Team - Braswell Arts Center

ARMANDO BRASWELL

Armando Braswell, a professional dancer and educator hailing from New York City, has made a significant impact in the world of dance. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from The Juilliard School in 2006, after which he performed with esteemed companies such as Ballett Theater Munich, Gauthier Dance Stuttgart, and Ballett Theater Basel.

In addition to his successful dance career, Armando has built a reputation as a highly sought-after teacher, instructing at some of the world’s most prestigious schools and competitions. His teaching engagements include Tanzakademie Zürich, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater School, Royal Swedish Ballet School, Basel Ballet School, and the Prix de Lausanne.

Beyond his artistic pursuits, Armando is actively involved in journalism and the freelance dance scene. His widely recognized arts blog, Interview En L'air, has garnered international attention in the dance community, leading to his role as a permanent correspondent for Dance For You Magazine. Armando has cultivated an extensive artistic network in Switzerland and internationally, contributing to projects with renowned institutions such as Art Basel, Fondation Beyeler, Kunstmuseum Basel, Steps Tanz Festival, Tanzfest Basel, Museum of Natural History Basel, Forum Würth Arlesheim, and the Basellandschaftliche Kantonalbank.

Armando's experience in leadership through various independent arts initiatives culminated in his role as a member of the 2020 Jury of the Prix de Lausanne. He is also the founder and current director of the Dance Basel Festival and, alongside his wife Lisa, has been leading the Braswell Arts Center since its establishment in 2017.

LISA BRASWELL

Lisa Braswell is an ex-dancer from New York City. After graduating from LaGuardia High School Dance Department, Lisa attended Purchase University and Hunter College in New York. She carried her love of dance to her position as Office Manager of one of the most successful instructional dance video companies in the United States. Lisa has administrative experience on an international scale, working for companies in New York, Germany and Basel and in 2015, she successfully completed the Business Course for Female Founders at the Crescenda Founding Center located in Basel, Switzerland. Together with her husband Armando, the couple founded the popular Basel arts space called the Braswell Arts Center in 2017. This idea has since expanded to include the Braswell Arts Association in 2019--a not-for-profit arts association created to bridge the gap between the arts, artists and the community as well as provide opportunities for artistic development and education.

Armando Braswell

Artistic Director

Lisa Braswell

Administrative Director

Fabio Francisco Freire

Percussionist

Fabio Francisco Freire is a Brazilian-Swiss musician, composer, and percussionist based in Basel. He combines Afro-Brazilian rhythms with European musical influences in his work with the Ignis Quartet. As a longtime Basel resident, he leads percussion and rhythm courses (e.g. “Barracuda Brasileira” at Musik-Akademie Basel) and releases recordings that fuse deep cultural roots with contemporary sound.

Barbara Handschin

Rehabilitation & Prevention Director

Barbara Handschin is a psychologist and Pilates instructor based in Basel. She holds a licentiate in clinical and neuropsychology from the University of Bern, and trained in Pilates in New York and Boston. She founded Pilates Braswell at the Braswell Arts Center and combines her expertise to teach rehabilitation, prenatal/postpartum, and therapeutic Pilates. She is also a co-initiator of the caba center, integrating psychological coaching and movement for health and healing.

Maria Bugova

Pianist

Maria Bugova is a Slovak pianist and long-standing ballet accompanist based in Basel. After graduating from the Bratislava Conservatory, she spent 25 years as a ballet répétiteur in Slovakia before moving to Switzerland in 1996. She served as ballet accompanist for Ballet Basel for 18 years and, since 2015, has been the accompanist at the Braswell Arts Center. Her collaborations span celebrated choreographers such as Jiří Kylián and Johan Inger.

Regula Hohl Trillini

Pianist

Nathalie Guth

Ballet / Pointe

Nathalie Guth is a Swiss ballet teacher whose foundation lies in classical technique and expressive movement. She began her training at the Ballettschule für das Opernhaus Zürich and graduated from the Hamburg Ballet’s school in 2003. She danced for ten years with the Stuttgart Ballet before becoming a soloist with Ballet am Rhein in Düsseldorf. Since returning to Zürich in 2017, she has taught at various schools, offering dynamic and body-aware training that emphasizes musicality and expression.

Janine Walliman

Kids & Teen Ballet

Carlos Kerr

Gyrokinesis / Career Preparation

Carlos Kerr Jr. is a Belizean-American dancer, choreographer, and creative director based in Basel. Trained at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School and The Ailey/Fordham BFA program, he also holds a Master’s Certificate in Dance Science from the University of Bern. He has performed with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, RUBBERBAND, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Ballett Basel. His choreographic works have been presented internationally, including at Tanzwerks Zürich, Mandalain Ballet Biarritz, and Das Tanzfest Schweiz. Alongside his stage career, he teaches at the Braswell Arts Center, sharing an interdisciplinary approach to movement.

Yael Fankhauser

Beginner Pointe

Yael Fankhauser was born in Basel, Switzerland, and has been dancing for over 16 years. After extensive classical ballet training, she joined the Pre-Professional Program at the Braswell Arts Center to expand her dance vocabulary. There, she has worked with international dancers, teachers, and choreographers. Passionate and dedicated, Yael continues to deepen her artistry with the goal of improving her teaching.

Jenny Clough

Strength Training

Giuseppe Bencivenga

Kids & Teen Jazz / Hip-Hop

Giuseppe Bencivenga is an Italian dancer and teacher trained at MAS in Milan. He has performed with companies including White Dance Theatre in Warsaw, Dart and Gangaray in Budapest, Valencia Dancing Forward, and WDTanztheater in Cologne, appearing in productions such as Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Turandot, and Requiem. Alongside his stage work, he teaches modern and urban dance in Basel and regularly leads workshops and open classes at festivals including Tanzfest.

Tomohiro Iino

Pianist / Percussionist

Tomo Iino is a versatile pianist and percussionist active in contemporary music and performance. He studied at the Musashino University in Japan and now collaborates internationally, performing with ensembles across Europe, including Chamber Academy Basel. His repertoire spans solo works, theater music, and premieres with leading composers, bringing a deep sensitivity to rhythm, texture, and musical expression.

Julian Nicosia

Ballet / Contemporary / Improvisation

Julian Nicosia is a French dancer and choreographer who trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Lyon and danced with the Lyon Opera Ballet and Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. He later became Ballet Master and has choreographed for institutions such as Opéra National de Paris and Finnish National Ballet. His work reflects a fusion of technical mastery and choreographic vision rooted in both tradition and experimentation.

Davide Pillera

Lyrical Jazz

Davide Pillera is an Italian dancer and teacher based in Basel. Trained at the National Dance Conservatory in Lyon, he has performed in productions including Roméo et Juliette at the Zurich Opera House and El Barberillo de Lavapiés in Basel. Alongside his stage work, he teaches jazz, hip-hop, and modern dance at SE Studio Basel and the Braswell Arts Center, and regularly leads workshops in contemporary dance.

Kate Menghrani

Yoga

Kate Menghrani is a yoga teacher based in Basel whose classes center on Vinyasa flow, restoration, and community connection. Teaching since 2004, she is trained in areas including healthy-back yoga, menopause yoga, and restorative practices. Alongside her open classes, she leads women’s circles and community events, creating spaces that blend mindfulness, movement, and support.

Lorena Phan

Lyrical Jazz

Lorena Phan is a Swiss dancer whose work bridges contemporary, urban, and commercial styles. From 2012 to 2021 she earned top placements in national and international competitions, including World of Dance Switzerland and the Swiss Jazz Dance Competition. She has performed in productions such as the Christmas Tattoo Basel, Theater Basel, and with artists including Stefanie Heinzmann and DJ Bobo. Alongside her stage career, she teaches Lyrical Jazz at the Braswell Arts Center, encouraging students to explore individuality and authenticity through movement.

Alix Dugré

Kids Ballet / Creative Movement

Daniel Mulligan

Ballet / Contemporary

Daniel Mulligan is a British dancer and teacher, trained at the Royal Ballet School. He began his career with Junior Ballett Zürich before joining the main company, and has performed leading roles in works by William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Crystal Pite, Edward Clug, and Christian Spuck. In 2022, he received the Professional Dancers’ Postgraduate Teaching Certificate with Distinction from the Royal Academy of Dance. Alongside his performing career, he has taught for companies including Grand Théâtre de Genève, Ballet du Rhin, and Bern Ballett, and often works as an assistant and répétiteur for Christian Spuck’s productions.

Salome Zibung

Pre-Teen Hip Hop

Max Zachrisson

Ballet

Max Zachrisson is a Swedish dancer, choreographer, composer, and filmmaker. Trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School, he began his career at Theater Dortmund, spent eight years with Ballet Staatstheater Nürnberg, and has been a member of Ballet Basel since 2016. He has performed works by leading choreographers including Mats Ek, Crystal Pite, Johan Inger, and William Forsythe. A recipient of the Bavarian Cultural Prize and the Wolfram von Eschenbach Cultural Prize, he also develops independent projects through Max Zachrisson Productions, blending dance, film, and music.

marina sánchez garrigós braswell arts center

Marina Garrigós

Ballet / Nutrition

Marina is a Spanish dancer trained at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona and the Central School of Ballet in London. She began her career with New English Contemporary Ballet before joining Ballet Staatstheater Nürnberg, where she danced for eight years. Since 2016 she has been a member of Ballet Theater Basel, performing works by choreographers including Mats Ek, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, and Ohad Naharin. Alongside her stage career, she is studying Dance Movement Therapy in Switzerland.

Emily Pease

Yoga

Emily Pease is a Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher and 500-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. Trained with Next Generation Yoga (USA), Rainbow Kids Yoga (Australia), and in the Unnata® Aerial Yoga method, she teaches both children and adults. Her playful classes weave together poses, stories, breath, and games to nurture well-being, confidence, and family connection, while her Vinyasa classes, workshops, and teacher trainings highlight her joyful and mindful approach to yoga.

Giuseppe Salomone

Contemporary / Ballet

Giuseppe Salomone is an internationally trained dancer and choreographer who studied at the Academy of Teatro alla Scala and performed with leading European ballet companies. His career bridges classical technique with contemporary innovation, bringing versatility and depth to his artistry. As a teacher, he is known for combining rigor with expressive movement to inspire dancers of all levels.

Carla Wieden Dobon

Beginner Ballet

Carla Wieden Dobon was a professional ballet dancer with over 15 years of experience as a soloist at institutions such as Ballett Salzburg, Ballett Mainz, and Oper Halle. Alongside her artistic career, she pursued further education in cultural and theater management, completing a a Bachelor’s degree in Ballet Pedagogy (CSDMA, 2021) and Master’s degree in Cultural Management (UOC, 2023). She is currently working as Production Manager and Direction assistant at Ballet Basel.

Dmitry Khamzin

Ballet / Contemporary

Dmitry Khamzin is a choreographer, filmmaker, and former soloist with the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre in Moscow. Trained at the Perm State Choreography School, he has danced with companies including Aalto Ballet Essen and performed at the Zurich Opera House. His work spans over 20 original creations, blending classical and contemporary movement with a distinctive cinematic vision.

Brigitte Pirovano

Front Desk

Marion Maurer

Administration

Kalsang Lhapönpa

Administration