The Stars Behind The Stars
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Every extraordinary performance is shaped by extraordinary people. The artists, educators, and visionaries behind Every Dancer Is A Star 2026 bring decades of dedication, world-class training, and a deep love for Kauaʻi’s community to this stage. We are honoured to introduce them to you.
★ Artistic Director ★
Jennifer Schwartz is a Royal Ballet School graduate who performed Swan Lake at the Royal Opera House at age 13. After a professional career spanning New York City and beyond, she brought world-class dance education to Kauaʻi, founding Garden Island Dance Academy — the island’s premier performing arts school.
For over 25 years, Jennifer has nurtured generations of young dancers on Kauaʻi with a curriculum that is technically rigorous, developmentally appropriate, and deeply joyful. In partnership with the Performing Arts For All (PAFA) initiative, she works tirelessly to ensure every child on the island has access to the transformative power of dance, regardless of background or ability.
Tonight’s show, Every Dancer Is A Star, is her vision — a celebration of every young performer who has trained this season, from first-time Twinkle Fairies to seasoned Regal soloists.
★ Tonight’s Star Guest Artists ★
Founded in 1970 by Cleo Parker Robinson, this legendary company was awarded the National Medal of the Arts by the President of the United States — the highest honour bestowed upon artists and arts organisations in America. For over 50 years, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance has been a beacon of African-American contemporary dance, performing on stages across the world and inspiring generations of dancers.
Rooted in the belief that dance is a universal language, the company blends African and African-American dance traditions with contemporary movement to create works of profound beauty and cultural significance. Their presence on Kauaʻi tonight is a rare and extraordinary gift to our island community.
We are deeply honoured to welcome them to the stage of the Kauaʻi War Memorial Convention Hall.
★ Featured Artist of the Night ★
Kimberly Hope McDonough is a Kauaʻi-based violinist, educator, and recording artist whose music is featured in tonight’s performance with CLC Gymnastics. She is a music teacher at King Kaumualiʻi Elementary School and is dedicated to inspiring young musicians across the island.
A Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award–nominated artist, Kimberly is recognised for her expressive playing and remarkable versatility across musical styles — from classical to contemporary Hawaiian. Her work bridges the worlds of performance and education in a way that is uniquely meaningful to the Kauaʻi community.
We are fortunate to have such inspiring local talent enriching this evening and reminding us of the extraordinary artistry that lives right here on our island.
★ Choreographer & Dance Captain ★
Ethan Whatmore is a Kauaʻi-born performer, choreographer, and dance educator who grew up immersed in the island’s performing arts community. A graduate of Hawaii Children’s Theatre, he performed in numerous productions and was awarded the prestigious Ethan Shell Memorial College Scholarship for Performing Arts — a recognition of his exceptional talent and dedication to the stage.
Ethan has competed and performed at national levels, representing Kauaʻi with distinction in dance competitions across the continental United States. His versatility spans multiple disciplines including contemporary, jazz, and theatrical dance, and he brings a dynamic, energetic presence to every performance he is part of.
Tonight, Ethan serves as Choreographer and Dance Captain for Every Dancer Is A Star 2026, working closely with Jennifer Schwartz to bring this extraordinary production to life. His deep roots in Kauaʻi’s arts community and his passion for nurturing young performers make him an invaluable part of this show’s creative team.
★ Videographer & Production Designer ★
Roger Olsen brings over two decades of experience in media production and visual storytelling. An award-winning stop-motion animator, he shares his work on AnimationRoger. Through his longstanding work with Hoike Community Television and Hoike Community Media, Roger has served as both a producer and instructor, certifying countless individuals to become media producers themselves. His impact on Kauaʻi is far-reaching, with collaborations spanning community organisations and nonprofit initiatives.
Roger is also a dedicated martial arts instructor in the Shaolin Chinese form of Kung Fu, teaching students of all ages and abilities.
His first stage collaboration with Jennifer Schwartz began in 2024, and together they have produced two nationally recognised films: Swan Lake by Moonlight, featuring Yevhenii Kuchvar and Caitlyn Skenandore, and The Dream Land Fairy.
★ Associate Artistic Director · Cleo Parker Robinson Dance ★
Ms. Harris currently serves as Associate Artistic Director for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, honoring both the company’s new and historical repertoire. She is co-creator of Dance for Schools, a codified curriculum for public education that is currently being taught in different high school programs throughout the United States. Ms. Harris has been described as “a visionary who creates art as conversation, viewing it as connective tissue to the world. A means to see beyond what we think of as limits.” Her choreography is storytelling with a balance of technical prowess and expression.
She founded Winifred R. Harris Between Lines, a contemporary modern dance company that performed both nationally and internationally, and was also a part of the Music Center on Tour. She also founded Your Souls Movement Performing Arts, in Denver. A life-long student of mind-body spirit, Harris is a certified Yoga instructor as well as a Life Mastery Consultant.
As a dance artist, she performed long before her formal training as part of To My Father’s House, choreographed by her first dance teacher Cleo Parker Robinson. She became a company member at a young age and has trained or performed works by an incredible array of dance luminaries, including the faculty at California Institute of the Arts. Harris was also a member of Dallas Black Dance Theater, where she headed the professional dance division, before traveling to New York and later California to work with various companies, music artists, and film projects.
Her teaching career spans residencies with the California University system (Long Beach, Northridge, and Los Angeles), the Orange County Performing Arts High School, the Los Angeles Music Center teaching division, Reykjavík Iceland, and London England. Motivated by engagement and purpose, Harris spent time teaching within shelters for women and children, and was part of The Heart Project — a special engagement for youth in critical transition. This purpose-driven work was awarded the Mayor’s Award for Community Engagement, along with a nomination for the Lester Horton Award. Harris is also a proud Legends of Dance award winner.
Cleo Parker Robinson leads the internationally renowned 55-year-old Denver-based dance arts institution encompassing five operational pillars at a 50,000 square-foot creative campus of historic and modern landmarks. Inside there are two professional and two student ensembles, the CPRD Academy, Arts-In-Education and Arts-In-Wellness outreach programs, and CPRD facilities rentals supporting arts development for 30 groups. Ms. Parker Robinson’s recognitions span local to international work in dance and educational outreach from corporate, civic, community, and artistic entities.
As a master teacher, choreographer, and cultural ambassador, she and the CPRD Ensemble toured 40 countries throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Colombia. In 2025 she was a guest artist at Brazil’s renowned Sacatar Institute. Awards and honors began since founding CPRD: the 1971 Peabody Award, Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence (1974), Denver Mayor’s Award (1979), induction into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame (1989) and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame (1994). She holds four Honorary Doctorates: University of Denver (1991), Colorado College (2003), Regis University (2008), and the University of Colorado at Boulder (2021). The International Association of Dance Medicine and Science inducted her in 2021.
At the federal level from 1999 to 2005, Ms. Parker Robinson served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. She served on the National Council on the Arts advisory panel to the NEA Chair for policy, programs, and grants.
Ms. Parker Robinson’s expertise is also recognized as a program founder of local and international dance art institutions. In 1987, she and four founders established the International Association of Blacks in Dance; in 2023 IABD received the National Medal of the Arts from President Biden. In 1992, she co-founded National Bahamian Dance Company. In 2005, she received the Kennedy Center Medal of Honor in the “Masters of African American Choreographers” series. In 2011, she was voted an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Performing Arts Complex. In 2017, she received the highly prestigious Dance/USA Honor Award. In 2018, the CPRD Academy created the BA in Dance program with Metropolitan State University. In January 2026, she accepted the Award of Merit in New York by the Association of Performing Arts Professionals.
Originally from Bozeman, Montana, Moria Douma has been dancing and teaching with Garden Island Dance Academy for over three years. She began her ballet training at the age of five and has since developed a love for a wide range of movement styles, including international folk dance, contemporary dance, acting, and musical theater. You may have seen her as Ethel Toffelmier in Hawaii Children’s Theatre’s production of The Music Man.
Moria brings a thoughtful and generous presence to both her dancing and her teaching, and is a meaningful part of the Garden Island Dance Academy community. She is especially interested in the connection between movement and healing, and continues to explore ways to bring that vision to life.
We are grateful for all that she shares with our students and our stage. She hopes you enjoy the show!