TEACHING ARTISTS

Alex McBride
Teaching Artist

Alex McBride

Alex McBride is a Lafayette native who returns to the Acadiana area after working as a performer in NYC. He shares his professional dance experience through performance and teaching across the region.

Join Alex at Basin Arts!
Tuesday / Adv. Pro Modern (Alternating w/ Clare Cook) / 9:45-11:15am

Ana Leger
Teaching Artist

Ana Leger

Ana Leger is an Anusara, Jivamukti, and Iyengar trained yogi and instructor, a meditation leader, Ayurveda Yoga Therapist, massage therapist/bodyworker, and an avid lifelong learner. Whether it's on or off the yoga mats, she enjoys illuminating people's own perspectives and encouraging them to bring more love and courage into their lives through kindness to themselves.

Join Ana at Basin Arts!
Tuesday / Slow Flow Yoga / 6:30-7:30pm

Cissy Whipp
Teaching Artist

Cissy Whipp

Mary Francis “Cissy” Whipp has been working as a performer, choreographer, and dance educator for over 40 years. She recently retired as the Dance Specialist at the J. Wallace James Elementary School for Arts & Technology, where she worked for 19 years. Cissy is thrilled to be a part of the Basin Arts team and share her love of dance with the children in the Modern Dance classes. 

Clare Cook
Creative Director & Teaching Artist

Clare Cook

Clare Cook is a choreographer, teacher, collaborator and the Director of Basin Arts. She teaches many of the dance classes including modern dance, beginner ballet, cardio dance, pilates and our youth classes.

Join Clare at Basin Arts!
Tuesday / Pilates Mat / 8:30-9:30am
Tuesday / Adv. Pro Modern (Alternating with Alex McBride) / 9:45-11:15am
Thursday / Pilates Mat / 8:30-9:30am
Friday / Cardio Dance / 9:30-10:15am

Gina Aswell
Teaching Artist

Gina Aswell

Gina began her studies with Hebert Dancentre and Lafayette Ballet Theatre, studying with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. She has 16 years of experience teaching ballet in both MS and LA and is the ballet master of Basin Arts's resident dance company, Basin Arts Dance Collective.

Join Gina at Basin Arts!
Thursday / Adv. Pro Ballet (Alternating with Jasmine Bertrand) / 9:45-11:15am

Jasmine Bertrand
Teaching Artist

Jasmine Bertrand

Jasmine Bertrand-Vale is a ballet and dance teacher in Lafayette, Louisiana and the Director of Bluebirds Ballet Academy. As a second-generation dance teacher, she has been teaching dance for over twenty years.Recognizing that her true passion has always been dance, she is overjoyed to continue the family tradition of sharing her passion and enthusiasm for this beautiful art form to the next generation of dancers. 

Join Jasmine at Basin Arts!
Thursday / Adv. Pro Ballet (Alternating with Gina Aswell) / 9:45-11:15am

Jessie Quantrille
Teaching Artist

Jessie Quantrille

Jessie Quantrille is an enthusiastic and focused dancer who has been teaching in Louisiana since she was 18 years old. She wants more than anything for people to be excited about dancing and wants to push everyone to jump out of their comfort zones and have fun!

Join Jessie at Basin Arts!
Wednesday / Musical Theater / 7:35-8:35pm

Lily Marcus
Teaching Artist

Lily Marcus

Lily is trained in multiple forms of dance, such as ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, and tap. Since graduating from UL, Lily has been teaching at dance studios all over the Acadiana area, and is now a Teaching Artist with the Acadiana Center for the Arts P.A.C.E. program.

Join Lily at Basin Arts!
Wednesday / Adult Ballet Basics / 6:15-7:30pm

Madison Graves
Teaching Artist

Madison Graves

Madison Graves is a performance artist and educator based in Lafayette, LA. She has studied many styles of dance, primarily ballet and modern, and received her BFA in Dance from UL. Madison looks forward to opportunities for choreography, performance, and collaboration in the future.

Natalie Kojis
Teaching Artist

Natalie Kojis

Natalie Kojis is a movement artist based in Lafayette, LA. Her movement practice consists of improvisation, meditation and is heavily influenced by principles of Pilates & Yoga which she uses to create dance that is meaningful and relatable.

Join Natalie at Basin Arts!
Monday / Pilates Mat / 5:15-6:15pm
Monday / Contemporary Jazz / 6:30-7:45pm

Nicole Curtis
Teaching Artist

Nicole Curtis

Nicole Curtis is a Lafayette native and a local professional dancer and choreographer. She is passionate about spreading the joys of dance and making connections with herself and others through movement.

Join Nicole at Basin Arts!
Tuesday / Dance Meditation / 7:45-8:15pm

Sarah Swinney
Teaching Artist

Sarah Swinney

Since the age of four, dance has provided Sarah with the skills to connect and communicate with others through movement while also building her own confidence.  Sarah loves to explore new forms of movement, but her favorite styles are hip hop and tap. She is grateful to have shared the love and experience of dance with her sister, and excited to continue dancing with the Lafayette community.

Join Sarah at Basin Arts!
Tuesday / Cardio Dance / 5:30-6:15pm

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