About the Director
The 2023-2024 school year marks the beginning of Mr. Dedesma's 23rd year as an educator. Before coming to Greenville, South Carolina, Mr. Dedesma taught in the Performing Arts classrooms of Miami-Dade County Public Schools for 17 years. Throughout his time in Miami, Mr. Dedesma opened numerous Performing Arts programs at the middle school and high school level, serving as both department chair and Performing Arts Director of the later. He has years of experience teaching multiple levels of Performing/Visual Arts classes in Chorus, Theatre, Technical Theatre, Musical Theatre, Television Productions, Guitar, and Jazz Band. Under his direction, Mr. Dedesma's students earned numerous Superior and Excellent ratings at district and state evaluations in vocal music and theatre.
Throughout the years, Mr. Dedesma has had the privilege of directing numerous plays, one-acts, and musicals at the secondary education level including: Rehearsal for Murder, El Phantismo, Sahara Nights, Saturday Night at the Drive-In Movies, 12 Angry Jurors, Paper or Plastic?, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Music Man Jr., Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Jr., Beauty & the Beast Jr., The Lion King, Jr., Bye Bye Birdie, and Joseph & The Amazing Techni-color Dreamcoat.
Mr. Dedesma is a graduate of the Florida State University School of Music where he earned a BA in Music. From 1996-2000, Mr. Dedesma performed and toured with the FSU University Singers under the direction of Dr. Andre J. Thomas. Tours included numerous performances throughout England and Viet-Nam, as well as a special performance at the JFK Center of the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. Additionally, he performed in numerous concerts at Florida State under the direction of Dr. Thomas, as well as other conductors, in the FSU Men's Glee Chorus, the Tallahassee Community Choir, the FSU Gospel Choir, and the FSU Vocal Jazz Ensemble.
His other academic and professional credentials include: 1.) A Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education; 2.) Seven areas of certification on the South Carolina Professional Educator Certificate including Music Education (Choral, Voice, & Piano), Theatre, Middle School Social Studies, and Tier 1 Elementary & Secondary Principal; and 3.) Four areas of certification on the Florida Professional Educator's Certificate including Music K-12, Theatre 6-12, Social Science 5-9, and Educational Leadership K-12. Mr. Dedesma has held membership in professional educator organizations throughout his career including the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Educational Theatre Association, the South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA) the Florida Vocal Association, and the Florida Association for Theatre Education. He has also served as chapter sponsor of both the Tri-M Music Honor Society and the Thespian Honor Society in the state of Florida.
