The Boulder Samba School Board of Directors for 2023/24
Vicki Bynum has been a practicing CMT in Boulder, Colorado since 2003. Vicki has a
BA (Fine Arts) degree from CU Boulder. She has enjoyed employment as a ski
instructor, furniture builder, researcher work for library projects, art director, and
forestry worker. Her volunteer efforts in Boulder have included Special Olympics,
Indian Peaks Working Group, Community Food Share, Herb Research Foundation,
Telluride Academy, and KGNU’s annual membership drive.
Her interest in Brazilian culture, music, and dance began with playing pagode music
with Francisco Marques and dancing with Samba Colorado. She joined Bateria
Alegria in 2013. She has enhanced her study of Brazilian music and dance at
California Brazil Camp for the last 6 years. Were that not enough, she has also
studied Capoeria with Mestre Lucas Corvo for the last two and a half years in
Boulder. This interest has inspired her to travel to Brazil to see Carnaval and Cuba
to study Afro-Cuban sacred (Orixas) dance. By the way if you don’t see her at Bateria
practice for a couple of weeks, she is probably surfing in Costa Rica.
Michael Parrish was born in Denver, and has lived in Boulder for the better part of the last twenty years. He joined the Batería in 2010, and has played with them whenever he is in town and able to. Michael has a BA in International Affairs and Spanish Language and Literature from CU Boulder, as well as a MA in Public Policy from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. “What I value most about the Batería is the community that it brings together, and the happiness we bring to audiences through our music.”
Mary Elverhoy is happy to call home Duluth, MN, Tacoma, WA, Portland, OR, and now, Boulder, CO. After raising two kids and teaching preschool through eighth grades in public and private settings in the Northwest, Mary had a year-long “sea-batical” with her partner exploring most of the East Coast, Florida Keys, and Bahamas. She landed in Boulder summer of 2020 and joined Bateria Alegria in 2021. Mary’s helping to run a woodwind repair business out of her home with her partner or you’ll find her hiking in the foothills, singing, doing Pilates, spending time in nature, meditating, biking, gardening, cooking, or working on a variety of hands-on projects. One of Mary’s favorite quotes: “Everything must have a beginning…and that beginning must be linked to something that went before.” – Mary Shelley
Márcio De Sousa was born in the Amazon region of Brazil and moved to Boulder in 2002 to continue in his career as an electrical engineer. He received his second master’s degree in Computer Science at CU, and continues to work as an engineer in the area. His passion is music, and he plays and performs with two Brazilian music ensembles. Márcio has served the Boulder Samba School as a core organizer of the Colorado Brazil Fest since 2012. Besides the work with the festival, he has also made major contributions to BSS by leading grant writing for the Boulder Arts Commission (three awards so far) and organizational work for BSS’ 501(c)3 status. He has also serves as a board member of the Boulder Guitar Society since 2014. Since April 2018, he has been serving as the president for the Boulder Samba School.
Kimmy Bynum
Dylan Buli: Dylan joined Bateria Alegria in 2016 after dancing in a combined dance performance with Samba Colorado. He loves the third surdo and how it fits with caixa along with repinique. Enjoys experimenting with the “swingue” or swing feel timing of samba. He also dances Samba and Brazilian Zouk. Dylan’s other hobbies include flying trapeze, airplanes and skateboarding when not working at his electrical engineering job. Dylan performs the BSS Treasurer duties.
Dan Curtiss is a freelance industrial designer, originally from Western Pennsylvania. He has been involved in Boulder Samba School as a student since 2011, and has been active in organizing Colorado Brazil Fest and related events for BSS since 2012. In addition to performing with BSS’ Bateria Alegria, he currently sings and plays percussion with Boulder’s Chegando La group.
Screenshot of April 2020 zoom meeting:
Previous Board Members
Greg LaLiberte
Nina Kahn
Dr. Rebecca Schwendler
Margaret Kuwata
Eva Yao
Kat Fritz
Alia Ghandour
Brian Daniell
Sylvia Hacker
Mia Semingson
Koby Brown