Over the years, the faculty of the School of Dance has trained thousands of versatile dancers who fill the ranks of dance companies worldwide. The faculty of distinguished dance professionals works individually and collectively with students to provide a strong technical foundation and a total dance environment of performance experience and creative opportunities. Dance students receive personal advice and attention from their instructors; much of the class work is one-on-one. Members of the highly qualified faculty choreograph, stage works and assist guest artists in preparing students for more than 40 performances a year. This sharing of the creative process, combined with the best in traditional and contemporary training, represents a strong commitment to the development of students’ artistic and personal growth.

Brenda Daniels, Interim Dean(1995)
Brenda Daniels is honored to hold the Betsy Friday Distinguished Professorship in Contemporary Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She has been on the faculty at UNCSA since 1995 and has been the assistant dean for contemporary dance since 2004. She was artistic director of her own company, Brenda Daniels Dance Company, from 1985-1995. The company presented annual seasons in New York, and toured in the United States and Europe. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York Foundation for the Arts. Her choreography has been commissioned by Lincoln Center, The Joyce Theater, St. Mark’s Church, and theatres throughout Germany and the Netherlands.  Performance credits include Ton Simons and Dancers, Mel Wong, Ellen Cornfield, Shelley Lee, Douglas Dunn, William Douglas, Bill Young, and the Palindrome Dance Company.  Currently on the faculty of the American Dance Festival, Ms. Daniels has also taught at the Merce Cunningham Studio, Hollins University, UNC-G, Wake Forest University, Harvard Summer Dance Center, Cornish College, Texas Christian University, Stephens College, Sam Houston State University, Connecticut College, California State University at Long Beach, Vassar, and Purchase College.  She has a BFA in Dance from Purchase College and an MFA in Dance from Hollins University/American Dance Festival.

Warren Conover, Assistant Dean, Ballet (1994)
A former soloist with American Ballet Theatre, Warren Conover performed a wide range of roles from classical to demi-character to modern in more than 50 ballets.  He has also appeared on several “Live from Lincoln Center” broadcasts and a “Dance in America” presentation. He performed a featured role in the television broadcast of Baryshnikov’s The Nutcracker.  He was a faculty member at the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance, the Gus Giordano Dance Center and the Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago for 13 years.  For 10 years, Mr. Conover was the artistic associate/ballet master for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, touring extensively throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. In 1994, Mr. Conover joined the faculty of the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he is assistant dean of the School of Dance.  Since that time he has staged and choreographed numerous ballets for the School of the Dance.  In February 1997, he returned to American Ballet Theatre to restage Fredrick Ashton’s Les Patineurs which had been absent from its repertoire for 12 years.  Mr. Conover continues to guest teach nationally, including the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive program, the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival as well as having a long association with Chicago National Dance Masters of America.  In February 2008, Mr. Conover presented UNCSA dance student Kyle Davis (then a high school senior) at the Prix de Lausanne International Dance Competition in Lausanne, Switzerland, where Mr. Davis won.

Trish Casey, Interim Assistant Dean (1989) 
Graduate of (University of) North Carolina School of the Arts (BFA) and New York University/Tisch School of the Arts (MFA). Danced with the companies of Pauline Koner and Don Redlich. Teaching credits span universities, conservatories, companies and dance organizations in the United States and Australia. Has directed creativity-based workshops for dance educators, choreographers and professional dancers in New Mexico, Texas and North Carolina. Initiated “A Dance Gathering” in Dallas, Texas, which continues to serve as an annual event, hosting professionals’ work from around the country.  The dance film, Surrendering in a Champion’s World, choreographed and co-directed by Ms. Casey, received an award at the RiverRun International Film Festival in 2003 and was an entry in the 2004 Santa Fe Film Festival.  In 1997 and 2005, Ms. Casey was the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award at UNCSA. In May of 2005, she was the recipient of the distinguished UNC Board of Governors Award for Teaching Excellence. She has studied Body-Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Ideo-kinesis with Andrew Bernard and Neuromuscular Anatomy with Irene Dowd.

Fanchon Cordell, Ballet (1983)
Fanchon Cordell grew up in North Palm Beach, Fla., where she studied under Joan Miller. At the age of 18, she moved to New York City, where she received a full traineeship at Harkness Ballet and studied under David Howard and Maria Vegh. She began her professional career with Ballet Repertory Company and Eglevsky Ballet. As a member of American Ballet Theatre, she performed soloist roles in such ballets as Swan Lake, Giselle and Concerto and has worked with choreographers Balanchine, Baryshnikov, de Mille, Tetley, Tudor, and Tharp. Ms. Cordell has received an UNCSA Excellence in Teaching Award and is currently an adjunct faculty member at Wake Forest University.

Nina Danilova, Ballet  (1996)
Graduate of the Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.  Performed with both the Kirov Ballet and the Moscow Ballet. Doctoral candidate at the State Institute of Theatrical Arts,  specializing in choreography, 1988-90.  From 1991-96, faculty member at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Wash.

Dayna Fox, Ballet (2008)
From 1977 through 1985, Dayna Fox was a featured dancer with the North Carolina Dance Theater, having performed extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe including appearances at The Kennedy Center; Brooklyn Academy of Music; the American Dance Festival; the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C.; and the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy.  During her tenure, Ms. Fox performed soloist and principal roles in an eclectic repertoire including such works as Aiello’s Piano Concerto #1; Balanchine’s Pas de Dix, Allegro Brilliant, and Scotch Symphony;  Bournonville’s Napoli;  Driver’s Resettings; and Nebrada’s Pentimento. Ms. Fox holds a BFA in Dance from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and currently serves as the director of the School of Dance’s Preparatory Program, a position she has held since 1989.

Douglas Gawriljuk, Ballet (2011)
Born in Brazil, Douglas Gawriljuk was trained by his father, Ruslan Gawriljuk, and also took the exams of the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England, where he graduated with honors in September 1986. Later that year he received the Gold Medal at the “Conselho Brasileiro de Danca” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He was a Silver Medalist at the “Seventh Concurso Internacional de Ballet” in Trujillo, Peru. In 1994, he won the first prize in 1994 at the “XII Festival de Danca” in Joinville, Brazil. From 1988 through 1990, he attended the School of American Ballet in New York, with a full scholarship.

As professional dancer, Mr. Gawriljuk’s repertoire includes the classics, most of the Balanchine repertory, and contemporary works by today’s leading choreographers. Mr. Gawriljuk started his career in 1990 with Ballet Du Nord in France under the direction of Alfonso Cata. In 1991 he joined The Basel Ballet in Switzerland, directed by Youri Vamos, as a soloist. Mr. Gawriljuk joined Miami City Ballet, directed by Edward Villella, as a principal dancer from 1993-1998 and later in 1999. His special performances with MCB include tours to The Spoleto Festival, The Edinburgh Festival, The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Ga., The Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Wolftrap’s 25th anniversary, and the 1997 Next Step gala (Career Transition for Dancers in New York). From 1998-99, Mr. Gawriljuk moved to Pennsylvania to join The Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, directed by Terrence S. Orr, as a principal dancer, and excelled at interpreting many of the big classical ballets. In May 2000 through 2005, he joined Maximum Dance Company in South Florida as a principal dancer and ballet master under the artistic direction of Yanis Pikieris and David Palmer. There, he worked with many international choreographers such as Daniel Rosseel, Jean Christophe Blavier, and KT Nelson among others, and in 2003-04, he was nominated the best male dancer in South Florida by the Sun Post. From 2006-09, he danced for Ballet Florida under the artistic direction of Marie Hale, and retired from his dancing career.

In the past few years, Mr. Gawriljuk has appeared in international dance projects such as Dolomytica in Europe and Casablanca The Dance in China, capturing the attention of the international press. He has also created pieces for Maximum Dance Company as well as for dance schools and dance institutes.


Susan McCullough, Ballet (1988)
Graduate of (University of) North Carolina School of the Arts, 1969. Dean of the (U)NCSA School of Dance, 1988-2007. Director, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, 1986-1988.  Ballet mistress, Nederlands Dans Theatre, 1980-84. Dancer,  Nederlands Dans Theatre, 1975-84; Harkness Ballet, 1971-75.  Founding member,  North Carolina Dance Theatre, 1970. Guest teacher/ choreographer for Joffrey Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet du Nord, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.  Recipient of Pennsylvania Arts Council Choreographers Grant, 1987.  

Frank Smith, Ballet (1983)
Born in Hamlet, N.C., Frank Smith studied at UNCSA from 1965-69. Awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet, where studied with Andre Eglevsky, Alexandra Danilova and Stanley Williams. Joined American Ballet Theatre in 1970, dancing leading roles in ballets by de Mille, Tudor, Robbins, Balanchine, Baryshnikov, and Makarova. Promoted to the rank of soloist in 1976 and remained with American Ballet Theatre until 1983. Has been acclaimed for performances of roles such as Pat Garrett in Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid and as Hilarion in the American Ballet Theatre’s Giselle. Performed many principal character roles in the full-length classical ballets. Appeared in the film THE TURNING POINT and has done numerous television specials. Mr. Smith is a 2008 recipient of UNCSA’s Excellence in Teaching Award.

Sean Sullivan, Contemporary (1998)
Received his B.A. in Dance from California Sate University at Long Beach. Performed as a soloist with the José Limón Dance Company from 1991-1996. Taught at the Limón Institute from 1993-1995.  Visiting lecturer at the University of Illinois from 1996-1998, teaching modern technique, kinesiology, composition and Limón /Humphrey repertory.

Eric Schwartz, Music Director (2011)
Eric Schwartz has studied composition and piano at the Cleveland Institute of Music, New York University, and both the Interlochen and Aspen summer music festivals. His music has been performed on five continents, at venues ranging from Merkin Concert Hall in New York City and the BMW Edge Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, to universities, coffee shops, gas stations, and bars of all shapes and sizes. He has received awards and grants from Meet the Composer, ASCAP, The Society for New Music, The Puffin Foundation, The Cleveland Chamber Symphony, and The Ohio Federation of College Music Clubs.  Mr. Schwartz has served on the faculties of New York University, the Lucy Moses Music School, the Henry Street Settlement, and most recently the University of North Carolina School of the Arts where he serves as Music Director for the School of Dance. He has worked as a dance musician for a vast array of schools and companies including The Limon School, Mark Morris Dance Group, Hunter College, New York University's Tisch School, and many, many others. He was formerly a resident composer for the Los Angeles-based Tonoi contemporary music ensemble, the Minnesota-based Renegade Ensemble, and New York City’s Vox Novus. His debut CD, 24 Ways of Looking at a Piano, named one of the top classical CDs of 2005 by All Music Guide, is available from Centaur Records. His second solo album, OYOU, will be available from CD Baby in 2011. His music is also available on Signum Classics, Capstone Records, Trace Label, and a host of others, and is published by Staunch Music (U.K.) and Lovebird Music (U.S.).  http://www.ericschwartzcomposer.com