We are a team of experienced dance educators with over 25 years of collaboration. We’ve worked in various settings, from private studios to international productions, and have successfully guided students and professionals through auditions, competitions, and examinations.
REBECCA TSIVKIN (Founder/Director) As the director of International Dance Acclaim, Rebecca adjudicates IDA’s Awards Performance & Medal Ceremony, and teaches IDA workshops across the United States and internationally. She has been teaching ballet in New York City for 20 years, at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy, Ballet Hispanico, Steps On Broadway, Joffrey Ballet School, and Ballet Arts NYC.
Rebecca is a graduate and licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and is an Associate of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD).
DIANNE SCHILLER (Tap Program Creator and Director) Originally from South Africa, Dianne is a distinguished graduate of the International Dance Teachers Association (member of the British Dance Council).
Dianne’s vast performance and choreography experience has taken her across the U.S. and throughout South America. Credits include Follies Bergere, Bare Touch of Vegas, Fire and Ice, the David Copperfield show, Wayne Newton, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, and Tony Orlando. A career highlight was working with the renowned Argentinian Gauchos, whose act incorporated fiery Boleadoras, drums and rapid fire flamenco style footwork.
BRIAN LOFTUS trained in London and Paris, and danced professionally with Sadlers Wells Opera Ballet in London and with Grand Ballet Classique de France in Paris. Brian Loftus is now an international guest teacher, lecturer and choreographer of repute. He teaches regularly in London, Paris, Germany, Israel and Japan.
For 22 years he held “Open Professional Classes” in London’s Covent Garden, where many well-known dancers attended on a regular basis.
Mr. Loftus has been a guest teacher with numerous large ballet companies, including London Festival Ballet (now called English National Ballet); Rambert Dance Company; London Contemporary Dance Company; London City Ballet; Koblenz Ballet Company; Kiel Ballet Company in Germany and the Deborah Colker Company from Brazil.
MERLE SEPEL, 1951-2022 (Founder). Please visit our memorial page for Miss Merle.
