The Dancespace Faculty

Jan Kocjan, R.A.D., Teaching Certificate, Studio Owner. Ms. Kocjan has been an instructor in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Creative Dance for Children in her privately-owned studio, "The Dancespace" since 1978. She has been a registered teacher with the Royal Academy of Dancing since 1992. In May, 1995 she received her Teaching Certificate from the R.A.D. She majored in Modern Dance at the University of California, Hayward. She is choreographer for bi-yearly performances for her students, as well as many performances for outdoor and seasonal events for community organizations. She has choreographed the Page High school musical productions: "Brigadoon, "Good Man Charlie Brown", "Once Upon A Mattress", "Bye, Bye Birdie", “Fiddler on the Roof" and "Oklahoma". She was a member of the Arizona Fine Arts Teacher Cadre for the Arizona Department of Education in 1989, 1990. She presented movement workshops for the Annual Symposium of Language, Culture and Education at the Tuba City Schools in 1992 and 1993, and for students at the Department of Excellence in Education at Northern Arizona University in 1991 and 1992. She has taught for Yavapai Community College extension in Page, the Page Community Recreation Department, done choreography, workshops and lecture-demonstrations for the Page Elementary and Middle Schools. Mrs. Kocjan also teaches dance and Pilates for Coconino Community College.

Summer Kocjan-Castro. Summer is an experienced dancer of 16 years, specializing in Contemporary Dance. Summer has participated in the High School Symposium for Dance Majors at Arizona State University, has studied with Maureen Price, A.R.A.D., and Gail Reed, Ph.D., R.A.D.T.D. at Northern Arizona State University Preparatory School of Dance for two summers. She has taught Creative Dance at The Dancespace since 1997. She also assists with R.A.D. classes. Her performance experience includes the Jazz Symposium at University of Arizona, as well as many Dancespace productions. She was featured as "Skinny" (one of the ugly Stepsisters) in our 2002 and 2003 Cinderella Ballet. She is a founding member of "In Spiritus." She is also Business Manager for the Dancespace.

Big Al Nezy. Al Nezy ("Big Al", as he is affectionately known) first taught Hip Hop at The Dancespace during our 2005 Summer Intensive. His classes were so popular that they have been included in our class and performance offerings since Fall of 2005.

Big Al has reached out to youth with his Christian Rap and Hip Hop Dance all over the Reservation, and throughout Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Illinois, Texas, Louisiana and Nevada since 1997. In 1999 he was the opening act for "Everybody Duck" in Kayenta. He cut his first CD "LLGW" in 2002. He plans to release his second CD no later than Christmas, 2005. Al received second place honors in the Urban Hip Hop category at the GMA (Gospel Music Association) competition at Estes Park, Colorado in 2003. The following year, he received first place. Big Al has been in much demand as a DJ since he decided to branch out in that area in 2004. He traveled to Nashville to showcase his music at Belmont University and at the Hard Rock Cafe in 2005. He also performed a very well-received concert at the C.A.B. in Page that year. Big al was a keynote speaker for the juvenile programs in Arizona. He has spoken to and performed for high school youth in Kaibeto, AZ and Littlefield, NV, and continues to bring his inspiring message of hope and love as Speaker/Performer to Page High School youth.

Falicia Johnson teaches Beginning and Intermediate Jazz. Falicia began her dance training in California at age four. Her focus was Jazz and Hip Hop, although she also enjoyed and appreciated her ballet classes.

She began choreographing competition routines for her local high school dance team as a junior in Elsinore, CA. After graduation, she moved to Eugene, Oregon, where she attended Bible College. She began teaching Jazz, Hip Hop and Swing to middle school-aged kids and continued taking classes herself. After graduating with a B.A. in Christian Education, she taught Creative Dance in pre-school classrooms.

Falicia says she "loves to watch others dance and see how it makes them come alive". She feels that dance is "an expression of who we are".

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