Evelyn Ireton, owns and directs both Houston Academy of Dance and West University Dance Centre. Dancing since the age of 6 years old, Ms. Ireton combined her passion for dance with her love of teaching, graduating Magna cum Laude from the University of Houston with a

Bachelors of Science in Education. The focus of Ms. Ireton’s career has been to train dancers. From her extensive training and successful performing career, she brings her students a wealth of knowledge and experience. Believing in a strong classical ballet background as the foundation of all other styles, Ms. Ireton has also concentrated in the study of the purely American dance style of jazz. She trained with the pioneering legends of jazz including Matt Mattox, Gus Giordano, and Camille Long Hill as well as many others in order to stay current with the ever changing trends in jazz dance. 

Both Houston Academy of Dance and West University Dance Centre are well respected by the dance community and referred by Houston Ballet. In addition to directing the schools, Ms. Ireton has been a member of the dance faculty of Episcopal High School, Houston, since 1991. Her choreography has been presented at the Houston Ballet Summer Workshop, National Convention for High School Dance, Tanzsommer Festival, Austria, Choreographers X 6 and Dance Month at the Jewish Community Center, Houston.

Ginger Herrera, a native of Houston, Texas, graduated in 1984 from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. Beginning her dance training at the Houston Academy of Dance under the direction of Evelyn Ireton in 1972, Ginger has studied at numerous places with a variety of teachers. Ginger studied with Leon Danillian, of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, at University of Texas on scholarship in 1985, the Royal Academy of London, England, 1979, and Clara Cravey at Houston Ballet Academy in 1984. In addition to her extensive training, Ginger has also taught dance to various artists both at the Houston Academy of Dance and Spring Branch ISD. She currently serves as the co-director of the Bayou City Dance Company. Adding to her training and exposure to various styles of dance, Ginger attended the Jazz Dance World Congress, Chicago, in 2002. Ginger has been Assistant Director of HAD since 2003.

STAFF

Ginger Herrera, Damian Schwiethale, Kenneth Epting and Naomi Glass

Julie Comfort graduated Magna cum Laude from S.U.N.Y. College at Brockport with a B.S. in Mathematics and a Minor in Dance. She performed with Danscore; the college’s touring company, visiting local schools and universities promoting dance awareness and education. She continued teaching at the Dancenter in Medina, NY and performed in a local production of “42nd Street”. Upon moving to Houston, Julie began teaching at Houston Academy of Dance while maintaining a full-time job outside of the studio.

Kenneth Epting, a native of Chicago, received a bachelors degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Purdue University and a secondary mathematics certification and a masters degree in Counseling from Prairieview A&M University. Kenneth’s dance training includes such noted schools as Alvin Ailey American School of Dance and Martha Graham School. He has received high acclaim for many of his choreographic works. Kenneth has been the resident choreographer and artistic director for the Classic Dance Ensemble at Prairie View A&M since 1990. Kenneth is the founder and artistic director of Exclamation Dance Company.

Arielle Garrison received a BA Degree in Dance Choreography and Performance from DeSales University in Pennsylvania. Her professional dance experience includes ProDanza Italia (Italy), American Dance Festival (Duke University), Psophonia Dance Company (Houston) and Hope Stone Dance (Houston). She teaches at numerous facilities and brings a background emphasis in early childhood dance education.

Naomi Glass grew up in Seattle, Washington. She received her training at Cornish College of the Arts, spending summers at Houston Ballet Academy, San Francisco Ballet School, and the Prix de Lausanne seminar in Japan. In 1994, Ms. Glass joined Houston Ballet, and in 1997 was nominated by Ben Stevenson, OBE, for the Princess Grace Award. Ms. Glass performed featured classical and contemporary roles in ballets by Stanton Welch, Ben Stevenson, Trey McIntyre, Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, George Balanchine, Lila York and others. Following a ten-year career, Ms. Glass retired from her soloist position with Houston Ballet. She is enjoying teaching and finishing her business degree. Ms. Glass is married to former Houston Ballet dancer Damian Schwiethale. They are the proud parents of a little boy, Colin.

José Herrera was born in Cali, Colombia, and began his dance training at Incolballet under the direction of Gloria Castro. He also had the opportunity to live and study in Havana, Cuba, for two years at the invitation of Alicia Alonso to study at the famed National Ballet School of Cuba. In 1986, he left Cuba to join the Fundacion Ballet de Cali as a soloist. He was featured in many leading roles until he left his homeland to join the Houston Ballet in 1991 and shortly thereafter he was promoted to soloist. José has had the pleasure of dancing the lead role in great classics such as the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, the Merry Widow, Coppelia, Cinderella, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet. He also danced in many other ballets including Ben Stevenson’s Three Preludes, Diana and Actaeon, and Leda and the Swan; and Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, Gloria, and Elite Syncopations. His contemporary works include Jiri Kylian’s Symphony in D and Sinfonietta; Christopher Bruce’s Cruel Garden and Land; Lilac York’s Rapture and Rules of the Game; Helgi Tomasson’s “Haffner” Synphony; and Dominic Walsh’s Flames of Eros. José retired from classical ballet in 2003 and now enjoys teaching and coaching young dancers.

Steven Miller

Alvin Rangel is a native of Puerto Rico and has an extensive training, performing and teaching background. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. Alvin has been dancing for the past seven years with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. As a principal dancer he has worked with many acclaimed guest artists and choreographers.

Patricia Salvo began her training with Houston Academy of Dance and has had extensive training in LA and New York. She has performed professionally in musical theatre for over 15 years. Nationally, she has performed with Cleveland Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Casa Manana, Northshore Music Theatre, Ordway Theatre, and in over 20 productions with Theatre Under the Stars. She has also performed internationally in Japan, along with Las Vegas revues, workshops in New York, and on “The Today Show” with Charo. She choreographs for professional theatres, community theatres, and local high schools.

Sharon Sebastian

Susan Silas

Emily Stewart is a native Houstonian and began dancing at Houston Academy of Dance in 1992 where she received her dance training and later her teacher training, under the skillful direction of Evelyn Ireton and Ginger Herrera. Over the years, Emily enjoyed dancing lead roles in the studio’s storybook recitals Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and Sleeping Beauty. Training at HAD allowed Emily to study under Houston Ballet artists such as Naomi Glass, Damian Schweithale, Jose Herrera and Sally Rojas, as well as HAD’s Summer Intensive Workshop guest artists Troy Powell and Eddy Ocampo. Emily was a member of Bayou City Dance Company for six years and recently danced a season with Exclamation Dance Company under the direction of Kenneth Epting. She is currently obtaining an Associates Degree at Cy-Fair College, as well as teaching at HAD and West University Dance Center. She plans to continue her education at Texas A&M.

Nakia Talley, a Washingtonian by birth, calls Maryland home. Her training in modern, jazz, ballet and tap began at the age of nine at a local dance studio.  Since then, she has gone on to work and train with various schools and companies like: The Ailey School, Artistic Dance Academy, Spirit Wings Dance Company and Ad Deum Dance Company. She has been an active member of  the esteemed Spirit Wings Dance Company (in Laurel, Maryland) for over 11 years and has been afforded the opportunity to travel throughout the the country as well as abroad dancing unto the Lord in places such as Africa, London, Scotland, Ireland, Bahamas, and Bermuda to name a few. As a graduate of Bowie State University, Nakia has used her Bachelors degree in psychology to teach general education in the public school arena for the past seven years.  She believes in giving back to the community and teaches both academics and dance with a heart of passion, compassion and excellence.     

Jill Tarpey began her pre-professional training at the Turning Point Dance Center with Visions Dance Troupe in San Antonio. She competed and performed for several season and then went on to pursue her career at SUNY Purchase Dance Conservatory in New York. At Purchase, she had the opportunity to concentrate on the Graham modern technique, perform lead roles with the Purchase Dance Corp, as well as study and perform under the Jackie Buglisi Dance Company. Since returning back to San Antonio, she has earned a BA in American Studies and has danced and choreographed for the San Antonio Jazz Ensemble. She is currently a member of Ad Deum Dance Company under the direction of Randall Flynn. She is a certified NIA, Pilates reformer, Yoga, Group Fitness and Cycling Instructor. Jill loves to blend her passion for movement and dance into a diverse and energetic class where there is a strong focus on technique and a large emphasis on the JOY of movement and using dance to nourish the soul.