The bedrock of GENESIS: SARAJEVO is two-week summer and winter dance intensives focusing on tap, ballet, and jazz with the goal to expand and evolve to become a professional dance company.   In addition to becoming a dance company, our goals include continuing dance intensives and workshops for children-in-need, developing a dance therapy program, creating an exchange program for Bosnian dancers to study dance in the U.S., and continuing to spread the dance education of tap and jazz to this region of the world. 

As with almost anything in life, dance begins with an origin, an idea, an inspiration, sometimes one move and continues to grow into something else...a creation.  This process never stops...it's constantly in motion, constantly evolving.

Inside GENESIS lives new beginnings and  re-birth, allowing for us to continually re-invent.  We are planting a seed, lighting a spark, and creating new beginnings for the communities throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina.

GENESIS represents the birth of this program and the generations of this program that are to come.  

OUR MISSION is to create and further artistic opportunities in the Bosnia-Herzegovina region of the world by: creating a dance company that performs tap, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop; supporting its artists to continue to spread these dance forms throughout BiH; and creating a dance therapy program for autistic and sight-impaired individuals, and victims of war.

GENESIS: SARAJEVO Dance Intensive July 2008

AMY DANIELSON, Founder
In 2006, Amy Danielson founded GENESIS: SARAJEVO, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading dance and artistic opportunities throughout Bosnia and beyond. Amy conducts dance intensives twice a year at Foundation, Land of Friendship and Peace based in Kakrinje, just outside of Sarajevo, BIH. Originally from San Antonio, TX, Amy graduated with a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree from Oklahoma City University. She is an actress, dancer, and choreographer, and has taught dance to children of all ages, including master classes to Ballet Philippines. She currently teaches at Sheila Kelley’s S Factor in Los Angeles, CA.

JEAN-CLAUDE CARREAU, Partner
The summer and winter dance intensives are held in the beautiful 15-acre mountain retreat, Foundation, “Land of Friendship and Peace,” which has been created and developed, over the past 10 years, through the efforts of Jean-Claude Carreau and his wife, Christa. Mr. Jean-Claude Carreau's son was killed by a mortar shell shot at the humanitarian convoy he was leading in July 1995, while serving as a UN peacekeeping officer in Sarajevo. In memory and tribute to his son, Mr. Carreau has dedicated his energies and resources to developing a mountain retreat that specializes in recreational and therapeutic horseback riding for children who have suffered from the many post-war traumas and losses. Mr. Carreau's objectives have been 1) to support the children affected by the regional conflicts in the Balkans and 2) to promote a new understanding between the peoples in the region. The Foundation will also now be the home base for GENESIS: SARAJEVO, as well as a music therapy program.

HELEN PATTON-PLUSCZYK, Sponsor
Helen provided proper dance floors and ballet barres for a dance studio for GENESIS: SARAJEVO in Kakrinje, Bosnia. She has also supported our dance intensives throughout the years.

In 2005 Helen Patton Plusczyk, MFA founded (P+P)²: THE PATTON PLUSCZYK STIFTUNG for International Cultural Exchange: A non-political, non-profit foundation centered in the Saar-Lor-Lux region and registered with the German Minister of Culture, dedicated to providing contexts for creative interaction between individuals of different cultural heritages. Helen Patton-Plusczyk is a theatre professional- writer, singer, actress, producer and director, with experience in stage, screen and television—in the United States and Europe to her credit. Born into a distinguished career Army family, she is the daughter of the late Major General George S. Patton, Joanne Stanley Holbrook Patton. She is the granddaughter of the late General George S. Patton, Jr. Third Army Commander, and also of General Willard Ames Holbrook, Jr., a combat commander of the 11th Armored division in World War II. Helen’s professional career has included film and stage work, both in the US and abroad. She co-founded The No-Neck Monsters Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., which was awarded a substantial grant from Comic Relief Program for its work with teenagers at risk. The company earned 5 Helen Hayes Nominations opposite Arena Stage, Fords Theatre, and the Kennedy Center for Sactuary DC, America’s first Rap Musical/Docudrama.

GENESIS: SARAJEVO Winter Dance Intensive - January 12-26, 2008 Kakrinje, Bosnia


Barnes and Noble Book Fair December 2, 2007
at The Grove Los Angeles, CA


GENESIS: SARAJEVO Summer Dance Intensive June/July 2007


LATHAM ROCKS at Genghis Cohen. LA rocker Mark Latham and his band will be playing an acoustic set at Genghis Cohen on Fairfax Saturday Dec 16 at 10:30 pm. Partial proceeds go to GENESIS: SARAJEVO. Thanks Mark!


GENESIS: SARAJEVO Winter Dance Intensive
January 23-29, 2007 Kakrinje, Bosnia


University of Puget Sound Presentation/Forum April 9, 2007 Tacoma, WA - UPS is ranked second in the nation in proportion of students enrolling in the Peace Corps after graduation. Jean-Claude has been requested to speak in regards to his humanitarian work, his life experiences throughout the Bosnian war, and his successful career, such as being the first Internal Auditor of the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg, and the founder of the Institute of Internal Auditors of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg. Jean-Claude has officially invited GENESIS: SARAJEVO to participate in this forum. We will be speaking to a rather large Bosnian community, as well as, to the students of UPS. A significant Bosnian refugee population of more than 6,000 people reside in the Seattle/Tacoma area.


GENESIS: SARAJEVO Summer Dance Intensive - June 2006