North Miami's PAN, Performing Arts Network is a professional coalition of artists and organizations who:
· create
· educate
· collaborate
· inspire
· train
· mentor
· entertain
· promote community

artists @ PAN, Performing Arts Network

Basilio Garcia

Guitarist/ Composer/ Teacher

Basilio Garcia

Basilio Garcia was born in Madrid, to a family of artists and writers, and initiated his career as a flamenco guitarist at the age of 15. He performs at the Flamenco Clubs (Tablaos) throughout Spain and has accompanied Flamenco classes at "Amor de Dios" in Madrid taught by Maria Magdalena, Tomas de Madrid, La Tati, La China, El maestro Ciro and Cristobal Reyes. His artistry encompasses many achievements, including being part of the "Cuadro Flamenco de Zambra", and the Flamenco Company Lucia Real y Camborio, participating in the Opera Carmen. Mr. Garcia has also collaborated with diverse artists in the recording of CD's such as "El Principe Gitano". He has performed with such artists as Paco Sanchez, Manolete, La Tati and La Truco. Mr. Garcia has also collaborated in productions of Flamenco USA 2002-2003. In Miami, Basilio Garcia has performed at the Jackie Gleason Theatre, Coconut Grove Playhouse and PAN, Performing Arts Network, and has taught master classes and guitar workshops with Ballet Flamenco La Rosa.

Jacob George

Singer/ Songwriter/ Guitarist/ Teacher

Jacob George

Jacob George is an American singer songwriter, most well known as the guitarist and singer for rock band Powder Monkey. Jacob was born in Miami, Florida into a family of artists. From a young age, he began to focus on music as a means of understanding and expressing his experiences. While still in high school, he took on the role as bandleader for Voices United, a non-profit youth organization that promotes cross-cultural understanding through the performing and visual arts.

Through Voices United, he traveled to Istanbul, Turkey and Lesotho, South Africa to perform original music. Jacob started several bands in Miami, and gained a large following performing at local bars and music venues. After moving to Boston, he formed the band Powder Monkey incorporating one musician from his hometown and one from Birmingham, Alabama.

Jacob is currently working on his Bachelor's Degree in song writing at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His lifelong passion for knowledge and music leads him to create a body of work that is both transforming and unforgettable.

Michael George

Visual Artist/ Painting and Drawing Teacher

Michael George holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art and Design from the University of Florida, College of Fine Arts, in Gainesville FL. He is the designer and director of WAV, World Arts Village, Inc. in North Miami FL.

Mr. George's collections consist of Southern Bell Industries, Miami FL, Norwegian Caribbean Lines, Oslo, Norway, Premier Cruise lines, Cape Canaveral, FL, United States Seal Foundation, Palm Beach, FL, and PAN, Performing Arts Network, North Miami, FL.

In 1989, Mr. George was awarded an Artist Working Grant from the Art Center South Fl. He then took a sabbatical to Spain and Italy for research and studies in 1990. In 1992 Mr. George participated in the faculty exhibition of "Teaching Art", Ground Level Gallery Art Center South FL. Miami Beach, FL.

In 1995 Mr. George was appointed to the City of Miami's Historical Environmental Preservation Board where he served through 1997. In that same year, Mr. George became the design consultant and a board member of PAN, Performing Arts Network in North Miami, FL. Mr. George has also been a design consultant for Ballet Flamenco La Rosa since 1985.

Michael George's his solo exhibitions include of "Abstracts in Oil", SoBe Studio, Miami and "Still Life and Abstraction", May Visitors Center, Miami FL. His "Art at work" was exhibited in the 1996 faculty exhibition at Common Space Gallery, Art Center South Florida in Miami Beach, FL.

Mr. George has been a part of Middle Eastern tours for research and study. He also had a solo exhibition entitled "Mediterranean Stories" in 1999. He went on to have a solo exhibition at PAN, Performing Arts Network, "PAN Paintings and Portraits" in 2001 and a solo exhibition entitled "Mediterranean Series" at PAN, Performing Arts Network in 2002.

Orazio V. Giurdanella

Dancer/ Teacher/ Chorographer

Orazio V. Giurdanella

Orazio Giurdanella began his Ballet and Modern Dance education in Venezuela in 1994 at the Zulia Regional School of Ballet, and moved on to study at the Ines Laredo School of Theatre and the Maracaibos Modern Dance School and Company. After moving to Miami, he continued his studies of Modern Dance, Ballet and Jazz at Miami-Dade Community College with Diane Brownholtz and at the Martha Mahr School of Ballet. Mr. Giurdanella has participated in numerous workshops and seminars, including Modern Dance at Taller de Danza Caracas, Flamenco with Rocio Perea at the Contratiempo Flamenco Studios, Capoeira and Contemporary Dance and Jazz technique with Roberto Diaz, Voice and Body at the National Institute of Dance, Dance Therapy with Marlon Barrios and Indian Dance technique at Miami-Dade community college. Since his arrival in the U.S., Mr. Giurdanella has collaborated with Dance Now! Giovanni Luquini and Co., the Rosario Suarez Ballet Company and the Wolfson Dancers.

Danny Hayoun

Guitarist/ Producer/ Teacher/ Composer

Danny Hayoun

Danny Hayoun has taught guitar, bass, music theory, ear training, notation, composition, improvisation and production to students of ages ranging from 6-60. He has organized learning activities and personalized coursework. He has been a consultant to incorporate new texts, ideas and methodology for musical instruction and assess student performance. Mr. Hayoun's production experience includes his home studio and collaborations with various studios in the Greater Miami Area. He has produced songs, albums and demos for many budding artists including Rachel Goodrich, Microscopic Beast, Tyranny of Shaw, The BJ Experience, Professor Parkinson, Heather Davis, Amanda Mills, Ben Harel, Les & Mark and Verena Wagner. He has implemented creative new techniques in recording technology and instructed others in the production process. He has played most primary instruments on his productions (drums, bass, guitar, keys, backup vocals, and slide). He has mixed and mastered recordings for many artists.

Danny Hayoun has played with, performed with or recorded for Lionel Ritchie, UB40, KC & The Sunshine Band, Gloria Estefan, John Scofield, Pat Metheny, Leni Stern, Monkey Village Jam Collective, Grandma's Kitchen, Skintrade, The BJ Experience, Against The Girl, Rachel Goodrich, Sebastian Delacalle, Brad Pearsall, Amanda Mills, Gaston Acosta, Me and the Blue Dog, Poquito, Rochelle Coba, Pepe Velasquez, Derek Trucks, Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell (Phish), Mike Stern, Stevie Smith, Buddha Gonzalez and The Amazing Scraggly Tallywhackers of Doom.

He has been first call session player on multiple instruments (Guitar, bass, drums, keys, ethnic instruments, samples, vocals) on many recordings, jingles and film work. He has written original music for short films, sitcoms and other visual media. He is interested in music education and pedagogy, ethnomusicology, technical studies, film scoring, musical notation, group performance, art, reading/writing, arranging, production, live music performance/attendance, comedy, psychology and philosophy.

Mr. Hayoun holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Film Scoring/Contemporary Guitar Performance from Berklee College of Music/New England Conservatory – Boston, MA.

Megan Holsinger

Dancer/ Chorographer/ Teacher

Megan Holsinger

Megan Holsinger began her dance training at the School of Richmond Ballet in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. During high school, Ms. Holsinger also trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, where she had the opportunity to study under Melissa Hayden. Miss Holsinger began her college dance experience at Virginia Commonwealth University, working with resident guest artists such as Robert Battle, Urban Bush Women, and Gerri Houlihan before her acceptance into New World School of the Arts in Miami. During her years at New World School of the Arts, Megan Holsinger performed in works by Michael Uthoff, Martha Graham, Darshan Singh Bhuller, and Gerard Ebitz while furthering her training in modern, ballet, pointe, anatomy, composition, dance teaching methods and dance history. She has had the opportunity to perform in Miami on the stages of the Gusman Theatre and Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and was also invited to perform at the Dance St Louis Gala by Michael Uthoff with the cast of A Media Luz. Since receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from New World School of the Arts in the spring of 2010, Ms. Holsinger has worked with Ailey Camp Miami, the Florida Grand Opera, Dance Now! Miami and PAN, Performing Arts Network.

Candy Hurtado

Vocalist/ Percussionist/ Executive Director of the Kuyayky Foundation

Candy Hurtado

Candy Hurtado Bonilla holds a Master of Arts Degree in Latin American Studies with a concentration on democratic and social development and culture, and a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, Economics, and International Relations from Florida International University. Ms. Hurtado also has formal studies in painting and communication design. She has worked as a talent management Senior Associate at two of the top global consulting firms specializing in Latin America and Europe and as a researcher and communications professional in academia. Ms. Hurtado performs with Kuyayky as a singer and percussionist.

Delma Iles

Artistic Director of Momentum Dance Company

Delma Iles

Delma Iles is the founder of Momentum and has produced its performances and programs since 1982. She holds an M.F.A. in Dance from New York University and a B.A. in Teaching of Ballet from Virginia Intermont College. She has danced with the Cincinnati Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and the Atlanta Ballet. In New York City she worked with Rachel Lampert and Stuart Hodes, as well as choreographer Steve Goldbas and stage director Mark Roth. She currently coordinates the dance program at Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus.

In Miami she was a soloist with Fusion Dance Company and has appeared as a Guest Artist with Ballet Concerto Company, the Greater Miami Opera, the Miami Chamber Symphony, the Gold Coast Opera Company, the Mirochnik Ballet, and many others. She studied in Paris, France on a Rotary Foundation Fellowship in 1978, and was awarded State of Florida Arts Fellowships for Choreography in 1987 and 1992, as well as Honorable Mentions in 1997 and 1998; and New Forms Florida Grants in 1993 and 1998. She shares a daytime Emmy award for her choreography for the Coconut Grove Children's Theater's production of The Me Nobody Knows in 1999.

In addition to creating more than forty works for Momentum, she has choreographed two off-Broadway shows, several works for the Florida Grand Opera and the Miami Chamber Symphony, work for the Florida Shakespeare Festival, and her work has been featured on three programs produced by WPBT Channel 2. Her Sand Dance was included in a film celebrating the arts in Florida commissioned by the Florida Arts Council, and she has created works for the Dance Umbrella of Greater Miami, Metro-Dade Art in Public Places, the Center for the Fine Arts (Now Miami Art Museum), Miami Dance Theatre, the Tallahassee Civic Ballet, Bristol Concert Ballet Company (Bristol, Va.), the Northwest Florida Ballet, Ballet Pensacola, and Ballet Concerto Company, among others.

She has been guest faculty twice for the Florida Dance Festival, as well as for the Northwest Florida Dance Festival in Pensacola and many other festivals and workshops. She has performed and lectured for the Florida Arts for a Complete Education conferences, and performed with Momentum, as well as teaching classes and workshops at the Jose Limon International Dance Festival in Mazatlan & Culiacan, Mexico in 1995.

She was the Executive Director of the Children's Cultural Coalition from 1995-1998, and is a designated Florida Department of State Arts in Education Artist. She created the dance portion of a full Performing Arts curriculum at La Salle High School.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Arts Action Alliance (a South Florida based arts advocacy group), and formerly served on the statewide Boards of Arts for a Complete Education and the Florida Dance Association. She was awarded the 2003 Doris Leeper Award for her contributions to Arts Education throughout Florida by Arts for a Complete Education, a statewide arts education advocacy group.

In 2007 she was selected for a Miami Made Project by the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. In 2008, 2009, 2011 she was selected for Creative Capital Consulting Grants. In summer of 2009 she received a grant from the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Department for study in India.

In 2010, Momentum's entire 28-year video archive, consisting largely of Iles' work, was incorporated into the Lynn and Louis Wolfson Archive of the Moving Image as a permanent record of the company's contribution to dance in Florida. In 2011 she was asked to consult on the dance portion of the national CLEP Test for the Humanities.

Maria Alejandra Jimenez

Dancer/ Choreographer/ Teacher

Maria Alejandra Jimenez

Maria Alejandra Jimenez was born in Caracas Venezuela. She began her studies in classical ballet at the early age of eight at the Nina Novak School of Ballet. At thirteen, she auditioned for and received a three year scholarship with the Ballet Nacional de Caracas, under the artistic direction of choreographer Vicente Nebrada. At sixteen Miss Jimenez won the Silver Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Trujillo, Peru.

Ms. Jimenez was hired as the principal female dancer at Nina Novak's company and performed celebrated roles in many classical works including Don Quixote, Coppelia, and Le Corsaire. Masters such as Kaleria Fedicheva, Edmund Novak, Ruta Butviliene, Ramona de Saa, Magaly Suarez, and Rosa Alvarez have polished her technique. This intensive training led her, at eighteen years of age, to perform the principal ballet role in the Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux with principal dancer Carlos Junior Acosta.

Maria Alejandra Jimenez has over 20 years of experience teaching classical ballet to children, adults and professional dancers in Venezuela and South Florida. She taught at Magda Augnun School of Ballet, PAN, Performing Arts Network, Keyla Ermecheo Dance Studio, Ballet Clasico de Camara, and Nina Novak's Escuela de Ballet.

Ms.Jimenez has performed for the Florida Grand Opera, South Broward Ballet Company and New Century Dance Company. Miss Jimenez has also been Ballet Mistress and assistant to the Artistic Director of the South Florida Ballet Company.

Johana Jimenez

Flamenco Singer

Johana Jimenez

Johana Jimenez studied Flamenco beginning at the age of 4 with Jose Galvan. In 1985 she recorded her first music album as a "tonadillera", with songs composed especially for her. She continued singing all over Spain, where she began appearing on television, and won numerous 1st and 2nd places in national contests.

When she was 15 years old she recorded her second music album "Esa Paloma". She also performed with Chiquetete in the Imperial Theatre of Sevilla, Spain.

At 19, Ms. Jimenez performed in "Estrellas para el 2000" in the Prince Theatre in Madrid, Spain. In 1998 she performed at "The Flamenco" Tablao, in Japan for a six month run. Then, in 1999 she worked with Adrian Galia's Company, in the performance "Pensando Flamenco", presented in Madrid, Spain.

After that she worked with such Flamenco Companies as Antonio Marquez, Rafael Amargo, Domingo Ortega, and Alejandro Granados.

Currently, she is preparing her next music album, and performing throughout Spain as a solo artist.

Fatima Johnson

Teacher/ Performer/ Artistic Director of the Children's African Dance Company

Fatima Johnson

Fatima Johnson-Gueye is a dance teacher and dance company director who has taught dance for over forty years. She has been teaching on Miami Beach for nine years and in North Miami for ten years. Ms. Johnson attended New York City's prestigious High School of Performing Arts-Dance Department and graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Therapy. While attending NYU she was an adjunct professor at Nassau Community College, where she taught Jazz Dance, African Dance and Black Dance History for the school's Black Studies Program.

Ms. Johnson teaches Children's Ballet, Jazz Dance, African Dance and Hip Hop. She teaches Adults Jazz Dance and an Aerobics Class called Dynamic Aerobics. She has a program for 3 to 5 year olds, which develops self-esteem through dance and emphasizes experiencing the joy of dance through Ballet and Jazz styles. She is the Founding Director of the Children's African Dance Company, which performs throughout South Florida.

Alexander Jordan

Dancer/ Choreographer/ Teacher

Alexander Jordan

Alexander Jordan was trained in guitar at Taller de Guitars with Alejandro Bustamante, the famous Juan Maya "Marote" and Rafael Riqueri. He studied accompaniment of dance with Paz Díaz Lemus. He has performed internationally with some of the greatest musicians and dancers of our time. His credits include Espectáculo "Entre Palmas y Cantares", Anniversary 84 del Museo de Bellas Artes de La Habana, Guitarist for "Conjunto Danzas Ibéricas", performances at Salas Lorca y Alejo Carpentier, Gran Teatro de la Habana", Concierto "Convento San Francisco de Asis", Guitarist for the Ballet Español de la Habana, Homenaje a Alicia Alonso, Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Gala de Estreno Ballet Español de la Habana, Gran Teatro de la Habana, concerts in the Salas Lezama Lima y Alejo Carpentier, Gran Teatro de la Habana, Concierto V Aniversario el Aula de Cultura Iberoamericana, Homenaje a los ex primeros bailarines Milagros Medina y Reinaldo Suárez, Galas de VII Festival Internacional de Guitarra de la Habana, tour of Cuba, performances in Teatro Mella, Gala de los XIV, XV y XVI Festivales de Ballet de La Habana, concert "Con Todos" Funciones Teatro América, Festival "La Huella de España", Homenaje a Ernesto Lecuona, Festival Internacional de Teatro de la Habana, México Tour: Guadalajara, Chihuahua, Tasco, Chiapas, Acapulco, y Ciudad de México, Feria Internacional del Café, Manizales, Teatro Nacional, Guest Artist for the concert of the French group "Barrio Chino", Misa Flamenca en homenaje a Manuel de Falla, composition and musical arrangement for "Aquel Amor Brujo", "Vida Breve" and "Caminando".

Mr. Jordan was the guitarist for the company "Aires", with performances at Salas Lorca and Antonin Artaud del Gran Teatro de la Habana, Festival de Danza Callejera de la Habana, accompanying the dancer Briand Veitia, Guest Artist for the Ballet Español de la Habana, guitarist for "Castañuelas y Ole", the concert "Cante y Guitarra", performances with Darío Arboleda, guitarist for the productions of "La Casa de Bernarda Alba", "Noche Rociera y Flamenca" , Gala Jornada Cultural Andaluza en Cuba, "De la Habana a Cádiz" with the Flamenco company "Ecos", performances of "A Compás", music and poetry for "El neopopularismo en la Poesia" with Aitana Alberti, daughter of Rafael Alberti, collaboration of "Danzart" and founding with Paola Escobar the music and dance group "Taconearte".

Alex Jordan performed a concert at Casa de España, presented by the Spanish Embassy Fundación Españoles of Colombia. He performed at Delia Zapata Olivilla and Centro Colombo Americano. He created the music for the work "Flamenco 24 hours", won the scholarship for creation "Pasos 2002" for the Instituto Distrital de Cultura y Turismo de Bogotá. He performed in the world premiere of "Flamenco 24 horas", with a 3 week run at La Casa del Teatro Nacional. Then, he went on to Festival de Danza Internacional. Mr. Jordan was featured as a guitarist in the television show "Toros y Caballos" with Juan Rafael Restrepo. He was invited to perform at the "Ramiro Isaza" and played concerts such as "Flamenco místico y espiritual" with the singer Carmenza Fuentes from Sevilla. He collaborated with Nicolás Uribe with the recording of the music for the telenovela "Te voy a enseñar a querer". Mr. Jordan was invited to play for the "Festival de Guitarra' of the Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia and won with this group the national prize Montaje Escénico Musical, Ministerio de Cultura, with the work "Flamenco 24 horas". Alexander Jordan currently resides in Miami, Fl, where he performs in local Tablaos and with Ballet Flamenco La Rosa.

Jose Junco

Dancer / Teacher/ Choreographer

Jose Junco

Jose Junco began his Spanish Dance studies in Madrid, Spain at the age of 15 at the Escuela Real de Arte Dramatico y Danza (Royal School of Dramatic Art and Dance). He studied with numerous teachers in Spain including Rosa Naranjo, Edit, Julio Principe, Luis Fuentes, Paco Romero, Betty, Rosita Segovia, Pedro Azorin, Juanjo Linares, Guito, Carmen Cortes, Cristobal Reyes, Antonio Canales, Antonio Reyes, Susan Beltrami, and Jerry Houlihan. His professional debut as a Dancer was in 1989 with the Ballet de Espana of Paco Romero performing in Spain, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland and Mexico. He appeared with that Company in the movie Don Juan Mi Querido Fantasma. He continued to perform with the Companies of Alberto Portillo, Alberto Lorca, Carmen Cortes, Mariemma, Jose Granero and Rafael Aguilar, traveling through Spain, India, Morocco, Turkey, Japan, France, Austria and Italy. He performed with the Greater Miami Opera in the role of the lead Bull Fighter, in the Opera La Traviata to great critical acclaim, as well as the lead dancer in Diefledermaus and La Gioconda. He danced with the Ballet Rosita Segovia and in conjunction with The Greater Miami Opera Young Artist Program in Miami, at The Joyce Theatre in New York City, The Civic Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, and at the famous Flamenco "Tablao" Café de Chinitas in Madrid, Spain.

He worked as a soloist and assistant choreographer in Austin, Texas to re-create choreography by Jose Greco in a project sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has performed at the Dade County Auditorium, Jackie Gleason Theatre of the Performing Arts, the Lincoln Theatre, Colony Theatre, Tropigala at the Fountainbleau Hilton and the Viscaya Palace in Miami with the Ballet Rosita Segovia and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. He performed at Princeton University, Webster Hall in Pittsburgh, Penn., and toured with the production of Flamenco Vivo with The Carlota Santana Dance Company. He is a sought after teacher/choreographer/soloist throughout the U.S. and Europe. He has conducted workshops in such cities as Valencia and Pamplona in Spain, Austin and Houston, Tx., Santa Fe , NM , Oklahoma City Oklahoma , The Florida Dance Festival in Miami and in Ft. Lauderdale , Fl. He has performed with such famous Artists as Los Del Rio, Rocio Jurando, Azucar Moreno, Los Romeros de la Puebla, Belmonte, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ricky Martin, Lucia Mendez and Olga Tanon and was featured in the lead role of the Andrew Lloyd Weber Musical "Song & Dance".

Lela Lombardo

Dancer/ Choreographer/ Musician/ Actor/ Performance Artist/ Teacher

Lela Lombardo

Lela Lombardo has trained and performed in Europe and the U.S. as an actress, dancer and singer/songwriter. While studying musical theatre at Just School of Music and Dance in Munich, Lombardo formed her first Jazz ensembles, performing straight-ahead Jazz, Bossa Nova and R&B. She was awarded "Best R&B and Jazz Vocalist 1999, by "Power of the Drum World Beat Festival". The Sun Sentinel called the vocal performance of her own compositions the highlight of Miami Light Project's Here & Now Festival 2001. She also created a musical tribute entitled "I have a dream", an adaptation of her own compositions and the gospel of Dr. Martin Luther King. The work was performed live at the Bass Museum. She has been teaching dance, drama, movement, yoga and voice at many private and public schools throughout South Florida and is an artist-activist in the social justice and environmental movement. Lombardo is Founder and Artistic Director of Higher Ground, a community dance company. Lombardo is interested in exploring the identity of nature, race relations, anthropology, and the environment.

Nikki Lowe

Actor/ Teacher

Nikki Lowe

Nikki Lowe is an actor and teaching artist at Miami Theatre Center where she has been in several productions including The Red Thread, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Anton Chekhovs Three Sisters. A graduate of the Theatre Program at Florida State University, she also holds a BA in English Literature. She is a proud participant in the Theatre Academy London study abroad program and a recipient of the Tallahassee Theatre Guild Scholarship. Before returning home to Miami, she interned with Chicago Childrens Theatre and studied at The Second City Training Center where she honed her love for improvisation.