Staff

Staff /Dance Teachers

Diane Elliott Robinson,

Artistic Director

Diane has studied acting, dance, pantomiming and voice at the Children's Theater. At the Minnesota Dance Theater she studied ballet, improvisation, modern dance and dance composition. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management in 1987. She taught ballet and jazz at the Metropolitan Cultural Art Center for six years before she established Hollywood Studio of Dance (HSD) in 1991. In addition to her work at HSD, she has choreographed the Minnesota Talented Teens competition for four years and taught dance at Cityview Performing Art School for four years. Diane Robinson received the Josten/Timberwolves community comment award in 1999 for her work with Hollywood Studio of Dance.

Roshaunta Williams

Roshaunta began her dance experience with her mother at Zion Baptist Church in Minneapolis. She attended North High School where she began training in ballet, jazz, and modern dance. Hollywood Studio of Dance became the formal skill and theatrical forum for Roshaunta at the age of eighteen. Artistic Director, Diane Robinson, realized she had abilities to be a quick study and very energetic and personable. Some of her accomplishments include singing with the Sounds of Blackness and at the Image Awards. Her strongest passion is to develop shy and humble dance students into exceptional and expression dancers, similar to how she was developed through her time at Hollywood Studio of Dance.

Joanna Lowry

Joanna is originally from Chicago and moved to Minneapolis to dance for Continental Ballet Company. She received her ballet training from Boitsov Classical Ballet School under the instruction of Madame Elizabeth Boitsov. Joanna has three years of experience teaching ballet for Continental Ballet School. She has also received her B.A. in psychology from North Park University in Chicago. Joanna has worked for Hollywood Studio of Dance since September 2007 as the ballet teacher.

Kandace Gaudette

Kandace began her dance practice in Wisconsin at the age of four. She relocated to Minnesota to pursue an education in dance at Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, an arts high school. Currently, Kandace is a student at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities working towards her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance with a particular focus in modern. This is Kandace’s first year with Hollywood Studio of Dance, and she is very excited to be part of this new community!

Brianna Lewis

Brianna has been dancing for 11 amazing years. She graduated from Fridley High School. This is her first year with HSD and looks forward to a good year, and many more to come. Currently Brianna works for a Non Profit Organization helping the homeless. Besides working and dancing Brianna loves spending time with her 4 year old daughter Amariana. She specializes in jazz, pointe, lyrical, musical theater. For Brianna, the best part of my teaching is watching the kids grow as dancers.

2009 Board of Directors

Chair - Val Upsher Vice Chair - Regina Dickson Treasurer - Damion Upsher Secretary - Wendy Puckett Member - Lisa Anderson