// Staff & Artists Bios
Cara Graninger
Co-Director
Cara Graninger is serving as Director of Programs for Living Arts, overseeing Southwest Dance classes, El Arte in-school arts-infused education, and related programs. Her previous administrative experience includes directing the Holy Redeemer Arts and Cultural Center for two years, managing programs at El Arte Alliance for ten years, and then directing El Arte Alliance for two years until it became the arts-infused education division of Living Arts. Cara has trained teachers and artists in how to use dance to teach core curricular subjects, drawing on her experience as a teaching artist with El Arte, Matrix Theatre and Project Paradigm in the Detroit and Hamtramck public schools. Her main art form is improvisational dance, including DanceAbility with groups including differently-abled dancers. Cara has worked and lived in Southwest Detroit since 1992.
Melanie Knoll
Co-Director/Operations and Outreach
Melanie Knoll serves as Co-Executive Director of Operations and Outreach for Living Arts. In this role she provides leadership in accomplishing the mission, strategic goals and objectives of the organization by ensuring a dedicated focus on service delivery, operational supports required to maintain and improve service to the community of Southwest Detroit, especially to youth and children. She is directly responsible for the oversight of fund development, marketing and communications, office management and technology, financial management as well as risk and facility management. Knoll, who grew up in Southwest Detroit, is delighted to bring her expertise to Living Arts in a community she calls home.
Before joining Living Arts, Knoll served as Account Supervisor for PCG Campbell Marketing and Communications where she served on the Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services account team. There, she managed Hispanic-driven initiatives, as well as educational and social programs supported by Ford Motor Company. Such programs included conventions, special events and scholarship programs for organizations such as the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the National Council of La Raza and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. She also assisted Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services in its ongoing involvement with the Disabled American Veterans. Prior to this position, Knoll served as Head Writer and Account Executive for Nedd/Worldwide Public Relations where she was responsible for the writing and development of press materials for national and local news outlets.
A graduate of Wayne State University, Knoll received a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Public Relations. While attending Wayne State, she was a student in the nationally recognized Journalism Institute for Media Diversity program.
Nichole McUmber
Operations Manager
Nichole McUmber is a proud Michigan native who graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2005 with a degree in music and marketing, her primary instrumental focus being the saxophone. Upon graduation she moved to New York City for the following five years. While in the Big Apple she briefly worked in the music industry and the jewelry industry before moving to the non-profit sector in 2008. In 2010 she moved to Detroit to pursue a career in the education sector. Nichole is currently pursuing her post-bachelor certification in Instrumental Music education at Wayne State University and hopes to one day lead her own classroom of aspiring musicians here in Detroit. Nichole has been playing the saxophone for over twenty years and has studied with a variety of instructors both in Michigan and New York. She has played in jazz and classical ensembles as well as a variety of rock bands. She has recorded on numerous albums and has toured the U.S. and the U.K. with her band. Nichole is passionate about increasing access to the arts for children living in the city of Detroit and is happy to be working with Living Arts on this mission.
Christine Blunden
Artistic Director: Southwest Dance
Christine is a trained dancer and educator well versed in the traditions of ballet, jazz, tap, and modern. Her training includes three years of scholarship study at Wayne State University, and professional instruction from Iacob Lascu, Christina Kammueller, Erica Wilson-Perkins, and Barbara Selinger. Christine has performed with the Wayne State University Dance Company, held solo roles with Taylor Ballet Americana, and has danced at the Gem Theatre and the Detroit Metropolitan Fan Club parties with the Monroe Street Dancers. She has been a member of MoreDances Contemporary Dance Company, performing in places such as the Michigan Dance Council Showcase and the Detroit Opera House. Christine has also been a guest dancer with the Detroit Dance Collective and STB Dance, both local professional modern dance companies. With STB Dance, she performed in Shawn Bible’s “Blot,” which won the “New Choreographer’s Award” at the Michigan Dance Council Showcase. She has been teaching in various studios and programs for the last 22 years, and is the founder and Artistic Director of Southwest Dance, as well as an instructor the program at Messiah Church, COMPAS, and local schools. In addition, Christine gives educational performances and serves as an artist-in-residence in the Detroit Public Schools through OmniArts in Education. Christine continues her studies in ballet, modern, and hip hop through various classes and workshops in the area.
Tylonn J. Sawyer
EL Arte Program Manager K-8
Tylonn J. Sawyer is a figurative artist who lives and works in Detroit, MI
He received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the New York Academy of Art: Graduate School of Figurative Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University, where he is currently an adjunct instructor. He is also the recipient of the Peter T. Rippon Travel Award, to study independently at the Royal Academy of Art, London England. Along with an extensive arts background, Ty has several years experience working in corporate accounts management, in addition to 4 years working with non profits that focus on arts, education, and recreation both as an administrator and teaching artist.
Teaching Artists:
Omar Berrocal
New to El Arte last year, musician Omar Berrocal helped 5th grade language arts students at the Academy of the Americas engage with their Spanish language at this dual-language school. Omar is the Spanish-speaking coordinator of music and more at Out Lady Queen of Angels and also plays in the band Benny Cruz y la Buena Vida. He will be teaching in six classrooms at the Vistas Nuevas Cecil Center.
Julie Beutel
Local musician/performer Julie Beutel is a seasoned El Arte artist as well as classroom music educator. She has delighted children during the school day and after school with her lively, focused curriculum that helps them move, sing and play music while they learn language arts, math and more. She will be teaching in six classrooms at the Holy Redeemer Vistas Nuevas Center.
David Blair
Call this award-winning urban folk poet/singer/songwriter Blair. He is a NATIONAL POETRY SLAM CHAMPION who “focuses his work on the hope that rises from the ashes of despair” (Melissa Giannini, Metro Times) A talented teacher, Blair has toured the United States extensively and performed in South Africa both solo and as part of Walk & Squawk’s The Walking Project, famous for collaborative processes involving youth and adults from diverse sectors in the community. Blair’s one man show Burying the Evidence premiered to a standing room only crowd at 1515 Broadway Theater in Detroit. Blair has performed on bills with Stevie Wonder, Oscar winner Michael Moore, members of Sweet Honey in the Rock and others. Blair has performed twice with a string section of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra at the Max M. Fischer Music Theater, most recently in 2007. Our middle school students love Blair for his electrifying performance, provocative and sensitive teaching, and big, big heart.
Marianne Brass
Marianne began her dance training with Sherri Detloff at the age of three and continued her education in ballet, tap, and jazz. She furthered her technique in ballet and modern under the instructions of Janet Clayton-Reid and Susan Clayton. Marianne competed with Encore’s competition groups and also danced with student companies such as the Clayton Academy of Dance Ensemble and the Macomb Ballet Company. She was honored to travel with Joel Ruminer’s Dance Camp as a Dance Camp Kid in 2005 and continues to enjoy his staff each summer. In 2005, she joined More Dance Contemporary Dance Company as an apprentice under the artistic direction of Janet Clayton-Reid and enjoyed two more seasons as a full company member.
Marianne is continuing her professional training as a dancer and teacher at Wayne State University and is looking forward to sharing her new ideas this year!
Hava Jean Delgado
Movement artist and storyteller Hava Jean is the founder and director of Project Paradigm, a dance company which branched into after-school multicultural education. She founded El Arte’s Vistas Nuevas arts-infused literacy program several years ago. She will be teaching in six classrooms at the Vistas Nuevas Cecil Center.
Jessica Gennaccaro
Jessica has over 20 years dance experience. She has been break dancing for eight years. She travels all over the U.S. for competitions. Jessica has been in movies, books, and newspapers such as MTV’s Meet the Barkers. She has been sharing her passion for the arts by teaching dance to all ages for about seven years. Jessica has also performed for local events and festivals, such as Greek Town Casino, and Movement, the Detroit electronic music festival. This will be Jessica’s fifth year teaching breakdance for Southwest Dance.
Bobbie Lucas
Bobbie is a national trainer for Wolftrap Early Learning Through the Arts where she shares her expertise in teaching pre-literacy and other pre-school curriculum through movement, music and storytelling. She will be teaching in six classrooms at the Holy Redeemer Vistas Nuevas Center and also consulting for our teacher and parent trainings.
Guadalupe Martinez
Guadalupe is our salsa instructor for Living Arts at COMPAS. An alumni of Detroit School of Arts, he has studied Mexican Folkloric Dance for 15 years and competed in El Concurso Nacional De Huapangos in Mexico. He has been dancing Salsa professionally for about six years and teaching private and group salsa lessons to all ages throughout Detroit and Hawaii. Guadalupe is also the founder of two salsa groups, “Rojo Cliente” and “Salsa.Club Mexico”.
Aaron Smith
Along with being a current Dance Major and Dance Company member at Wayne State University, Aaron Smith has accomplished many things. With over 17 years of dance experience, he has trained at the Joffery Ballet School in New York City, was cast in the movie “Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure”, worked with numerous New York Choreographers, performed in the Moscow Ballet’s “Nutcracker” and choreographs many group dances and solo pieces. Mr. Aaron is also rehearsal assistant for Southwest Dance's youth ensemble, DanceCollage, and has been a great addition to the Southwest Dance program as he brings enthusiasm and fresh creativity.
Vic Spicer
Vic is an award-winning film, video and animation instructor with 25 years of audio arts and video/film production experience. He began teaching songwriting-recording for El Arte in 2007. He has expertise in both academic and professional settings, using both Mac and PC video and audio formats. As the President of Harmonie Pix in Detroit, Vic has produced and/or directed over 100 professional television commercials and programs for various clients around the country. He also assisted in the production of Aretha Franklin’s video for the film, Bobby. Vic has served many school districts and colleges in Michigan as a video/animation and songwriting/recording instructor including: Detroit Public Schools, West Bloomfield Community Schools, Dearborn Public Schools, Wayne State University and the College for Creative Studies. He has received several Telly awards, Emmys, Ace Awards, as well as, Michigan Student Film and Video Awards. Vic is our bridge to Harmonie Park recording studios, where he exposes our students to the wonders of producing their own CDs.
Catherine Taister
Cathy Taister is somewhat new to Michigan, having moved from Washington D.C. about a year ago. Mrs. Taister earned a Bachelors degree in dance from George Washington University. She is also certified in performing arts as a public school teacher. Cathy has fifteen years of experience creating various types of fun movement progams for young people. Mrs. Taister has enjoyed a colorful career as a performer. In DC, she ran her own dance company, called Cathy and Company, which specialized in ballet,jazz, and modern dance. In addition to running her dance company, Cathy has performed with World Arts Focus, Joe's Movement Emporium, Saint's Mark's Ballet, and AvaDance. Besides dancing, Mrs. Taister also performed for years as Twinkle the clown, who's gigs ranged from birthday parties to benfits at the Kennedy Center.
Benito Vasquez
Benito teaches B-boying (breakdance) at COMPAS for Living Arts, and he has a strong desire to help youth through the art form he loves and excels at. He knows the challenges of growing up in Southwest Detroit and wants to help local youth thrive as others helped him when he was younger. In addition, Benito is a founding member of Motor City Rockerz, a Detroit based B-boying group whose focus is not only dancing and battling, but mentoring youth.
