Deborah Brockus
Chair, Dance department
Deborah received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Irvine in both dance and English. Professionally, she has been labeled “the single most important person in Southland dance” by the Los Angeles Times. The Times has also labeled her an “impresario,” “tireless,” and “the mother superior of LA dance” because of her involvement in the west coast dance scene as a choreographer, teacher and producer. She has performed with numerous regional companies and has appeared in television, video, clubs and musicals. She is artistic director of the Brockus Project Dance Company, which performs works throughout Southern California, and producer of Dance in LA showcases, which include Split, Spectrum Dance in LA, New Perspectives and Caught Between. She also produces a masterclass series with artists from companies such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Lines Contemporary Ballet. Deborah was a panelist for the Fosse Scholarship Awards in Los Angeles and has received awards for teaching, choreography and producing. She is director of the Idyllwild Arts Summer Dance Intensive.

Jeanine Trent Atwood
Dance accompanist
Award-winning conductor and pianist, Jeanine took terminal studies at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. She is former music director of the Mary Camerata and Chamber Orchestra, and the Maryland Stage Company. In addition, she has been an assistant conductor and principal coach-pianist of the Baton Rouge Opera, Louisiana, and Metszke Divadlo of Ustinad Labem, Czech Republic. Jeanine now serves as music director of the Inland Valley Symphony and artistic director of the San Gorgonio Players music theatre company and is minister of music at San Gorgonio Church.



Ronald E. Brown
Modern Dance/African Dance instructor
Ronald began training in classical ballet, studying at the Ballet Russe of Cleveland, the Akron Chamber Ballet and the School of American Ballet .Later, he explored the modern disciplines of Jose Limon, Martha Graham and Lestor Horton. Presently, Ron has found the joy of movement in West African dance under the guidance of Nzingha Camara. Ronald’s professional credits include performing with such notable companies as the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Alvin Ailey II, Dianne McIntyre’s Sounds in Motion, UCLA Dance Company, JazzAntigua and Malathi Iyenger & Rangoli Dance Company. Ron has taught extensively throughout the United States at Interlochen Arts Academy, Brown University, Loyola Marymount University , Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts, Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences and the Lula Washington Dance Theater. Internationally, Ronald has conducted workshops in Finland, Italy, Taiwan, Canada, Brazil, Spain and Mexico. He has served as associate adjunct professor of Dance in the department of World Arts and Cultures at UCLA for fifteen years. He has received several nominations for the Lestor Horton Teacher of the Year Award. For two years Ronald resided in Manaus-Amazonas-Brazil as instructor and choreographer for several schools and dance companies for the Secretaria de Estado da Cultura e Tourismo. Presently, Ronald is on faculty with California State University Long Beach, Santa Monica College, and local dance studios.

Stephanie Gilliland
Modern Dance/Dance Composition instructor
Stephanie has taught modern dance and composition at the University of California, Riverside Department of Dance for 15 years, and is presently on the faculty at University of California, Irvine. She has choreographed since 1977 and is the recipient of two Lestor Horton awards for outstanding achievement in choreography. Her choreographic work includes opera, television and musical theatre, as well as modern concert dance. Stephanie's work has been presented throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Scotland and the former Soviet Union.

Ellen Rosa
Ballet instructor
Ellen Rosa is currently a freelance dance artist based in Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in ballet from Indiana University School of Music, where she trained with Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. She received her MFA in dance from Florida State University, where she was the recipient of a dean’s teaching fellowship for dance and a University fellowship. Miss Rosa recently performed as a principal dancer with the Los Angeles Opera and the New York City Opera at Lincoln Center. She has also performed with the San Diego Opera, Charleston Ballet Theater, Russian Ballet Theater of Delaware, and as principal dancer with the Chattanooga Ballet, where she also served on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Association of Dance. In Los Angeles she currently performs as a principal artist with the Media City Ballet of Burbank, City Ballet of Los Angeles, and Patrick Frantz’s La Danserie. Miss Rosa has also performed at Disneyland as the Bluebird in Disney’s Snow White, An Enchanting Musical, and has toured nationally as principal dancer in the multi-media cirque show Dreamscapes. As a choreographer, Miss Rosa has had works presented nationally. Most recently, she became a finalist in the Dance Under the Stars choreography festival held in Palm Desert each year. As a dance educator, Miss Rosa is currently on faculty at Moorpark College and East Los Angeles College, and is director of educational outreach for Media City Ballet.

Lillian Rose Barbeito
Modern Instructor

Jonathan Sharp
Ballet Instructor/Mens' class/Pas de deux

Patrick Franz
Variations/Ballet Instructor

Bill Bartlett
Tap Instructor

Kenji Yamaguchi
Ballet/Modern/Jazz Instructor

Guest Faculty
Janek Schergen
Denise Leitner
Sean Green
Carlos Jones
Nora Reynolds