PATRICK FRANTZ, Artistic Director, Choreographer, and Ballet Master was born and raised in Paris, France.  He began his training at the Paris Opera Ballet School, while as a child prodigy pianist he also pursued extensive musical studies.  At the age of 22 he became Premier Danseur with the Paris Opera Ballet, continuing his second vocation as a concert pianist.

In 1970 Mr. Frantz moved to the United States where he performed as principal dancer with the Pennsylvania Ballet and continued his career as choreographer and teacher.  In 1978 he was named Artistic Director of Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, where he founded the company school.

Mr. Frantz’s critically acclaimed ballets have been performed internationally by companies including the Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the San Diego Ballet, the Tucson Ballet, and Ballet du Rhin.

Mr. Frantz is currently Artistic Director of the Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center in Chatsworth, where he also teaches. He is also a faculty member of Idyllwild Arts Academy, and a frequent guest teacher at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School and the Ecole Superieure de Danse Contemporaine de Montreal and Le Conservatoire de Danse de Montreal. Mr. Frantz has guest taught regularly in Montpellier, France, and has been invited to teach and choreograph for the Paris Conservatory, the Dansheus in Copenhagen, Denmark, and the C.S. Lewis Foundation in Oxford, England.

PATRICIA DAVIS, President/CEO, was born in Los Angeles, California and studied with the American Ballet Theater school.  In 1965 she was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship to the School of American Ballet, the official school of the New York City Ballet.  Ms. Davis danced for two seasons with American Ballet Theater Repertory Company and made frequent guest appearances with regional Ballet Companies.  She joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater in 1978 as a soloist, and became a principal ballerina in 1980.

Ms. Davis has danced many of the lead roles in the classical repertory including Giselle, Odette/Odile, and Swanhilda in Coppelia.  Rave reviews followed her moving rendition of Michael Smuin’s Harp Concerto Pas de Deux.  Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times stated: “Davis...has a special purity of classical dancing.  She is so extremely well placed and schooled, with a beautiful floating jump and an effortless technique.”  These qualities inspired many of the leads in Patrick Frantz’s contemporary ballets, among them Firebird, Romeo and Juliet, and The Triumph of Dance.

JUDY PISARRO-GRANT, Choreographer, Administrative Director, is from New York City , where she graduated from The High School of Performing Arts, with Honors in Modern Dance.  In New York she danced with the Laura Foreman Dance Theater, including performances at the Museum of Modern Art ’s Summegarden series and the Kennedy Center ’s Art Now Festival. She was also a faculty member of Choreographers’ Theater at The New School, where she taught Modern and Ballet technique, choreography and improvisation.   After relocating to Los Angeles , Ms. Pisarro-Grant earned a Master’s degree in psychology. In 1999 she joined La Danserie and made her choreographic debut with the company in 2001. In addition to works created for La Danserie, Ms. Pisarro-Grant has presented solo work at Highways Performance Space, in Santa Monica . Her live dance/video piece was produced by Dance in L.A. for Caught Between: Dancing for Camera and Live Audience. In 2002 Ms. Pisarro-Grant took over coordination of La Danserie’s school outreach program, and in 2003 became the company’s Administrative Director.