The Team | Palm Springs Dance Project

THE TEAM

DARCY CAROZZA

Founder, Executive Director & Producer

“In hindsight, the thrust of my future was materializing when I was 9 years old – but unbeknownst to me until many, many years later. It was that year, when I was 9, going on 10, that I single-handedly imagined and then created a neighborhood carnival in my backyard, enlisting the help of my siblings as clowns and game attendants. I gathered items from my house and my grandmother’s house for prizes, like glass ashtrays, candy dishes and juice cups for the dime toss, and used some birthday money to buy goldfish and ping-pong balls for another game, and darts and balloons for another. I creatively sourced out a lot of little trinkets and trivial things for booby prizes from my stash of such things, and from sibling’s toy boxes that I was pretty sure they wouldn’t notice were missing! I loved each stage of preparing, including making posters and flyers to announce the event, to staging activities and features like the clown show and the 3-legged races. The experience of bringing together my friends and neighbors for a fun time was so rewarding. It made me feel like a hero, and how exciting it was to count out all the change I had taken in from the games and stuff it in my piggy bank and imagining something even more fun, later!” – Darcy

Darcy Caroza The Palm Springs Dance Project.jpg

Darcy Carozza began her career in the banking industry right out of high school. Early on she demonstrated an innate ability for organizational thinking, developing strategies and achieving targeted outcomes. She was appointed as Assistant Vice President, Senior Operations Manager for Bank of America by the age of 24 and later served as Vice-President of Operations and Administration for an emerging technology company. Carozza also served for 11 years as part of the Palm Springs Convention Center’s senior management team - first as Area Controller and then as the Director of Visitor’s and Event Services. She found her passion in events - leading fulfillment teams and coordinating and/or overseeing hundreds of special events of varying size, type, and complexity.

Carozza also launched an independent event production company and successfully produced a number of events, most notably, the Cathedral City sanctioned Perez Road Fall Festival in 2011 and 2012. A curiosity in exploring art and the non-profit world and an interesting development of a contractual agreement led to a stint as Fundraising and Development Administrator, and Executive Administrator with the Palm Springs Art Museum. With the museum focusing on improving Annenberg Theater operations, Darcy was soon appointed as the Annenberg Theater Managing Director. During this time Darcy developed a new performing arts series which included a program of professional dance performance, youth education and free community programming. The program was successful. From this experience she identified a need for which she was uniquely positioned for and compelled to fill. Darcy re-activated her event company, formed a new DBA and began producing a well-received multi-day celebration of dance performance, education, and outreach. That was in 2017. Since then, the evolving organization matured into a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, aptly named Palm Springs Dance Project. The organization is dedicated to uplifting the local community by nurturing the development of a thriving, progressive, collaborative dance community with diverse and inclusive dance performance, education, and community projects, and dance grants for underserved youth.

Darcy’s past community contributions include a lot of local giving and volunteering, including many years as a former United Way Campaign Coordinator. She is a former Asst. Secretary to the Board of the Palm Springs Art Museum and a current member of the local Arts Now, NPO Centric, Cal Non-Profits organizations, and the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

STEPHEN AGISILAOU

Artistic Director & Curator

WELCOME FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Having worked in Palm Springs the past five years as a choreographer and technical director, I am humbled to take on the position of Artistic Director and Curator here at the Palm Springs Dance Project. I create dance theater that is driven by the classic fundamentals of storytelling, all the while being revolutionary in my thinking and open to modern and current inspirations. My purpose as a director is to engage an audiences subconscious and propel them to new worlds. I curate works that constantly surprise and live in the realm of spontaneity.

Now the question is, what has made Palm Springs such a desired muse to so many throughout time? Perhaps it’s the fabulous architecture and celebrity past . . . Perhaps it’s the concept of escape and an easier day to day life or even more, perhaps it’s the vast possibility of its future.

My intention is to not just bring outside dance and entertainment to the city, but to curate works dedicated and inspired by Palm Springs itself, to incorporate the city’s flare and uniqueness into everything we do here at The Project.

We at the Dance Project are about to position Palm Springs not just at the top of dance in the desert but at the pinnacle of new and thrilling dance in the United States.

TO READ STEPHEN'S FULL BIO PLEASE VISIT

www.stephenagisilaou.com