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Instructor Biographies

Rebecca Allen -Ballet/Modern- received her early dance training with the Jefferson Ballet Theatre (JBT) in New Orleans, Louisiana under the direction of Myra Mier.  She has performed lead roles and solos in ballets such as The Nutcracker, along with works by both classical and contemporary choreographers such as Gayle Parmelee and Marek Chowela.  She was a company member of JBT for several years before going on to study both ballet and studio art at Loyola University where she danced with the Loyola Ballet (1996-1997), and in 2001 she received her B.A. in cultural studies with an emphasis in studio art and theatre from the University of New Orleans.  She began to study modern dance in the fall of 2004 under the direction of choreographer Sharon Perry and at Tulane University in New Orleans.  She furthered her study at the American Dance Festival in the summer of 2005.  She teaches ballet at First Light Arts Academy in Franklin, TN and is currently dancing professionally with StillPoint Dance Theatre, a modern dance company based in Nashville, TN.

Kelvin Amburgey -Modern/Jazz- has his undergraduate degree in Theatre from Morehead State University in Kentucky and his Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Kelvin has performed professionally in Theatre and Dance across the United States with various companies ranging from the Pennsylvania Opera Theatre, and Unto These Hills to commercials for CMT. He spent several years with the Tennessee Dance Theatre and has performed with several local companies in dance and theatre. Kelvin has taught Dance and Theatre for the past 20 years in various studios, colleges and universities. He has taught all levels of jazz dance, modern, improvisation, and musical theatre dance at Vanderbilt University since 1993.

Aaron Chen -Modern/Ballet- Mr. Chen began his training at American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, CA.  He also studied under the Fuller Brothers of Le Studio Dance.  In 1997 he was invited to join At Marah Dance Theatre and was mentored under the supervision of Stephen Wynne in Philadelphia, PA. In 2001 he continued his training at Belhaven College in Jackson, MS.  He was a charter member of Polarity Dance Theatre led by Marc Arentsen. In October of 2007 Mr. Chen had the opportunity to do a month long residency and two night performance with the Jose Limon Dance Company.  He is a guest artist under the mentorship of Sharon Perry and StillPoint Dance Theatre where he continues his choreographic explorations. Mr. Chen teaches at workshops and conventions around the nation and loves the opportunity to expand students' dance vocabulary.

Travis Cooper -Jazz/Hip Hop- Travis is originally from middle Tennessee and graduated from Nashville School of the Arts.  He has trained under many local instructors including Stacie Flood-Popp and Erin Law.  He received a full scholarship to attend The Edge in Los Angeles where he was privileged to study with many prestigious choreographers for an entire year.  Travis has performed in UNITY, a Los Angeles based dance company under the Artistic Direction of Tessandra Chavez as well as with Collide, another Los Angeles dance company Directed by Erica Sobol. Additionally, Cooper has performed and toured with R&B recording artist Nicole.

Nomalanga Eniafe -West African Dance- Nomalanga teaches movements based upon traditional African dance forms. Her style and class regime is designed to bring forth new life and new energy through the power of rhythm and dance. Her students develop a new consciousness about themselves and traditional African culture. Nomalanga has traveled to Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky to teach and perform her art.

Keith Fitzpatrick -Hip Hop Funk- was born in Nashville, TN. A self taught dancer, he has choreographed for the Dove Awards, and the CMT awards. He has also been featured in several TV spots for Toyota, WSIX, and a pilot episode of a television show. After working as Artistic Director for Remix Dance in Franklin, TN, Keith began teaching workshops across the country with Dancers Rock, and NYLANASH Entertainment, and is currently teaching Hip-Hop for several dance studios in the Nashville, TN area. Keith is also a talented music producer, working with hip-hop and R&B acts in a joint venture with Skyline Music Group in Nashville, TN. With a dance style that has an urban edge, with a lyrical twist, Keith is fast becoming a very sought after and respected Choreographer.

Reischa Feuerbacher -Belly Dance- is an experienced Belly Dance Performer and Instructor focused on both traditional and modern fusion styles. She has been a dancer and choreographer for world fusion group Labyrinthe since 1999, and later founded The Labyrinthe Belly Dance Company. She has studied Middle Eastern with accomplished Arabic musicians and dancers such as Laylia White, Aziza and Suhaila Salimpour. Reischa received her degree in Theater Performance from MTSU, where she also served as choreographer for the university's production of Tales of Arabian Nights. Her solo performances include festivals, Arabic weddings, and restaurants. She is also teaching at places such as La Colmena Dance Studio and Centennial Arts Center.

Stacie Flood-Popp -Jazz/Contact Improvisation- received her BA in Art from Wittenberg University. She moved to Paris, France at 21and began dance training in Modern, Jazz, Salsa, Hip Hop, and Contemporary Dance at two top studios in Paris: Cite’ Veron and Studio Harmonic. While in France, Flood-Popp danced professionally under Jean-Claude Marignale, Dominique Lesdema, Christopher Huggins, Bruno Collinet and Beverley DeFosses. In America, Stacie has trained in Vagonava Ballet, West African Dance, and several styles of Modern. She has studied extensively with renowned U.S. instructors Andre Fuentes, Leslie Scott, Scott Hislop, Kim Neal Nofsinger, Margi Cole, Allen Gartrell, and Mecca Vazie Andrews and has created a strong working relationship with them that affords her students a cutting-edge dance education. She is currently the Modern and Advanced Jazz instructor at Nashville School of the Arts (a public arts magnet high school), and also teaches dance at Harpeth Hall and Vanderbilt University. Flood-Popp is co-director of found movement group with Erin Law.

Erin Law, B.A., C.L.M.A. -Bartenieff Fundamentals, Improvisation, Modern/Vanderbilt Dance Program Coordinator - attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY from which she graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. and High Honors in Dance. She went on to the Integrated Movement Studies (IMS) program to pursue her Certification in Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis held at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City where she studied with Peggy Hackney, Janice Meaden, and Ed Groff. Erin has taught Modern Technique, Choreography, LMA, Contact Improvisation and Bartenieff Fundamentals as a guest at the Tennessee Association of Dance, Middle Tennessee State University, Vanderbilt University, among many other locations. She has been a guest teacher/choreographer at Nashville School of the Arts public arts magnet school for four years and continues to create works with the students there. In 2005, Ms. Law joined Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre with Kim Nofsinger, and in 2007, formed found movement group with colleague Stacie Flood-Popp. Most recently, Law has been Artist-in-Residency for Berea College, Eastern Tennessee State University and for University of Virginia in 2008. Erin is the Dance Program Coordinator at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN. Her teaching philosophy is based around individuality; the interplay of improvisation and technique, function and expression, inner and outer, and stability and mobility; whole-person learning; and the fundamentals of human developmental movement as they are described and manifested through Bartenieff Fundamentals/the Basic 6 and Laban Movement Analysis.

Quamessia "Missa" Pruitt -Tap and Jazz Funk- is an innovative choreographer and instructor, with an energetic style and an inspiring class curriculum. A graduate from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Missa received training at a local dance studio in Alabama and supplemented her dance training by studying with instructors from The Edge and Tremaine studios in LA, Broadway Dance Center in New York City, and Joel Hall Dance Center in Chicago, IL. Also, she has taught and choreographed for various studios in Chicago and the Southeast region. With over ten years of choreography experience, Missa's pieces have won numerous awards including several choreography awards. Missa strives to build confidence in her students while teaching them that "Without struggle there is no progress."

Thomas Shoemaker -Ballet/Vanderbilt Dance Theatre Artistic Director- was a principal dancer with companies including the Atlanta Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Augusta Ballet, and Charleston Ballet Theatre in a professional career that spanned 25 years. As a guest artist and choreographer, he has worked with numerous dance and theatre companies throughout the U.S. and abroad. Mr. Shoemaker also served as ballet master for the Augusta ballet from 2001-2004. As a teacher, Thomas has taught for high schools, performing arts schools, colleges and at numerous summer programs and festivals. He received his training, starting at the age of 10, from Tommy Armour, Robert Pike and Judith Newman, in his home town of Miami, Florida.

Joyce Smith -Modern and Jazz- is a professional dance artist who divides her time between teaching, performing, and administration. As an instructor she has taught modern, jazz, ballet and creative movement. She has been a guest teaching artist for the Sarratt Youth Art Institute, the Nashville School of the Arts, and has served as a substitute instructor for the School of Nashville Ballet. In addition to teaching technique classes for Vanderbilt University's Dance Program, Joyce teaches and choreographs for the dance companies at The Harpeth Hall School. As a performer she has danced the diverse repertory of numerous choreographers including Paul Taylor, Claire Porter, Joel Hall, Laurie Merriman, and Kim Nofsinger. Currently a freelance dancer, Joyce received her early classical ballet training from Lisa Boehm and continued to study ballet and jazz with various instructors throughout the Chicagoland area. She began her studies in modern dance and composition under the guidance of Laurie Merriman while completing her undergraduate degree. Over the past eight years Joyce has worked in arts administration and dance production for The Juilliard School Dance Division, the Vanderbilt Summer Dance Festival, the New York State Summer School of the Arts School of Dance, the American Dance Legacy Institute, the Illinois Summer School for the Arts, and Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre.

Marsha Tardy - Marsha has been dancing, choreographing and teaching in Nashville since 2003. She is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Middle Tennessee State University where she teaches courses in Modern Dance Technique, Somatic Theory and Practice, Dance History and Dance Studies. Marsha received her BFA is choreography from Arizona State University and her MFA in Performance and Choreography with an emphasis in Somatics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. From 2003 to 2007, she served as the program director for the Vanderbilt Dance Program. She has worked in the US and abroad including The University of Colorado, Western Kentucky University, The Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, Vanderbilt University, and the Pavillon Noir in Aix-en-Provence, France. Marsha is a devoted inquisitor of the body and believes that movement, in the form of dance, has the ability to  communicate, transform, awaken, provoke and inspire individuals and communities. Her classes encourage individual creativity and physical potential in a fun and non-intimidating atmosphere.

Class Descriptions

Levels:

I/II - This level is geared toward beginning to intermediate dancers, or students who have had little to moderate experience in this dance form.

III/IV - This level is for intermediate to advanced dancers, or students who have had moderate to more frequent dance training. 

Please note:  If you feel you need to switch to a less advanced class after trying one at the advanced level, you are encouraged to do so. 

*Classes with no level assignment are generally "open level" for all to try.

Ballet - Ballet I/II: This beginning and intermediate class is suitable for students with varied dance backgrounds. The class will focus on correct alignment, moving with rhythmic precision and full expressive use of the body to increase technical skills and expressivity.

Ballet III/IV: This class will provide an intense muscular workout for intermediate to advanced level students. Focus will be placed correct alignment, ease of movement and dancing fully with musicality. Rhythm, momentum and spatial clarity are emphasized.

Bartenieff Fundamentals - An introduction to the study of Irmgard Bartenieff's system of body reeducation based on Rudolf Laban's movement theories. Students will learn fundamental body patterns, dynamic approaches to movement efficiency, and integration in order to dance as a whole-bodied being. The class will develop lower body support, alignment, breath support, body pattern integrations, weight shifts and locomotion movement.

Belly Dance - An introduction to the fundamentals of belly dance. This course includes instruction in isolations and foundation techniques.  Movements learned in class will be formed into exciting combinations and choreography.

Collaborations - There a few classes dedicated to blending styles or partnering within a specific style of dance.  Two instructors will be present for the class, allowing students the advantage of learning from a pedagogical fusion.

Composition - This class will present some basic tools necessary to approach the art of choreography. We explore inroads to developing movement material through solo and group work, focus on constuctive critique, and through movement improvisation and other practices which may lead to the eventual formation of a whole dance.

Contact Improvisation  - Explores ways of listening to and directing a partner in communication through movement.  It is an environment in which we safely share each other's weight while seeking the many possiblities available through this exchange.  we will discuss some techniques and general principles that facilitate togetherness in improvisational movement.

Dance Improvisation - The exploration of individual movement possibilities through guided structural suggestion.  Class is constructed in order to assist dancers to find their own style of movement and push themselves past conventional limitations in dance training. The possibilities are many.

Hip Hop - Based on street dance and video/commercial dance. Tennis shoes and sweats or shorts preferred.

Hip Hop Funk - Combines lyrical jazz, artistic interpretation and hip hop dance. Focus is placed mostly on style and loosely on technique. Tennis shoes and shorts, or dance clothes preferred.

Jazz - Basic jazz techniques and positions, plus stretching and strengthening. Across the floor progressions, lyrical and classical jazz combinations are taught.

Modern - Focus on control, center, breathing, balance, strength and musicality as well as refining and articulating modern dance principals.  Advanced students will be challenged with refined, progressive floor work, being upside down and otherwise off-vertical, and getting in and out of the floor with ease.  See instructor's bios for more information about style.

Site Specific Dances - Movement will be danced outside (weather permitting) at a site of the instructor's choosing.  Movement may be in response to the site, the group moving, or a combination of those factors.  Some improvisation may be incorporated.

Somatic Beginnings (Alexander Technique-based) - In Somatic Beginnings we will integrate the mind and body through the process of breathing, sensing and connection our bodies through fundamental movement practices. We will work toward gaining a deeper understanding of our body’s proper use and function in daily activities, and in more complex activities such as dancing. The techniques  that we will experience include experiential-based movement explorations, hands on guidance, yoga and the Alexander Technique.  It is my intention to co-create with you an environment conductive to contemplative practice and theoretical application.

Tap - A syncopated movement dance style that is exhilarating and great fun for all ages.

West African Dance - These classes will explore dances from various West African countries and groups of people.  It will serve as a great intorduction for those interested in learning basics of African dance, as well as a cardio-vascular and healing experience.  A lappa (Yourba for skirt) or a sarong is suggested but not required for women attending this class.

Yoga - Offers a meditative approach to assist the body in stretching to its fullest potential.