
MISSISSAUGA, CANADÁ
11-12 DE ENERO

Francisca Mendo
Training: Institute of the Arts Barcelona (Spain) and House of Jazz Company (UK)
Francisca was born and raised in Porto, Portugal and started dancing at the age of 3. Theatre: Corps de Ballet - The Phantom of the Opera Internacional Tour 2023/2025. Principal/soloist roles include Odile and Odette in Swan Lake (Living Spit and Theatre Orchard, UK Tour), Circus. Performer in Snow (Holly Noble Dance UK Tour including Royal Opera House), Principal dancer with Boo! productions (VIP client Abu Dhabi), Rapsody (Theatro Nacional de Castéllon, Spain), Character and Parade Performer Disneyland Paris (France). Alongside performing, Francisca has been teaching and choreographing consistently in Portugal and the UK, sharing her passion and knowledge with the younger generations.

Elaine Holland
Elaine trained at the College of the Royal Academy of Dance and she then went on to perform professionally in both classical and contemporary companies attaining soloist level before embarking on a teaching career that has spanned the last 30 years, initially in New Zealand before returning in the UK in 1992.
Elaine taught at many vocational schools including being Head of Ballet at Laine Theatre Arts for 12 years, Artistic Director for the Dance School of Scotland and Legat School of Dance.
In 2017 Elaine took up a post at the Conservatorio de Danca de Vale do Sousa in Portugal teaching vocational students aged 10-18 and developing the curriculum.
Elaine has been an examiner of the Royal Academy of Dance since 2000 as well as a summer school faculty member. She continues to coach throughout Europe and in the UK.

Eva Blanco
Eva is a graduate of The Arts Educational School and a Licentiate member of the
ISTD. She started her training at The Dupont’s Stage School in Leicester and
graduated from AES, Tring in 1993. Eva worked as a professional dancer,
specialising in musical theatre and commercial dance in the UK and internationally.
Throughout her career, Eva has performed in Tommy Steele’s ‘What a Show!’ Prince
of Wales theatre, London 1996. Gaudi das Musical, Köln, Germany 1998. Boogie
Nights the musical, UK tour as Tracey, 1 st cover and dance captain 2001-2003. The
Millennium Dome ‘OVO’ Greenwich, London 2000. Spirit of the dance, USA, UK and
Asia 1998-2000. The closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics are a few of
her career highlights. Not forgetting the birth of her daughter in 2004!
Eva has been teaching dance for nearly 20 years, joining Tring Park School for the
Performing Arts in September 2013 as a Modern, Jazz and Tap teacher,
Choreographer, Dance GCSE & Trinity diploma (L5) and Mentor.

Barbara Evans
Barbara is former Head of Jazz at Laine Theatre Arts.
Barbara’s career as a Director and Choreographer began when choreographing the winning entry for Finland in the World Dance Championships and this led to a commission to create KABUKI for the Oslo Dance Company in Norway. Choreography across all sectors quickly followed ranging from AIDA for the Nonsuch Opera Company to working with the Tussaud Group developing and integrat- ing actors and dancers within their Contemporary Circus shows . Barbara was appointed Movement Director for the long running musical IKEANO in Dublin and Manchester Lowry which ran for 4 years.
As a Director Barbara has worked with many stars of the industry including Aston Merrygold , Craig Revel Horwood , David Essex , Paul Nicholas , Steve McFadden and Julian Clary . Barbara has created flying sequences on a yearly ba- sis as director and choreographer of Peter Pan including Plymouth Theatre Royal , Bromley Churchill Theatre and New Theatre Cardiff.
Barbara returned to circus with an aerial spectacular inte- grating singers , dancers and international circus artistes . Barbara’s own commissions are renowned for their narra- tive structure and innovative vision using quality elite dancers to produce creative excellence . In 2016 the full scale show EVOLUTION was commissioned for a 5 year contract on P&O’s Azura . All aspects of the show were de- signed , directed and choreographed by Barbara .
In September 2019 Barbara produced and launched the Z Bo Jackson Company alongside ATG with a dance Gala at the Manchester Palace Theatre. Hosted by SKY’s Got to dance judge Kimberly Wyatt and starring ITV’s BGT final- ists Flawless with BRB’s soloist Brandon Lawrence.
Alongside a career as a Director/Choreographer Barbara Jackson has also had a career as a jazz dance specialist and has lectured worldwide in Canada , Germany , Norway , Italy and South Africa.
Barbara specialises in narrative driven theatrical experi- ences integrating the creative technology with the per- formers to create a multi-layered medium . As a visual movement specialist Barbara’s choreography has covered a broad spectrum of theatre from Opera to Street Dance , Acrobatics and Aerial Dance.
Barbara’s work uses extreme choreography and innovative design to create a textured theatrical landscape and a unique emotional resonance.

Jacqueline Bulnes
Joffrey Ballet School Representative
Jacqueline Bulnes is a Cuban-American artist, best known as a soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company, José Limón Dance Company, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Merce Cunningham Trust.
She currently teaches Graham and Limón techniques at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma under the direction of étoile Eleonora Abbagnato. Most recently, she served as Maître de Danse for the Paris Dance Project, led by choreographer Benjamin Millepied, for La Ville Dansée in Paris.
As a choreographer and movement director, her work has been featured in prestigious theaters including the Teatro Greco di Siracusa (INDA), Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Teatro Massimo di Siracusa, Teatro Rossetti di Trieste, Teatro Argentina di Roma, among others.
Throughout her career, Jacqueline has collaborated with renowned artists such as Dimitris Papaioannou, Robert Wilson, Matthew Bourne, Alberto Alonso, Anne Bogart, Robert Battle, Gabriela Carrizo, Fabian Prioville, Eleonora Abbagnato, and Benjamin Millepied.
As an educator, she has taught internationally across the U.S., U.K., Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Mexico, with institutions including the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Accademia d’Arte del Dramma Antico, Martha Graham School, Limón Dance Company, Rambert School, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Royal Danish Ballet School, Danish National Academy of Music, Teatro Nuovo di Torino, Accademia Susanna Beltrami, and Teatro Quirino Vittorio Gassman.
Jacqueline continues to be a prominent voice in the international dance and theater community, mentoring the next generation of performers through her artistry and teaching.

