Public School Programs

Our Instructors

	Kirsten Allard - Albuquerque Instructor Kirsten Allard has been a dancer most of her life and began her passion for choreography in high school. She studied dance throughout North Africa and Europe which included a year of Flamenco study in Andalucía, Spain. Allard graduated with a Bachelors degree in Dance and Cultural Anthropology from The University of New Mexico in 2008. Since graduation, Allard has been working for NDI-NM and is currently an instructor for the Albuquerque outreach programs. Additionally, Allard is a resident choreographer for Cardboard Playhouse Productions, Artistic Director of The Duke Dance Collective and likes to play drums!
	Dr. Brian Bennett - Associate Music Director Brian Bennett is a composer, pianist, bassist and teacher whose 30-year career in music has encompassed virtually the full gamut of musical experience. A native of Washington, D.C., his compositions have been performed and recorded in North America and Europe. Upon earning his doctorate in composition from UCLA following studies with William Kraft, Lukas Foss and Lawrence Moss, he worked in Lyon, France for five years. In his work as a pianist and bassist he has recorded extensively and performed in nearly every setting with many great musicians, including such world-class greats as John Taylor, Steve Swallow, John Scofield and Joe Diorio. Brian joined NDI-NM in 2003.
	Jessie Bolnick - Albuquerque Instructor Jessie Bolnick is a UNM Graduate (Theatre/Dance) who has been dancing since age 3. Since 2004, Jessie has been the director of Dance eXcesS (DXS) Dance Company, which focuses on hip hop, jazz and contemporary dance. Jessie has taught dance throughout Albuquerque to individuals and groups ages 4-80. Dance has always been her passion and she couldn’t be happier to be able to share her love of the arts with the community on a daily basis.
	Addela Bransford - Piano Apprentice
	Justin Bransford - Pianist - Bassist - Pianist - Composer, Justin Bransford has performed internationally and has worked with countless singers, dancers and musicians from many different backgrounds performing jazz, rock, R&B, salsa, cumbia, flamenco and other styles. He has appeared in television commercials and has performed for President Clinton and also Governor Richardson. In addition to teaching private students throughout the years, Justin served as guitar teacher at Santa Fe Preparatory School from 2005 to 2009. From 2004 to 2007, Justin taught bass and recording at the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West. Currently, Justin teaches at The Candyman Strings & Things in Santa Fe. Since 2000, he has been a pianist and bassist for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico. Since 2005, he has played for masses and various other functions at the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe. In addition to live performance and teaching, Justin is commissioned by various artists to produce music manuscript from audio recordings. He is an active working musician throughout the Santa Fe/ Albuquerque area playing with many groups both on stage and in the studio. In addition to his music work, mr Bransford has served the community of Santa Fe as arts commissioner for the Santa Fe Arts Commission.
	Melissa Briggs - Santa Fe Instructor Melissa is a graduate of New York University/Tisch School of the Arts, Smith College. A former NYC resident, past venues for her work include Symphony Space, PS 122, Joyce SoHo, the Flea Theater, and Dixon Place. Listed as one of “Gotham’s finest dancemakers” by Voice Choices (Fall 2000), Melissa has enjoyed artist residencies from organizations such as the Joyce Theater Foundation (NYC), the Yard (Martha’s Vineyard, MA) and BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange (NYC). She has been teaching for over 13 years and currently works with children ages 3 to university age all around the Santa Fe area. She is presently on the faculty of the New Mexico School for the Arts.
	Jeff Brown, Pianist Jeff Brown has worked with NDI-NM since 2003 as pianist, and began teaching voice in 2011 at The Hiland Theater. As musician-educator, he has worked in over 55 schools with over 3500 students of all ages. Mr. Brown graduated in Industrial Engineering at Northwestern University and is a former business consultant. He began his music training in his late 20’s, and has since performed in many cities and countries. Recent positions include bandleader and orchestral arranger for 2007 Native American Musician of the Year, Arvel Bird; composer for LittleGlobe on the Lifesongs project (writing songs with hospice care patients); Music Director of Las Placitas Presbyterian Church’s; Conductor of Coro de Cámera choir, Assistant Conductor of the Rio Grande Youth Chorale and Santa Fe Opera teacher trainer and Composer-In-Residence.
	Bert Dalton - Music Director Bert has been with NDI-NM since 1996 and has served as Music Director since 1998. Bert received his music education at Northern Illinois University and has performed throughout the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. His Latin jazz quartet Yoboso, won the 1995 B.E.T Jazz Discovery Competition and was twice awarded Best Recording of the Year by the New Mexico Music Industry Coalition. He was guest pianist and composer with the Allen Philharmonic Symphony in Allen, Texas, in December 2003, featuring an orchestral suite from "The Shamrock and The Feather," a sound track recording accompanying his wife Dori's novel of the same name.
	Tara Debevec - Albuquerque, North & Santa Fe Instructor Tara has performed and instructed professionally in the United States, Europe, and New Zealand. She is the creator of the Now We’re Dancin’ dance program and instructional DVD series; founder of the award winning Dance Company, Jazz Machine and Tara’s Dance Academy. Her credits include dancing for the Royal Family at the Festival of London, for Bally's Jubilee! in Las Vegas, Nevada, and most recently touring the United States with Celebrity Enterprise, where she was also a choreographer.
	Steve Figueroa - Pianist Born into a musical family, Albuquerque native Steve Figueroa began playing the piano at age 17. Primarily self-taught, Steve has become adept at playing many different styles, but focusing mostly on jazz and latin music. In the last twenty years, Steve has become very active on the local New Mexico music scene, playing with a wide variety of groups and genres. He has been a pianist with NDI for nine years.
	Annica Graham - North Program Producer Annica Graham rejoined the NDI-NM team in 2010 after taking a few years off to pursue an advanced degree and serving as the Outreach Producer for the new state-wide charter high school – New Mexico School for the Arts. She was a Program Producer for NDI-NM for four years prior to taking her break. Before moving back to New Mexico, Annica was a professional Equity stage manager and theater artist in the greater Washington D.C. area. Her stage management credits include productions at Woolly Mammoth Theater, Roundhouse Theatre, Center Stage, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Imagination Stage, Olney Theater Center for the Arts, among others. She has a B.A. in Theater from University of Maryland - College Park. Annica is originally from Albuquerque and feels very privileged to be part of an organization that brings quality arts programming to the children of New Mexico.
	Maki Kimura - Residency Music Director Kimura received her M.M. in both Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from the University of New Mexico, where she won the 1st place prize in the UNM 2006 Concerto Competition and graduated with distinction honours. In 1990, she was dispatched to Paraguay as part of the Japanese Government’s Technical Cooperation Program where she gave many concerts while teaching music. While in Paraguay, she often appeared in major newspapers and her performances were broadcasted nationally. After returning to Japan, Maki became an active freelance pianist and also taught piano at Tsurumi University. Greatly in demand as a chamber musician, she has also been a contributor on numerous competitions and concerts.
	Pamela Ladas - Santa Fe Instructor Pamela has been a dancer, choreographer, educator and health care provider for most of her life. In 1985 she graduated from Tufts University with a BA in anthropology and dance, with phi betta kappa and summa cum laude honors. She then taught dance to children at the Steffi Nossen school of dance in NY. She moved to Santa Fe in 1989 to teach anatomy and physiology and to begin a medical massage program at the New Mexico Academy of Healing Arts. After 6 years of teaching and practicing massage therapy, she attended graduate school to get her Master’s degree in Oriental Medicine. In 1995 she began her practice as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, and started teaching at the Southwest Acupuncture College. Pamela discovered NDI through one of her patients, and knew immediately that she wanted to participate. She feels lucky to have joined the NDI artistic staff and to have the opportunity to dance, choreograph and teach children once again. She now dedicates herself to raising her daughter, Coriandra, and to her work with NDI.
	Dan Lizdas - North Music Director Dan Lizdas moved to New Mexico in 1993. He toured with Michael Martin Murphey for six years. He has played with jazz musicians Frank Morgan, Ritchie Cole and Arturo Sandoval. He was NDI Residency Music Director for two years and is currently the North Music Director. He is proud to be the oldest person ever "timed out".
	Emily Lowman - Santa Fe Outreach Director Emily, the daughter of a theatre professor, began her career in children’s theatre and continued at the University of New Mexico, studying ballet, flamenco and modern dance including the techniques of Katherine Dunham, Bill Evans, Doris Humphrey and Jose Limón. During college, she traveled overseas with SUNY New Paltz to study the techniques of Martha Graham and Lester Horton and worked with the Readymade Dance Theater and Blythe Eden Dance Company in Albuquerque. After graduating from UNM in 2001 with an honors BA in Theatre and Dance, she danced with Murray Spalding Movement Arts in Santa Fe and apprenticed with NDI-NM’s Santa Fe Summer Institute, later becoming Director of this program. Emily was an Instructor for in-school, after-school and Advanced Training programs in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico before becoming Associate Residency Director, then Residency Director in 2008. She is now the Santa Fe Outreach Director.
	Jesse Martinez - Albuquerque Instructor Jesse began dancing with NDI-NM when he was 9 years old and grew up with the program. He joined NDI-NM’s Company XCel where he studied Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern and Musical Theater. He has performed all around New Mexico as well as in New York City and in Washington D.C. for the First Lady. He has been teaching Tap to various dance studios all around the Santa Fe and Albuquerque area for the past 5 years. He currently attends New Mexico Tech studying Computer Science and continues to teach tap for NDI-NM.
	Kelvin McNeal - Pianist
	Melanie Monsour - Pianist Melanie Monsour has a degree in music, piano, theory/composition from U/Mass. Amherst. She worked and recorded with many well known artists while living in the San Fransisco Bay Area. She has been accompanying Gurdjieff Sacred Movements for over 18 years and has performed the concert repertoire around the world. She is an adjunct professor in the Contemporary Music Program at Santa Fe University of Art and Design.Monsour has recorded four CD's, the music of Gurdjieff/deHartmann three of her solo piano work and one in collaboration with a dance group. She performs regularly in Santa Fe with singer, Nacha Mendez.
	Alison Montoya - Santa Fe Program Producer Alison Montoya is currently the Producer for NDI-NM’s Santa Fe Program. She has been dancing and teaching classical ballet for 14 years. She began her dance training in Ocala, Florida then moved to Columbia, South Carolina in 1993 where she danced with the Columbia City Ballet under the instruction of Artistic Director William Starrett. Alison moved to New Mexico in the Summer of 2006, and resides in Santa Fe with her family. She is very excited to work for an organization that shares her love of dancing with children all over New Mexico.
	Cristiane C de Oliveira - Residency Director Cristiane is a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she began dancing at the age of four under the training of Maggie de Souza. She participated in dance festivals in Florianopolis, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte. Cristiane has been dancing, choreographing, and teaching for over 20 years. She has a BA in Education from the College Beatissima Virgem Maria and a BA in Theatre and Dance from The University of New Mexico. She danced in a number of productions with the UNM Dance Troupe, Bill Evans Modern Dance Company, Blythe Eden Dance Company, and Utopia Dance Company from Mexico City. In addition to her work in ballet and modern dance, she pursues flamenco and capoeira, a martial arts dance of Brazil. Cristiane joined NDI-NM in 1999.
	Jackie Oliver - Albuquerque Artistic Director Jackie Oliver has been dancing, performing, and choreographing throughout the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas for over 23 years. She began her training under Patricia Dickinson and Suzanne Johnston in Albuquerque. Jackie has served on the faculty for the Annual Bill Evans Rhythm Tap Dance Jams and has performed and taught for the Centrum’s Bill Evans Dance Intensive in Port Townsend, WA. She currently directs the Annual NM Tap Dance Jams and has performed and choreographed for the New Mexico Ballet Company, the Bill Evans Rhythm Tap Ensemble, and the University of New Mexico Dance Department. Jackie has been a member of NDI-NM’s artistic staff since 2000.
	Diana Orozco-Garrett - Santa Fe Instructor Diana has been an NDI-NM dance instructor since 2001 and has taught in the School for the Performing Arts, Outreach and Summer Institute programs. Diana is from Dallas, Texas where she studied tap, jazz and ballet. She has a B.A. from St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana and a J.D. from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX.
	Tracy Ritter - Albuquerque Instructor Tracy has been dancing for 23 years, since she was running around in her little pink tuttu. She trained at La Mesa Dance Academy with Cecelia Jaramillo for 16 years and studied ballet, jazz and tap. She then trained with Suzanne Johnston at the University of New Mexico and shortly became the teachers assistant. Suzanne encouraged her to audition for The Nutcracker in 2003 and she has been dancing with New Mexico Ballet Company since. She has received many performing opportunities and several lead roles such as Lead Merliton in The Nutcracker, Bride of Dracula in Dracula and danced core in Concerto Barocco choreographed by George Balanchine, West Side Story and was the assistant choreographer and danced in Thoroughly Modern Millie with Musical Theatre Southwest and several student and faculty performances at UNM. Tracy is also a teacher at La Mesa Dance Academy and has experience in pre-school ballet to beginning pointe. Tracy is a first year Apprentice with NDI, where she is currently teaching in two schools, assisting with the Friday SWAT team, the Celebration team and jazz technique classes.
	Liz Salganek - Santa Fe Advanced Training Director Liz Salganek grew up in Santa Fe, where she trained and performed extensively in ballet, jazz, modern dance, and theater. She earned her B.A. in Dance from Barnard College of Columbia University, graduating summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. In New York she joined the faculty of the Barnard Dance Department, and worked as a modern dancer. Liz joined the NDI-NM staff in 2006, and has since taught in every branch of its programming. Her other work experience includes early childhood education, physical therapy, and Pilates.
	Alyx Sanchez - Residency Associate Alyx Andrea Sanchez grew up in Las Cruces, NM where she recently graduated from NMSU. Completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in dance has given her the opportunity to pursue a professional career and dream job with NDI-NM. Throughout her college experience she had the opportunity to perform, choreograph, travel and compete with the Dance program’s companies. Studying Modern, Classical Spanish and Flamenco, Ballroom and Latin, and even Hip-hop all inspired her to be artistically expressive in many ways. Since 2003, Alyx has taught dance within the community of Las Cruces and is excited about her new city of Albuquerque!
	Danny Silver - Santa Fe Instructor Danny Silver studied ballet at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music at the age of 7, and continued training in ballet, jazz, modern, South Indian classical dance and hip hop for the next 20 years. As an undergraduate in the Department of Dramatic Arts at UC Berkeley, she studied with David Wood of the Martha Graham Company, and later with Utah’s Repertory Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City. Danny has been an instructor with NDI-NM’s outreach and SPA programs since 2002. She is also a certified fitness instructor, and has taught dance and fitness in California and New Mexico since 1985.
	Leslie Stamper - North Artistic Director Leslie began dancing at an early age in her hometown of Columbia, Missouri, studying ballet, jazz and tap. She earned her degree in Theater Performance from the University of Missouri, while studying dance at nearby Stephens College. While in school, she was part of the “Golden Girls,” a dance squad which won the ESPN National Dance Championship and performed throughout the country and in Japan. Upon graduation, Leslie performed professionally with the Missouri Professional Theater, where she not only acted in various dramas, comedies and musicals, but also assisted with choreography. Later, dancing took her aboard the Carnival Cruise Ship Jubilee, and then on to Los Angeles, where she danced in Annie Get Your Gun with Cathy Rigby at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts. After two years in L.A., Leslie returned to Santa Fe and began her work towards a degree in dance, focusing on flamenco, from the University of New Mexico. She started as an apprentice teacher with NDI-NM in October 2000 and is thrilled to be a part of the organization.
	Phyllis Wahl – Pianist
	Kevin Ward - Pianist
	Barbara Zuckerman – Santa Fe & North Instructor Barbara Zuckerman graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 1981 with an Independent Bachelors degree emphasizing dance and theater. Her training continued in Chicago at Columbia College Dance Center and with artists including Ping Chong and Bill T. Jones, Claudia Gitelman and June Finch. In New York she trained on scholarship at the Nikolais /Louis Lab, with Phyllis Lamhut and several other mentors in dance, voice and theater. She has created and performed original movement /theater works in Santa Fe since 1987, and has performed with Theater Grottesco, Theaterwork, and the Children's Dance Co. Since 1996, she has been a passionate arts educator, and is approaching her 10th year with NDI. She was also an artist-in-residence for the Santa Fe Opera’s educational outreach program for 6 years, as well as teaching and choreographing for Southwest Children’s Theater, Artworks and Rhythm & Moves. She is currently completing her K-8/K-12 dual teaching certification from SFCC.