ROOTS Dance Summit

2025 Faculty

EDUCATORS • Adjudicators • MENTORS

Having decades of professional performance with prestigious companies behind them and years of teaching their craft to dance artists all over the planet, our team now fully dedicates itself to preparing the next generations of artists and artistic leaders.

With a top priority of developing the talent and promise of the young artists participating in the Summit, these professionals are prepared to provide the highest quality critique of the work they see in stage competition and share the profound wisdom they have gained throughout their career in each master class and panel.

Francisco Gella

CHOREOGRAPHER • EDUCATOR • CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

ZEITGEIST DANCE THEATRE • SANTA FE, NM

ROOTS Summit Creative Director and Panelist
Teaching Modern and Contemporary

Career Highlights: BA in Dance from University of Washington (1996); Company Member in Repertory Dance Theatre, PHILADANCO, and Ballet Pacifica; Award-winning choreographer; Chief Creative Officer of Francisco Gella Dance Works; Co-Artistic Director of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre; National Endowment for the Arts Panelist; Dance Teacher Magazine Advisory Board Member; Lead Ballet and Modern Faculty at 24 Seven Dance Convention; Founding Owner and Artistic Director of Nuevo School of Contemporary Dance.

Yusha-Marie Sorzano

Choreographer • Educator • Co-Artistic Director

Zeitgeist Dance Theatre • Los Angeles, CA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Contemporary and Modern

Career Highlights: BFA in Dance from Fordham/Ailey; Alumnus of Armour Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and New World School of the Arts; Company member in Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, TU Dance, Morphoses, BODYTRAFFIC, LA Dance Project, and Camille A. Brown; Accomplished choreographer; Former BFA Program Director at Cal Arts; Co-Artistic Director of Zeitgeist Dance Theatre.

Jeffrey Smith

Faculty

New World School of the Arts • Miami, FL

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Contemporary and Modern

Career Highlights: BFA in Dance from Boston Conservatory; MFA from Florida State University; Company member in Paul Taylor Dance Company, Martha Graham Ensemble, and Taylor 2; Assistant Professor at New World School of the Arts teaching Modern, Contemporary, and filmmaking; previous choreographer, stager of works by Paul Taylor and rehearsal director for artists like Ohad Naharin, Mark Morris, and Darshan Singh Bhuller.

Evelyn Cisneros

Director

Ballet West Academy • Salt Lake City, UT

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Ballet

Career Highlights: First Mexican-American principal ballerina; Prima-Ballerina at The San Francisco Ballet where she danced for 23 years; Current Director of the Ballet West Academy; Honorary doctorate from both Mills College and University of California at Monterey Bay; Former Principal at The Boston Ballet School; Sought after adjudicator and speaker.

Julie Friedrich

Director

College & Career Programs • Los Angeles, CA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Ballet and Improvisation

Career Highlights: 20+ year educator in ballet and contemporary dance; Current dance Faculty at Windward School; Director of College and Career Programs at Francisco Gella Dance Works; Training with Marilyn Baylis of Joffrey Ballet School and at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts; Company member with American Repertory Ballet, Les Grandes Ballet Canadiens, Compagnia Zappala Danza and Teatro di Bari; Young Arts Foundation Most Influential Teacher Recognition.

Jim Vincent

Artistic Director • Dance Maker • Creative Consultant

Los Angeles, CA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Contemporary

Career Highlights: Studied dance at the Washington School of Ballet, Harkness House for Ballet Arts (NYC) and University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA); Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago; Company member of Nederlands Dans Theater under Jiri Kylian and and Compañía Nacional de Danza under Nacho Duato; Executive Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment; Distinguished teacher, ballet master and choreographer.

Courtney Ortiz

Jazz Dance Educator • Broadway Performer

New York City, NY

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Jazz

Career Highlights: Young Arts Foundation Award Winner; Stage and screen credits including ‘Finding Neverland’, Lin Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’, Jerome Robbin’s ‘Broadway’, FX Series ‘Fosse/Verdon’, International Tour of ‘West Side Story’; Guest faculty for Steps on Broadway; Audition choreographer for RWS Entertainment (produces for cruise ship entertainment); Owner of Impact Dance Adjudicators; Owner and host of ‘Making the Impact - A Dance Competition Podcast’; Renowned international dance educator.

Zak Ryan Schlegel

Choreographer • Educator • Dancer

Los Angeles, CA • El Prado, NM

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Contemporary

Career Highlights: BFA in Dance from Chapman University; company member and soloist in Shen Wei Dance Arts, Italy’s Spellbound Contemporary Ballet led by Mauro Astolfi, Yin Yue Dance Company and Backhausdance; Educator at The Joffrey Ballet School; Founding curator of cross genre salon for CONGRESS in los Angeles; Co-Artistic Director of Axiom Dance Theatre; Award-winning choreographer for stage and film; Extensive commercial experience in television and film including HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ and ‘The Idol’, feature film ‘ Babylon’.

Wilson Mendieta

Assistant Professor

Chapman University • Long Beach, CA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Jazz and Musical Theatre

Career Highlights: BFA in Acting and Minor in Dance from Montclair State University; MFA in Dance and Nonprofit Management Certificate from University of Washington; Choreographer for Concert Dance and Musical Theatre with work performed at the Kennedy Center and internationally; Director of Musical Theatre Program at University of Washington; Accomplished NYC performer for television, radio spots, commercials, concert dance companies, and Off-Broadway and Broadway musicals; Guest teaching artist at Steps on Broadway and numerous universities.

Steven Sofia

Faculty

Chapman University • Long Beach, CA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Jazz and Musical Theatre

Career Highlights: Veteran Broadway performer whose credits include ‘Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life’, ‘Chicago’, ‘Kiss Me Kate’, ‘Beauty and The Beast’, ‘Guys and Dolls’ (‘92 revival), Jerome Robbins’ ‘West Side Story’, ‘An evening with Betty Buckley’ at Carnegie Hall and ‘Applause’ at City Center’s Encores; Three-year Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington Musical Theater Program; Pilates master trainer; Musical theater choreographer and assistant choreographer; Dance faculty with NYU, Cap21, SUNY Purchase, Marymount College, Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway.

Courtney Henry

Faculty

Rutgers University • University of the Arts • Philadelphia, PA

ROOTS Adjudicator and Panelist
Teaching Ballet and Contemporary Ballet

Career Highlights: BFA in Dance from Fordham/Ailey; MFA from the University of the Arts; Princess Grace Foundation Award Recipient; University of the Arts President’s Award for Innovative & Creative Research; Principal Dancer with Alonzo King LINES Ballet; Guest soloist with Richard Siegal’s Ballet of Difference; Critical contributing writer in Dance Magazine, Pointe Magazine, and DIYDancer Magazine; YAGP ‘Stars of Tomorrow Gala’ alumni.

HEALTH & WELLNESS ADVOCATES

Partnering with these experts who have years of experience guiding, counseling, and treating dancers, we’ll be aiding young artists in developing a lifelong commitment to their physical, mental, and spiritual wellness. Through panel presentations and opportunities to connect with these professionals one-on-one, students will be on their way to developing healthy mindsets, so they are better for themselves in the short and long-term and better for their teams and companies back at their home studios and schools.

Dr. Annette Karim

Rehab & Movement Science Expert • Associate Professor

Azusa Pacific University • Azusa, CA

Practice Specialties and Expertise: Physical Therapist with emphasis in Dance Medicine/Performing Arts Medicine, Manual Therapy, and Orthopedics; Board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist, a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, and a director in the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy, American Physical Therapy Association; PhD, Physical Therapy, Texas Woman’s University; DPT, Texas Woman’s University; MS, Physical Therapy, Texas Woman’s University; BA, Physical Education, University of California, Berkeley.

Sharmila Mitra, MA

Pilates & Gyrotonics Educator • Owner

Core Arts Pilates • Anaheim, CA

Practice Specialties and Expertise: 20 years of progressive experience in teaching Pilates; Pilates Certification from Romana Kryzanowska, a protégé of Joseph Pilates, and a secondary certification from Power Pilates; Certificate in Dance Medicine from New York’s Westside Dance Physical Therapy (WDPT); Certification in the Gyrotonic® Expansion System, under master trainer Suzie Lewis with subsequent concentrations in the application of Gyrotonic® for dancers, to educate dancers to dramatically increase their strength, stability, and range of motion; developer of BodyStrategiesTM for Dancers, a methodology that applies dance conditioning techniques, along with the latest innovations in the dance medicine aimed at optimizing the athleticism of a dancer.

Jess Spinner

Health, Nutrition & Lifestyle Coach

The Whole Dancer • Connecticut

Practice Specialties and Expertise: Holistic health, nutrition, and lifestyle coach for dancers focusing on struggling with body image, food choices, confidence, and perceived shortcomings as a dancer and artist; Whole Foods Market’s Healthy Eating Specialist trained in Nutritarian Plant Based Nutrition; Certified Holistic Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition; Certified Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition; Completed coursework in emotional eating psychology; Harvard University Executive Education Program on Designing Sustainable Nutrition Plans.

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL GUIDES

In their role as recent college graduates and now professionals, these outstanding artists will assist pre-professional dancers in navigating higher education programs and their forthcoming careers while adding their fresh perspective as Summit teachers and assistants.