REFERENCES & TESTIMONIALS

CONTACT REFEREES

For privacy, please email me for referees contacts

• KATIA GARZA – Artistic Director, Mobile Ballet
• KAREN GIBBONS BROWN – Artistic Director, Fort Wayne Ballet
• JUAN CARLOS PENUELA – Rehearsal Director, Dance Theatre of Harlem
• AMY BRANDT – Editor in Chief, Pointe Magazine / Dance Media
• BOYKO DOSSEV – Ballet Faculty, The University of Oklahoma
• CANDACE LOVE – Former President, Montgomery Ballet
• REGIONAL DANCE AMERICA – RDA/Southeast reg
• SUSAN FOWLER – Vocal Director, Billy Elliot, The Musical
• VERONICA RAMIREZ – Director, Ballet Pensacola
• DOMINIC KRIPPES – Production Manager, Ballet Pensacola
• DEBI JANEA – Academy Director, Ballet Pensacola

WRITTEN REFERENCES

Letters are available on request

DOMINIC KRIPPES – Production Manager, Ballet Pensacola

DEBI JANEA – Academy Director, Ballet Pensacola

SUSAN FOWLER – Vocal Director, Billy Elliot, The Musical

AUSTRALIAN CLASSICAL GRAND PRIX – Kerrie Esplana, Competition Director

CITY OF DUBBO EISTEDDFOD – Judy Roots, Secretary/Dance Coordinator

TESTIMONIALS

SAM MOORE

^{Being able to work with Darren throughout Billy Elliot was an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. When rehearsals first began, I was a novice at dancing but from the moment Darren guided me through my first piece of choreography, I realised that becoming Billy wasn’t an impossibility. Darren didn’t just teach me how to dance; he taught me what it means to dance, and what it means to truly perform in front of an audience. He approached every new challenge with a smile and a laugh, all while maintaining an incredible level of professionalism. That attitude was inspiring to watch and always lifted me, no matter how I was feeling. When it came to performances, I realised just how much Darren had developed not only my dancing and acting, but also me as a person. When I stepped onto that stage, I wasn’t just telling Billy’s story, I was also sharing a journey that Darren and I had taken together. I owe him an enormous amount of gratitude for shaping me into the performer, and person, I am today.}

AUDREY KING

^{I very much enjoyed my time working with Darren McIntyre. He took me seriously from the beginning, which was my audition, and he valued my time and commitment for the two years that he was my artistic director. As a result of these unusual traits, he earned my unwavering loyalty. He was always organized with rehearsals and prepped his dancers for the future with clear schedules and rehearsal footage. He spent hours outside of the studio to ensure the company’s success. I always appreciated his ability to explain clearly his artistic vision to his dancers, and his personal investment in each individual dancer he hired. I felt I improved tremendously as a dancer and artist with his guidance, and I enjoyed each and every ballet Mr. McIntyre created and had the opportunity to perform. He is incredibly dedicated to ballet and to his work. He would truly go above and beyond to ensure the best quality production, and make sure each dancer is doing their personal best}.

JOSÉ SOARES JR

^{During my tenure as a guest artist with Ballet Pensacola, I had the privilege of dancing under the directorship of Darren McIntyre on his production of Dracula. His passion and meticulous attention to detail reignited my passion for dance. Beyond his role as a director, McIntyre captivates audiences on a deeper level, inspiring a desire to collaborate with him. As I embark on my own journey as Ballet School Director, I aspire to inspire dancers in the same manner that McIntyre has inspired me.}

COURTNEY D. WALKER

^{I worked with Mr. McIntyre for just over two years at Montgomery Ballet, where I was first a Soloist and later a Principal Dancer. I appreciated his ability to recognize and highlight the strengths of each of his dancers while also providing us with challenges and opportunities to grow. Highlights of my time with Mr. McIntyre include dancing the leading roles in his productions of “Giselle”, “The Sleeping Beauty”, “Don Quixote”, “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker” as well as performing the role of Christine in his original production of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Mr. McIntyre approached each of his original works with a great deal of passion and a strong commitment to his artistic vision. I feel fortunate to have worked with him, and I consider my time under his directorship to be an important step in my career and my growth as an artist.}

IZABELLY POSSATTO

^{It was a pleasure to have worked with Mr. McIntyre as a principal dancer at Lake Erie Ballet, where I danced featured roles in” The Wizard of Oz”, “Forlorn”, “Spartan” as well as excerpts of “Fairy Doll” (Pas de Trois) and “La Bayadère” (Grand Pas de Deux). Mr. McIntyre is an excellent director and ballet master who challenged me as a dancer, making me improve and go forward artistically and technically. He has a unique choreographic style and the talent to make dancers look great and comfortable while dancing. He also has an extensive knowledge that includes more than the classical repertory, and it helps him to show the dancer’s abilities and makes his original pieces more enjoyable to perform and watch. His creativity and talent are two virtues that qualify and give him full capacity as a director. Finally, Mr. McIntyre is enthusiastic with his work, which makes him never stop to research and keep improving in the art’s field.}

LAUREN SHERWOOD

^{I was fortunate enough to work with Mr. McIntyre for two seasons at Montgomery Ballet in Montgomery, Alabama. He entrusted me with my first Soloist and Principal roles of my career, special highlights being Christine in his interpretation of “The Phantom of the Opera” and as a soloist in his original contemporary work “Australia”. Mr. McIntyre helped me to push myself beyond my boundaries as a dancer and performer and helped to refine my technique in class. I owe him many thanks for helping to mold me into the performer I am today.}

FELIPE ZAPIOLA

^{Darren played a pivotal role in launching my professional career, offering me my first contract as a principal dancer with Ballet Pensacola. I performed in several of his original choreographies, including The Nutcracker, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera, the Military Appreciation Gala, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Darren was an excellent director and a great teacher—always demanding, punctual, responsible, and above all, imaginative in every artistic proposal. He pushed his dancers to grow both technically and artistically and was always willing to work hard and give the best of himself. His leadership left a lasting impact on my development as an artist.”}