Meg Segreto's Dance Centre

Faculty

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

MEG SEGRETO developed her love of dance at the age of four. By age fourteen she began spending her summers in New York City, performing and taking dance class from world renowned Master Teachers. In addition to dance, she immersed herself in all disciplines of the performing and visual arts during these summer pilgrimages. The result of this immersion is evident in her varied Choreographer and Director’s style. Her teaching career began at age sixteen and within twelve years she owned her own studio. She has been commissioned to set choreography on various dance companies and soloists. She is frequently called upon to teach Master Classes to both students and teachers. She has choreographed, directed and performed in numerous community and charity events, dinner theatre productions, dance competitions, television and industrial shows. She is an active member of Dance Masters of America, Florida Dance Masters and Florida Dance Association. She has recently added writer to her resume, as a frequent contributor to Dancer Magazine. Her teaching philosophy reflects her belief that a teacher’s influence on her students extends far beyond the obvious physical benefits. Through more than forty years as a teacher and mentor, she has positively influenced countless students, teaching them life skills that will help them succeed in ALL aspects of their lives.

ASSISTANT ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

EVONNE LINDOW is the Assistant Artistic Director at Meg Segreto’s Dance Centre. She specializes in teaching tap and jazz technique and has taught both for sixteen years at Meg Segreto’s Dance Centre, where she rounds out her offerings as a teacher with ballet/tap combination classes, acrobatics, and hip hop. Recognition for Evonne’s choreography and teaching expertise has come from Florida Dance Masters, a statewide organization at whose conventions Evonne has been honored to work at and serve as one of their invited jazz dance teachers. She tested and received her teaching certificates in tap and jazz from Florida Dance Masters in 1993, and she continues her education and hones her skills through their renowned Intensive Teacher Training program. Evonne has also been given the opportunity to be a guest jazz teacher at ArtServe, which serves the needs of artists and nonprofit cultural organizations in Broward County. Evonne has performed onstage with Wayne Newton as a June Taylor dancer in a tribute to Jackie Gleason; she has performed with and has been a board member of the TranZenDance Dance Company. Producing performances is important for Evonne. Her production credits include the Fort Lauderdale-Hyatt’s Pier 66 for Fort Lauderdale’s annual Woman of the Distinction event benefiting the March of Dimes, Disney World’s Tomorrowland stage and Young at Art, while assisting Meg Segreto with benefit concerts for Gilda’s Club of Fort Lauderdale, and Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital, among many others. For 25 years, Evonne has been a part of the Meg Segreto family. She has watched her students grow up through the years and is so happy to see them coming back with children of their own.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

LINDSEY-LEE WILLIAMS trained under Meg and her staff for 14 years, eventually becoming a member of Perpetual Motion Dance Company and an assistant teacher. She was also a member of the Florida Dance Masters performing group “Main Attraction” and has received various scholarships and titles from the organization, including Florida’s Rising Star and Miss Dance of Florida. The Miami Herald has presented her with an Honorable Mention Silver Knights Award for her work in the performing arts and its influence on the community. Lindsey-Lee has studied at Jacob’s Pillow, North Carolina School of the Arts, Miami City Ballet and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She spent her first two years of college at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase before transferring to the New World School of the Arts/University of Florida, where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. In 2004, she was selected to perform on stage with Mikhail Baryshnikov for his Solo Tour. Lindsey-Lee is an active member and certified teacher of Florida Dance Masters; she has taught master classes for the organization and currently serves as an ambassador. As Director of Education at Meg Segreto’s Dance Centre, she teaches ballet, tap, jazz, modern, acrobatics, and hip-hop to students of all ages. She oversees structuring and updating of the various curriculums and programs at the studio, prepares advanced students for auditions, and choreographs concert pieces for PMDC. Lindsey-Lee has expanded her teaching experience as a dance instructor at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, while continuing to be a part of the MSDC family.

TEACHING STAFF

GERMAN DAGER’s studies in classical ballet, jazz and modern dance were completed at Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and in York University in Toronto, Ontario. He also trained on full scholarship at Miami Conservatory, year! Magda Aunon School of Classical Ballet in Ft. Lauderdale, The North Carolina School of the Arts, Pennsylvania Ballet and the Boston Ballet. German danced principal roles in Don Quixote, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, Corsair, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker and Romeo and Juliet. In 1985, at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Festival, he was honored with a Dance Magazine scholarship and sent to New York to train with the best teachers in the United States. German danced professionally with Boston Ballet II, Ballet de Montreal under the artistic direction of Eddy Toussaint, Ballet Florida and was a guest dancer with Compania Colombiana de Ballet. German has been teaching since 1986. In November 2005, he was a guest teacher and judge for the Dance Masters of America, Pennsylvania Chapter in Pittsburg. He is a certified classical ballet teacher by examination and an active member of Florida Dance Masters. In the United States, he has an equivalent to a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a major in Teaching Dance. He has been a judge for FDM’s Main Attraction Dance Company and taught master classes at the “Teacher to Teacher” conference. Mr. Dager was recently featured as “Teacher in the Spotlight” in Dance Studio Life magazine. German says “These past ten years at Meg Segreto’s Dance Center have meant so much to me.  I have to honestly say that each and every student is like my own child.  We have formed such a family here at Meg’s and it’s such a blessing! I’ve also had the satisfaction to see such a large number of students grow over the years and become amazing dancers. There have been so many that I have watched graduate and have kept on dancing in College and this has made it all worth it! “

GINAMARIE FALAGUERRA has been studying dance and gymnastics in South Florida since she was 3 years old. She trained at Michael’s Academy of Performing Arts and quickly found her love for dance and acrobatics. Since then, she has performed backup for Ashlee Simpson and Kelly Clarkson at the 2005 Orange Bowl and won many regional and national titles at various showcases and competitions. She furthered her training in 2007 when she interned for the infamous Broadway Dance Center in New York City, where she was selected to assist celebrity choreographer, Brian Friedman, for the Pulse Tour in Manhattan. Ginamarie now teaches at multiple studios in South Florida and is very passionate about giving students a quality dance education. She feels very blessed to have a career in something she truly loves and to be able to inspire children in such a creative way. She is currently majoring in ESE Education, studying to teach children with disabilities. Gina says it is a gift to be able to watch children blossom from young girls into graceful young dancers. Her goal is to create an environment of education and fun that even the youngest of students enjoy.

RENEE HAYES began her dance training at the age of 3, here in South Florida and became an assistant teacher at the age of 14. She graduated from Miami Killian Senior High School and was the captain and choreographer for their dance team while she was a student there. At age 18 she became an official dance teacher, teaching tap, ballet and acrobatics. Renee participated in numerous Florida Dance Masters competitions, receiving several scholarship awards for tap and jazz. Her past performances include dancing in the nationally televised King Orange Jamboree and Orange Bowl Half Time show for 4 consecutive years. At 22 she took a break from dance performance to become a mother to her two daughters, Briana and Alexa but did continue her dance training. Her girls are currently members of Meg Segreto’s Perpetual Motion Dance Company. Renee will be obtaining her teaching certification from Florida Dance Masters in the fall. In addition to her talent as a dance teacher, Renee also possesses a flair for ANYTHING creative and has generously given her time and talent to enhance this year’s (and many in the past) recital with her scenery, props and costume accessories. Renee hopes she will pass on her lifelong love of dance to her students.

EDWIN HOLLAND has studied ballet, tap and jazz dancing since the age of 8. Under the tutelage of his long-time teacher, Judi Nelson, he eventually developed a passion for tap. In 1984, Dance Masters of America awarded him the title of Mr. Dance of Florida. As a graduate of Florida State University, with a B.S. in Accounting, and after working as a CPA for an accounting firm for 3 years, Edwin decided to open his own dance studio. He became owner of the studio where he studied dance as a child. For 23 years, he and his wife, Gaile, owned and operated the Edwin Holland School of Dance in North Miami. In addition to having his own studio, Edwin has performed in various shows and dance concerts across the state. He was also a featured performer with the Cotton Club Revue that traveled to Madrid and Barcelona in 2003. Edwin and Gaile have 3 children – Courtney (23), Christine (20), and Curtis (17), and of course… they all dance.

SHARI LITTLE was born in Oklahoma City, OK, where she began her training in ballet with Evonne Chouteau. Ms. Little studied at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre School in New York for many summers as a young adult. She performed as a Principal Dancer with Ballet Oklahoma, Ohio Ballet, Dallas Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Miami City Ballet. After retiring from performing, Ms. Little taught extensively for Miami City Ballet and directed its education program for the Public Schools of South Florida. While teaching for Miami City Ballet, she attended Educating Hands School of Massage. In addition to teaching at Meg Segreto’s, she is practicing massage at Florida International University, University of Miami’s Wellness Center and The Willow Streams Spa at the Fairmont Hotel. The most challenging but fulfilling job is raising her nine-year-old son, Nathan. In more than 30 years of teaching, the one thing I know for certain is that I have learned much more from my amazing students then they have learned from me. I have made them better dancers and they have made me a better person. Not a bad trade! There is nothing more rewarding than seeing these beautiful students blossom into fine young women who are able to take what they have learned to better their lives. Thank you to each and every one of them!!

LARA TINARI began her professional dance training as a Dance Major at the University of The Arts in Philadelphia PA. She studied Classical Ballet, Horton technique, Graham technique, Choreography, Improvisation and Composition. She broadened her studies through Music, Acting and Visual Arts courses. Lara furthered her training at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet in Philadelphia. She was awarded a scholarship to continue her dance education at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in New York City. Ms. Tinari’s professional career began with the McCoy Dance Project and The Opus 1 Contemporary Dance Company in Philadelphia. She moved to Chicago to work with The Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre. Soon after, she was chosen to work and perform with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance in his world renowned tour of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Lara was principal dancer with The River North Chicago Dance Company for 7 years. She continued working with an array of artists such as Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Body Vox and Daniel Ezralow. Ms. Tinari was chosen by Twyla Tharp to join her elite company of 7 dancers in New York City. She performed for Twyla, taught, and continues to teach Tharp repertory workshops. Tinari has worked as a choreographic assistant to Daniel Ezralow, setting his works on Philadanco Dance Company and The Amici Artists in Rome, Italy, Her commercial experience includes choreographic assistance and featured performances in major motion pictures including Across the Universe, Soul Survivors, A League of Their Own, and Mannequin. In addition, he has appeared as a featured dancer in television series such as Quantum Leap and The Young Warrior, and in televised music videos with The Corrs. She was featured as guest artist in PBS’s ArtBeat documentary exploring the performing arts and was a featured artist for a Sara Lee commercial. Lara Tinari was a featured dancer, selected by Kenny Ortega to perform with Diana Ross for the 1994 World Cup Opening Ceremonies. She taught for the DanceArt and North Shore Academy of Dance in Chicago, Northwestern University, Columbia College and River North Chicago Dance Theatre. In 2005, she served as Professor of Modern Dance and as choreographer to the Julliard students in The Professional Project at Ballet Divertimento in Montréal. She then served as Professor of Modern Dance at École Supérieure de Ballet Contemporain de Montréal. She taught for LaLaLa Human Steps and Le Jéune Ballet du Québec in Montréal. She has taught master classes and choreographic workshops at Les Ateliers de Danse Moderne de Montréal-LADMMI and L’École de Danse de Québec. Since moving to South Florida in 2008 she has instructed workshops of her personally designed classes, as well as setting her works at the New World School of the Arts, Dreyfoos Academy of the Arts, SOBE Art Institute, Bak Middle School of the Arts, and Boca Ballet Theatre. She is currently instructing pre-professionals on “danceart” at Meg Segreto’s Dance Centre and The M.u.s.e. Center of the Arts. Lara is pursuing her Master’s in Education. Meg Segreto has created an environment for the young mind and body, to educate and explore not only the art of dance, but the art of life. These young individuals graduate from Segreto Dance empowered with knowledge and a strong sense of “self”. There is no other school in the state of Florida which provides this curriculum.