Administrative Staff

Eva Bighorse is a member of the Turtle Clan and a citizen of the Cayuga Nation of the Haudenosaunee. She is born for the Haskaa'hadzohi (Yucca-Fruit-Strung-In-A-Line Clan) of the Dine’ (Navajo Nation). She enjoys taking part in various social dances, with a particular affinity for the Smoke Dance, and honors her father's tradition as a hoop dancer in the Navajo style. She has performed internationally for audiences in at least nine countries. She began teaching hoop dance as a way to uplift the new generations of dancers and to share her passion for storytelling, rhythm and movement. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and is committed to building partnerships with tribal nations to support indigenous ways of life, health, and wellness.

Debbie Braganza started dancing as a child in Lubbock Texas. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz.  She studied dance at the University of Texas at Austin.  She was a member of UT’s dance company, Dance Repertory Theater, where she performed works by Woody McGriff, Deborah Hay and Yacov Sharir.  She studied on scholarship with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and School and has performed at the American College Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow.  She was the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Lubbock, where she taught adult and children’s ballet classes.

Debbie completed the Mark Morris Dance for PD training in 2010 and started teaching classes sponsored by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. In 2014, the program expanded to Ballet Arizona. She continues professional development training in Brooklyn with founders David Leventhal and Misty Owens.

As a member of the PD community, Debbie has brought the PD dance classes to support groups throughout the valley. She was invited to teach special PD Dance classes as a part of the Davis Phinney Victory Summit, Tremble Clefs Music Therapy Retreat and the Annual Walk the Fight for Parkinson’s. Most recently she organized a National Dance Day Event at Ballet Arizona adapted for the PD dancers.

This is Ms. Braganza’s seventh year teaching at The School of Ballet Arizona.

Michelle has experience dancing, choreographing, and working with students from a diverse range of ages and abilities. She has participated in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Training and will be working regularly with Miss Kay throughout the year. This is Michelle’s first year teaching in the Adaptive Dance Program.