Dance Program

Sylania Campus CT 216 | Faculty Chair: Doris Werkman | 971-722-4279

Heidi Diaz

Heidi Diaz is a teacher, choreographer, and performer based in Portland, Oregon. She serves as the director of the dance program at Portland Community College where she teaches technique classes as well as theory courses in Choreography and Dance Appreciation. She holds a BA in Dance with a concentration in Education from Columbia College Chicago as well as a MFA in Dance from the University of Oregon where she served as a Graduate Teaching Fellow for three years. In addition to dance, a deep respect for Yoga and other somatic practices recently led her to earn her certification as a Yoga therapy teacher. Heidi has been teaching dance in many forms for over a decade in cities around the U.S. and is excited to be able to return home to her native Oregon to teach full time at PCC.

As a performer and choreographer Diaz has been working for over a decade with independent artists throughout the United States and Mexico to create and perform in projects investigating the intersection of life, performance, and environment. Diaz served as co-artistic director of en masse arts ensemble in Eugene, Oregon alongside Sarah Nemecek while earning her graduate degree. Recent projects include a community workshop and performance led in collaboration with artists Alicia Marvan (MX) and Jason Gaspar (US) in Coatepec, Veracruz, Mexico and "Negotiating the Divide" a site-specific performance choreographed in response to installation artist Fae Young-Scherling's work at About Space.

Valerie LimbrunnerValerie Limbrunner
A native of Newport, Oregon, Valerie studied at Newport School of Dance, the HARID Conservatory and also attended summer programs at OBT, Eugene Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Hartford Ballet. Valerie was a company member at OBT from 2001 - 2007. Prior to joining OBT, she performed with the Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet and Hartford Ballet, where she was a recipient of the Directors Award. She has danced as a guest artist with the National Opera Ballet de Bordeaux in France and teaches ballet, flamenco and choreography at summer programs in Newport and McMinnville, Oregon and Sitka, Alaska.
Holly Tolbert- ballet
Holly, a southern California native, began her professional training with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet and continued with both the Houston Ballet Academy and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in their professional division programs. In 2001, Holly was the recipient of the Spotlight Award for ballet as well as a finalist for the Emerging Young Artist Award. Holly has danced professionally with both Kansas City Ballet and Oregon Ballet Theater dancing numerous principal and soloist roles in works by renowned choreographers such as William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, Nicolo Fonte, Twyla Tharp, Alonzo King, Val Caniparoli, Paul Taylor, George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, Christopher Wheeldon, and Merce Cunningham, among others. Holly has taught for the school of Oregon Ballet Theater as well as other local studios in the Portland Metro Area. Alongside dancing and teaching, Holly is also a nationally certified licensed massage therapist.

Coursework

Planning Ahead

Profiles