denton, Texas, 76207
E-Mail: LisaDDC4me@aol.com

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