Dr. Phillips Center education director Brazil steps down
The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts has unexpectedly lost a key staff member — a national award winner who was instrumental in establishing the downtown Orlando venue’s extensive artseducation programs.
Senior director of education Dana Brazil resigned this month, a center spokeswoman confirmed while stressing that educational outreach would carry on as usual. Among the best-known programs overseen by Brazil: the Applause Awards, a theater-honors program that involves more than 30 area high schools; the Docs & Dellas, a youth show choir; and the classes at the Dr. Phillips Center Florida Hospital School of Arts and Wellness.
“Our vision is ‘arts for every life,’ and education is a big component of that. We take it very seriously,” spokeswoman Lorri Shaban said. “We have a really strong team in place.”
More than 200 students are enrolled in the school, Shaban said. The center is accepting applications for its teen ambassador program, and auditions for the Docs & Dellas are scheduled for mid-September.
Brazil was a high-profile champion of arts education, especially for young people, throughout the community.
In 2015, she received the Broadway League’s award for outstanding achievement in education and engagement. The national organization cited her as “instrumental in the successful launch of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts with her farreaching education and engagement programs” and called her programming “pioneering.”
Under her stewardship, two Central Florida students honored with Applause Awards were named the country’s top performers in the League’s National High School Musical Theatre Awards. The double win, in 2017, marked the first time both male and female performer of the year came from the same arts-center program.
Brazil, who moved to Central Florida from Michigan five years ago to take the job, was tightlipped about her reasons for leaving. She said she did not have another job lined up, but planned to stay in the area.
“I gave everything I had to building that [educational] platform and making it successful,” she said. “It was just time for me to move on.”
The center has seen multiple top executives and rank-and-file employees resign since it opened in 2014. Among the latest departures: vice president of marketing Scott Jackson resigned in June. The staff changes made the job more difficult, Brazil said: “The turnover rate was challenging.”
Friends and colleagues took to social media to respond to the news.
On Facebook, music educator Sarah Tellier wrote,” I wouldn’t be the musician or teacher that I am today had I not had the amazing opportunity and pleasure to learn from and work with you.”
Actor-producer David Lee gave the ultimate showbiz accolade: “Standing ovation from SOOOO many!!!”
“It’s a loss to arts leadership in our region,” said Flora Maria Garcia, president of United Arts of Central Florida, which oversees several educational initiatives. “I’m disappointed to hear that Dana has left because she was such an incredible asset to the center. She was very committed to education, and she knew her stuff.”
The center is evaluating how to best fill Brazil’s position, Shaban said. A search is underway for a newly created director job, while executives are in the “early stages” of determining how to structure Brazil’s former senior-level role.
“Part of our long-term strategy is to continue to grow the School of the Arts and position the arts center as a national leader in arts education,” Shaban said, “so we want to be sure we find the right person, with the right experience and skill sets to lead that growth.”
In the meantime, with most classes set to begin the week of Sept. 10, the education department’s more than 50 employees and teaching artists are “ready to roll,” she said. Debuting this year is an arts curriculum for homeschoolers designed to meet Florida academic standards. Designing that curriculum was one of Brazil’s last achievements for the center.
Said Shaban of her departure: “We support her and wish her the very best.”