Meet the Masters Upper Level Faculty

Melissa Hooks Robinson

Melissa Hooks Robinson - Founder/Artistic Director, Company Instructor/Choreographer

Melissa Hooks Robinson, the founder and artistic director of Masters Upper Level has been in the dance industry for over 30 years as a performer, choreographer, teacher and judge. Melissa owned the studio until 2007 when she sold it to Mr. Glenn and Mrs. Shannon Bohny but remained on staff.

Her dance companies and innovative choreography have consistently won hundreds of regional, national and world team titles for the past fifteen years.  Her dancers have gone on to perform on Broadway in Fosse and Footloose and in television, world tours and music videos with such artists as Janet Jackson, Usher and Lil’ Kim.

Melissa is sought after by dance organizations for her innovative jazz master classes and choreography.  In addition, she has choreographed industrials across the United States for Carnival Cruise Lines, Body Wrappers and Taco Bell.  She recently was named top teacher for 2009 by the Federation of Dance Competitions. She was recently recognized as top teacher and choreographer for 2010 at KAR nationals.

Kimberly Bertrand

Kimberly Bertrand - Company Instructor/Choreographer

Kim has been dancing since the age of 2 1/2. It is her first love and passion. The training that made her into the dancer and teacher she is today came from Melissa Robinson, who became Kim’s teacher and mentor when Kim was 14. Kim has trained in all genres of dance, but is most comfortable in her tap shoes. Kim is known for her high energy tap style.

As a dancer, she won many solo regional and national awards. She was privileged enough to train with some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Savion Glover and Debbie Dee. As a teacher and choreographer, her students have won many group and individual high point honors on the regional and national level. Kim is also the recipient of many regional and national choreography awards. She is very proud of the impact she has on the students she teaches. Many of her students go on to pursue professional dance careers and can now be seen on Broadway, dancing on cruise ships and along side some of the biggest names in pop culture such as Shakira, Missy Elliott, LL Cool J, and Snoop Dogg.

Aside from her dancing, Kim graduated Magna Cum Laude from HBU with a double major in Business Administration and Management. She is blessed with a loving and supportive husband and two beautiful children. Masters the Upper Level is a big part of who she is and is proud to be part of its success.

Amy Cain

Amy Cain - Company Instructor/Choreographer

Amy Cain was born in Jacksonville, Florida and grew up in The Woodlands/Spring area of Texas.  Her 25 years of dance training include working with various instructors and choreographers in Houston from Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Ad Deum Dance Company, and Houston Ballet, along with Steven Boyd and others from New York and California.  She has also been coached privately and been inspired for most of her dance career by Ken McCulloch, co-owner of NHPA®.

Amy is in her 16th year of partnership in directing NHPA®, named one of the “Top 50 Studios On the Move” by Dance Teacher Magazine in 2006, and is also a founding member and co-Director of Revolve Dance Company, NHPA®’s resident professional company.  Performance credits include tours nationwide, as well as to Spain and Italy.  She has danced professionally with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, performing leading roles in outstanding contemporary works by Dominic Walsh of Houston; Mauro Bigonzetti, Michele Merola, and Enrico Morelli of Italy; and Gustavo Ramirez Sansano of Spain.

Choreographically, Amy has presented new works on Revolve Dance Company at events including the Houston JCC’s “Choreographers X 6” and “Triple Focus” concerts, Texas Weekend of Contemporary Dance, Power of Movement, Dance Houston, Dance of Asian America’s East Meets West, Big Range Dance Festival, and the International Dance Meeting in Tropea, Italy.  In addition, choreography that Amy has set on dancers at NHPA®, and at studios across Texas, has earned top honors at numerous regional and national competitions.

JB Holmes

JB Holmes - Company Instructor/Choreographer

At the young age of fifteen, he began teaching and assisting at Masters and has choreographed for all ages and levels since this time. He has also taught and choreographed for other nationally acclaimed dance companies and at the University of Houston. He has worked with and set pieces for numerous NBA, collegiate, and high school dance teams. His choreography has been recognized as creative and innovative.  For example, he has received numerous choreography awards for his work, and his dancers have achieved regional and national recognition for entertainment and overall high score placement each year. He recently received an award for superior staging from Kids Artistic Revue at their nationals in Myrtle Beach, SC.

JB is currently enrolled in the Pre-medical program at Houston Baptist University, with a double major in Physics and Biology. He plans to someday attend medical school.

Herchel Preston

Herchel Preston - Company Instructor/Choreographer

Herchel Preston began dancing at the age of 8 and has been dancing for the past 11 years. He has trained at Fort Bend Academy of Dance, DuFour Dance Centre, Steven Boyd Dance Ensemble and is currently teaching and doing choreography at Masters, The Upper Level. He also studied under Savion Glover and won scholarships to Broadway Dance Center of New York, Pulse on Tour, and New York City Dance Alliance to name a few.

Herchel’s many personal awards include 1st runner up for male dancer of the year at Dance Olympus in New York, Senior Male Solo Challenge Champion and was invited to audition for The Lion King on Broadway. Herchel enjoys teaching jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip hop, and contemporary styles. He has 5 years of teaching and choreography experience for Du Four Dance Centre, Lisa’s Dancesations and recently at Masters, The Upper Level. Herchel’s performances include Dancers Against Cancer, Houston Kids Expo, and as a member of the Steven Boyd Ensemble. His most recent accomplishment is the opportunity to perform as a dancer on Royal Caribbean Cruise line in 2010-2011.

Jessica Pohorilla

Jessica Pohorilla - Company Ballet Instructor

Raised in Sugar Land, Ms. Pohorilla began dancing with a small local studio and then Pennsylvania Ballet Academy before being accepted into the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy at the tender age of ten. As a scholarship recipient classical ballet was the primary study, however training was rich in diversity covering all forms of dance from modern to mime guided by gifted teachers including; Rosemary Miles, Clara Cravey, and Trinidad Vives.

In 1997, under the directorship of Ben Stevenson O.B.E, Ms. Pohorilla was invited to join the company where she danced in all the well loved classics such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Giselle, as well as many world premiers, including Dracula, the Snow Maiden, and Cleopatra. In addition to her love of story ballets, Ms. Pohorilla enjoyed performing in the edgier classics of George Balanchine and working with exciting contemporary choreographers, such as Trey McIntyre and Christopher Bruce.

In 2004, Ms. Pohorilla retired from Houston Ballet following a second knee injury, which is when she began her extensive training and study of the authentic method of pilates. She sought out well noted teachers in Seattle, Washington, Dorothee Van de Walle and Romana Kryzanowska. There she poured more than 700 hours into her training before returning to Houston to share her knowledge of pilates and its healing benefits.

Jessie is proud to be on the ballet staff at MUL. “It has been a gift to return to my ballet roots and work with all the budding young and eager talent this acclaimed, dynamic studio is grooming!” 

Brooke Barnes-Meeks

Brooke Barnes-Meeks – Company Ballet Instructor

Brooke Barnes-Meeks graduated from HSPVA where she received “The Most Outstanding Dance Major Award”. She has danced classical and contemporary works with Houston Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, The Houston Grand Opera, Sandra Organ Dance Company, The Lula Elzy New Orleans Dance Theatre, Leanna Sparacino and Company Dancers, Dorrell Martin Dance Fusion, Psophonia Dance Company, Second Generation Dance Company, Kuumba House Dance Theater, and completed two European tours with City Dance Company.

Mrs. Barnes-Meeks has performed in Univision Television’s “Selena Vive!” and at The Apollo Theater as a guest performer. She has appeared in theatrical productions with Thomas Meloncon’s Truth Theater Productions, I’m Ready Productions, Express Theatre, and has appeared in theatre productions as well as films with So-Mee Productions. Mrs. Barnes-Meeks has taught and choreographed for many schools, dance studios, dance companies, arts programs, and various organizations. Most recently, she performed in Houston as well as completed a two-part Sweden tour with The Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble.

Currently, Mrs. Barnes-Meeks is teaching, choreographing, and directing productions at HSPVA, and is ecstatic about teaching at Masters, The Upper Level!

Florin “Adrian” Ciobanu – Company Ballet Instructor

Mr. Ciobanu was born in Cluj, Romania where he graduated from the Liceul de Choregrafie, Octavian Stroia with honors, under the direction of his father, Florin Ciobanu. He then went on to work with the Romanian Opera Ballet for one year before moving to the Hungarian Opera Ballet. During his five years there, Mr. Ciobanu was promoted to Principal dancer. He toured extensively throughout Europe including France, Hungary, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Romania, and the Czech Republic.

In 1996 Mr. Ciobanu moved to Sarasota and became a member of the Sarasota Ballet dancing many major Principal roles and creating many roles as well. His repertoire includes many major classical ballets, and many contemporary ballets by such choreographers as Robert North, Alberto Alonso, Katherine Posen, Steven Mills, Todd Allen, Ament Istvan, and many others. Since 2002 Mr. Ciobanu has been teaching and coaching for the Sarasota Ballet School, Dance the Next Generation, and many local and regional schools such as: Brandon Ballet, The Dance Center: Brandon, Fl., West Florida Ballet, St. Petersburg, Fl., Florida Ballet Arts, Alyson’s in Bradenton, Fl.

In 2003, Mr. Ciobanu was promoted to Principal of Academy, Sarasota Ballet. He has doubled the number of students and increased the budget significantly since his direction. He has staged many full-length productions for the Academy, such as: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker, La Boutique Fantasque, Paquita, and others.

In 2008 Mr. Ciobanu was promoted to Ballet Master of Sarasota Ballet and still worked extensively with the Academy. He worked with such stagers and choreographers as: Hans Van Manen, Monica Parker, Alexander Grant, Dominic Walsh, Sandra Jennings, Joyceanne Sidimus, Julian Moss, Andre Prokovsky, Gilles Maidon, Jackie Hollander, Donald Mahler, Margaret Barbieri, and others.

Jenny Englebretson -  BIO coming soon

Wendy McShanog – BIO coming soon