Ginna Milena Pedraza
Ballerina, Choreographer, and Founder of Duncan Dance Studio, Colombia
““If we help people to face their fears and gain confidence to communicate freely with sensitivity and imagination and, even to a small extent, become aware of their own potential and that of others, then we will have achieved a considerable success. This success is what justifies education through dance.””
An accomplished ballerina and choreographer from Colombia, Ginna Milena Pedraza Ruiz started her dance training at the age of eight with Margarita Rosa De Mogollón at the School of Dance, where she studied classical ballet, Colombian folkloric dance, and Spanish ballet. Ginna also studied with renowned ballerina, Sonia De Convers. Ginna has intensively studied different forms of dance with international artists, such as Charles Vodoz, Carlos Latorre, Elizabeth Ladrón, Helge Letonja, Fernando Nunes, Francesco Bravo, Raúl Parra, Jhon Martín Cordero, Jorge Arias, María Consuelo Giraldo, Rosana Barragán, Natalia Orozco, Alicia Cajiao, Isabel Rodriguez, Wilman Romero, Carlota Santana, Aleksandra Rudicka y Tyce Diorio jury of the popular TV program, So You Think You Can Dance.
She has danced professionally with the Santander Jazz Ballet Company, directed by Ana Ines Barragan Olarte, and she has performed in international festivals and special events throughout Colombia. While dancing professionally with this company, Ginna continued her training in jazz, dance theatre and contemporary dance forms. Ginna has also studied and collaborated with the Colombian government arts institution, Dirección de Cultura Artística de Santander (DICAS) under the direction of Sonia Arias.
Ginna has continued the legacy of the dance school that acclaimed Spanish ballerina, Dora Olarte de Barragan left in her care. She has also collaborated with the Latin Ballet of Virginia, founded by Ana Ines King (the daughter of Mrs. Dora Olarte de Barragan) while touring in Colombia and the United States with the productions of AmorAmerica, Alma Latina, Legend of the Poinsettia and VERDE. In 1996, Ginna founded her own dance school, Duncan Dance Studio in Colombia. Under Ginna’s direction, Duncan Dance Studio teaches classical ballet, jazz, contemporary dance, Arabian dance and hip hop. Her students have been recognized awarded as the most talented dancers at different competitions in both Colombia and the United States. Her dance school continues the legacy and inspiration of her mentor, Dora Olarte de Barragan who believed in the importance of not only teaching dance but also mentoring youth with a passion for dance, as well as positive self-regard and to value their creativity.
With more than 32 years of experience in teaching dance and creating dance musicals, Ginna created one of the most important festivals in Colombia, called Pure Movement. This five-day festival has been presented since 2008 with collaboration from the Cultural Department, Universidad Industrial de Santander UIS. Through dance, video and theatre lessons offered during the festival, Ginna and her dance school, Duncan,have integrated their goal of attracting diverse audiences with uplifting dance as one of the most important artistic forms, Pure Movement Festival unites more than 100 dancers every year who showcase new dance projects and innovative choreographic techniques.
Ginna holds a Diploma in Arts Pedagogy and Management from the Universidad Autonoma de Bucaramanga and the Institute of Culture, Colombia. She holds certifications in: Choreography and Design course from El Ministerio de Cultura, (Cultural Ministry of Colombia); Online Dance Teaching Curriculum from Nene de Roeder Training School, El Salvador; Marketing and Cultural Management in the Physical and Virtual World; Production and Staging of Cultural and Creative Content from The Institute of Culture and the Corporation Vialibre Art, Colombia; Ballet Methodology, Elementary levels I - II - III from The Cuban School of Ballet; Dance Pedagogy and Jazz Techniques from the Dance Congress of Bogota, Colombia. Ginna has directed the dance programs at several schools and universities in Colombia, such as Universidad Santo Tomas, Aspaen - Cantillana School, Reina de la Paz and La Santisima Trinidad School.
In addition to her accomplishments in dance and choreography, Ginna is also a Computer Engineer who graduated from Universidad INCCA de Colombia.