Tucson Dance Academy

🩰✨ Guest Faculty Spotlight: Holly Manville ✨🩰

We are thrilled to welcome Holly Manville to TDA’s Ballet Intensive!

With a dance career spanning decades and more than 30 years of teaching experience, Holly brings a wealth of knowledge, artistry, and passion to every class she teaches. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University and is currently completing her MFA in Dance.

Holly’s impressive professional experience includes performing in films, commercials, industrials, and live productions, serving as captain of the Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, modeling both nationally and internationally, and appearing on Star Search as both a performer and choreographer.

As an educator and choreographer, Holly has earned numerous Distinguished Achievement and National Overall Awards. Her students have gone on to perform on Broadway, with prestigious ballet and contemporary companies, Cirque du Soleil, The Rockettes, and have received scholarships to renowned institutions including Juilliard, Pace University, Point Park University, and Arizona State University.

Currently, Holly serves as the Director of Dance at Mesa High School and as Company Director at Tempe Dance Academy, where she continues to inspire the next generation of dancers.

We can’t wait for our dancers to learn from her experience, expertise, and love of dance this summer! 🤍

Thank you .iller for a great few days! We love you!❤️

🩰 TDA’s Ballet Intensive begins TOMORROW! There’s still time to register—secure your spot today through the link in our bio! 🤍

✨ Faculty Spotlight: Hyla M Perillo-Wright ✨

Hyla M Perillo-Wright is a Michigan native who began her pre-professional training at Dance Arts Academy/Company Dance Traverse under the direction of Betsy Carr and Sue Buck. She trained in Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Contemporary, Modern, Tap, and Jazz. She spent summers training at American Ballet Theater, Alonzo King Lines, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Rioult Dance, and BalletMet. She earned college scholarships through the NYCDA College Scholarship Foundation which enabled her to continue her pre-professional dance education.

She attended Marymount Manhattan College in NYC and has performed works by Peter Chu, Twyla Tharp, May O’Donnell, Jaqueline Buglisi, Adam Barruch, Rachel Kreiling, Joey Dowling, student works, and guest performed as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Dance Arts Academy’s The Nutcracker. She graduated with a BFA in Dance with a Concentration in Ballet in 2021. Following graduation, she made her Broadway North American Tour debut as Victoria the White Cat in CATS The Musical (2021–2022).

In 2022, she relocated to Okinawa, Japan and served as the Ballet Mistress and Assistant Rehearsal Director at Okinawa School of Performing Arts (2022-2025). There, she headed the ballet program and developed the RAD and Cecchetti-based curriculum. Additionally, she taught Pilates to the DoD-Military community and choreographed for local musical productions of Madagascar Jr, Anastasia the Musical, and was the Lead Choreographer for Kadena High Schools West Side Story. She continues to share her love for dance and is excited to make Tucson her new home with her husband and 2 dogs!
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🩰 TDA’s Ballet Intensive begins NEXT WEEK! There’s still time to register—secure your spot today through the link in our bio! 🤍

✨ Faculty Spotlight: Elizabeth George ✨

Elizabeth George is an Associate Professor in the School of Dance at the University of Arizona, where she has spent the past two decades teaching, choreographing, and mentoring BFA and MFA candidates. A former dancer with both Dayton Ballet and Ballet Tucson, she holds BFA and MFA degrees in Dance from the University of Arizona.

Professor George teaches ballet technique, beginning and advanced choreography, and developed a specialized yoga course for dance majors. Her teaching and research emphasize a holistic, mindful approach to dance education—one that nurtures well-rounded, self-aware artists. She is deeply committed to mentoring young dancers through practices that cultivate efficiency, safety, and body awareness.

Her recent guest teaching includes engagements with the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company, Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts Camp in Colorado, and the Rocky Mountain School of Dance in Wyoming. Her scholarly work explores the integration of mindfulness into both technique and pedagogy, with a focus on how intentional practices can deepen artistic understanding and physical intelligence.
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🩰 TDA’s Ballet Intensive begins NEXT WEEK! There’s still time to register. Secure your spot today through the link in our bio! 🤍

✨ Guest Faculty Spotlight: Alejandro Mendez ✨

We are thrilled to welcome Alejandro Mendez to this year’s Ballet Intensive!

Originally from Camagüey, Cuba, Alejandro’s exceptional training and dedication led him from Cuba’s prestigious national ballet schools to the renowned National Ballet of Cuba, where he worked alongside legendary ballet figures and performed featured soloist roles. His career has taken him across the world, including guest artist appearances with Ballet de Monterrey in Mexico before joining Ballet Arizona.

Throughout his distinguished career, Alejandro has performed principal and soloist roles in beloved classical ballets including The Nutcracker, Coppélia, La Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake, as well as works by celebrated choreographers such as Justin Peck, Alejandro Cerrudo, and George Balanchine.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to train with a professional artist whose experience spans international stages and world-class productions. ✨🩰

🩰 TDA’s Ballet Intensive starts NEXT WEEK, and there’s still time to join us! Register today using the link in our bio. 🤍

✨ Guest Faculty Spotlight: James Gowan ✨

We are thrilled to welcome James Gowan to this year’s Ballet Intensive! Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, James has performed with renowned companies including Texture Contemporary Ballet, River North Dance Chicago, DanceWorks Chicago, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where he danced principal roles and collaborated closely with Alonzo King on new works.

In addition to performing and teaching around the world, James brings a unique approach to movement education through his studies in Body-Mind Centering, the Franklin Method, GYROTONIC®, and GYROKINESIS®. His classes inspire dancers to discover greater efficiency, artistry, and freedom in movement.

Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to learn from a world-class artist. Secure your spot today! ✨🩰

☀️ Need a fun way to keep your child active, creative, and out of the Tucson heat this summer?

Join us for Tucson Dance Academy’s Once Upon a Dance Summer Camp! 👑✨

📅 Choose from three magical sessions:
• June 8–11
• June 15–18
• June 22–25

Why families love TDA Summer Camp:
⭐ Quality dance training from experienced instructors (Ms. Debra, Ms. Ava, and Ms. Haley)
⭐ Early drop-off available as early as 8:00 AM
⭐ Spacious, air-conditioned facility
⭐ Large, attentive staff
⭐ Crafts and themed activities
⭐ Special character visits
⭐ End-of-camp performance for family and friends
⭐ A different routine learned each session

🎉 Register for multiple sessions or enroll siblings in the same session and receive a discount! Message us for details.

Spots fill quickly each summer—don’t miss out on a week of dancing, creativity, friendships, and unforgettable memories!

📲 Register today at tucsondanceacademy.com

tucsonmoms

✨ A special tribute to our Class of 2026! ✨

As we wrap up another incredible Summer Showcase, we want to recognize our seven amazing seniors. Watching you take the stage at Centennial Hall one final time as TDA dancers was both inspiring and emotional.

Over the years, you have grown not only as dancers, but as leaders, role models, and an important part of the TDA family. Your dedication, hard work, and love for dance have left a lasting impact on our studio, and we are so proud of all you have accomplished.

Thank you for sharing your talent, passion, and countless memories with us. While we’re sad to see this chapter come to an end, we can’t wait to see where your next adventure takes you.

And to our staff, parents, dancers, and supporters, thank you for helping make their final Summer Showcase so special.

Stay tuned for our Summer Showcase recap!