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Bayardo Martinez Jr., (Mr. B.) [he/him], is a Maryland native who began his dance journey as a self-taught, then competitive Latin ballroom dancer. He obtained a B.F.A. in vocal music education from CUNY Queens College and earned an A.A. in dance performance from Montgomery College. Bayardo received a B.A. in dance performance, choreography, and education from the University of Maryland (College Park), where he adapted various modern dance styles into his own dance proficiency.
Bayardo graduated summa cum laude from Saint Mary’s College of California with an M.F.A. in dance and dance management, where he presented and published his thesis work, “Reflexiones Mosaico: Impacting Future Perceptions From Introspective Mirrors”, an analysis of colorism, discrimination/racism, and the lack of educational resources that students of color experience and receive in public schools.
With his background in Latin ballroom, social, and traditional dance styles, Bayardo served as coach and choreographer for Magruder Rumberos, a Latin dance competition team at Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland. He has led the team to victory by winning first place in dance categories that include group and solo works at The Music Center at Strathmore and Millenium Stage at The Kennedy Center.
In addition, Bayardo is an “Elite Lambda”, serving as vice president of the Gamma Epsilon Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area Professional/Graduate Chapter of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda, Fraternity Inc. He strives to make an impact in arts education by increasing the participation of dance for people of color. Bayardo also serves as the Dance Education Advocacy Lead for the Maryland Dance Education Association.
Bayardo (Mr. B), currently works as the dance chairperson for the Jim Henson Academy of Visual and Performing Arts at Northwestern High School. He educates, mentors, and produces dance works for students in both VPA and Comprehensive dance programs. Aside from teaching, Bayardo continues to create works and perform in the Washington D.C. area, while pursuing his Ph.D. degree.
Julia Smith was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, and grew up playing in and around her father’s biochemistry lab at the American University of Beirut. Her mother taught Theater and Communications at the Beirut College for Women (now the Lebanese American University) and directed a children’s theater company at the American Repertory Theater of Beirut, where Julia began performing at the age of 7. Her first ballet class was with Margaret Haddad in Lebanon. After moving stateside, Julia studied ballet with Irina Prochotsky, and Yuli and Luba Vzorov in Bethesda, MD. She was later accepted into the Pennsylvania Ballet School where she studied with Lupe Serrano and the ballet masters of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
She received the Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship from the dance department at the University of Maryland and earned her BA in Dance. Before receiving her MFA from the University of Maryland, Ms. Smith taught all of the ballet courses for dance majors at the university. Afterward, she became an Assistant Professor of Dance at Anne Arundel Community College. She has spent the last 4 years as a dance educator at Charles H. Flowers High School in Prince George's County, MD.
Her professional dance career spans several decades. Julia has danced for Alvin Mayes, Anne Warren, Alcine Wiltz, Word Dance Theater, Tango Mercurio, DanceSmith, Tommy Parlon Dance Projects, Gesel Mason, Boris Willis Moves, Pam England, CityDance Ensemble, DC Dance Theater (Rincones and Company), Bowen McCauley Dance, Daniel Singh, and Tony Powell Music and Movement. Julia’s choreography has been performed at Dance Place, The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Jenna K. Nelson is a choreographer, performer, and dance educator based out of PG County, MD. Nelson developed a deep passion for dance at the young age of five years old. Since then, she has immersed herself in the field to improve and expand her abilities to perform, choreograph, and teach those who enjoy this movement-based art form. Jenna Kristine Nelson is a recent graduate from Towson University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance and Choreography with a PreK-12 Teaching Certification. Nelson also holds an Associate of Arts degree in Dance Performance from Howard Community College in Columbia, MD.
Throughout her dance career, Nelson has gained experience in various dance styles such as Aerial, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, Modern, South African Gumboot, Tap, Taratibu Step Dancing, and West African Dance. Nelson has performed in works choreographed by Orange Grove Dance, Tracie Burton-Hooper, Xiang Xu, Jayne Bernasconi, Nicole Martinell, Caitlin McAfee, Vincent Thomas, Marielis Garcia, Melinda Blomquist, Elizabeth Higgins, Joan Nicholas-Walker, and Jessica Beach.
Throughout the years, Nelson has taught Creative Movement, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Modern, and Beginning Tumbling classes to students ages three to eleven with Dance Place Kids on the Move Program, Towson University Community Dance, C4 Performing Arts, and Confidance DC. Her choreographic work Bubble Trouble Madness was also previously featured in the Baltimore Black Choreographers Festival in October 2022.
Kevin Goodwine began dancing at the age of 9, who seemed to have his eyes on the prize from the very start. The Arts have truly become apart of him during his early years as a upcoming young artist. Studying under the tutelage of Michelle Watkins, Carmen Davis and Ivey Davis at the Palmer Park Recreation Center in Landover, MD. His teachers instilled in him to have discipline, perseverance, and a hard working attitude and understanding of the Art form. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to have traveled both nationally and internationally throughout his journey. He graduated from Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts High School in Washington, DC and continued his education at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA.
His training extends to the Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia, PA, Pacific North West Ballet in Seattle, WA in addition to the Ailey School in New York, NY, where he received a full scholarship to attend the Fellowship program. While furthering his craft he was awarded the Judith Jamison Award, then shortly after became a member of Ailey II and numerous dance companies throughout his career. He has been blessed to have the opportunity to perform internationally in China, Bermuda, Germany, Paris, Hong Kong, Prague, etc. Mr. Goodwine has worked with various choreographers and teachers such as Lynn B. Welters, Sandra Fortune-Green, Kim Bears, Janette Gillis, Kevin Malone, Lisa Johnson, Adrian Bolton, Kathy Smith, Sonia Dawkins, Milton Myers, Christopher Huggins, Wayne St. David, Kevin Iega-Jeff, Mia Michaels, Frank Hatchett, Ron Brown, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Robert Battle, Complexions, SD Prism Dance Theatre, Tania Perez-Salas Contemporary, Elisa Monte Dance Company, Fred Benjamin Dance Company to name a few. He has also appeared on television in La Academia Tres in Mexico City, MX. He has been a member of the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular Tour of New York City, NY for ten years. His teachings and choreography are shared amongst his students at several area dance studios including Star Makers Academy of Dance, Dance Dimensions, Jylas Studio of Dance, and Suitland High School in Maryland.
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