Alumni

Where they're now

Adia Hollist

Adia Hollist is a 21 year old native to Tampa, Florida .Adia Hollist recently graduated from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee . Adia received her bachelors of fine arts in contemporary dance spring 2021. Adia began dancing at Artz 4 life academy where she was introduced to African, Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet and many other styles of dance at 5 years old. Adia then began training in Ballet under the direction of Paula Nunez while further developing her skills in African Dance dancing with Dundu Dole Urban African Ballet under the direction of Jai Hinson. Adia has been a leading performer in the annual production of The Family Blessing for several years. While attending Orange grove Middle magnet school for the arts and Blake High school Adia was chosen to perform in Youth American Grand Prix Tampa Gala Night along side many professionals from 2014-2019. While at Blake I was able to travel to New York all four years to do things varying from American Ballet Theatre student certification, Youth American Grand Prix Finals and taking class all over the city. As a Senior at Blake I was able to choreograph my first piece which has fueled and inspired a love for choreography that just keeps growing. After graduating High school she performed multiple shows with Tampa City Ballet. Adia is current company member at Tampa City Ballet and has also choreographed for the company. Adia has choreographed nationally for many highschool dance departments and dance studios. Adia’s love for movement has no style boundaries. At the Boston Conservatory Adia has performed leading roles in Mark Morris’s “Gloria”, Jose Limon’s “The Choreographic Offering” and Bradley Shelver’s “Tongues” along with many other brilliant pieces. Throughout college Adia has had the opportunity to collaborate with many up and coming musicians which has broadened her style horizons.

Kimberly Orozco

Kimberly is currently on track to receive her BFA in Modern Dance at the University of Utah, in the spring of 2021. During her time in college, she has danced in the choreographic works of Doug Varone, Anouk Van Dijk, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Shannon Guillem. Now in Florida, she is busy finishing up college online while interning at BHS' dance department. Additionally she is also dancing as a flamenco dancer in the Tampa Bay Flamenco Dance Co.

I don’t think I would’ve continued dancing or even thought of creating a career in the arts without the guidance or support of the Blake’s dance department and faculty. The rich and creative environment at BHS established a community that I will always cherish. It’s with incredible joy and nostalgia that I look back at my time in the dance department. I am forever grateful for the tools this department has given me. Today, I have the opportunity to dance as a job, which is an incredible feat for a first generation immigrant. None of this would have been possible without the love and support of my teachers in the dance department at BHS.

(Class of 2017)

Jojo Almonte

Jojo Almonte is a Tampa Bay native who's been dancing since the age of 8. He graduated from Howard W. Blake High School as a dance major where he earned his dance master’s certification.Throughout high school he had many performing achievements, most notably having competed at the YAGP finals in New York City. After high school he attended New World School of the Arts on a full ride scholarship. While being in Miami he got signed with the Tae Talent agency where he had many performing opportunities. Some including: The Miami Dolphin half time show and Young Arts foundation annual performance. After his two years in Miami he moved back to Tampa where he's currently a NFL cheerleader for the 2021 Super Bowl Champions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The dance program at Blake has contributed and taught me so many important things that have helped shaped me as the dancer I am today. Before entering the program I thought the dance world was only comprised of the competitive styles I had grown up in. The program’s emphasis on concert dance and how those aesthetics could work together with my commercial styles opened up so many new possibilities to grow in as a dancer. The programs hybrid experience allowed me to become a versatile dancer that is always so important once you enter the professional world.

(class of 2018)

Abby Melnick

I have been training in dance for as long as I can remember. In addition to studio training and competitive dance, I had the opportunity to further my skills and experience under the direction of Albena Arnadouva and Kelly Rayl at Blake. I began to receive professional opportunities in Los Angeles while still in High School. The Faculty and Administration helped guide me professionally and academically. I graduated with honors and now live in California and work as a professional dancer and actor. I’ve been able to work with artists like Justin Beiber, Nicki Minaj and Karol G; train under some of the world’s best known choreographers; and perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. I am forever grateful to Blake High School and to the Department for the incredible training and support.

(class of 2018)

Alexia Sky Colón

Before the pandemic, I was on the west coast working on a new show as dance Captain Swing and was scheduled to begin in a new company of Hamilton. I relocated back to Tampa at the start of pandemic last year and have been teaching and giving private coaching sessions in movement and performance art!

Blake gave me technical foundational skills and introduced me to styles of dance I had not experienced before. I learned skills to understand body and mind connection that I use to this day. Blake improved my technique and gave me confidence to pursue my dreams in dance (class of 2008).

Performance Credits include: Hamilton an American Musical (CIBC Theatre), Fly the Musical (La Jolla Playhouse), On Your Feet on Broadway (Marquis Theatre), West Side Story (Paper Mill Playhouse), NBC's The Best Time Ever, Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre Los Angeles, Illuminate International Dance Tour, American Music Awards, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, Busch Gardens Tampa. Commercials: Wendys, Verizon, Bose, Digiorno, Mens Wearhouse, Xbox, Virgin Airlines,

Anderson Dasilva

Hi my name is Anderson Da Silva. I am currently in my senior year at Indiana University in the ballet program that is under The Jacobs School of Music. While at IU I have had the humbling opportunity to perform various ballets by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, Mark Morris, Sasha Janes and many other amazing choreographers. During my freshman year in 2017 I was fortunate enough to be offered a company position at Indianapolis Ballet. In 2018 I competed in the National Society of Arts and Letters that takes part here in Indiana, where I placed first and won $1,000. I am graduating this spring in 2021. I am currently in the process of auditioning for companies for the upcoming season and should have a secured answer within the next couple of weeks.

Ms. Albena and Rayl have had an enormous part of my dance training and experience as a young dancer. During my high school years Ms. Rayl was very much the teacher where I solely received modern dance technique training. It's so important to be a versatile dancer this day and age and I thank Ms. Rayl for all the years of training that pushed me outside my comfort zones and kept me exploring different qualities of movement. I also owe a great gratitude to Ms. Albena. I took my ballet training very seriously and Ms. Albena has been one of the most generous and knowledgeable teachers that I have had the pleasure to work with and study under. Her attention to detail and passion for the classical ballet technique has instilled a work ethic in me that has helped shape the dancer and person I am today. Ms. Albena always offered her help and expertise and I am so grateful to have gotten to learn from such an amazing and inspiring teacher liker herself. Blake High School's Dance Department is extremely fortunate to have not one, but two amazing teachers to offer a high quality of dance training. I am so glad and fortunate I attend Blake High School and these two teachers will always have a very special place not only in my dance training, but also in my heart. Thank you Blake High School Dance Department and very special thank you to Ms. Albena and Ms. Rayl.
(class of 2017)

Crystal Jackson

I’ve been dancing on and off for about 18 years but didn’t start to take it seriously until I got accepted into the dance dept at BHS. Through this program I learned discipline and how to develop my artistry. The dance dept showed me that there were so many different avenues that I could take with dance. I met so many people through the dept that definitely impacted the trajectory of my artistic career. Once I graduated from Blake, I continued to teach through the Tampa Bay area while also getting acquainted with the FL freestyle scene. During this time, I started to study technical street styles including popping and waacking that really helped me to develop my personal style and find my voice through dance. I know for a fact, that having trained at Blake in modern, ballet, and all of the master class styles as well as training in street styles is what has prepared me for the jobs I’ve been able to do here in LA. Since moving here in 2018, I’ve worked with Jacob Jonas Dance Company, Kanye West Opera, Rihanna Fenty Fashion Show, Dua Lipa, Red Bull, Cardi B, Beyoncé, and more. Some of these jobs were commercial dance, some contemporary and some street styles. All this to say that, training in multiple disciplines brought me to where I am today and I’m proud to say Blake Dance Dept was apart of that.

Dani Frost

I graduated from Blake High School in 2015 where I majored in dance, and then went to the University of Florida where I received my BFA in Dance as well as a BA in Digital Arts and Sciences. I graduated from the University of Florida in May 2020 and moved to New York City. I began studying Limón technique during my time at Blake High School and continued my practices in college studying with the current Artistic Director of the Limón Dance Company, Dante Puleio. Since July 2020, I have been interning and training with the Limón Dance Foundation.

Danielle Long

As an alumna of Howard W. Blake High School, I can say Blake has inspired me to take my artistry to higher heights and cultivate my continuance of being well rounded academically and creatively. I have embarked my undergraduate studies at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with honors of Cum Laude May 2020. During my years in undergraduate I was also a student of Morehouse School of Medicine Undergraduate Health Science Academy, a student trainer for the Sports Medicine Department that oversee Clark Atlanta University sports teams, manager and assistant for the Baseball Team, achieve honors as being a presidential member in Sigma Alpha Pi Chapter National Society of Leadership and Success, Psi Chi Chapter International Psychology Honor Society and maintaining Dean List a few times within my four years in college. I am currently in my master’s program at Clark Atlanta University for Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit and Leadership Management while also being a freelance makeup artist. I aim to create a nonprofit entertainment/artistry studio that fosters collectively, the consumptions of multiple artistic avenues to enrich people of all ages to fully explore and be honored for their creativity as well as to receive beneficial opportunities in enhancement of their gifts.

Kat Smith

Katarina Smith:
I recently graduated from Fordham University in May 2020 and since then I have been living in New York City. Currently, I am teaching dance to high school students with an organization called Harlem Children's Zone as well as instructing Pilates classes with Studio Pilates. It feels great to be working in the dance field, as the pandemic certainly shifted everyones (including my own) plans and I hope to be performing again soon. In college I had the opportunity to dance with choreographers such as Bradley Shelver, Janice Rosario, Nijawwon Mathews, and Chuck Wilt. I am so thankful to the Blake High School Dance Dept. for helping me to achieve my goals and preparing me for life as a professional dancer. After graduating from Blake in 2016, I was able to take all the knowledge and confidence that Albena and Kelly instilled in me and use it for opportunities I never knew I would access. One of the best feelings I have been able to take away from Blake's Dance Dept. is that to this day, I know I can email, call, or text both Albena and Kelly and they will be there for me. That support is unmatched and I am so thankful for the tools I was able to take with me from Blake!

Maddie Maravillas

Maddie Maravillas, a Tampa, Florida native, graduated from Howard W. Blake High School with a master certification in dance in 2015. Maddie attended the University of Utah, in Salt Lake City, UT & graduated in 2019 receiving a BFA in modern dance and a minor in nutrition. During her time at the University, she worked with artists such as Katie Scherman, Simpson/Stulberg Collaborations, Alexandra Barbier and Lauren Edson. In February 2018, Madaline performed with Doug Varone and Dancers during a Varone residency at the School of Dance. At the University, Maddie served as the student representative for the Modern Dance Program on the Student Advisory Committee from 2015-2018, as well as the co-president from 2018-2019. Maddie also served on the Fine Arts Fee Grant committee & as the treasurer for Orchesis, a student run service project committee. Maddie was a member of the Student Concert Committee from 2017-2018, which produced two full-length, student run show each year in the School of Dance. In May 2019 Maddie & her colleague, Hailey Caminiti, co-produced an independent show titled “Hyping It Down” which premiered at the Marriott Center for Dance. Maddie is a current member of Salt Lake City projected-based Cat + Fish Dance Company, under direction of Cat Kamrath, of which she has been a member since 2016. Through LOA Collective, a creative union between Maddie & colleagues Hailey Caminiti & Lexi Hauck, the trio was selected to perform a self-choreographed piece at Treefort Art Festival in Boise, Idaho originally set to premiere May 2020. Maddie most recently performed in a work created by LajaMartin Physical Dance Theater titled "PANDEMIA", which was live streamed from Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah in August 2020. Maddie recently earned a certificate in teaching acrobatics from Acrobatic Arts & received certification to teach Progressive Ballet Technique in January 2021. Maddie currently freelance dances in Salt Lake City & teaches at a local studio for students ages 5-18. In her freetime Maddie enjoys rock climbing, painting, & spending quality time with loved ones.

Mahalia Brooks

I'm Mahalia Brookes and I graduated from Blake High School in 2017. After graduating, I went to New York City to earn my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Marymount Manhattan College. In the midst of thousands of protests around the world hoping for social reform, I joined a club called r(E)volution. This club is about changing the culture of dance and bringing awareness to create a space that welcomes dancers of color. As a dance major with a concentration in ballet, the information I’ve learned from taking a few criminal justice classes, I’ve been combining my knowledge and art form to help further the progression.

Savannah Lee Sickmon

My name is Savannah Lee Sickmon and I am 23 years old currently living in midtown Manhattan NYC. I moved to the city immediately after receiving my BFA in dance from FSU. My current day to day is very different than usual during the pandemic. I am a professional dancer and photographer as well as head of marketing and client management for a national COVID testing site company. I am a regular assistant for heels classes at Broadway Dance Center and Alvin Ailey. I have been doing projects here and there such as currently working on set of Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season four and modeling for commercial print work for various companies. I have choreographed for music videos & been in music videos. I am also privately training drag queens such as Nikky Doll. As a 2015 graduate of Blake High School I believe Blake is where I realized I wanted to be in the arts for the rest of my life and established it was what I would do with my career path. I hope to continue my work and make it to Broadway once it returns! For now, we keep on doing whatever life brings our way.

Alex Schmidt

Alex Schmidt’s pursuit of dance began from an early age in Tampa, FL. She spent her high school years attending Next Generation Ballet’s trainee program under the direction of Peter Stark and Ivonne Lemus. Alex simultaneously attended Howard W. Blake’s Performing Arts high school where she was a part of their dance department. During her senior year of high school, Alex moved to San Francisco where she graduated from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Training Program in 2017. Alex currently lives in New York City where she is co-founder and performing artist in TWO IN SEVEN BILLION, and a dance artist in Michiyaya Dance and LooseKanonDance. Alex graduated from University of Florida in May of 2020, with degrees in Psychology and Criminology. She is currently a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice majoring in Forensic Mental Health Counseling. Along with performing, Alex teaches children dance and gymnastics classes throughout New York and New Jersey. Alex also teaches professional dancers pop-up classes through various platforms with her collaborator Jessica.

Jackson Kettell

Jackson came to Blake High School as a transfer student from Pinellas County in 2010, and was welcomed into the Blake Dance Program with the opportunity to continue his dance education. While at Blake, Jackson was one of the few students that took part in the dual ballet program with the Patel Conservatory. He went to school in the morning at Blake High School and trained at the Patel Conservatory in the afternoons, allowing him to perform in both Blake’s dance programs and Patel’s programs. While at Blake, Jackson was given the opportunity to attend the National High School Dance Festival. At this event, he was offered over 20 professional contracts and college scholarships. He accepted a full scholarship from Jacksonville University, where he earned a BFA in Dance. At Jacksonville University, Jackson dove into college life and was given many opportunities to perform. He represented Jacksonville University in Shanghai, China and was a guest artist each year for local dance performances in the eastern United States. In 2017, Jackson accepted a position with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland as a Soloist, and in 2018 he was promoted to a Principal Dancer. In 2020, Jackson took a position with Ballet Virginia as one of their Company Members. Jackson attributes his success with the training, guidance and opportunities he received at Blake High School.

Sasha Alvarez

Sasha Alvarez is originally from Tampa, FL and began her formal dance training at the age of 15 with Next Generation Ballet at the Patel Conservatory under the direction of Peter Stark and Ivonne Lemus. While in Tampa, FL Ms. Sasha attended Howard W. Blake High School of the Arts where she trained with Albena Arnaudova and Kelly Rayl. After graduating high school Sasha attended Point Park University graduating with a BFA in 2017 led by Rubén Graciani. Ms. Alvarez has performed works by prominent choreographers such as George Balanchine, Emery LeCrone, Septime Webre, Garfield Lemonius, Brian Enos, Ronin Koresh and James Gregg. Professionally, she has danced with Helen Simoneau Danse at NYU Center for Ballet and Arts, Hammerstep NYC at Mana Contemporary Museum, and most recently joined Parsons Dance Company Fall of 2018 touring the USA and Italy. She has performed various works by David Parsons, Paul Taylor, and Trey McIntyre and shot a commercial for Lora Piana, italian fashion designer. Alongside her love of dance Ms. Sasha is a 200hr certified Power Vinyasa yoga teacher and an active member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America sharing her passion for dance through volunteering.

Alexandra Tiso

Alexandra Tiso began her dance training in jazz, tap, and contemporary styles at various schools in Tampa, Florida. At twelve years old, she changed her focus to classical ballet and modern with teachers Amanda Keeney and Mitsie Kraack. She was accepted into the dance program at Blake High School of the Arts where she studied under Albena Arnaudova and Kelly Rayl. Alexandra also attended training intensives at Orlando Ballet, the ROCK School, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet and Nashville Ballet. After graduation, Alexandra joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate program, where she danced as a trainee for two years. She joined Texture Contemporary Ballet as a company dancer in 2012 and has since been with the company for 10 seasons.
Alexandra has performed works by George Balanchine, Robert Moses, Gabriel Ash and Annalee Traylor. She has performed on tour in New York, Chicago, Florida and at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in Massachusetts. Her choreography has been set on Texture Contemporary Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and local dance studios across Pittsburgh. In addition to dancing professionally, Alexandra began teaching at DancExplosion Arts Center in 2012 and is now the Associate Director of the school. She is also on staff at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. Alexandra holds an Associate Degree is Business from the Community College of Allegheny County.

Hannah Barr

Hannah graduated from Blake High School in 2013 with a Master Certification in Dance, having studied under Albena Arnaudova and Kelly Rayl. While studying at Blake, she also trained at Next Generation Ballet as a trainee under Peter Stark before attending the Alvin Ailey BFA program with Fordham University in NYC on scholarship. Hannah continued her formal ballet training at Houston Ballet Academy and Atlanta Ballet before being promoted to Atlanta Ballet’s second company. She went on to dance with Oklahoma City Ballet’s Studio Company, dancing works by Septime Webre, Helen Pickett, George Balanchine and Robert Mills. She was selected as the Studio Company Representative and toured with the main company for 2 seasons. Hannah has also attended the summer programs of Orlando Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, the French Academie of Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and the International Ballet Master Classes in Prague. Hannah is the recipient of the Suffolk Signature Sponsorship, a two-time recipient of the SERBA (Southeast Regional Ballet Association) scholarship, was nominated for the Spotlight Award for Dance and has received American Ballet Theater Certification with Merit. Hannah has modeled for Paul Mitchell and Modern Luxury, and has appeared in the film Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and the TV series Love, Victor. Hannah is now a company dancer with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles, California. She was selected to model for the company in their promotional material as well as to professionally manage their social media platforms. Hannah is extremely happy and grateful to be a company dancer with American Contemporary Ballet, an exciting and visionary ballet company.

Amanda Mitchell

Amanda Mitchell, originally from Tampa, Florida, began her formal dance training at All American Dance Factory. After graduating from Howard W. Blake High School, Amanda moved to NYC and went on to receive her BFA in Commercial Dance from Pace University under the direction of Rhonda Miller. Since graduating, Amanda has worked with Broadway Dance Lab and has appeared in commercials, industrials, and in seasons 2 and 3 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. She has performed the work of choreographers such as Marguerite Derricks, Hope Boykin, Josh Prince, and Mark Swanhart to name a few. She most recently moved to Los Angeles and was on tour with the Bachelor Live on Stage!

Laura Brick-Kempski

Laura Brick is originally from Tampa, Fl. She graduated from Howard W. Blake High School for The Performing Arts in 2010. Laura attended the University of Utah where she attained a BFA in Modern Dance and a minor in psychology. While attending ‘The U’, Laura participated in numerous summer programs such as Northwest Dance Project’s LAUNCH, American Dance Festival, Hubbard Street, Alonzo King’s LINES, and Ballet West. She performed in the Modern Department’s Performing Dance Company from 2010 to 2014. In that time, she was privileged to perform in works created by Andrea Miller, Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp, Marc Bogaerts, Eric Handman, Shaun Boyle, and Sharee Lane. As a graduating senior, she was awarded “Outstanding Performer.” Her time at ‘The U’ provided opportunity to travel to Germany and Panama. She trained with the Berlin Sate Ballet School in Germany and taught dance to many different demographics in Panama. After graduating in 2014, Laura joined Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT. During her time with Odyssey, she’s had the honor to perform in Europe and the Middle East, create new works on the company and be a part of diverse work that has pushed her boundaries as a dancer. While performing with the company, she has taught at several local studios, high schools, and universities. Laura has been adjunct faculty at Westminster College and Utah Valley University. She has choreographed several pieces for Odyssey Dance Theatre and Utah Valley University. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at Utah Valley University and a full time Company member with Odyssey Dance Theatre. Laura’s recently ventured into creating and producing her own work. This summer she and Repertory Dance Theatre’s Dan Higgins are premiering a duet entitled “Fragments Of…” in Salt Lake City, UT.

Catherine (C.J.) Inzirillo

Catherine (C.J.) Inzirillo is a Tampa Bay native who holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Arizona and a BFA in Dance Performance from the University of South Florida. She has had the honor of performing in works by Bill T. Jones, Jennifer Archibald, Janis Brenner, Sam Watson, Michael Williams, Erin Cardinal, Lynne Wimmer, Jeanne Travers and Michael Foley, as well as serve as Rehearsal Assistant for works by celebrated choreographers Alexei Ratmanksy and Darrell Grand Moultrie. C.J. spent much of her performing career in Chicago, where in addition to producing her own evening length concerts she performed with Esoteric Dance Project, Tiffany Lawson Dance and Innervation Dance Cooperative. Her awards and recognitions include winning 7th Place at the National Society of Arts and Letters Choreography Competition and receiving the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award from the University of Arizona School of Dance. Locally, she has choreographed new works for Moving Current Dance Collective and Blake High School, performed with OneLight Dance Company, and taught for multiple studios and arts organizations throughout the Tampa Bay area. She is a passionate arts educator currently teaching at Florida Southern College as Adjunct Faculty in the Dance and Musical Theatre Programs.

Where they're now

Hannah Barr

Amanda Mitchell

Hannah Barr

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