American Dance and Music, Inc.
Board of Directors

Carrie Diamond, President, AD&M and Executive and Artistic Director of The Dance Hub; Artistic Director, AD&M Performance Group, is a 2019 Recipient of the Apogee Award for Excellence in Education. Her lifelong interest in dance developed early on by the mentorship of three individuals: Don Hewitt (ballet), Marilyn Allen Suleiman (choreography), and Virginia Storie-Crawford (modern dance). She later trained with Cecchetti master teacher, Margaret Craske, and such luminaries as Lawrence Rhodes, David Howard, and Benjamin Harkarvy. She danced professionally in New York City for over fifteen years and holds an M.F.A from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. After graduating, she founded New American Ballet Ensemble, a New York City company that promoted new music and choreography. She was an instructor for the Alvin Ailey School, the 92nd Street YM/YWHA, Peridance, and Marymount Manhattan College. In Santa Barbara, Ms. Diamond co-founded American Dance and Music in 2006 with Eric Valinsky, where she directed the AD&M Studio, AD&M Performance Group, and Moving To Learn, a curricular dance program for elementary school children. In 2017, the AD&M board of directors opened The Dance Hub, a thriving community dance space where Ms. Diamond serves as the executive and artistic director and principal ballet teacher for adults of all levels and ages. She is dedicated to bringing as many people as possible into and back to dance at The Dance Hub, whether they are 18 months or 84 years old.

Suzanne Schuda “Suzie” is a licensed psychotherapist and nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience in program development, education, and community-based services. She currently serves as a consultant for Gateways Hospital and Mental Health Center, advising on program operations, quality improvement, and staff development. Previously, she served as Program Director of the Crisis Residential Program at Gateways and held senior leadership roles in quality improvement, risk management, and workforce training. Suzanne brings strong experience in nonprofit governance, program evaluation, and community partnerships, and is passionate about supporting organizations that expand access to the arts and strengthen community connection. Ballet as a child fostered a lifelong love of the art, which she now enjoys as a regular student of the Dance Hub and looks forward to continuing her dance journey while furthering the mission of the organization.

A native Manhattanite, Eric Valinsky has, for more years than he would like to admit, maintained dual careers in computer systems architecture and music. He was educated at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the University of Illinois, finally achieving his DMA in music composition from Columbia University. He studied composition with Walter Aschaffenburg, Salvatore Martirano, Jack Beeson, and Darius Milhaud; piano with Sara Crawford Drogheo and Emil Danenberg; and conducting with Harold Farberman. While living in Los Angeles, he became music director and composer-in-residence or The Storie-Crawford Dance Theatre Ensemble. Returning to New York, he served in a similar capacity for Danny Buraczeski’s Jazzdance, Uris Bahr and Dancers, and The New American Ballet Ensemble as well as composer-in-residence for The Rachel Harms Dance Company, Opera Uptown, and the Dance Department at City College of New York. He currently moonlights as founder and partner of Inlineos LLC, a strategic Internet consulting company. He is also President of the Santa Barbara Music Club.

Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Anne Marie Balash has always enjoyed dance in her life. At the age of 5 she started taking ballet classes with Robert and Carol Hanlin at the Goleta School of Ballet. Later years then brought jazz dance and competitive ballroom dancing. After college, Anne Marie moved to the Bay Area where she worked as a legal administrator for a public interest law firm. She moved back to Santa Barbara in 2013 and spent many years working at a boutique trial law firm. In 2021, she joined Cottage Health’s legal department. Anne Marie is thrilled to have dance back in her life as a student and member of the 2024 Performance Group. She is honored to be on the Board of Directors for American Dance & Music/The Dance Hub.

Hylla Fischer was a founding member of AD&M board of directors. She was born and lived in Denver, Colorado until moving to Santa Barbara in 2001. She has always been a strong supporter of and participant in the arts. A former art educator, she knows first hand how the creative process acts as a positive force in all aspects of life. Before moving to Santa Barbara, Hylla was founder and president of Zephyr International, Inc. an office products and space planning business. She was active as an actor in community theater. After moving to Santa Barbara, she worked as a product developer at Magellan’s Travel Catalog. She also served as President, Vice President, and Treasurer of the Santa Barbara Dance Alliance. She currently spends many hours at AD&M’s The Dance Hub taking classes and helping to make The Hub a success. Hylla has performed with AD&M Performance Group; DramaDogs, a Theater Company; and ArtBark.

Dance and music have always been a big part of Terry’s life. Starting out in modern and ballet, Terry then discovered flamenco and Spanish classical dance. She taught flamenco at the University of San Francisco and performed regularly in the Bay Area. Once a dancer always a dancer, and Terry is thrilled to find a like-minded dance community here in Santa Barbara. Now is her time to give back, and she is honored to be on the Board of American Dance & Music.