• Debbie Allen continues to be one of the most respected, relevant, and versatile talents in the entertainment industry today and is an internationally recognized director, choreographer and author. As Culture Connect Ambassador, Ms. Allen represented the U.S. in visits to Brazil, China, Italy, and India expanding the opportunities in arts education for young people all over the world. She is a member of the prestigious President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, a board member of the American Film Institute, and an Executive Committee member of UCLA's School of Theatre, Film, and Television.
  
  Debbie Allen has received three Emmy awards honoring her choreography, and two Emmys and one Golden Globe for her role as "Lydia Grant" in the hit series, Fame. She then forayed from acting to directing- first with the series "Fame," followed by "Family Ties" and "Bronx Zoo," before taking the reins at NBC's "A Different World" as director and producer in 1988. Allen has choreographed for artists such as Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson, and also holds the distinction of having choreographed the Academy Awards a total of ten times, five in consecutive years. She produced the Steven Spielberg epic film Amistad, and recently directed the second highest rated original movie in Lifetime Channel history, Life is Not A Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story. Allen also has staged musicals for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. where she has been Artist in Residence for over ten years. In 2001, Allen fulfilled a lifelong dream by opening the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Culver City, California, where she offers a comprehensive curriculum for over 200 boys and girls ages four to eighteen in twelve performing arts disciplines. Debbie Allen plays an active role in each student's career by offering her own hands-on instruction and a world renowned faculty. Debbie has been able to use her prestige to lure instructors from famous institutions such as the Kirov Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. I
  
  In March 2008, Debbie Allen made her critically acclaimed Broadway directorial debut with the premier of an all African American production of Tennessee William's classic, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
  
  Debbie Allen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Norman Nixon, and their two children, Vivian Nichole and Norman, Jr.
• Adrienne Dellas is DADA's Founding Director and is considered a Master Teacher in classical ballet. She solidified her reputation as the Founding Director of the Universal Ballet Company in Korea and establishing the Ballet Department of the Little Angels Performing Arts School. Later she received the President's Award for Teaching and Choreography and numerous other Gold Medals for Excellence in the Arts. She is recognized the world over for her choreography of original ballets such as Shim Chung, The Blind Man's Daughter, The Emperor and the Nightingale, Ulysses, Monument, Peter and the Wolf in Central Park, and Romanza. Ms. Dellas for 12 years was on the esteemed faculty of the Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C. She was invited to teach at the famed Vagonova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia and choreographed her ballet Jubilee for the students of the school. She currently resides in Pennsylvania.
• Alla Khaniashvili graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. She joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1980 as a principal dancer, dancing in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, and Spartacus among others. In 1981 she won the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, a Gold Medal in the Moscow all Union competition, and a Silver medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition. Khaniashvili has performed as a guest artist with many internationally known ballet companies including The New York City Ballet, Ballet Stars of Moscow and the Moscow Classical Ballet at the Grand Opera in Paris, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Covent Garden in London and in Japan.
• Mr. Williams trained in London England, at The Royal Ballet School, and graduated to The Birmingham Royal Ballet where he danced in ballets by Sir Fredrick Ashton, Sir Kenneth McMillan, George Balanchine, and David Bintley amongst others. Upon joining The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, he toured the world performing in ballets by Alvin Ailey, Judith Jamison, Donald Mckayle and Ulysses Dove. He later returned to Europe to work with The Ballet Du Grande Theatre De Genève. Here he performed ballets by Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato and William Forsythe. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physiotherapy from St. Georges Hospital Medical School in London, England in 2003, since which time he has specialized in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy. He started teaching at DADA in 2009 and became Director in 2010. At present time Mr. Williams is completing a physical therapy Fellowship in Orthopaedic and Sports Rehabilitation.
• Karen McDonald (Modern) has been teaching in Los Angeles over 25 years. She taught at the prestigious California Institute of the Arts in Valencia and currently she is the head of the dance department at Los Angeles Unified School District Gifted Student Program at Cal State Los Angeles. She is also Associate Director of the Dance Department at Hamilton High School in West L.A. Ms. McDonald's Broadway credits include, Purlie, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Wiz, and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. She has developed a provocative Modern Jazz technique that allows dancers to discover their power, creativity, and spiritual balance that dance brings to light in the artists.
• A native of New York, Hector Mercado began his training at the High School of Performing Arts, where he graduated with honors. Upon his graduation, he accepted a full scholarship to the Harkness School. The seminal event in his dance career was joining the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre Company, where he was a principal dancer, and the dance partner of the acclaimed Judith Jamison. On Broadway he starred in Your Arms Too Short…, Cats, and West Side Story, playing 'Nardo' to Ms. Allen's 'Anita'. He has also worked with Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents and Steven Sondheim. Mercado's first efforts in film were Slow Dancing in the Big City and Hair. He has choreographed an original production of Terrance Mann's Dreamgirls, the Los Angeles production of Fantasticks directed by Ken Page, and Queen Margolis.
• Bronwyn Thomas-Hodgson made her debut at the age of 6, with the Bolshoi Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera House. She continued to gain fame as a young ballerina with the Eglevsky Ballet, American Ballet Theater (Guest Artist) and the Elliot Feld Ballet. After dancing with The New York City Opera, Ms. Thomas-Hodgson worked for Agnes DeMille and was the cast regular "Michelle" in the series Fame with the talented Ms. Debbie Allen. Her award show credits include the Academy Awards, the Emmy Awards, American Movie Awards, and the Image Awards.
• Eartha Robinson is a native New Yorker, trained in Ballet, Modern and Jazz techniques. She attended the "Fame" Performing Arts High School at 14 years old and landed her first professional job at 16 years old on Broadway in "The Wiz". She has worked with many world renowned Choreographers, Directors and Producers on stage, screen and television including Wes Craven and Spike Lee. In addition she has worked with some of the most esteemed artists in the world, such as Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg. Twelve years ago Ms. Robinson decided to dedicate herself and her art to the growth and development of young artists. Ms Robinson would like to thank god for her gift.
• Ina Haybaeck-Rogers was born in Austria, and earned her State Diploma for Classical Dance from the Austrian Theatrical Federation in 1995. She was the first Austrian citizen awarded the Government Grant for Studies of Dance in the USA, and studied for two years in the Foreign Student Program at Alvin Ailey, Ballet Arts, and New Dance Group in NYC as well as trained in Modern Jazz by legendary Jaime Rogers. She earned her Pedagogy Diploma with Honors in Classical Ballet (Vaganova Method) under Karol Toth and John Bliekendaal, Character Dance under Anatoly A. Borzov, and Creative Dance under Jens Hellemann. Ms. Haybaeck-Rogers was certified in the Los Angeles Music Center's "Teaching Artist Training Program" under Susan Cambigue-Tracey. As a Performing Artist and Soloist, Ms. Haybaeck-Rogers has danced Classical and Contemporary Repertoire throughout Europe and in the United States. Her choreographic credits include the movie "The Weddingcrashers". She has coached and choreographed for finalists and award winning students of the Music Center Spotlight Award, YAGP Regional and International competitions.
• Mr. Artuishikin graduated the Bolshoi Ballet Academy with honors in 1976, and in 1980 he became a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet. He has performed the leads in such productions as Swan Lake, Spartacus, Romeo and Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty among others. In 1984, he medaled at the "International Ballet Competition" in Osaka, Japan. Mr. Artuishkin has also guest starred with major ballet companies around the world, performing in the United States, at Covent Garden, at the Paris Grand Opera, and in Japan and Italy. He recently coached a DADA student who won the Gold Medal in an international dance competition in Germany
• Mrs. Haswell-Frazier began her career at The Dance Theater of Harlem. She has performed principal roles in George Balanchine's Agon, Apollo and WhoCares?, Glen Tetley's Dialogues, Alvin Ailey's The River and Revelations, Ulysses Dove's Vespers, Firebird by Maurice Bejart, Unfold by Robert Battle and Road to the Phoebe Snow by Talley Beatty. She has also been a member of Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and most recently with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She is very excited to be teaching at Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
• DADA's Jazz, silk and aerial master, founded his company in 2002 with shows entitled Atmosphere, Bound, Piccolo Concerto and The Closing. His Cabaret Burlesque show Terry's The Super Sexy Show starring Hollywood Pin-up Girls, has been running at El Cid Restaurant for years. Terry has been assisting Debbie Allen in her Academy Awards productions and live stage shows in Washington DC's Kennedy Center and in L.A. with shows Dreams, The Bayou Legend and stared in Brothers of the Knight as "Happy" and as "Death" in Soul Possessed. Terry has worked beside several multi-platinum recording artists and appeared in the movies Showgirls, Eraser and Batman and Robin.
• A magna cum laude graduate of Wellesley College, Kim Hale is a highly respected teacher of jazz and theater dance on both coasts. Her credits include the National Tour of "Applause" choreographed by Tony Award winner Ann Reinking, the pre-Broadway workshops of "Chicago," "Fosse" and the upcoming musical "Eve's Turn" as well as numerous regional productions. She has appeared as a principal dancer in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Branson, on cruise ships and in major industrials. Kim is currently on the faculty at LACHSA, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) and a guest teacher at Steps on Broadway in New York City.
• is a well renowned classical Flamenco teacher trained in original Spanish dance. She was born in Brazil and has danced and choreographed to great acclaim throughout South America. Ms. Prado has been a member of DADA's Faculty since 2001.
• Ferly Prado was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she began dancing at her mother's Academy at the age of 3. At 12 she moved to the United States to study at the Kirov Academy, in Washington D.C. At 14, she trained under Fernando Bujones at the Southern Ballet Theatre, in Orlando FL, and at 15 she was invited by Ms. Allen to train at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy.
  
  Dance Credits include: Tina Turner World Tour (2008/2009), "Billboard Awards 2011" with Beyonce, Chayanne World tour 2010/2011, NBC's "Singing Bee", Nuclear Cowboyz 2010/2011, Spike TV's "Guy's Choice Awards" 2011, CBS' "Secret Talent of the Stars", NIKE, Charo's "Latin Explosion 2006/2007", Martha Coolidge's "Zorro" 2007. Ferly has received choreography credit for Katy Perry in "Rock in Rio 2011" and for Mariah Carey in Las Vegas (2009).
  
• Ms. Camara is a dancer, educator, artist and choreographer whose illustrious career spans across the globe and over three decades. Her spirit has inspired, motivated and instilled a sense of grace and pride in individuals from the villages of West Africa to the far shores of the Caribbean over to Europe and the United States. Branded with the name of a magnificent African queen, Nzingha has graced the covers of some of the most prominent dance magazines in the country and orchestrated performances for some of Hollywood's crème de la crème. She remains steadfast to preserving the culture of her craft and carrying on the legacy of West African Dance.
• is a veteran of the music business, whose roots lie in her native Kenya. Ms. Marshall's music and dance experiences have spanned Africa, Europe and now the United States. At the age of fifteen in Kenya, she was introduced to Dunham Technique. She studied with Katherine Dunham herself and other Dunham technique greats like: Pearl Reynolds, Archie Savage, Lucille Elis, Tommy Gomez, Talley Beatty, Vanove Aikens, Theo Jamison, Ronald Marshall and Keith Williams.
• Ms. Heath is working her way through the world as a Choreographer/ Dancer/ Singer. This vivacious young Diva is a faculty member of the world-renowned Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where she prides herself in preserving the Arts and understands the responsibility to inspire and pass along great dancing to her students. She is trained in genres ranging from Tap, Hip Hop, African, Jazz and Modern, to Swing Dancing and Martial Arts. She has choreographed and worked with such artist as Tupac Shakur, Busta Rhymes, LL cool J, LSG (Gerald Levert, Johnny Gill, Keith sweat),Chaka Khan, Keyshia Cole, Lil Mama, K Young, Herbie Hancock (Playboy Jazz Festival choreographed), Savion Glover (Ortho Bio Tech) and was a founding member of Savion Glover's tap group Tii Dii (Cannes Film Festival, Jerry Lewis Telethon, Winter Olympics 2002) Spark's Kids (2006) Lakers (Halftime 2010) and Michael Jackson's 45th anniversary. Ms. Heath assisted with Choreography in Debbie Allen's "Alex in Wonderland" and The "Hot Chocolate Nutcracker". As a member of the Kennedy Tap company she danced in Cuba for Alicia Alonzo's "International Ballet of Cuba", and was one of the first African Americans to dance at the Kremlin in Russia (Just in Time/Things Aint What They Used to Be) .Her Film /TV credits are "Idlewild" and "Tap Heat" "American Family (PBS), and her choreography was featured in the 2008 Season Finale of " So You Think You Can Dance. " Ms Heath debuted in the Musical "Twist", where she served as Assistant Choreographer /Dance Captain at the Alliance Theater (2010) and the Pasadena Playhouse (2011).
• Cathie is the younger granddaughter of Fayard Nicholas, of the legendary Nicholas Brothers Tap duo that thrilled audiences and performed in over 30 major movies. She currently teaches for Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Universal Dance Designs and Los Angeles Unified School District's Youth Development Program.
  
  Her performances with the Nicholas Brothers included Carnegie Hall, Hollywood Palladium, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Duke University and numerous Tap Festivals. With her grandfather, Fayard Nicholas and her sister Nicole, as the Nicholas Sisters, she performed at Jazz at Drew, Stanford University, Professional Dancers Society, Santa Monica College and many other venues.
  
  While a student at Debbie Allen Dance Academy her performances included musicals Brothers of the Knight and Pepito's Story, Steve Harvey's Summer Jam, and in Las Vegas at the Debbie Reynolds Revue. She has assisted in a Master Class at the LA Tap Festival since its inception.
  
  With Universal Dance Designs (Paul & Arlene Kennedy, founders), she studied for over 15 years and has been featured with the Kennedy Tap Company and performed throughout Cuba as guests of the International Dance Festival and extensively in Los Angeles for over a decade. Her dance talents have been displayed in Madrid, Paris, Canada, and most US states. She has choreographed numerous routines including Tribute to Debbie Reynolds and Ivory Wheeler, Chocolate Nutcracker produced by Wayne Bascomb, Chester Whitmore's Swing Band and Orchestra, and Capital recording artist, AKsent. This year The Nicholas Sisters are featured performers at the Philly Tap Festival in Pennsylvania.
  
  Cathie was a Sparkid for the WNBA Sparks Women's Basketball team performing extensive hip-hop routines at the Staples Center for Sparks basketball games and special appearances from 2003-2005. Her other screen credits include That's So Raven, Dance With Me, Jack The Bear, Lassie, the Vickie Lawrence Show, Toys R Us commercial, Se Habla Everything at the Los Angeles Theater, and a video with the late Tupac Shakur.
• Kevin Harris is part DADA's inaugural class and has been teaching at DADA since 2003. He has performed in all 6 of Ms. Allen's original productions, and was Assistant Choreographer for The Bayou Legend and Brothers of the Knight, and the TV show, Everybody Hates Chris and a principal dancer on episodes of the TV show, Just Jordan. Kevin has taught Hip Hop classes in the Los Angeles Unified School District, L.A.'s Best, P.S. Arts, and master classes across the US. Kevin has toured all over Europe, Asia and South America with the singer, Fergie, and has appeared on Jay Leno, Tyra Banks, MTV, Nickelodeon, Pepsi's Super Bowl Smash, and the VH1 and Billboard Awards.
• Mr. Watson was personally picked by Debbie Allen to teach at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. Dion has worked with Mariah Carey, Nas, Joe, Little Richard, Raven Symone and Fergie. Dion has also taught and choreographed all over the world including Lebanon where he choreographed his own version of Romeo and Juliet. Dion has danced in and assisted Ms. Allen's critically acclaimed Brothers of the Knight and Pearl. He teaches hip hop at DADA where he is on permanent faculty.
• Ms. Jordan holds a BA and MFA in Dance from UCLA. She has choreographed music videos and independent films. A recipient of several fellowships, Angela studied in Guinea, West Africa and danced with Kouman Kele. Angela taught at UCLA and Bates College Dance Festival and in addition to teaching at DADA Ms. Jordan is currently on faculty at Santa Monica College, El Camino Community College, and Long Beach City College.
• Ms Liani began studying Ballet, Tap, African and Jazz dance at age 3 and has been teaching & choreographing since the age of 15. Joy has danced with, Choreographed and assisted other choreographers with top Music Artists. Some of her dance credits include dancing in Nickelodeon's ‘Victorious,' Hannah Montana the Movie, and Music Videos with Janet Jackson, T. Pain, Will Smith, P-Diddy & Jay Z to name a few. Her love of dance and education is inspired by Debbie Allen; she enjoys inspiring others and is earning her doctorate degree in Psychology.
• Jason Samuels Smith is the Director of the Los Angeles Tap Festival and won an Emmy for choreographing the Opening number of the Jerry Lewis Telethon in a tribute to Gregory Hines. He was awarded a Proclamation declaring April 23rd "Jason Samuels Day" (City of Shreveport, LA), the "Ivy of Education" (Brainerd Institute), the "President Kenny Award" (Stony Brook University), and an Arts International Grant. Mr. Samuels-Smith co-starred in Dean Hargrove's short film Tap Heat (2004), and is in the film Idlewild. Credits include Debbie Allen's Soul Possessed, Sammy, Broadway's Bring in Da'Noise, Bring in Da'Funk, and Savion Glover's "NYOTs" among others. He founded tap company A.C.G.I. and JaJa Productions band featuring original jazz-influenced hip hop music.
• Chloe Arnold is a graduate of Columbia University, is the co-director of DADA's Los Angeles Tap Festival. Chloe was Associate Choreographer for ABC's American Celebration, the Opening number of the 2008 Jerry Lewis Telethon, Debbie Allen's Pearl and Alex In Wonderland and is the founding choreographer for the Tap Company, Syncopated Ladies. Performance credits include Debbie Allen's Brothers of the Knight and Alex in Wonderland. She was also a featured dancer in Imagine Tap, Outkast's film Idlewild, Sean Paul's music video for Step Up, Soul Possessed, Sammy, Savion Glover's All Star Tap Revue, and The Oneness Awards honoring Michael Jackson. Film and television appearances include The Parkers, One on One, Nickelodeon's Brothers Garcia, The Jerry Lewis Telethon and Dean Hargrove's short film Tap Heat

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