Dance Festival Faculty - Colorado College

Festival Director, Colorado College, Patrizia, native to Switzerland, graduated from Colorado College with a BA in philosophy in 1996. She spent the next five years dancing for the Martha Graham Ensemble in New York City. She also danced with the Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Shen Wei at the American Dance Festival and DanceArt in Hong Kong. In 2003 she earned her MFA in dance from the University of California at Irvine where she was a Chancellor's Fellowship recipient. During this time Patrizia worked closely with renowned choreographer Professor Donald McKayle as his assistant and rehearsal director of the Donald McKayle Etude Ensemble. Mrs. Herminjard has been featured in Dance for Camera works showcased at the Seoul Net Festival, the Il Coreografo Elettronico Festival in Napoli, Italy and at the Caught Between: Dancing for Camera and Live Audience Festival in Hollywood. She is a two-time recipient of the Pikes Peak Arts Council award for choreography.

 

Rosangela Silvestre
Modern Dance / Silvestre Technique , is a choreographer, instructor, dancer and originator of the exquisite Silvestre Technique. A native of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Rosangela graduated with a bachelor's degree in dance and later speciallized in choreography, achieving her master's degree from the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Rosangela's professional career began in 1981 as a dancer and choreographer in the dance company of the Federal University of Bahia, Odundê. While with this group, she represented Brazil in the international Festival of Dance in France. Since 1982, Rosangela has researched and developed a technique of Brazilian dance inspired by her own cultural movements and rhythms. In 1989, she joined Balé Folclórico da Bahia, becoming responsible for the technical training of the dancers in addition to creating choreographic works that came to identify the unique contemporary interpretation of the traditional dance company. Since 1995, Rosangela has been collaborating with the American saxophonist Steve Coleman (BMG label), developing research in dance and music by traveling to countries with African-influenced cultural bases including Cuba, India, Senegal, Egypt, and Brazil. She regularly participates in dance and music festivals and educational programs for children and adults throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and the United States.

Jan Erkert, (modern technique) is a dance-maker, author and Head of the Department of Dance at University of Illinois.   As Artistic Director of Jan Erkert & Dancers from 1979 - 2000, she created over 70 works, critically acclaimed for their lush, evocative imagery.   Ms. Erkert's work has been seen throughout the United States as well as in Germany, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, Uruguay and Israel.   Ms. Erkert and the company have been honored with numerous awards including fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council, and Ruth Page Awards for choreography and performance.   She has received two Fulbright Scholar Awards and served on the Fulbright panel.   Throughout her career she has devoted much of her energy to advancing teaching and learning.   She authored Harnessing the Wind: The Art of Teaching Modern Dance , which was published in 2003 by Human Kinetics and she has been a master teacher at universities and colleges throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe and Asia.   As a professor of dance at Columbia College Chicago from 1990-2006, she garnered many awards including the 1999 Excellence in Teaching Award, and a nominee for the U.S. Professor of the Year sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation.   Her political and community work includes partnerships with the Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture, The Peace Museum and Amnesty International.

 

Bronwyn Sims (Yoga / Acrobalance) Bronwyn Sims is an actor, acrobat and educator. She has appeared in movies (Next Stop Wonderland, Dischord, Enough Already, Trial by Fire) and on television including a role in the Emmy award winning first season of The Sopranos. Her NYC stage credits include productions with The NYC OPERA at Lincoln Center, La MAMA ETC, The National Black Theatre, The Kitchen, HERE Arts Center, Blue Heron Theatre, Galapagos, One Arm Red, The Slipper Room, Artists of Tomorrow Festival with Six Figures Theatre, The NYC Clown Theatre Festival at The Brick Theatre & The International Dance Festival at The Duke Theatre. Regional stage credits include The American Repertory Theatre, Raven Theatrical, Speakeasy Stage Company, and a European Tour with Sandglass Theatre. As an Acrobat and Aerialist she has performed with The Bindlestiff Family Cirkus, LAVA, Odonata Dance Project, Cirque Boom, Wise Fool & Frequent Flyers Aerial Dance Festival. She is a Founding member of The NYC Circus Theatre company KIRKOS. As an educator Bronwyn has taught classes and workshops at University of New Hampshire, University of Florida, Streb/ Slam, The Trapeze Loft and numerous other yoga, dance, and aerial studios throughout New England and NYC. Bronwyn currently performs with the Nimble Arts Touring Company and teaches aerial and circus arts at The New England Center for Circus Arts. She is also in collaboration on a new work to premiere next Fall in NYC.

Tanya Scully (corde lisse) Tanya Scully began her formal artistic training in 1991 by studying a BTEC National Diploma in Performing Arts and then specialised in contemporary dance training. This led to 'Post-Mortem' a co-founded dance and physical theatre company that toured the south-west of England.   Tanya trained in Circus and Aerial skills at Circomedia Circus School (Bristol U.K) and Circus Maniacs Circus School (Bristol U.K). She as also studied under Flyaway Productions (San Francisco).    As an aerialist she has toured with circuses both nationally and internationally including Swamp Circus (U.K.) and Circus Stellina (Switzerland) and has worked on the corporate circuit in TV/Film and at various festivals and events worldwide. She was the winner of 'The One Minute Wander' short dance film competition at 'The Place' in London, November 2004. Tanya has taught aerial   (Corde lisse, Tissu) for the full time adult programme at Circus Maniacs circus school in Bristol, and teaches specialist corde lisse classes at Circomedia Circus School (Bristol U.K). She also teaches her own workshops and classes internationally.

Tanya has worked alongside Bethan Jennings (Hive of Industry) on various site specific projects, often using cranes and working at height. She has also performed for Isabel Rocamora on a site specific aerial dance theatre piece entitled 'A Passage to a Disused Divine', a piece which combined harness work with dance, aerial and theatre.

From Aug 04 to July 05, Tanya performed as part of a six women corde lisse act "Imagine Air" at the Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin.   In September 05 she was requested as one of the aerial dancers for a specially commissioned channel 4 aerial dance film entitled `Insomnia'. This was directed by Isabel Rocamora for the Dance4film   season which was broadcasted   Dec 05.  

(Jazz, Modern) is a sought after choreographer and teacher, with roots in Los Angeles, Denver, and Boulder.  She has worked with some of today's finest jazz and modern choreographers including Joe Tremaine, Marguerite Derricks, Doug Caldwell, Rudy Perez, Karon Brown-Lehman, Donald McKayle, and Cleo Parker Robinson. Schiff has intertwined her trademark contemporary style with her knowledge of dance foundation and history. She is the Artistic Director of Momentum Dance Company.

 

Ila Conoley
(composition) began her studies in the South at the Alabama Dance Theatre, where she attended the South Eastern Regional Ballet Association yearly. She earned her Bachelors of Arts in Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder before venturing to New York City. There at the famed Tisch School of the Arts at New York University she earned her Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Dance and joined the Second Avenue Dance Company. In 2004, Ila accepted an invitation to move to Colorado Springs and join the Ormao Dance Company, with whom she currently performs. Ila directs the dance department at Pikes Peak Community College including their student dance company, the High Altitude Dance Ensemble. Ila demonstrates the great advantage of being well educated in all facets of dance, combining artistry and beauty with knowledge of the business of dance.