Gayle Ziaks Halperin earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography and performance from Texas Woman's University in the inaugural MFA class of 1987. After a notable career as a professional dancer in New York City, she joined the dance faculty of TWU where she continued to choreograph and perform in Hanstein/Ziaks Dancers and Radke Dance Company. Gayle is known as an intensely creative and intellectually gifted woman. Her former students call her an inspiration that fully engaged students and taught them how to be self reliant both in their lives and their work.
Since leaving TWU she has been an active community volunteer using her leadership and organizational skills for the promotion and support of the arts. She has worked with the Dallas Dance Council on many projects and served as President, Vice President of Development, and interim Executive Director. She is co-founder and funder of Dance Planet 15 Festival, an annual, outdoor, free, community dance festival dedicated to increasing exposure for a wide range of dance genres. TITAS, in association with the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Extraordinary Dance and Music, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, and Dallas Area Cultural Advocacy Coalition have all benefited from her support and leadership.
Through the James and Gayle Halperin Foundation she has supported causes related to health and the arts. Many dance programs and individual students have benefited from the generosity of this foundation.
Gayle is married to James Halperin of Heritage Auctions and has two terrific boys, Dave and Mikey.
page last updated 5/15/2012 4:58 PM