Vannia Ibarguen, MFA
Artistic Director
MFA Graduate in Dance of the University of Maryland. She is a performer, choreographer and teacher. Her focus is the interaction between dance and technology, as well as the relationship between classical, contemporary and folk dance styles. A ballet dancer from the age of ten, she went on to complete her undergraduate degree in Systems Engineering and graduated Magna Cum Laude. As a dancer, she has performed in Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, Hong Kong, and the US. She was a Soloist at the Ballet Municipal de Lima, and finalist at the XIII International Ballet Competition. In 2005, Vannia received the Best Dancer and Choreography Award in Argentina. In Washington DC, she has performed with Nejla Yatkin’s NY2Dance, Maryland Dance Ensemble and Teatro de Danza Contemporanea. Vannia has also been an e-Business Consultant, Communication Manager at the National Dance Council-Peru, and a journalist for DanzaHoy e-Magazine. Among the artists she worked with at the University of Maryland are John Jasperse, Tere O’Connor, Donna Uchizono and Victoria Marks. Vannia was awarded the Anne Zirulnik Student Scholarship for exceptional promise in Dance Education in the NDEO Conference in New York in June 2009. She is an International Consultant, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Vannia Ibarguen Dance Arts (www.vanniaibarguen.com)
Regina Miranda, MS, CMA
LIMS CEO/Director of Arts & Culture
Regina Miranda, MS, CMA is a theater director/choreographer and cultural administrator. She employs her integrated knowledge of culture, business and arts to transform the lives of individuals and social groups through arts-based violence prevention programs, leadership development for women, her signature program, the “Choreographic Atelier” (2005-2009), and public interactive performances used as a tool to raise awareness of the reciprocal relation between citizens and their cities. These activities led her to found in 2010 the Cidade Criativa Cultural Transformations, an organization that creates, proposes and is active in the development of vibrant, creative, and sustainable cities. CCTC is responsible for the “Rio Creative City 2010–2020” project, which encompasses the International Forum Rio Creative City (2010–present), held annually at the Rio de Janeiro Museum of Modern Art.
Miranda lives in New York City and Rio de Janeiro, and works internationally. In NYC, for the past 16 years she has been in leadership positions at the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies, LIMS® where she currently is the CEO and Director of Arts & Culture. In Rio, she is the Artistic Director/Choreographer of the Regina Miranda & ActorsDancers Company (1980-present) to which she created more than 40 theater, dance, performance installations, and site-specific works presented throughout Brazil, and in the US, Japan, France, Spain, Oman, Argentina and Venezuela, winning international acclaim. She holds a MS from GCU/ Ken Blanchard School of Business, a BA in Dance Theory, from SUNY/Empire State College, and is a LIMS Certified Movement Analyst (CMA).
Trisha Janelle Gragera, CMA
GWD Program Manager
Trisha is a Movement Signature Analyst, specializing in Nonverbal Communications and Interpersonal Relationships. She received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Business Marketing and is also a Certified Movement Analyst (CMA) from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies where she’s currently the Certification Programs Manager.
Trisha spent several years as a Small Business Development Consultant after starting a business of her own. Throughout her career, she’s found the most joy in purpose-driven work with nonprofits and service-oriented projects. In 2013, she was a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award through her work with Americorps and continues to advocate for social responsibility and community engagement as part of Lions International and Rotary International. These experiences have fueled her love for travel, conversation, and learning.
Ricky Foust
GWD Development Manager
Has served his community as a soldier and as an English teacher. Currently works in an East African school in Minneapolis. He attended the University of St Thomas’ International Leadership Program and is transitioning from the classroom and into international affairs and development. He likes to travel and most recently traveled to Tanzania where he met a variety of people working to make Tanzania a better place. When he’s not traveling the world, he is sailing on Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis during the summer.
Lorraine Benjamin
LIMS Financial Manager
She has over 15 years of experience as a Finance Manager both in the private and non profit sectors throughout New York City. Ms. Benjamin is responsible for overseeing the day to day financial operations of the Institute. Before joining LIMS in 2004 she held staff accounting positions at several Wall Street Hedge funds. Additionally, she had worked for the Research Foundation of the State University of New York where she acquired experience in financial reporting, budgeting, auditing etc. Ms Benjamin has a B.S. Degree in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Accounting from the Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College
