FACULTY

Angela Dennis began her training at the David Hochsten School of Music in Rochester, NY. She was a member of WVUs African Dance Ensemble, was a principal dancer, teaching assistant and choreographer with WVU’s Orchesis Dance Ensemble, and was a member of Soul Dancers, a student run dance organization at WVU. She worked with Bob Durkin in a production of Pippin with the WVU Division of Theatre and Dance and danced the 2001-02 season with The Kitchen Sink Dance Company. Angela is the artistic director and member of the Alchemy Dance Project now entering its fifth year. She conceived, choreographed and directed Morgantown Dance’s spring production, Momotaro. This will be her sixth year teaching for MDS.

Tadashi Kato has over 20 years of training in various forms of martial arts, Tai Chi and Qigong and holds a M.A. in exercise physiology and a Ph.D. in psychology. He is currently a member of the faculty of Fairmont State University.

Marilyn Pipes began her dance training in Corning, New York, at Mme. Halinas School of Dance Arts and continued her studies at the University of Utah, in Boston with Tatianna Babushkina, and in Tucson, Arizona, with Rodney Gustafson. She has performed with various dance companies, including the Elmira-Corning Ballet Company and Southwest Dance Theater. She holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Arizona and currently works as a speech language pathologist. Ms. Pipes has been Assistant Artistic Director of the NWVDC production of The Nutcracker since 1999.

Lauren Quattro has trained in classical ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, Hawaiian/Tahitian, and Russian character for nearly twenty years. She attended Billings and Betty Studio, Stagecraft, Inc., Academy of Ballet Arts, and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts in St. Petersburg, Florida under the guidance of Betty Ann Sloss, Wagih Abo El Ella, Suzanne Pomertantzeff, and Patricia L. Paige. She appeared in countless performances including the Nutcracker and Carmina Burana, and toured with the Cody Clark Ensemble. While attending PCCA, Lauren served as the Assistant Artistic Director to guest choreographer Peter Kalivas and taught several classes for local studios.  Recently Lauren was commissioned to choreograph for Frostburg State University.  Her work has also been seen at the National Dance Association’s Annual Gala.  She completed a B.A. in religious studies at WVU summa cum laude and now looks forward to another year on the faculty of Morgantown Dance Studio and as a member of the Alchemy Dance Project.

Joel Rhodes began his training in dance at Momentum Center for the Arts in Clarksburg. He has received training in ballet, modern, jazz, and tap from teachers including Wendy Virtue, Michael McGowan, Bonnie McGowan, Matt Saffron, and Amy Lawrence. Joel performed the lead role in Momotaro this past February and has had featured dance roles for productions at Harrison County Summer Theatre, Liberty High School, and Act II Theatre Productions.  He is a member of the Alchemy Dance Project and is currently studying Music Education at West Virginia University.

Liz Rossi trained with Berle Davis in California and received a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. She directs and choreographs all over the country for summer stock, regional, dinner and children's theatre. Ms. Rossi has fifteen years experience teaching jazz, tap and ballet for studios, theatre companies and theatre camps. She now lives in Morgantown with her husband and two small children and works as a Musical Theatre coach, readying students for auditions and professional careers in New York.

Desiree Witt began her dance training in Morgantown with Fiona Morris and Linda Roberts. She has also studied at Point Park College in Pittsburgh and with Jurgen Schneider and Irina Kolpakova. Ms Witt is certified to teach Vaganova ballet technique. She has performed with the Morgantown Ballet, Ballet West Virginia (for which she set choreography) and the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis. She holds undergraduate and Masters of Education degrees from Frostburg State University. Ms. Witt was Artistic Director of the Northern West Virginia Dance Councils production of The Nutcracker 1996-1999. She teaches high school music in Cumberland, Maryland where she lives with her husband and daughter. She also teaches dance appreciation at Frostburg State University, and works in community theatre. Ms. Witt will serve as Artistic Director of Morgantown Dance's 2007 production of The Nutcracker.

Kelley Wood started her training in Charleston, WV under the direction of Kim R.Pauley and Miguel Campaneria, now director of the National Ballet of Puerto Rico. She trained extensively at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under director Marcia Dale Weary, at Virginia School for the Arts, and at Point Park University. Kelley has danced for Ruth Medcalf of North Carolina Dance Theatre, where was awarded the soloist role in Balanchine’s Raymonda. Jaibin Pan of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre cast her as soloist in his world premiere of Metamorphosis and Nicholas Petrov cast her as the Black Swan in Point Park’s Spring Works Performance resulting in an appearance in Dance magazine.  Darla Hoover, former principal and owner of the New York City Ballet Balanchine Trust, gave Kelley the soloist role in Balanchine’s Serenade. Before moving to Morgantown, where her son Sylas was born, Kelley lived in Salt Lake City, Utah and taught ballet, hip-hop and jazz.

GUEST ARTISTS
Morgantown Dance Studio regularly engages Guest Artists with expertise in a variety of disciplines and dance styles.

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