Dance Theatre Southwest

DTSW Faculty

Patricia Dickinson began training with Nancy Robison and the Southern Ballet of Atlanta under Karen Conrad, formerly with American Ballet and Pittman Corry. She was a scholarship recipient at the North Carolina School for the Arts, studied at The Graham Conservatory in New York, and received a BFA degree with honors from Southern Methodist University. Ms Dickinson danced with the Dallas Opera and the Dallas Ballet, where she worked with such choreographers and teachers as George Skibine, Marjorie Tallchief, and James Clouser. She has performed in film and commercials, and has produced fifteen record albums for the ballet classroom and three instructional videos. Ms Dickinson's continuing teaching, performing, and choreographic career spans the United States, Canada, Mexico and Europe. (See Ms. Dickinson's full bio.)

Suzanne M. Johnston has been involved with dance as a performer, teacher and choreographer all her life. She toured with several ballet companies before going to Broadway to work for Agnes de Mille and Jerome Robbins in Oklahoma!, High Button Shoes, Call Me Madam and Miss Liberty. In 1972, Suzanne and Sidney Johnston founded the New Mexico Ballet Company. Suzanne has trained more than fifty dancers who have danced professionally throughout the world. She continues to teach in Albuquerque at Dance Theatre Southwest and on the faculty of the UNM Department of Theatre and Dance.

Jennifer Boren has danced in over 70 ballets in the U.S., Europe and Asia throughout her 20-year career. She trained on scholarship at the University of Oklahoma under Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau of Ballet Russe, appearing with the Oklahoma University Ballet Company and Modern Company. She danced professionally with the Tulsa Ballet Theatre and with Southwest Ballet in Albuquerque. She studied in New York, Paris and London and toured Europe performing Swan Lake with the Weiner Ballet Theatre. She has appeared as a guest artist for Nevada Festival Ballet and toured Taiwan with Bolshoi dancers in "Superstars of the Russian Ballet." Ms. Boren is a regular teacher and guest teacher for several New Mexico studios, is a dance coach for Albuquerque Gymnastics School, and is currently principal dancer with the New Mexico Ballet Company.

Dr. Virginia Wilmerding began her dance studies at the London School of Contemporary Dance and continued in the United States at Southern Methodist University, North Carolina School of the Arts, the Martha Graham School, and the Joffrey School, among others. She performed professionally in New York, most notably with Gus Soloman's Jr/Dance. Actively involved in gymnastics, her many awards include "Choreographer of the Year," 1991-1992, from the U.S. Elite Coaches Association. She has served on the faculty of dance at the Univeristy of New Mexico for over a decade, specializing in kinesiology and dance technique. In 1998 she received her PhD in Exercise Science from the University of New Mexico.

Jolie Simballa was raised in Albuquerque and began her ballet training with Alwin's School of Dance under Karen Alwin. She has appeared with University of New Mexico Dance Company, Ballet International, Ballet West, Performers Ballet & Jazz Company, Bill Evans, and Marin Ballet, and is currently a principal dancer with New Mexico Ballet Company. In addition to performing, Ms. Simballa is an instructor at Dance Theatre of the Southwest, the East Mountain's Vista Grande Community Center, and the University of New Mexico. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 1997.

Candy Simmons-Smith is a veteran dancer of over 85 productions. She was trained by Suzanne Johnston and won scholarships to the San Franscio Ballet, Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, and Ballet Jeunnese of Dallas. A professional dancer of both ballet and jazz, Ms. Simmons-Smith has been a member of Dallas Ballet and San Antonio Ballet, and is a Principal Dancer with New Mexcio Ballet Company. She toured Mexico and South America with San Antonio Ballet, danced lead roles in such musical productions as Evita and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and performed the role of Sheila in A Chorus Line to name just a few. She has been teaching and choreographing for over nine years.