 |
Gemtria grew up in El Paso, Texas and graduated from Loretto Academy. She began studying ballet at the age of three and danced with the University Civic Ballet Company under the direction of Ingeborg Heuser. Gemtria attended UTEP, and later The University of Utah, on full ballet scholarships.
 |
|
She raised four children before resurrecting her dance background to become an instructor for the National Dance Institute of New Mexico (NDI-NM) in 1998. She spent several years as the North Artistic Director for NDI-NM, co-choreographing the End-of-the-Year Event, directing the North Show, overseeing staff, and training apprentices. In 2002, the NDI-NM Board of Directors appointed Gemtria the Managing Director. Working in close partnership with Catherine Oppenheimer, the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of NDI-NM, she helped to facilitate a $7M Capital Campaign, oversaw the construction and management of the Dance Barns - a 33,000 square foot facility, and managed the organization's growing administrative staff. In 2004, NDI-NM was approached by the Founding Chair of Kids Excel El Paso to seed a program in El Paso. Gemtria acted as an artistic and administrative consultant and was a founding member of the KEEP Board of Directors. Her interest in the success of the organization inspired her to move to El Paso to fill the position of Artistic/Executive Director for the budding program in 2005. |
|
Cita Sanders - Chair |
