Faculty

Deidre Russell Robinson

Deidre began her studies in Houston, TX with Margo Marshall, Madame Seminova, James Clouser and Patsy Swayze. She also studied jazz and musical theater with greats Frank Hatchet, Gus Giordano and Alvin Ailey. A graduate of the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Ms. Robinson’s career has included many dance forms, movies, commercials, touring shows and eight different countries. She performed and toured extensively with the Houston Jazz Ballet Company under the direction of Patsy Swayze, dancing in numerous ballets including Spartacus, Kismet, Spring Waters and Raymonda Variations. Joining the Houston Ballet under the direction of James Clouser, then Ben Stevenson, Deidre’s roles included the Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle, as well as performances of Caliban and Carmina Burana.

Summers had her touring with Theater Under the Stars productions of Music Man, Gi Gi, My Fair Lady and Carousel, under the direction of Roger Rabe (Director of Broadway’s Best Little Whorehouse) and Bruce Lumpkin (Director of Nine on Broadway). She was featured in a national commercial for Astroworld and appeared with John Travolta in the movie Urban Cowboy. A move to Los Angeles landed her in the touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar and subsequently with a principal role in Bally’s Las Vegas production of Hollywood Jubilee. She also performed and toured with the Jean Carlos Flamenco Ballet Company of Caracas, Venezuela. She returned to the United States in 1987. In Austin, she was invited to join the Austin Contemporary Ballet while she directed its junior company, Texas Youth Ballet.

Additionally, Ms. Russell Robinson has choreographed several musicals for the Capital City Playhouse and Kid’s Acting such as Fiddler On the Roof and Westside Story. Deidre shared her wealth of knowledge and love of dance through her own studio, Austin Dance Arts, 2003-2008. She is proud to be a member of the International Dance Council, Classical Dance Alliance, Texas Association of Teachers of Dance and the Cecchetti Council of America.

Leo Paschal

Leo Paschal started his dance career in Austin Texas at Reagan High School. He was the first male to be on a dance team and on ALL- City, State, and Company. Leo was Jr. Lt. 1998-99 and Captain of the Double R Dance Team 1999-2000. After graduation, Leo ventured out to studios teaching Street Jazz and Hip-Hop. Teaching at Tapestry, Dance Arts, Joyce Willett School of Dance, Dance Zone, The Dance Studio, and Jackie’s, Leo added Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Salsa, Hawaiian, Tango, and Break Dancing to his list of credits. Leo became one of the top Hip-Hop Choreographers in Austin and was deemed the best in Austin by Fox 7 News in 2004. Leo has choreographed 1st place award winning dances for high schools such as Stony Point, Reagan and East-side Memorial High School. Leo has danced the roles of both Russian and Arabian Dancer in the Nutcracker.

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.

Danielle Juarez Maguire

Danielle Juarez Maguire began her dance training in Boston, Massachusetts with Boston Ballet. 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. She has been fortunate to train with Melanie Kregel, Patricia Hall Loring, Svetlana Krylova, Amanda Booth-Neidhardt, and most recently, Latisha Coffey. In 2010 she became a resident artist for Austin Metamorphosis Dance Ensemble. Danielle now performs and choreographs for The Dance Project, a local non-profit dance organization. She enjoys working with local dancers and looks forward to her new opportunity as an instructor at the Round Rock Repertory Dance Center.

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. Although only 19 years old Sarah’s choreography has been featured in Ballet Under The Stars and with The Dance Project. Sarah has performed with The Dance Project since August 2013.

Sarah graduated in June 2015 from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville TX. She is currently teaching at Round Rock Repertory Dance Centre and hopes to share her love of dance with her students. Sarah plans to continue her dance training with a focus on choreography. Sarah will start working on a degree in Interior Design Fall of 2016.

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”.