MDS Faculty

Tiffany Alastanos, originally from Bridgeport, WV, graduated from Ohio

University in June 2009 with a BFA in Choreography and Performance and a BS in Actuarial Science. At Ohio University, Ms. Alastanos was active in performance, choreography, production and teaching while also receiving her beginning and intermediate Pilates mat teacher certifications. She performed in the works of numerous students, faculty, and guest artists including Sean Curran, Ruben Graciani, and a reconstruction of a 1943 Jean Erdman solo. At the 2008 Regional American College Dance Festival, she performed Megan Payne's Like a Brick in the Gala Concert. Tiffany also began to develop her own choreographic voice, making quirky pieces about the oddities of life experiences. Her solos, My Liver and A Moment of Mathematical Genius were both performed at the American College Dance Festival Regional Conferences in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Her production credits include working on backstage crew and as assistant stage manager and light board operator. Her teaching experiences at the elementary and college level allowed her to explore incorporating creative dance elements into technique classes to cultivate the creativity of young dancers.

She began her training studying modern, ballet, pointe, jazz and tap under Eunice Kim, Bonnie McGowan, Michael McGowan, Jamie Stutler, and Wendy Virtue at Momentum Center for the Arts. She was also an apprentice and trainee with the Kitchen Sink Dance Company under the artistic direction of Michael McGowan for four years. In the future, Ms. Alastanos plans to continue performing, choreographing, and teaching dance and Pilates.

Elizabeth Chang, a native of Philadelphia, PA moved to Pittsburgh to join Attack Theater in 2007. Liz began her formal training at the North Carolina School of the Arts where she received a high school diploma. Then, she went on to receive BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. She also studied at Drexel University, the America Ballet Theater Summer Intensive, the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. She performed professionally with Carolina Ballet, Philadelphia Ballet Theater and Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago. She taught master classes all over Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Liz is currently on faculty at the Oriental Star Dance School and continues to teach summer programs at Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham College, the Boyd Community Center and the Pace School.

Jenny Lawrence began her dance training at Annabel Timms’ Dance Studio in Bridgeport, WV where she studied ballet and jazz from Annabel Timms, Marcy Mossburg and Cindy Timms Pulice for over twenty years. In 1996, she attended Governor’s School for the Arts where she studied ballet and pointe with Susan Stowe and modern with Ruth Linney-Midkiff. Jenny attended the West Virginia Dance Festival on several occasions, participated in numerous performances, and danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the 1997 Arts and Education production of The Nutcracker. She has recently been attending open classes at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School and is pursuing a PhD in French Language and Literature at the University of Pittsburgh. With more than nine years experience of teaching dance, Jenny recently received her certification in the nationally renowned Leap ‘n Learn program.

Ashley Marie Manzo is a graduate of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville with a Bachelors of Sciences Degree in Theatre & Dance. During her 4 years at SIUE, Ashley participated in faculty shows, student productions, and was President of the University Dance Organization. Ashley received dance scholarships and awards... her choreography "Whisper to a Scream" was chosen for the Faculty Choreographers Award and was presented at the American College Dance Festival. In school, Ashley studied a variety of dance forms including Graham, Horton, and Laban. Ashley is also a FitTour Certified Modern Pilates Teacher and teaches class at the Lakeview Fitness Center. Apart from dance, Ashley is a AST Certified Surgical Technologist and is currently working at Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Taryn Frey Misner trained at the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company where she was taught by world renowned artists such as Tamar Rachelle, Ernest Tolentino, Kevin and Patty Maloney, Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Hinson and Stephen Mills. Taryn not only studied ballet but also modern. This early training has allowed Taryn to utilize unique teaching concepts in working with other young dancers.

While still a member of PYBC, Taryn furthered her knowledge of the performing arts and studied theater under George Jaber and Kevin Maloney. She received a technical theater degree and then went on to earn a B.A. in Performing Arts from La Roche College.

Her many talents in arts management, dance, and administration have been called upon by performing companies and schools in the surrounding area including Gannon University. Her choreography has received numerous awards and has been acknowledged as “attention grabbing” to “clean line and proper technique” and “that’s what dance is about.”

Taryn’s Photo is courtesy of Simon Photography

Renée K. Nicholson received her early ballet training from Helen Ross, Brenda Gooden, Victoria Leigh and James Franklin in South Florida. She also trained at the School of Ballet Florida in West Palm Beach. In 1987, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy, in 1988, she attended the School of American Ballet, and in 1989, she attended the Pre-Professional Program at Milwaukee Ballet. She danced with several regional ballet companies, including Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Her repertoire included classical ballets and new choreographies, including soloist roles such as Winter Fairy in Cinderella, Princess Florina in The Sleeping Beauty, variations in Don Quixote, Raymonda, and others. She retired from training and performing in 1994, when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in creative writing, where she has distinguished herself by publishing stories and poems about dance, and personal essays about her own ballet experience.

Corey Nielsen has been classically trained in ballet in many teaching methods including Vaganova, Balanchine, and RAD. He became an apprentice of the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet early in his life and performed all over North Eastern Ohio with them. Performance opportunities included an original Broadway show, and performing in the Second Annual International Youth Festival in Vevey, Switzerland. He trained with Bolshoi Soloist and renowned teacher Tatiana Stepanova in Toronto, where he performed the lead in Cippolino, and other leading roles in Pinocchio, The Nutcracker, and Thumbelina. He has performed multiple times with Morgantown Dance Studio, in performances of The Nutcracker, and most recently in Snow White.

Marilyn Pipes began her dance training in Corning, NY at Madame Halina’s School of Dance Arts. She furthered her ballet studies at the University of Utah, in Boston with Tatiana Babushkina, and in Tucson, Arizona with Rodney Gustafson. She danced soloist roles in numerous ballets, including Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, La Fille Mal Gardée, and The Nutcracker, and performed with various regional ballet companies, such as The Elmira-Corning Ballet Company and Southwest Dance Theatre. Ms Pipes has been teaching ballet for a total of fifteen years, including twelve years at The Morgantown Dance Studio. She served as Assistant Artistic Director for Morgantown Dance Inc.’s production of The Nutcracker from 1997-2005. Ms Pipes holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Arizona and currently works as a speech-language pathologist and rehab manager in Morgantown.

Rachel Romero began her dance training under Jerry Rose at Beckley Dance Theatre School. She has trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, tap, and hip-hop. In 2003, Rachel attended West Virginia's Governor's School for the Arts where she received additional training in both ballet and modern. While attaining a dance minor at WVU, she has performed with the WVU Orchesis Dance Company. As a student choreographer, her choreography has been chosen to represent WVU at the 2007 WV Dance Festival. She has also choreographed for the WVU Dance Team and assisted in the WVU Division of Theatre and Dance production of the musical "Urinetown." In addition to performing in several WV Dance Festivals, Rachel has performed at the American College Dance Festival, Goose Route Dance Festival, and WV Division of Culture and History Collegiate Series. She recently received a B.S. degree in biology summa cum laude and is currently attending West Virginia University School of Medicine.

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.

Robert Steele, originally from Erie, Pa., began his training at the Erie Civic Ballet. He also studied on scholarship at the Boston Conservatory of Music as well as the Boston School of Ballet, and among his many notable teachers were E. Virginia Williams, Vera Volkova, Stanley Willams, and Maggie Black. As a professional dancer, Robert began his career with the Boston Ballet, dancing many soloist and principal roles, and from there he went on to dance with the Royal Danish Ballet, Les Grande Ballet Canadiens, and the Washington Ballet. A master teacher with over thirty years of experience, Robert has taught at many of the top schools throughout the country including the Washington School of Ballet, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and the Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts. Many of his students have gone on to enjoy critical acclaim as professional dancers, and several have won medals at the Moscow and Varna international competitions. Among his many achievements, Robert founded the Lake Erie Ballet Company in 1988 and produced sixteen original works for the company of eight dancers. A prolific choreographer, Robert’s talents have been recognized by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, and he has created ballets for such companies as Allegheny Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Columbus Youth Ballet, Ithaca Ballet, Maine State Ballet, and New Castle Ballet among others

Desiree Witt holds a B.S. in Music Education and a M. Ed. in Dance Education from Frostburg State University. She works full time at Allegany High School in Cumberland, Maryland where she directs the Concert Choir, Show Choir, Chamber Choir, Drama Club and Dance Class. She teaches part-time in the music and dance departments of Frostburg State University. She serves on the Fine Arts Education Advisory Panel for the Maryland State Department of Education. She is also on the faculty of Morgantown Dance Studio in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she directed the Fall 2007 and the current 2009 production of The Nutcracker.

Ms. Witt works with area community theatre groups with such credits as Director, Musical Director, Choreographer, and Producer for various shows. Some of her favorite roles have been Bonnie in Anything Goes and Lilly in Annie. She has worked extensively with the Morgantown Dance Studio and Ballet West Virginia with directing, choreographing, and performing in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella among many.

She is certified to teach Vaganova Levels I-VI through John White, Irina Kolpakova, and the late Jurgen Schneider. Ms. Witt supplemented her training at Ballet Theatre of Annapolis, Point Park College, and with Madame Darvash in New York City.

Ms. Witt’s ballet students have been placed in prestigious schools and companies such as The Joffrey Ballet, School of American Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (Schenley Park), Point Park University, North Carolina School of the Arts and The Juilliard School.

In her home studio she trains dancers for the future of the dance world and has even choreographed for The Miss America Pageant. You may reach her at dezzwitt@yahoo.com or by calling 301-689-3052.

Faculty Profiles

Morgantown Dance is excited to welcome several new teachers this year.

Guest Faculty Profiles

Guest Faculty will periodically teach special classes at MDS.

(Be sure to check out the page on the all new Saturday Masters Series)

Lindy Mandradjieff, born in Pittsburgh, Pa, received the majority of her training at School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. Lindy began her professional career with the San Francisco Ballet, and in June of 2001, she joined the New York City Ballet.

While at the New York City Ballet, Ms. Mandradjieff danced featured roles in David Allan's Reunions; George Balanchine's Coppélia (Waltz), George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (Marzipan and Dolls), Raymonda Variations, La Sonnambula, and Walpurgisnacht Ballet; Peter Martins' Eight Easy Pieces, The Sleeping Beauty (Eloquence and Ruby), and Swan Lake (Pas de Trois and Pas de Quatre); Jerome Robbins' Interplay; Richard Tanner's Soirée; Helgi Tomasson's Prism; and Christopher Wheeldon's Mercurial Manoeuvres and Polyphonia. She also originated a featured role in Peter Martins' Viva Verdi and corps roles in Melissa Barak's Telemann Overture Suite in E Minor, Susan Stroman's Double Feature, and Christopher Wheeldon's Carnival of the Animals.

In 2002, Ms. Mandradjieff appeared in the nationally televised Live From Lincoln Center broadcast New York City Ballet's Diamond Project: Ten Years of New Choreography on PBS, dancing in Mercurial Manoeuvres.

In 2005, Ms. Mandradjieff graduated with a B.A. in Dance from St. Mary’s College and a Public and Professional Writing Certificate from the University of Pittsburgh.

Currently, Ms. Mandradjieff is an adjunct faculty member at Point Park University. She also teaches at The Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh and Wexford Dance Academy.

Lindsay LaFrankie Piper grew up in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. She studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, School of American Ballet and on full scholarship at the Kirov Academy of Ballet (Washington D.C.). At 17 Lindsay began her professional career when she joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, then under the directorship of Patricia Wilde. While there she enjoyed dancing a diverse repertoire of classical and contemporary works and working with established and emerging choreographers. Some of her favorite ballets included Balanchine’s Jewels and Symphony in C, Choo San Goh’s Beginnings and Kenneth McMillian’s Elite Syncopations. In 2002, Lindsay received a B.A. in Management from Chatham College, graduating magna cum laude with highest honors and with a membership in Phi Beta Kappa. She has taught ballet and rehearsed young children in the Pittsburgh area for the past seven years. She resides in Pleasant Hills with her husband Steven and their daughters Kyra and Ava.

Steven Piper began his training at the age of eleven with Mary Day at the Washington School of Ballet, and after that, the Maryland Youth Ballet with Michelle Lees, Tensia Fonseca and Eric Hampton. He also studied with Nicolai Morozov at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C., and after moving to Pittsburgh, he completed his training with Mansur Kamaletdinov, former Acting Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Steven danced professionally with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Nashville Ballet, performing in numerous classical and contemporary works. Among his favorites were Choo San Goh’s Beginnings, Configurations and Unknown Territory, as well as Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. In 2002 Steven graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh with a B. A. in History and Philosophy, and he is nearing completion of a Masters Degree in Historical Preservation from West Virginia University. During the past several years, he has taught ballet in the Pittsburgh area and has performed in many local and national venues.

Jamie Kinney Stutler is a native of Bridgeport who grew up under the instruction of Bonnie and Michael McGowan. A founding member of the Kitchen Sink Dance Company, Jamie went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree in dance from Radford University in Virginia. Jamie has performed professionally at Dollywood Amusement Park; Unto These Hills —Cherokee, NC, and for Ballet Gloria in Knoxville, TN. She has also taught and choreographed dance for various schools and performance groups in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and West Virginia. She is currently Artistic Director of the Momentum Center for the Arts, and choreographs for Doxa Dance Company, and the RCB Show Choir.

Lauren Slone has trained in classical ballet, pointe, and modern 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. In addition to several years of performing experience, Lauren has served as faculty at Academy of Ballet Arts, Stagecraft, Inc., Morgantown Dance Studio, and Momentum Center for the Arts. Upon completion of a B.A. in Religious Studies at WVU summa cum laude, Lauren was commissioned to choreograph for Frostburg State University's Dance Program, the National Dance Association’s Annual Gala, and a variety of regional dance festivals. She has also completed several pedagogical seminars such as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's Teacher Workshop, Finis Jhung's Ballet Technique Workshop, and the Leap 'n' Learn Early Childhood program. Recently, Lauren was named Artistic Director of the Morgantown Ballet Company (the performing company of Morgantown Dance) and served until August 2009. Currently, Lauren has accepted a full fellowship to attend Florida State University's School of Dance as an MFA candidate in Dance Performance and Choreography. She will complete the prestigious program in Spring 2012 and hopes to become a professor of dance.

Tadashi Kato is a Tai Chi & Qigong instructor, dance therapy instructor, and an interpretive dancer & performance artist. He has been practicing various forms of martial arts for over 30 years and also has been practicing Qigong for 19 years ever since he learned it from Master Kaku who was a graduate from Beijin Physical Education University. He also studied Japanese sword dance with Kensei Namiki; traditional style swordsmanship with Ken Morita; Butoh (Japanese avant-garde dance) with Moe Yamamoto, Toru Iwashita, and Kunishi Kamiryo; Ballet at various dance schools including Morgantown Dance Studio, Modern Dance with Bill Evans, Kista Tucker, Don Halquis, Angela Dennis, Kristina Isabella, and Pilobolous Dance Company; Jazz Dance with Liz Rossi; Contact Improvisation with Jordan Fuchs; Break Dance at Harajuku Dance Academy; Central Asian Dance, Persian Dance, and Middle Eastern Dance with Narah Bint Durr; West African Dance with Jonathan Burbank; and Eurythmy (a form of modern dance founded by Rudolf Steiner) with both Akira Kasai and with Jolanda Frischknecht at Austin Eurythmy Ensemble. He was also trained in Mime, Laban Movements Analysis (Bill Evans and Kista Tucker), Bartenieff Fundamental (Bill Evans and Don Halquis), Alexander Technique (Suzanne Oliver), Qigong, Tai Chi, and various other forms of martial arts. While teaching Tai Chi, Qigong, and dance therapy at various studios in WV, MD, and NY, he also performs originally choreographed interpretive dance repertories by integrating all the movement arts he had learned. He was a commissioned artist at Dayton Performance Art Festival in 2008 and was also recently selected as a solo dancer/choreographer for the adjudicated performance series at Judson Church through Movement Research in NY. Tadashi started teaching at Morgantown Dance Studio in 2004 and he also serves as a faculty member at Fairmont State University WV. He also directs the Tadashi Project that produces benefit-oriented dance theater through M.T.Pockets Theatre in Morgantown, WV.

Degrees

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology (Ohio University)

M.A., Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology (Tokyo University)

B.A., Aesthetics – Philosophy of Performing Arts (Tokyo University)

Donald Laney graduated from the University of California, Irvine with his MFA in dance in 2004. He is currently the Rehearsal/Co-Director of the West Virginia Dance Company. Before entering the graduate progam at UCI, Donald performed with the West Virginia Dance Company, Houlihan & Dancers (Miami, FL), Randy James Dance Worx (NYC), X-Factor (NC), and many guest appearances throughout the Mid-Atlantic states. While attending UCI, he had the opportunity to perform for Donald McKayle, Loretta Livingston, Lisa Naugle, and Christine Chrest, as well as presenting his own choreography which was chosen to represent UCI at ACDFA in 2003 and 2004. Donald's work with Lisa Naugle and John Crawford has produced three dance videos that have been presented at the Lincoln Center and in dance video conferences in Yugoslavia, Japan, New Jersey, Michigan, Arizona, and at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. Donald has taught at James Madison University, UCI, Lees-McRae College, ACDFA-Southwest region, and at many regionally events. In the summer of 2005, he was the modern dance instructor at the WV Governor's School of the Arts.

Heather Taylor-Martin earned her BA in dance from Point Park College, Pittsburgh, Pa. While at Point Park, Heather performed in many Pittsburgh Playhouse productions as well as an appearance at KCACDFA. She also worked with Theatre West Virginia as a dancer and ensemble actor in their summer season. Following graduation from Point Park, Heather joined the West Virginia Dance Company under the direction of Toneta Akers-Toler. As a member of the West Virginai Dance Company, she performed many roles such as Laura in a dance interpretation of The Glass Menagerie funded by a NEA Challenge grant. While performing at the West Virginia Dance Festival, Heather was introduced to the Kitchen Sink Dance Company and joined the company the following year. While performing with Kitchen Sink, which relocated to New York, she began working with Nadia Tarr at the Brooklyn Lyceum and performed with her company in Weightfall: An Elizabeth Pape Memorial Concert.

Before relocating back to Pittsburgh, Heather danced and taught independently, working on projects as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer and has often showcased work at the West Virginia Dance Festival.

Katie Finklea received her early training in Morgantown from Fiona Morris, Phyllis Greenwood, and Desiree Witt. She continued her formal training at Boston Ballet School, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Austin Ballet, and the North Carolina School of the Arts where she received her high school diploma. In addition to performances with NWVDC and NCSA, Katie has performed professionally with Boston Ballet and Boston Ballet II. Katie has been on faculty with the Morgantown Dance Studio, Momentum Center for the Arts, and the Northern West Virginia Performing Arts Academy. While teaching and coaching in West Virginia and Maryland, Katie earned a B.A. in political science and a minor in French from West Virginia University, graduating magna cum laude as a member of the WVU Honors program. Katie currently resides in Brooklyn, NY and works as a marketing consultant for the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Heather Ahern Assistant Professor of Dance, Director, Dance Program, West Virginia University, BA – Roger Williams University, MFA – California State University – Long Beach

Professor Ahern is originally from Providence, RI where she co-directed, toured, performed and taught with the critically acclaimed Groundwerx Dance Theatre for fifteen years. She is a past recipient of an Artist Project Grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts for the creation of a one-woman dance/play entitled Amazons, Goddesses and Others. She also received a Cirino Fellowship Award for three consecutive years from the Rhode Island Foundation. In addition to the creation of modern dance choreography, Heather has enjoyed working as a movement consultant and choreographer for Perishable Theatre and Trinity Repertory Theatre, both of Providence.

As a teacher and as a guest artist, Ahern has both taught and choreographed work for a variety of groups at colleges, universities and other educational institutions in Arizona, Alaska, and California and throughout New England. She taught Movement for the Actor in the graduate program at California State University, Long Beach, and Modern Dance Technique and Dance History at Long Beach City College. She is also a certified pilates instructor with a specialized study in dance conditioning.