Board Members
Ken Morris
Ken Morris, a native of Los Angeles, is an accomplished Choreographer, Instructor and Mentor. He has danced with the companies of Lula Washington Dance Theater, JazzAntiqua, Brockus Dance.
Currently, Ken is a Financial/Fraud Analyst with Beachbody LLC in El Segundo, CA. However, he still teaches and create dance works for his chamber dance group, Ken Morris Project, serves as Resident Choreographer for the Lula Washington Dance Theater, mentor countless aspiring young dancers to reach their full potential.
For more than a decade, Ken is affiliated with the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Los Angeles Chapter where he choreograph/Stage their annual Kappa League formal events. The Kappa League is a mentorship arm of Kappa Alpha Psi that provides mentorship and scholarship opportunities to young men in underserved areas.
When he’s not working his day job, teaching or creating dance works, Ken volunteer his time with Midnight Mission gathering donated clothing, toiletries and other basic essentials to those in need. Ken has served on the Board of Brockus Project Dance since 2015.
ALGIE AU, PH.D.
Algie Au is an educator, environmentalist, and a dancer. She started her training with the Royal Academy of Dance at age 5. Algie has always devoted time to performing arts. She danced with the Los Angeles Mexican Dance Theatre, Los Angeles Ballet, Wenta Ballet, and Brockus Project Dance Company (BPDC). As a lifelong learner, she earned her Master's Degree in Biology and her Ph.D. in Sustainability Education.
As a healthcare education professional, Algie is skilled in curriculum design and professional education development. She currently teaches human biology, dance, environmental sciences at various institutions in Washington State. She served on the board of Faculty Association of California Community Colleges, the Sustainability and District Councils of San Bernardino Community College District, and as the President of the Academic Senate at San Bernardino Valley College.
Algie continues her efforts in environmental justice, education transformation, public health sciences, and the andragogical approach to dance instruction by presenting in public events such as TEDx SBVC, Northwest Conference on Teaching for Social Justice, IHS conference, and Faculty Summer Institute, Seattle College District. She is a current member of the BPDC board.
PATRICK MIGNANO
Patrick Mignano is an award winning filmmaker. He graduated from Montana State University with a degree in Film and Television Production in 1987. Since then he has been working in the film industry in Hollywood. He works primarily as a Location Manager and has been involved with numerous high profile feature films. Some of the films that he has worked on include,
“American Sniper”, “The Mule”, “Sully”, “Suicide Squad”, “Starship Troopers” and “Thelma and Louise”. In 2014, his work on “American Sniper” won him the “Location Manager of The Year” award at the COLA’S (California On Location Awards)
He’s also written, produced and directed his own films and has received awards including the 2010 Wyoming Short Film Contest which his film, “Absaroka” won.
Patrick is a member of the Teamsters Union 399 and is a member of the Location Manager’s Guild International (LMGI).
JESSY ABRESCY
He formally trained at Honolulu Dance Studio in Honolulu Hawaii under the direction of Cathy Watson Izumi where he trained in Jazz/lyrical/modern/ballet/hip hop and hula.
He has Danced, toured and choreographed professionally for artists including; Janet Jackson, Usher, Eric Benet, Tamia, Stevie B, Aaron Carter and Leslie Carter.
He is also a professional stuntman and was nominated for "best fight scene" from Taurus World Stunt Awards. He has worked with Duane "The Rock" Johnson, Shawn William Scott, and Rosario Dawson as well.
In addition to being a sought after visual artist by the likes of Disney films, he has been teaching hip hop since 1996 to present from Hawaii to greater Los Angeles area when he moved to LA in 1997.
He has been teaching youth dance for last 20 years. Mr Abrescy joined the board of BPDC in 2017.
MARY BETH MURRAY
Marybeth is a National Board-Certified Teacher that has been in education for more than 20 years and is currently a Special Education Administrator in the Office of School Support Services. She has worked for the Long Beach Unified School District as a preschool teacher and Program Specialist for the district’s Child Development Centers where she served as member of a leadership team responsible for the implementation of long-term strategies to bring a wide array of affordable child development services to more than 2,000 families in the greater Long Beach area.
Ms. Murray has also served as an administrator at Barton Elementary and Smith Elementary School in Long Beach as Assistant Principal. She is a Director Mentor for the California Early Childhood Mentor Program and serves as adjunct faculty in the Early Childhood Studies department at Cal Poly Pomona where she teaches and supports undergraduate student success for new early childhood educators entering the field. She is a certified Racial Equity and Healing Justice Facilitator through the California Conference of Equality and Justice and is a member of the Bias Review Committee for the California Commission for Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). She currently resides in the Los Angeles area and can be reached via email at mbm.murray@gmail.com.
DEBORAH BROCKUS, PRES
She is the Artistic director of the award winning and internationally touring BrockusRED dance company and Director of BPstudios, a leading professional rehearsal studio in LA.
As a dancer and choreographer Brockus has worked nationally and internationally on stage, in film and television. She has received awards for her teaching, producing and choreography.
As a teacher her students work in international and national modern and ballet companies, jazz companies, on Broadway and in the Hollywood industry. She specializes in professional and pre professional training working in college level, performing arts high schools and professional studios. Brockus is the producer of the Los Angeles Dance Festival and other Dance in LA choreography showcases.
Deborah Brockus has been called a force of nature in LA dance. She is the artistic director of the internationally touring company BrockusRED, award winning producer of Los Angeles Dance Festival and many other dance showcases, Director of BPStudios which is a space for workshops, intensives, classes and rehearsals for the community. A master teacher for college, professional and pre-professional dancers. Both her choreographic and performing career cover both concert and commercial dance with works in Live Stage Performance, Site Specific works, TV and Film.. Ms Brockus enjoys the freedom of working at the intersection of contemporary/ jazz/ modern styles.