Masterclass Series
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Lauren Anderson
Native Houstonian Lauren Anderson danced with Houston Ballet from 1983 to 2006, performing leading roles in all the great classical ballets, appearing across the world to critical acclaim, and in the process, becoming one of Houston Ballet’s most beloved stars.
She trained exclusively at Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy from the age of seven. She joined Houston Ballet in 1983 as a Corps de Ballet, 1987 was promoted to Soloist and in 1990 became the first African-American to be promoted to principal dancer at Houston Ballet – and was one of the few African-American ballerinas at the head of a major ballet company anywhere in the world.
Ms. Anderson danced leading roles in all the classics. She created the title role in Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra, and her performance as Cleopatra received accolades from international critics. Anna Kisselgoff, dance critic for The New York Times compared her to the great Italian actress Eleanora Duse, and Christine Temin of The Boston Globe pronounced her "a powerhouse in interpreting the role that Stevenson created on her." Ms. Anderson has performed across the globe as a guest artist.
Mitchell Greco
MITCHELL GRECO is an Associate Artistic Director at Stages Repertory Theatre, where he directed and choreographed Miracle on 34th Street: A Live Musical Radio Play, Murder for Two, Little Shop of Horrors, The Great American Trailer Park Musical (2018), Five Course Love, Big Fish, Xanadu, The Honky Tonk Angels series, Girls Night: The Musical, Life Could Be a Dream co-directred Shear Madness and assistant directed Next to Normal and Winter Wonderettes.
A few more of his directorial credits include TUTS: All Shook Up, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show and Seussical (Associate Director), Houston Grand Opera: Das Barbecü, Bayou City Concert Musicals: Bells are Ringing, New Girl in Town and The Pajama Game, SHSU: The Busy World is Hushed and On the Verge: or the Geography of Yearning.
Lenny Arnold
Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Arnold moved to Houston, Texas and studied all dance disciplines at Masters, The Upper Level in Stafford, TX. His unique lyrical style of movement garnered attention from both drill teams and dance studios throughout Houston and he has become an extremely sought after teacher and choreographer in Texas and Louisiana. In addition, he judges promising young talent with Move Dance Productions.
Lenorris’ choreography has won numerous top awards at competitions such as Adrenaline Dance Convention, Legacy Dance Competition, Primetime Dance Productions, Hall of Fame Dance Competition, Artists Simply Human Dance Workshop, Move Dance Productions, New York City Dance Alliance, StarSystems Talent Competition, and Showstopper Competitions. Lenorris teaches at several local studios and constantly continues his dance education through seminars, conventions and travel to NYC and LA. His greatest inspiration is the progress of the dancers themselves.
Travis Prokop
Travis Prokop, M.F.A., is currently assistant professor of dance at Lamar University and company member of Hope Stone Dance in Houston. Originally from New Mexico, Mr. Prokop has worked and performed as dance captain for TEXAS: The Outdoor Musical. He has danced many roles as a principal dancer for Lone Star Ballet in Amarillo and studied Jiri Kylian, GaGa, and Batsheva repertory in Lucca, Italy. Mr. Prokop has performed at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D. C.
Mr. Prokop has recently added aerial dance to his training and teaching repertoire, and currently has work on exhibit in Houston’s Health Museum entitled, Beautiful Affliction. Mr. Prokop's choreographic have been produced at The Dance Gallery Festival New York and the American College Dance Association. He has choreographed numerous theater and musical theater productions including Trojan Women and CHICAGO. Mr. Prokop has also served as an adjunct professor at Sam Houston State University and Southern Methodist University.
Carol Smitherman Anglin
Carol Smitherman Anglin is a renowned teacher with an illustrious career spanning over four decades. She is widely recognized as the founding Artistic Director of the Louisiana Dance Foundation and Louisiana Dance Theatre, an esteemed dance company that performed across the United States, as well as in Russia, Europe, and Canada. Under her leadership, Louisiana Dance Theatre became an Honor Company and a 25-year member of Regional Dance America/SW.
Throughout her career, Carol has been dedicated to sharing her passion for dance education. She has taught over 40 classes per week to students from diverse backgrounds in various settings, including studios, public schools, colleges, and universities. Many of her students have gone on to achieve professional dance careers. Her studio, Carol Anglin Dancenter, Inc., played a pivotal role in nurturing dancers, teachers, choreographers, composers, and fostering a vibrant dance community in Shreveport. As a dance presenter from 1982-2016, she produced more than 600 master classes, dance festivals, and performances in Shreveport featuring an international roster of performing artists and residencies with more than a dozen professional dance companies. Carol's commitment to community outreach and collaboration is evident in her partnerships with over fifty organizations and educational institutions in north Louisiana. Through these collaborations, she annually reached an average of 30,000 individuals from underserved populations.
As a master teaching artist in Ballet and Modern, Carol's influence extends beyond the United States. She has taught internationally in Russia, Europe, and Canada, making her the first American to teach Modern Dance at the School of Marina Semyonova in Moscow. Her achievements also include being one of only 18 international teachers accepted to NYU to train with esteemed directors of the Paris Opera Ballet School, Mme. Claude Bessy and Serge Golovine. Carol's dedication to professional development is evident in her participation in prestigious programs and conferences. She attended the USA IBC Teachers Courses in Classical Ballet, completed the Intermediate and Advanced Horton Pedagogy Courses at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and engaged with the National Dance Educator Organization's Annual Conferences. She holds a Master's in Fine Arts (MFA) from the University of Oklahoma, where, from 2016-2019, she was a Graduate Teaching Foundation Fellow. During her time at OU, Carol taught a range of courses, set choreography on Dance Majors, and collaborated with renowned guest artists.
Carol's contributions to the dance community have been widely recognized. She received Regional Dance America’s Stream Award for outstanding artistic direction and commitment to the movement. In 2018, she was appointed as a National Adjudicator by Regional Dance America's Board of Directors. Additionally, she has served as faculty for Regional Dance America Workshops and Festivals in various cities.
Currently based in Houston, Carol continues to inspire students through her teaching engagements with notable institutions such as Dance Du Coeur, Ad Deum Dance Company, University of Houston, Houston Ballet Academy, Hunter Dance Center, Open Dance Project, Bayou City Ballet, Feijoo Ballet, Juxtapose Dance, Ft. Bend Dance Academy, among others.