Our Staff

GLENDA BROWN

Director, Young Tanzsommer
Artistic Director of Allegro Ballet of Houston
Founder & Director, The Glenda Brown Choreography Project
Founder & Director Emeritus, Regional Dance America

Glenda Brown is Artistic Director of Allegro Ballet of Houston and owns and directs Allegro Academy of Dance in Houston, Texas. Ms. Brown is a founder of Regional Dance America and has served on the National Board of Regional Dance America since 1987. She was President of RDA from 1991 until 2001, co-ordinated the first ever RDA National Festival in Houston, Texas with over 2000 dancers in attendance, served as president of the Southwest region for twenty years, and is now a Director Emeritus of RDA. Ms. Brown directed the Craft of Choreography Conference sponsored by RDA from 1987 until 2000. She founded the Glenda Brown Choreography Project in 2001 and directs The Project each summer for dancers, composers and choreographers. Ms.Brown brings to our festival many years of teaching excellence and event organization. She has been with Tanzsommer since 1995.

VANESSA BROWN

Associate Director, Young Tanzsommer
Co-Director of Allegro Ballet of Houston

Vanessa Brown is Artistic Director and manager of Allegro Ballet of Houston. She has been associated with Allegro Ballet since 1974 as dancer, teacher and Associate Director. She attended the University of Oklahoma on a dance scholarship. In 1997 she helped co-ordinate the National Regional Dance America Festival held in Houston, Texas with 89 performing dance companies and over 2000 attendants. Ms. Brown is on faculty of Allegro Academy of Dance in Houston and is a popular teacher for studios in the Houston area Vanessa is Associate Director of the Glenda Brown Choreography Project. She has been a member of the Young Tanzsommer staff since 1995. 

CASSANDRA CROWLEY

Advisory Board

Ms. Crowley, Artistic Director of Canton Ballet since 1981, began her dance training with BalleTacoma in Washington State. Ms. Crowley has served as President of Regional Dance America/Northeast and is a founder & director emeritus of RDA.  Due to her years of performing and studying in Europe, Ms. Crowley contributes valuable artistic and practical expertise to our tour.  Ms. Crowley has been with Young Tanzsommer since 1996. 

THOM CLOWER

Ballet Master & Advisory Board

Thom is simply everyone’s favorite ballet teacher.  He is one of the most energetic and inspiring teachers across the US. Extensively trained in Vaganova, Cechetti and Bournonville techniques, he trained at the Dallas Civic Ballet and School of American Ballet. Thom has served as the Artistic Director of Ballet Dallas, Ballet Master for Hubbard Street Dance-Chicago and others. He has been teaching for 30 plus years nationally and internationally, and has been guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center, associate ballet master for Les Trockadero de Monte Carlo and Hubbard Street Chicago. He has recently joined the faculty of Allegro Academy of Dance and Allegro Ballet of Houston. Thom teaches an invigorating, motivating class that the young dancers truly enjoy.

Ceasar Barajas

Outreach Workshops & Jazz Faculty

Ceasar F. Barajas has had the pleasure of performing as a professional Singer/ Dancer/ Actor/ Choreographer/ Educator/ Motivator all over the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, and Spain. He is very excited to be staff for Young!Tanzsommer and is honored to have been chosen as an instructor for the professional series of workshops for Tanzsommer. A proud SAG film and commercial actor, Ceasar is equally at home in the theater and is now delighted to be an AEA candidate.

ALMUT SCHOBESBERGER

European Coordinator

Ms. Schobesberger has an MBA from the University of Innsbruck, is a native of the Tirol, and works as a consultant in Arts Management.  She is the Young Tanzsommer Director for Europe and the event organizer.

JULIE JANNACH

Technical Director

More Soon.

Rainer Ammann

Resident Guide & Tour Coordinator

Rainer is everyone's love! He knows the answers to all questions and is always available to help.

If you are traveling in Austria and need a guide, Rainer is that guide. You can contact him via his web site at www.guided-tours.at

 

Ian Aberle

Photographer/Videographer

Ian is Digital Media & Web Developer for Southern Methodist University and assists faculty and staff with using new technologies. He has given workshops covering topics such as digital imaging, web design, podcasting, and social networks (i.e. Facebook, twitter). In his free time, he works as a digital media artist and photographer. A sample of his work can be found at flickr.com/photos/ianaberle

Ian is there to help capture your tour. As many venues have strict "no-camera" policies, we have special arrangements for Ian to record most of the performances for your dance company.

 

GUEST TEACHERS

Each year, Young Tanzsommer brings in guest teachers from Europe and the USA for classes.  Beth Pliler of Dallas Repertoire Ballet, David Sanders, Acia Gray of Tapestry in Austin, and Kari Kohls Bruch of Starfire have all been very popular guest instructors as well as choreographers for our Grand Finale. Additionally, our dancers enjoy a class taught by members of the Innsbruck Ballet.  

 

 

Our Founder

GAIL JENSEN

Director Emeritus, Young Tanzsommer

Gail Jensen, a graduate of Lamar University with dance education certification, brings to the festival a diverse background in dance.  Her experience as a soloist with Lamar University Ballet and a member of the Beaumont Civic Ballet led to a fifteen year career as a dance specialist in public education.  While under her direction, the Westchester dance team won first place at the Tulip Time International Music Festival in Lisse, TheNetherlands and performed in the Battersea Park Easter Parade in London.  In the United States, her dance teams opened the nationally televised NBC TV Orange Bowl Parade and were featured performers in The Orange Bowl and The Sugar Bowl.  For the first Pro Bowl ever held in Aloha Stadium, Mrs. Jensen choreographed and directed the entire televised halftime featuring the Westchester dancers.   Ms. Jensen has enjoyed her work with Young Tanzsommer from 1995 to 2006.

BRYANT JENSEN

Director of Opperations Emeritus

Bryant recieved his MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. His business interests and investments centered in real estate development and banking. Bryant offered to help Gail with the organization of the first YoungTanzsommer and his life was never the same.