Elizabeth Acuña-Nuevo
Director of Artistic Dance Center

Elizabeth Acuña-Nuevo began her ballet training at the young age of three. At fifteen, she continued her training with Susana Prieto. In 1988, she had the honor of performing along side Rudolph Nureyev, who appeared as a guest artist in the full-length production of Giselle. Mrs. Nuevo has also had the privilege of working with world-renown dancers including Wes Chapman, Roger Van Fleteren and John Gardner, all formerly of American Ballet Theatre, and Dimitri Roudnev, formerly of the Bolshoi Ballet.

In her years as a dancer, Mrs. Nuevo has performed many classical, as well as contemporary works, such as the Peasant Pas de Deux from Giselle, Bluebird Pas de Deux and variations from Sleeping Beauty, Grisi and Cerito from Pas DeQuatre, Maria in West Side Story, Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, and many others.

Ms. Nuevo has been teaching since the young age of fifteen. At age eighteen, she became Assistant Director of a prominent ballet school in Miami and held this position for ten years. In 2002, she opened the doors to Artistic Dance Center where she has had many triumphs. She has dedicated herself to training students in classical ballet and has coached students for many national competitions such as the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi and Youth America Grand Prix, where many of her students have won the highest honors. In addition, Mrs.Nuevo has also been invited as a guest instructor for various local and touring companies.

Many of Mrs.Nuevo's former students have successfully pursued careers in dance. She is currently Director of Artistic Dance Center and Artistic Dance Theater, a nonprofit dance company. She has staged the full-length Nutcracker for Artistic Dance Theater as well as other classical and contemporary works for the company and school performances.





Lissette Salgado Lucas
Assistant Director and Ballet Instructor
Principal Dancer Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Principal Dancer Joffrey Ballet, NY

Lissette Salgado, of Cuban descent, was raised in Miami, Florida where she started dancing at the age of six. At age 12, she joined the Miami Dance Theater under the direction of Judith Newman and Marianna Alvarez. Their training and dedication to dance inspired Lissette to pursue a career as a professional ballerina. In 1985, Ms Salgado was a finalist in the Prix de Lausanne Competition were she received the recognition which lead to her joining the Joffrey Ballet. In 1986, she joined the Joffrey II dancers where she danced for two seasons. During this time Ms Salgado had the privilege of working with Eduardo Villella and Allegra Kent in Concerto Borocco to open the Miami City Ballet.

In 1988, Ms Salgado joined the Joffrey Ballet and danced with the company for seven years. Some of her roles included Balanchine’s Tarantella, Ashton’s Les Fatinuen Gypsy and Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Kylian’s Return to Strange Land, Sugar Plum Fairy & Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and Eduardo Stierle’s Lacrymosa.

Ms Salgado joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1995 and danced lead roles in Bengt Jorgen’s Swedish Song, Antony Tudor’s Leaves are Fading, Louisa in John Neumeier’s Nutcracker, Toer van Schayk’s 7th Symphony, Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Ballo della Regina, Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux, Serenade, Swan Lake as Odette/Odile, Romeo and Juliet, Rudi van Danzig, David Nixon’s Beauty and the Beast, Butterfly, Mark Godden’s Dracula, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Don Quixotes Pas de Deux and Brian McDonald’s Pas D’Action.

Ms Salgado also performs with the Daring Project based in New York under the direction of Margo Sappington and Valentina Kozlova. She also performed as a guest principal in the role of Juliet for Teatro de Maggio Dance Company in Florence, Italy.

Ms. Salgado currently teaches and is assistant director at Artistic Dance Center. She has coached dancers for national competitions and has helped stage classical and contemporary ballets for the school and company.


Priscilla Marrero - Ballet Instructor

Priscilla Marrero was introduced to the dance world at the age of three by Vivian Tobio. Miss Marrero has danced in various competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne, International Ballet Competition, Youth American Grand Prix and Headliners, winning numerous scholarships and gold medals. She attended summer programs such as American Ballet Theatre in New York and California, City Ballet of San Diego, Alvin Ailey in New York, Nutmeg Conservatory in Connecticut, as well as their one-year residency program. Miss Marrero is an honors graduate from South Miami Senior High School in Miami, FL and currently attends Florida International University. Her admiration and love for dance continues as a ballet instructor at Artistic Dance Center.





Raisa Sires - Ballet Instructor & Marketing Director

Raisa Sires began her ballet training with Liana Navarro at the early age of three. She also studied at Ballet Concerto. She became a member of the Miami Dance Theater under the direction of Judith Newman and Marianna Alvarez and continued her training with Vivian Tobio and later with Susana Prieto and Ursino Del Valle.

Raisa has performed in many classical works such as the Nutcracker, Giselle, Madame Butterfly and also many contemporary pieces. She has performed on the same stage with the late Rudolph Nureyev, who appeared as a guest artist in the full-length production of Giselle.

Inspired by all her dance training, She became an instructor at DanceExchange in North Miami. Raisa was also a dancer for the NBA’s Miami Heat for three seasons.

Kailly Gonzalez - Flamenco Instructor

MeiLing Pino
Ballet Instructor
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Aimee Prieto
Jazz Insructor


Maribel Modrono
Guest Instructor

Maribel Modrono, a native of Cuba was raised in Miami. Florida. She trained at Ballet Etudes and the School of American Ballet as a scholarship student. She began her career with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet and was then invited by Edward Villella to join the Miami City Ballet. She has been favored to dance leading roles in Balachine ballets including Jewels, Tchaikovsky’s Pas de Deux, Apollo, Who Cares? Allegro Brillante, Square Dance and The Four temperaments. Maribel later joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and received rewarding acclaim for her portrayals as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Madame Butterfly, as Kitri in Don Quixote and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In 2005, the role of “Marie” was created for her for the World Premiere of Terrance Orr’s The Nutcracker. Her seductive likeness of “Carmen” in Amedeo Amodio’s production thrilled audiences in an unforgettable event. Just recently she debut the National Premiere as “Allice” in Derek Deane’s Alice in Wonderland.

She has been favored among many accomplished choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden, Derek Deane, Glen Tetley, Kevin O Day, Matjash Mrozewski, Lori Stalling and Lynn Taylor-Corbett in staging of new ballet and original pieces. Maribel has also been an invited guests at many national and international festivals.




Rhodie Jorgenson
Guest Instructor

After receiving her training in New York at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre School, Ms Jorgenson danced professionally with American Ballet Theatre as well as the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company, performing on stage, television and in movies throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. She has worked with choreographers Balanchine, Robbins, Tudor, Ailey, de Mille, Smuin and Feld, among many others.

Ms Jorgenson has rehearsed many children’s roles for the Joffrey Ballet if Chicago, where she remains the Washington, DC Children’s Ballet Mistress, American Ballet Theatre and the Universal Ballet of Korea for their performances at the Kennedy Center.

She is a full-time faculty member of the well-known Maryland Youth Ballet and is a frequent master teacher, most recently for Maryland Council for Dance, Dance Masters of America, Townson University and many other studios. In the summer of 2002, she was on the faculty for the International Ballet School at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.

As a coach, Ms Jorgenson has successfully prepared several candidates for national and international competitions including the International Ballet Competition held in Varoa, Bulgaria, July 2000, where her candidate won the Junior Women’s Silver Medal; in Jackson, Mississippi, July 2002, where her candidates won the Junior Men’s and Junior Women’s Merit Award; and in July 1998 her candidates won Senior Men’s and Junior Women’s Gold.