Dance
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Dance Department Faculty Biographies Gina Buntz, Senior Program Specialist in Dance, Dance Chair: Modern Dance Technique, Dance History, Senior Seminar “Ms. Buntz has been called a virtuoso performer and is obviously a dancers’ choreographer – the possessor of a virtuoso mind whose inventiveness is of keen interest to other dancers. This is rare.” -- New York Times Ms. Buntz brings more than 25 years of experience as a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor. She has taught and choreographed throughout the United States with international sponsorship from the United States Information Agency’s Arts America Program in East Africa and Haiti;, the National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer’s Exchange Program in France, and the Olympic Arts Festival in Korea. Her work has been presented at the Korea Dance Festival, the American Dance Festival, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the Florida Dance Festival, and the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers, France. Ms. Buntz has taught for the Dance Theater of Harlem School in New York City, the New World School of the Arts in Miami, the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan, University of Michigan and the Haitian-American Dance Academy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Ms. Buntz is a five-time recipient of a Choreographer’s Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts; the Fund for US Artists at International Festivals; the New York State Council on the Arts; the American Dance Festival; the Gulbenkian Foundation in London, and the Florida Arts Council. She has been a guest choreographer for the New World School of the Arts in Miami, where she has taught modern technique and repertory, in addition to summer programs for the Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Perry-Mansfield Summer Institute, and the Florida Dance Festival. Ms. Buntz has served on the faculties of the New World School of the Arts in Miami, the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, and Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She has conducted teachers' workshop on modern dance pedagogy for the National Dance Education Organization, California Dance Educator's Association, and was a dance consultant for the Miami-Dade County Schools' magnet programs for dance. Ms. Buntz trained at the Interlochen Arts Academy and in New York on scholarship at the Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey Schools; has worked with choreographers’ Louis Falco, Patricia Birch, Julie Arenal, Toni Basil and Andy DeGroat. As a member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), she was part of a core group of principal dancers in the movie “Fame” who negotiated the first union salary rate for dancers in film and television. Ms. Buntz received a BA in Dance from Stephens College and an MFA in Dance from the University of Michigan with an emphasis on intercultural studies in dance, ethno-musicology and communications. Reginald Brown, Modern Dance Mr. Brown was born and raised in Los Angeles and began his formal dance training at Santa Monica Dance Center. He a received dance scholarships with the Steven Peck Dance Studio and went on to become a principal dancer with the Lula Washington Dance Company. He has A versatile choreographer, A popular teacher in Southern California, Mr. Brown has taught at the Tremaine Dance Center, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Monica College, the Moro-Landis Dance Center, and has been in residence at the Katnap Dance Center in West Los Angeles since 1991. Mr. Brown was a participating choreographer for the annual Jazz Dance L.A. concerts from 1994 to 1997. In 1998, he was a featured choreographer for Men Dancing at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater. He was commissioned to choreograph a piece for the Synapse Modern Dance Theater at Santa Monica College and for Loyola Marymount University. In August 2006, he traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa as a member of Urban Poets—a performing arts group that worked to inspire hope and unity of a racially divided nation. Nancy Evans Doede, Junior Comp; Senior Seminar Ms. Doede studied and danced with modern dance pioneer Hanya Holm and was a lead dancer with the Nancy Hauser Dance Company with whom she also choreographed and taught. Her work as a teacher and choreographer spans a wide variety of experience in both dance and theatre from directing The Actors' Company in Burbank, judging the Emerging Young Artist Awards for Dance and as an original member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago. Nancy is a graduate of Illinois State University with a degree in Acting/Directing and a minor in Dance. Edouard Kouzmitch, Ballet, Men’s Class, Repertory Mr. Kouzmitch studied at the National Ballet Choreographic College of Minsk, Belarus for 10 years. He earned his B.A. Degree in Fine Arts from Marii State University in Russia. He has danced with the Belorussian Bolshoi Ballet State Theater, the National Ballet Company of Mexico, and the contemporary dance company Gineseo at the University of Guadalajara. He has taught dance at the Westside Ballet Dance Academy in Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Dance Studio. He currently teaches at the Edge Performing Center and Crossroads School. Mr. Kouzmitch also currently performs as a guest artist throughout the United States. He has danced and traveled extensively with companies through Asia Europe, Mexico and Cuba. Denise Leitner, Jazz and Contemporary Denise Leitner, born and raised in Los Angeles, started her dance training at age 3. As a serious ballet student she received her training from Stephen Wenta, Stanley Holden and Margaret Hills. After her studies at the Royal Ballet School in London, Denise returned home and discovered her love for jazz and contemporary dance. She became assistant to master teachers and choreographers including Hama, Ben Lokey and Joe Bennett. Denise has choreographed across the globe for stage, screen television and music videos. She travels throughout the United States and abroad conducting workshops and master classes. Denise has trained numerous dancers who have gone on to work in all entertainment mediums and she is a private coach to many artists including Kate Hudson, Goldie Hawn, Topher Grace and Elizabeth Berkeley. She has worked with many artists including Bjork and Nona Hendrix. Her company, Dancer’s Voice was founded in 1993 and has been critically acclaimed by the Los Angeles Times, and was nominated for a 2008 Lester Horton Award. The company continues to perform for dance festivals throughout the country. Currently a faculty member at Edge Performing Arts Center, she works intensely with young dancers working towards their professional careers. Denise is also a faculty member at Loyola Marymount University where she just completed her third commission for the University. Other faculty positions include Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, Santa Monica City College, Innerspark, UCLA, Maui Performing Arts Academy, and Idywilld School for Music and Art. Her adjudicating credits include the great Canadian dance Festival and Loyola Marymount University. Most recent choreographic credits include Tommy the Musical, choreography for Olympic and World Champion ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, and movement coordinator for Columbia Pictures. Her work was recently featured at Pasadena's Dance Theater "Conversations with Choreographers" and Denise was presented the award for best choreography in the series. Fiona Lummis, Ballet & Repertory A principal dancer for two decades with the Netherlands Dance Theatre, Ms. Lummis has been featured in over thirty premieres by Jiri Kylian, Hans Van Manen, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin and Mats Ek among others. Fiona is a graduate of the Rambert Academy, and has a Comprehensive Pilates Teaching Certificate from the Body Arts and Science International. She received the Golden Theater Dance Prize for performances in William Forsythe's "Step Text" and Jiri Kylian's "Kaguyahime." Fiona has been a guest insructor at the Perry-Mansifeld Performing Arts Summer Camp, the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, Idylwild Arts, Ballet Pacifica School, the Colburn School, and La Compania, Barcelona among many others. Wendy Lawson, Ballet, Pointe, Repertory A classically trained ballet dancer, Ms. Lawson received her education from various dance masters in the Los Angeles area, as well as in France. She began her training with her mother, Anita King, and continued under the tutelage of Nana Goliner, Madame Alexandra Baldina-Kosloff, and Tatiana Riabouchinska-Lichine. While living in France, she worked with Solange Golovine and Rosella Hightower. She has been a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet as well as the San Diego Ballet and the Long Beach Ballet. Don Martin, Horton Method of Modern Dance Mr. Martin is the successive leader in Lester Horton dance technique. He began his association with Mr. Horton when he witnessed him teaching an advanced class with Bella Lewitzky demonstrating. Mr. Martin was given a work scholarship to understudy Mr. Horton at the Lester Horton Dance Theatre, learning the Horton technique and all aspects of theatre production. After the partnership between Mr. Horton and Ms. Lewitzky ended, Mr. Horton completely re-codified his technique to demonstrate the new movement. Mr. Martin later became a full member of the company and a teacher at the school. After the death of Mr. Horton in 1953, Mr. Martin and other Horton dancers kept the theatre and school in operation until 1960., Then Mr. Martin began to work with Donald McKayle in New York. Later he joined the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre of America, where he taught at the Clark Center and danced in their first tour (Asian tour). Returning to Los Angeles, Mr. Martin taught master classes at Inner City and at other venues including UCLA, CSU Northridge and CSU Long Beach. Erica Robson, Jazz & Contemporary Rep For over a decade, LACHSA alum Erica Robson has been a working dancer, actress, teacher, director and choreographer in the performing arts. her film credits inlude featured roles in, "Ocean's Eleven," "Looney Tunes Back in Action," "Monkeybone," and "Bedazzled." Erica was a series regular on, "Ultimate Revenge," and can be seen on "The Drew Carey Show," "Nikki," and "The Monk Show." Her national and international tours include, "A Chorus Line, "Jane's Addiction," and Chayanne. In addition, Erica teaches dance, directs and choreographs for the Musical Theatre Ensemble. Productions that Erica has collaborated and choreographed for: "Alice in Wonderland," "On the Town," Disney's "Beauty and the Beast," "Hello Dolly!," "42nd Street," "Dreamgirls," "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," "Fame: The Musical," "Oliver," "Music Man," among many industrials, theatre and dance concerts. Julie Rose Shulman, Ballet & Contemporary Rep Julie Rose Shulman grew up in Los Angeles, California. She received her training from Meredith Baylis and the Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts. She began her professional career under the direction of Septime Webre at American Repertory Ballet. Julie was then invited by Lawrence Rhodes to join Les Grands Ballets Canadians. During her time there, she danced works by Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin and various European choreographers, as well as the classics by Balanchine and Tudor. She spent the next four years working in Europe. The first two years were in Switzerland where she developed her contemporary style with the Orma Dance Company under the direction of Enrico Musmeci. The following two years, she worked in Sicily with Compagnia Zappala Danza, and the dance theatre company MotoMimetico. From March 2005 through May 2005, Julie was fortunate enough to be invited to Bari to dance with the Compagnia Niccolo Piccini. Upon returning to the United States, Julie began working with the Thang Dao Dance Company. The same year Julie performed at the Grammy’s with the company of “Strange and Elegant” directed by Holly Rothschild. In October 2007, Julie was part of a new creation by Thang Dao that premiered at the Ailey CitiGroup Theatre in New York. Julie is currently on the Classical Dance faculty of the Orange County High School for the Performing Arts, and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. During the 2008 season Julie created a new work for Ballet Quad Cities in Illinois. Currently, Julie resides in Los Angeles and is honored to be a member of the newly formed Body Traffic directed by Lillian Bitkoff and Tina Finkelman Berkett. Body Traffic recently completed their first evening length piece choreographed by Israeli choreographer Guy Weitzman, which premiered at the Laguna Dance Festival to great success. Indira Tyler, Graham-based Modern Dance; West African DanceMs. Tyler began her studies with Alex Martin of the Royal Ballet and the Karamu Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio. She had attended at the Philadelphia's University of of the Arts, and graduated with an M.A. in World Arts and Culture from UCLA. Ms. Tyler has spread her talents as a performer and choreographer on stage, film, and television both nationally and internationally. She draws on her professional knowledge in dance theatre, choreography, and teaching dance to create performance works for the stage at LACHSA. |
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