Meet Our Team!
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Colleen Perry
FOUNDER & PROGRAM DIRECTOR Colleen (she/her) is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California (MFC38937). Early in the year 2009, Colleen read an article in People magazine about an amazing program at the Boston Ballet teaching dance to children with Down syndrome, and was immediately inspired to fly to Boston and meet with the director of the program. This is Colleen's 15th year of directing this program, combining her love of dance and desire to bring accessible dance to everyone. |
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Julia Anderson DurstASSISTANT PROGRAM DIRECTOR / BALLET & TAP INSTRUCTOR / VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Julia’s journey of giving back began in Girl Scouts, where she earned the prestigious Silver and Gold Awards, the highest honors in Girl Scouting. As a proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, Julia is deeply inspired by her tribe’s values of resilience, community, and cultural preservation, which shape her commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion.
A dancer since the age of 2.5, Julia has performed and choreographed nationwide for renowned organizations such as Six Flags Over Texas and The Miss America Organization. After attending the University of Texas at Arlington, she moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to pursue a career in entertainment, always keeping dance close to her heart. In 2024, Julia found her home at Free 2 Be Me Dance, which aligned perfectly with her passion for inclusion and service. Now a full-time volunteer, she is devoted to empowering dancers of all abilities to thrive. Drawing from her Chickasaw heritage, lifelong love of dance, and dedication to service, Julia strives to create a meaningful and lasting impact through inclusion, creativity, and compassion |
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Azalia Martinez-CruzPROGRAM COORDINATOR
Azalia (she/her) is an LA native and has been dancing in various styles since she was 4, most extensively in folklórico and Aztec dance, but also in jazz, Hip Hop, and contemporary. She has always been interested in uplifting those who are underrepresented, and it is no different with Free 2 Be Me Dance. Azalia started out as a volunteer in early 2023, and she quickly fell in love with our program. Hired as Marketing & Communications Coordinator, she is now our Program Coordinator.
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Gretchen Neville
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Jason DeRoest
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Kate Dougherty
HIP HOP INSTRUCTOR Kate was born and raised in Pennsylvania and got her degree in Dance from Muhlenberg College. In 2016, she moved to Los Angeles to begin a career with Diavolo | Architecture in Motion. Besides being a performer and teacher with Diavolo, Kate has held many leadership roles including Marketing Manager, Education Program Director, Rehearsal Director and Associate Choreographer. Kate has always passionately spread her love of dance through her work as a dance educator. She has been teaching dance classes for over a decade to children and adults of all ages and abilities. She has worked in dance studios and taught classes for professional dancers. She has also taught outreach programs in schools around Los Angeles through Diavolo and Everybody Dance LA and has led movement workshops for military veterans. |
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Bri Nixon
VISITING INSTRUCTOR Bri Nixon is originally from Akron, Ohio and has been dancing since the age of 3. She moved out to LA in 2016 to further her dance career as well as obtain a BS in Kinesiology Exercise Science from California State University of Northridge. Bri has always had a passion for working with kids with special needs, which is why she started volunteering in 2020 with F2BMD, then later was able to approve with her university to make it an official internship. She is actively in the dance and acting industry herself and signed with Go 2 Talent Agency (dance) and The Polygon Group (acting). Bri believes that dance is for all and is grateful everyday to share the healing joy of dance with others! |
Board of Directors
Colleen PerryPRESIDENT
Colleen Perry started Free 2 Be Me Dance in 2009 as a labor of love inspired by the Boston Ballet's adaptive dance program. As Board President, she combines her passion for dance as a former ballet dancer, previous role in corporate America, current role as a Marriage and Family Therapist, with her affinity for people with Down syndrome. Her role is to ensure the Free 2 Be Me Dance program maintains its exceptionally high standards, and continues to add value and joy to all of the dancers, families, and those who are lucky enough to see them perform!
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Melanie MillerSECRETARY
Melanie Miller has been associated with Free 2 Be Me Dance for 10 years and is happy to celebrate our upcoming anniversary. She finds herself fortunate to serve wonderful dancers, their parents and the F2BMD Board.
Melanie brings 45 years of healthcare experience mainly in the nursing service line. She migrated to supply chain management because she felt that her skill sets would best serve patients and families as an advocate for the best medical supplies at the lowest best cost. She loves Free 2 Be Me and hopes that the world at large will happily engage and support the well deserving dancers throughout the year. |
Julia Anderson Durst
CFO
Julia’s journey of giving back began at a young age when she joined Girl Scouts, inspired by her mother’s guidance. Her dedication to service deepened as she earned prestigious awards, including the Silver and Gold Awards, Girl Scouting’s highest honors. As she grew older, Julia extended her commitment to her community through her roles as a titleholder in the Miss Teen Texas & Miss Texas America Organizations.
Dancing since the age of 2.5, it has always been one of Julia’s greatest passions. She graced stages nationwide, performing and choreographing for esteemed organizations like Six Flags Over Texas and The Miss America Organization. After attending the University of Texas at Arlington, Julia moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to pursue a career in entertainment. Though she took a break from dancing during this time, she knew it would always remain a vital part of her life. When Julia discovered Free 2 Be Me Dance in Spring of 2024, she immediately began volunteering and felt an instant connection. During her first class, she realized this was more than just a place to dance—it was her new home and calling. Now, as Assistant Director, Julia channels her passion into helping every dancer shine, ensuring they can explore their love for dance, regardless of their abilities. Her lifelong commitment to service and her love for dance intertwine in her mission to make a lasting impact. |
Kate Dougherty
BOARD MEMBER Kate Dougherty was born and raised in Pennsylvania and got her degree in Dance from Muhlenberg College. In 2016, she moved to Los Angeles to begin a career with Diavolo | Architecture in Motion. Besides being a performer and teacher with Diavolo, Kate has held many leadership roles including Marketing Manager, Education Program Director, Rehearsal Director and Associate Choreographer. Kate has always passionately spread her love of dance through her work as a dance educator. She has been teaching dance classes for over a decade to children and adults of all ages and abilities. She has worked in dance studios and taught classes for professional dancers. She has also taught outreach programs in schools around Los Angeles through Diavolo and Everybody Dance LA and has led movement workshops for military veterans. |
Harshal DoshiBOARD MEMBER
Harshal Doshi is the father of one of our dancers, Jaya. He serves as the voice of our parents on the board and facilitates communication to the parents. He also heads the Parent Subcommittee which meets once a month to discuss important topics related to the program and as a support group for parents to share information and resources.
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Ryan AlvarezBOARD MEMBER
Ryan has led Gensler's Legal studio for three years and was appointed and General Counsel last year. Gensler is the world’s largest architecture and design firm. In addition to managing the strategic priorities of the studio and empowering his colleagues to do their best work, his day-to-day practice is focused on corporate governance, lease transactions and real estate strategy, employment and related compliance matters, and intellectual property. He is currently on the Board of AWOKE which provides a variety of youth programming at a few locations in the Valley including hip hop dance instruction for kids of all levels of experience.
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Jay Barr
In Memorium Jay Barr was a Free 2 Be Me board member and the COO at Savitsky, Satin, Bacon & Bucci, a business management firm in Los Angeles. Jay served as the CFO on the board of directors for Free 2 Be Me Dance for 10 years until he had to step back to take care of his health. He was selfless in his friendship and his service on the board. He never said “No” and would always find a way to make the impossible happen. He was a man who loved his life and his three children dearly. He was someone who woke up every day happy and grateful for life. He was a man of great love and integrity. |
