Faculty - Round Rock Repertory Dance Centre

Danielle Ehoff

Danielle began cultivating a love for dance as early as three years old, but started a serious study of ballet in 2001 at the age of 9 at Inland Pacific Ballet Academy. Over the years at Inland Pacific Ballet, Danielle was afforded many opportunities to perform in their productions of, “The Nutcracker”, “Giselle”, “Little Mermaid”, “Cinderella” and excerpts from “Dracula” at the IPB “Gala”. Her summer intensive studies include Inland Pacific Ballet, The School of American Ballet in New York, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, and Ballet Austin. While at San Francisco Ballet’s 2008 Summer Intensive, Danielle was invited to study with them for the 2008-2009 school year. While attending the summer program of The Pacific Northwest ballet summer of 2010 she was accepted with a scholarship into the Professional Division of their school for the 2010-2011 school year and was able to perform in many of their productions. After attending a summer at Ballet Austin in 2013, she was invited to stay as a trainee with the company 2013-2014 where she was able to perform with Ballet Austin II, and Ballet Austin. Danielle is excited to be performing with the Austin dance project this season.

Isabelle Burnetta

Isabelle began her ballet training at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet under

Margarita de Saa White (Ballet Nacional de Cuba) and Tatiana Kudrjavcev (San

Francisco Ballet). She attended her first summer intensive at The South Carolina

Summer Dance Conservatory at age 13, which was her first exposure to professionals

from New York City Ballet, her favorite company. The following summer she attended

The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC for the first time, in addition to

Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli, NY. She continued for the following

three summers to attend both programs and was awarded a full–time scholarship to the

year–round program at both Kirov and JKO. At age 16 she accepted a scholarship to the

Walnut Hill School in Boston, MA where she attended and performed leading roles in the

schools performances. Following her time at Walnut Hill she attended her last summer

at Kaatsbaan, as well as the Rock School, where she was offered a full scholarship to

the year–round program. Her senior year of high school she began dancing with the

Brandywine Ballet in West Chester, PA, which she continued throughout her college

career at The University of Pennsylvania. During that time she also trained with Barbara

Sandonato of the Pennsylvania Ballet, guesting and having the opportunity to perform

with the company, as well as with the Wilmington Ballet. After graduation she moved to

Manhattan where she worked for a fashion brand doing business development, a job in

line with her college major, but her true love has always been and will always be dance.

She ended up teaching at a studio in the city as well as guesting with several small

companies and schools. She moved to Austin three years ago and calls this city her

home. She currently teaches at several studios in the area and dances with Austin

Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble and other local groups. Her favorite things in the world

are: teaching students ballet and supporting them as they grow into successful dancers, performing on stage, and dancing in Balanchine works.

Danielle Juarez

Danielle Juarez began her dance training in Boston, Massachusetts with Boston Ballet at the age of 6. After training with Boston Ballet for four years, she was given the opportunity to expand her dance education at Rosalie Woodson Dance Academy in Aiea, Hawaii. Several years later she began dancing with The Dance Studio in Austin, Texas under the direction of Lucretia Lomax Alvarez. At the Dance Studio Danielle expanded her dance education to include modern, jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, tap, and hip hop in addition to her ballet studies. She has been fortunate to train with Melanie Kregel, Patricia Hall Loring, Svetlana Krylova, Amanda Booth-Neidhardt, and Marla Valk at Westwood High School. In 2010 she became a resident artist for Austin Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble and was fortunate to perform and choreograph for two seasons. Shortly after, Danielle had the opportunity to work with The Dance Project dancers and choreographers for several years. She thoroughly enjoys working with the dancers at Round Rock Repertory Dance Center as she can share her passion for dance with the students.

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique.” – Martha Graham

Zeke Zimmerman

Zeke Zimmerman has studied the art of tap dance for 19 years in Austin, TX. He’s had the pleasure of studying at Tapestry Dance Company under a number of talented tap dancers such Acia Gray, Nicholas Young, Jason Janas, Matthew Shield, and many others. He is a graduate of the McCallum Fine Arts Academy where he majored in dance. He also apprenticed with Tapestry’s Professional Company from 2014-16 seasons where he appeared in the shows “Of Mice and Music: A Jazz Tap Nutcracker” and “In Your Shoes” under the direction of Acia Gray, and has performed in the 2015 Soul to Sole festival. He has performed and collaborated with a number of Austin musicians and groups including Tina Marsh & The Creative Opportunity Orchestra, Dr. James Polk and Centerpiece, Alex Coke, Randy Zimmerman, and many others.

Sarah Sofia Cantoran

Sarah is originally from Los Angeles CA. In California, Sarah received dance training at Attitudes Dance Academy under the direction of Megan Hart and Joshua Romero. After moving to Texas, she studied dance at Metamorphosis Dance Academy under the direction of Melanie Kregel and Mel Glouchkova. Sarah went on to join Austin Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble at the age of 12. Sarah has been fortunate to perform in ballets such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker. Sarah has also studied in master classes including choreographers such as Emma Portner, Mia Michaels, Randall Flinn, Steve Rooks, and Dorrell Martin. Intensive studies include Sam Houston State University and Noble Motion Dance. Although only 20 years old, Sarah’s choreography has been featured in Ballet Under the Stars and with The Dance Project. Sarah has also received several “Choreographers awards” from dance competitions. Sarah graduated in June 2015 from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville TX. She currently teaches at Round Rock Repertory Dance Centre and hopes to share her love of dance with her students. Sarah also co-directs RRRDC’s own dance company Emerge. Sarah plans to continue her dance training with a focus on choreography.

Sam Nelson

Sam is an Austin native who found his passion for dance when he was 10 years old. He spent 6 years training at a local studio and competed on a pre-professional dance company. During these years Sam attended many dance conventions and competitions and received numerous awards including 2 National titles and 4 Regional titles. He has also received scholarships from Jump, 24 Seven, Radix, Hollywood Connection, the Streetz, NYCDA, Tremaine, Velocity, WCDE, Adrenaline, NRG, Revive, and AMDA. In addition, Sam received scholarships to train at Steps on Broadway, the EDGE PAC, Complexions, Summer Dance Sessions, and Trans4m.

Sam is a versatile dancer who is trained in Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, Jazz Funk, Ballet, Ballroom, and Tap. He has learned from many top professional choreographers and helped teach young dancers of all ages and levels. Sam has had the opportunity to travel across the country as a Company Assistant to the faculty touring with 7 national dance conventions including Adrenaline, Revive, the Streetz, NRG, Tremaine, the Pulse, and Dance League. He is currently on faculty at NEXT GEN Dance Intensive.

Sam is passionate about creating. His choreography has won several Judge’s Choice, Technique, and Choreography awards at Jump, NUVO, Showstopper, Platinum, Celebrity, and Top 10 Dance Challenge. One of his biggest honors was winning the National Title of Teen Mr. Adrenaline in 2016 with his Self-Choreographed solo. In 2017, another of Sam’s solos won 1^st Overall at Nationals at Dancearchy Ultimate Dance Challenge. He creates pieces for other dancers as well and has choreographed college dance solos that have been accepted into Marymount Manhattan, Julliard, University of Arizona, and USC Kaufman. Another very proud moment came in 2018 when one of his students won 1^st Overall at Rainbow National Dance Competition with the solo he choreographed for her.

Upon graduation Sam plans to study Dance and Statistics in college. When he’s not dancing, Sam enjoys listening to music, playing with his 2 dogs, traveling, spending time with his friends and family, and serving in his community.

Jesee Smart

Jesee Smart is originally from Chicago, IL. She has studied dance for more than 20 years under various professionals including Lisa Boehm (Ballet), Frank Boehm (Jazz), Randall Newsom (Ballet, Graham Technique), Judith Chitwood (Ballet, Horton Technique), Paula Frasz (Modern, Tap, Musical Theatre), Karen Williamson (Ballet, Modern), Lila Dole (Spanish), Danny Herman (Broadway Jazz, Tap), Rocker Verastique (Broadway Jazz), Kenney DeCamp (Jazz, Performance), and Joel Hall (Jazz).

Jesee moved to Austin in 2006 after graduating from Northern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management (Human Resources) and a Bachelor of the Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Education. She currently choreographs and performs in and around Austin, including multiple performances per year at the Georgetown Palace Theatre. She is the Company Manager for the Youth Performance Company at the Palace as well.

Jesee taught ballet, pointe, modern, tap, and jazz for ten years prior to moving to Austin. She was a founding member of the award winning competition group “Petite Feet” with DancEncounter in Geneva, IL. While attending Northern Illinois University, Jesee was the director and producer of Art for Life, an AIDS benefit concert including all of the visual and performing arts. It was associated with Dance for Life in Chicago to benefit those artists living with and dying from AIDS.

People have asked me why I chose to be a dancer. I did not choose. I was chosen to be a dancer, and with that, you live all your life.Martha Graham

Laura Mobley

Originally from Orlando, Fl, Laura graduated from University of South Florida with her B.F.A. in modern dance performance in 2015. During her college career she had the opportunity to travel to France to study, dance, and choreograph in the USF Dance in Paris Program and the International Dance Festival in Trinidad and Tobago. After graduation Laura continued her training in summer programs with Robert Moses Kin, Repertory Dance Theatre, and Bodytraffic. During her remaining time in Florida she was a member of Red Right Return Dance Company where she performed at the annual Orlando International Fringe Festival. She then traveled to Maine to collaborate with Susan Douglas Roberts, Artistic Director of wildgoosechasedance, and dancer Alex Masi to launch its choreography project of the summer. Laura recently moved to Austin from Bloomington, IN where she collaborated with Stephanie Nugent Dance. Since moving to Austin she has performed in projects with Blipswitch, NunaMaana, Jennifer Sherburn’s 11:11:08, and Empty Maps Collective in this years Revolve: Movement Display.

Guest Instructors:

Joshua D. Estrada-Romero

Joshua began his dance training at Cal State University, Fullerton. He was a member of CSUF’s Dance Repertory Theatre and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance in 2008. His experience in dance, music, and arts evolved through his dance memberships and trainings with Palindrome Dance Company, RhetOracle Dance Company, BARE Dance Company, Nickerson-Rossi Dance Company. He also worked with artists of Limon Dance Company, Erick Hawkins Dance Company, and choreographer Victor Kabaniev. Joshua is the founder and artistic director of FUSE Dance Company based in Orange, CA. They have been sharing their movement throughout California as well as, Austin TX, Boston MA, NYC, and Seattle WA. He currently shares his passion as an instructor/choreographer to all dance students of California State University Fullerton, Mount San Antonio College, Orange County School of the Arts and Santa Ana College. Joshua received his Masters in Dance in June of 2017, from the University of California, Irvine.

Chris Barfield

Chris Barfield has been dancing since the age of 10. Starting off at Stephanie’s Dance Studio One in Katy, Texas, he moved to Austin and started dancing at Joyce Willet’s School of Dance. He had been dance under Quinton Weathers’ direction at The Dance Spot from 2007 to 2008. He has also had training from Cheryl Copeland while attending The Dance Spot. He has had formal training in ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop and a little salsa. Chris has received scholarships from Tremaine Dance Convention and was in the highest scoring small group dance at Hall of Fame Challenge in Austin in 2008. At the age of 12, he was asked by Arletta Howard-Logan to play the part of Mowgli in the ballet version of “The Jungle Book” as well as a featured dancer in Randal Marks’ “Jazz and Tango” a few years later. He has also been active in the musical theatre department at his school, performing in musicals such as “Seussical,” “Les Miserables,” and “The Boyfriend.” Some of his acting skills have been put to use in plays such as “The Fisherman and the Mermaid,” “Pinocchio,” and “Teen Drama,” the latter being a special new play for UT Connections.

Chris recently graduated from film school in California where he also worked as a choreographer for the Buena Park Youth Theatre. He choreographed productions of “Guys and Dolls”, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”.