EVELYN ORDUNEZ-MARTINEZ - Evelyn grew up in Rochester, NY where her interest in dance was nurtured at a young age of 2 1/2. She has a well diverse training from the Michelle Buschner School of Dance and traveled to Regional & National competitions. She attended Rochester’s School of the Arts where she credits her former teachers MaryLee Miller, Jane Ahrens and Nancy Burhyte. She trained with the Rochester City Ballet where she performed in their Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, Firebird & Swan Lake Act II under the direction of Timothy Draper, Sally Atkins-Stepnes and Julianne Deming. She was a scholarship student with the Garth Fagan Dance under the direction of Bit Knighton. She attended Summer Intensives at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in NYC where she studied Ballet, Horton, Martha Graham, Pilates, Tap and West African Dance. Later in her adult life she explored the world of Ballroom as an instructor for the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. She even incorporated Tap into her Elementary curriculum at The Montessori School of Rochester and as an Outreach Program Specialist for at risk youth at the Girl Scouts she shared her passion for the Arts to help build self esteem and discipline at school programs. Evelyn holds a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Business Administration.
Amy Ducy – Amy has been training in gymnastics for a multitude of years. Amy was a long time member of the Rising Stars Gymnastics Team and competed all the way up to Optional level gymnastics. After her career as a competing gymnast, Amy started working for Rising Stars Gymnastics, where she has been a staff member for over 10 years. Amy currently coaches Mommy & Me beginner acrobatic classes, as well as beginning to pre professional level.
Currently, Amy is the head coach and department leader of level 3+ gymnastics bars and TOPs (talent opportunity program) at Kids Choice Sports. Amy is certified as a USA gymnastics professional member, and apart of the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union).
Amy also holds a certification in Safety in USA gymnastics. Ms. Ducy has also hosted numerous gymnastics clinics including W311 2013 National compulsory workshop, P411 Jeff Metzger`s Small Business Boot Camp, 2014 Region 8 Congress and South Florida State Clinic for many years. Amy is very pleased to share her gymnastics knowledge with her students at Dance Academy!
Jessica Jean Lister – Began dancing locally at the tender age of three. Her journey started Coral Springs Academy of Dance under the direction of Kathy Scheich and Tracey Jacobellis, where she was trained in classical ballet, jazz, tap, and contemporary. Jessica became the youngest student to ever receive the Cassidy Scholarship, a scholarship dedicated to dancers of the future with funding towards their dance education.
Choosing the path of a professional career, Ms. Lister attended Dillard Center for the Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale, FL under the direction of Hannah Baumgarten, Lu Welters, Jose Garant and Diego Salterini. During her training at Dillard Center for the Performing Arts, she awarded soloist roles by the Urban City Ballet, which is based out of New York, as well as The Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, based out of New Jersey. At DCA, Ms. Lister was instructed by Sylvia Waters, and danced alongside the Ailey II Dance Company for several of years. Ms. Lister has performed many soloist variations such ballets as Don Quixote, Paquita, Coppelia and the Nutcracker, including the Dying Swan variation. Ms. Lister is a member of both the Florida Dance Education Organization and National Dance Education Organization where she graduated with honors in the NHSODA.
Having been invited to perform and study in national dance festivals, Ms. Lister has had the opportunity to showcase her talent through specific choreography in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Ms. Lister has had extensive training at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City and University of the Arts in Philadelphia, with a concentration in contemporary ballet. She attended Arts Ballet Theater where she received a full scholarship to train under Vladimir Issaev located in Aventura, FL. She also was accepted at the Joffrey Ballet School Miami Summer Intensive on scholarship. Ms. Lister was chosen as Broward County’s Arts for the Future 2009 recipient.
Ms. Lister received a full scholarship to New World School of the Arts in Miami, a dance division of The University of Florida, where she completed her Associates degree under the direction of the Dean of Dance Daniel Lewis. While at New World, Ms. Lister studied with prestigious modern and ballet instructors such as Bambi Anderson, Gerard Ebitz, Rebecca Cannan, Peter London and Robert Battle, the current Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, along with the renowned Judith Jamison.
In 2010, Ms. Lister started teaching at Dance Academy of Boca Raton where she was instrumental in building a modern dance curriculum focusing on the techniques of Horton, Limon and Graham. Ms. Lister has portrayed the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker Ballet as a guest artist for Dance Academy of Boca Raton. In 2015, Ms. Lister became the Co-Artistic Director of Dance Academy of Boca Raton and continues to teach classical ballet and modern dance. Ms. Lister has choreographed for ABC in venues such as Disney, Royal Caribbean, and most recently the 14th Annual Choreographer’s Ball. Currently, Ms. Lister is attending FIU to further her education with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education.
Cheryl Wallach – Cheryl, born in New York, began her dance train- ing with classical ballet at the Martha Merideth School of Dance. She then focused her attentions to jazz dance, studying with Phil Black in New York City, The London Dance Centre, London, England, and The Zawacki School of Dance, Great Neck, N.Y. Cheryl has a degree from the University of Maryland where she trained and per- formed in numerous productions, as well as choreographed for the University Dinner Theatre. Cheryl’s professional credits include performing at the nationally acclaimed Gateway Playhouse, Bellport , N.Y. , The Zawacki Dance Company, Great Neck, N.Y., and Ernesto Productions Music Videos. She is happy to be a part of the Dance Academy staff and pass her love for jazz dance on to a new generation.
Harriet Wilson – Harriet hails from New York City where she trained extensively with the great master of jazz dance, “Luigi”. She performed with his company and taught for him in his N.Y.C. dance studio, (Luigi’s Jazz Centre). Harriet also studied at Steps and Broadway Dance Center where she substituted for one of their main teachers at the time and subsequent other studios throughout the N.Y. area. Harriet has also performed in industrial shows, nightclub and choreographed a national TV commercial for the ‘World League of American Football’ before moving to south Florida 24 yrs. ago. Upon arriving to Dance Academy, Harriet taught in studios in Delray and Boca. She has also taught for Boca Ballet Theatre and has her own Adult Jazz group class.
Harriet joined the team 5 years ago. She is happy and grateful to be a part of the DABR faculty; a school she feels exposes children to artistry and where quality teaching comes first. She most enjoys teaching the students and watching them develop as dancers. Harriet truly believes that there is nothing greater in life than having the opportunity to do what you love in an environment where everyone involved is a joy to be with…..and where work doesn’t feel like work!
Silvia Sanchez – Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and based in South Florida since 2005. She began dancing Flamenco more than 25 years ago, and since then she has been promoting and representing the Andalusian and Flamenco culture and the richness of its dances. She has performed during these years at the most important theaters of Buenos Aires, TV shows, private parties and tablaos flamencos.
Silvia’s background is Telecommunications Engineering and works as Bid Manager for a Multinational Telecommunications Company. She has also been teaching Flamenco to adults and children for the last 15 years.
Besides Flamenco, her dance education includes Classical Spanish, Folkloric dances from Spain mainly from Salamanca and castanets technique. She has attended classes, master classes, seminars and workshops with well known dancers and teachers in Argentina, Spain and USA, such as Israel Galvan, Pastora Galvan, Rafaela Carrasco, La China, Farruquito, Alfonso Losa, Ivan Vargas Heredia, Miguel Vargas, Damaris Ferrer, Jose Luis Rodriguez, Ilisa del Rosal, to name a few.
Coming from a Spanish family, although she was born in Argentina she feels the Spanish blood in her veins and she really enjoys doing and teaching what she loves: dancing Flamenco.
