Additional Dance Faculty
CURRA ALBA (Dance Department) was born in Valencia, Spain, and brings years of performing skills to Tampa. Alba has toured extensively in Europe, including a special performance for Princess Grace Kelly in Monaco, plus Canada, U.S. and the Middle East. She was one of the first artists to perform at the Straz Center and loves to teach future Flamenco dancers.
DEBBIE CHEN (Dance Instructor) is currently a trainee with Next Generation Ballet (NGB) under the artistic direction of Peter Stark. Prior to NGB Chen was a company member of Florida West Ballet under the artistic direction of Pavel Fomin for six years. She also studied privately with Haydee Gutierrez. Chen began her training with Elena Martinson and Andrei Ustinov. She then went on to train at Judith Lee Johnson’s Studio of Dance with Silvia Manzanero, Filipp Gadar, and Sabirjan "Sasha" Yapparov as well as Academy of Ballet Arts under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff. Chen is currently training with Richard Sias, Laurie Jones, Julio Montano, Ivonne Lemus, Melissa Stafford, and Peter Stark. She has danced lead roles in many student company productions including Paquita, Les Sylphides, Snow White and The Nutcracker. Chen has participated in the Youth America Grand Prix and her summer intensive experiences include, Sarasota Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and Miami City Ballet.
DeMARIO HENRY (Hip-Hip Dance) made his debut as a choreographer with the 2002 Gospel Stellar Awards in Houston. He has also opened for leading artists in the industry including Fantasia, Ja Rule, Brian McKnight, and Michelle Williams from Destiny's Child. Born in Georgia, Henry moved to Florida when he was 11 years old where he first discovered his hidden talent at a local community church where they gave free dance lessons. Henry graduated from Howard W. Blake High School. He is currently dancing in the musical production Katonga at Busch Gardens. Henry teaches hip-hop dance at the Patel Conservatory.
JULIO MONTANO (Ballet Faculty) is a native of Pinar del Rio in Cuba. His career started at the age of 17 at Ballet de Camaguey under the direction of Fernando Alonso. In 1993, Montano was chosen by the director of the company to perform in Lima, Perú, at the official company of the country, Ballet Nacional del Peru, under the direction of Olga Shimazaki as principal dancer. In 1995, he won the Circe Price top award for artists in Peru. In 2002, after nine years of performing in South America, Montano moved to the United States to perform with Tulsa Ballet under the direction of Marcello Angelini for two seasons. As a dancer, he participated in festivals and tours throughout the world performing in Chile, Paraguay, Portugal, Panama, Bolivia, Mexico, USA, etc. He has danced and performed a number of important leading roles in such classical productions as Cinderella, Paquita, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Raymonda, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Sherezade, The Nutcracker, Majissimo and other ones. His neoclassical and contemporary repertoire include Duende, The Leaves are Fading, Lady of the Camelias, Nine Lives, Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, among others. During 2005-2006 season, Montano was working at the Patel Conservatory as Interim Co-Director of the Classical Ballet Training Program together with Mrs. Sandra Robinson. He participated as judge for the National Society of Arts and Letters 2006 Dance Competition. In 2010, he was awarded the Outstanding Coach Award at the American Dance Competition. As a ballet master, Montano has given ballet instruction at the University of South Florida, Straz Center, and has been invited to join the faculty for summer programs in different ballet schools in USA and South America and has trained students for numerous ballet competitions.
CLAIRE OLSON (Enrollment Division) studied dance at the Russell School of Ballet in Fairfax, Va., under Mary Henley and Margaret Virkus. She spent her summers studying dance in programs hosted by the Kirov Academy of Ballet, American Ballet Theater and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater. After graduating from high school, Olson attended Florida State University, where she studied under Anjali Austin, Shelia Humphreys, Rick McCullough and Suzanne Farrell. She graduated in 2005 with her BFA in Dance. Prior to coming to Tampa, Olson taught creative movement at the Dade Community Center in Tallahassee, Fla. Olson teaches Creative Movement 1, Creative Movement 2 and Primary for the Patel Conservatory Youth Ballet. She is also the Registrar for the Patel Conservatory.
GLYNN OWENS (Contemporary/Jazz/Ballet Instructor) joined the Patel Conservatory dance faculty in 2009 after teaching modern, ballet and jazz for three years at Orlando Ballet. He has been teaching for various dance schools and companies in Orlando, Lakeland, Cleveland and Cincinnati since 2001. Owens received an associate of arts degree from Valencia College and a bachelor of fine arts in ballet from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. He attended intensives with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and also studied with Russell Sultzbach, David Hachoy, Hernando Cortez and Constance Dinapoli. Owens danced professionally with the Florida Dance Theatre, Verb Ballets (voted by Dance Magazine as the Top 25 to Watch) and Dance Kaleidoscope, among others. He was a guest artist with Cincinnati Ballet, Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theater and Ballet South. Owens has performed master works by Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Heinz Poll, David Parsons, Sean Curran and Anthony Tudor. Owens has worked with Next Generation Ballet since its inception, setting contemporary dance works, including three solos that premiered at this years YAGP. He was the originator and producer of the newly created annual contemporary dance concert, On the Edge. Owens has had the privilege of choreographing works for Florida Dance Theater, Opera Tampa, Imperial Symphony Orchestra, and has worked as choreographer and guest teacher at the University of Tampa. Recently, Owens was chosen to serve as choreographer in residence at the 2011 Florida Dance Festival. In addition to his performing, teaching and choreographic experience, Owens has worked to complete his certification in mat Pilates with the Physical Mind Institute.
KIM REGA (Yoga and Fitness Specialist) is a lifetime multiple-sport athlete including a collegiate career in volleyball at Arizona State University. Beyond team sports, she is also a competitive triathlete, adventure racer, runner and tennis player. She has been instructing fitness classes for many years with focuses on Yoga, Total Body Conditioning, Stretch, Strength Training, Aquatic fitness and Personal Training. Her passion is working with people of all ages and fitness levels to achieve a healthy body and mind. Rega is a graduate from ASU in Tempe, Ariz., with a degree in Psychology and is currently in the Masters program at the University of South Florida studying Exercise Science. Her professional background consists of 200 hours of comprehensive instruction in Yoga, AFAA Group Exercise Instructor and is an ISFTA Certified Personal Trainer. Beyond training and teaching, Rega enjoys spending time being outdoors, scuba diving, paddle boarding, sailing and exploring the world.
ALESIA SCOTT-WARREN
RICHARD SIAS (Dance Instructor) has been a ballet teacher for 35 years. Sias most recently a member of the ballet faculty for the Professional Ballet Program, teaching senior boys at Canada's National Ballet School. He has been a company member of the National Ballet Company of Canada, Canadian Opera Company, the London Festival Ballet, as well as Broadway musicals and appearances on television in both Canada and the USA. Sias was also Artistic Director of Syracuse Ballet Theater. Sias is Professor Emeritus of Florida State University's Department of Dance where he taught for 25 years and also a member of the Dance Faculty at the University of South Florida. Sias is Founder and 1st President of the CORPS de Ballet International and currently resides in Florida.