Faculty Biographies
Adrienne Clancy builds on 18 years of professional dance and choreographic experience as a member of the Bella Lewitzky Dance Company and the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, where she held leadership roles as Rehearsal Director, Community Arts Project Director, and a lead performer. She has an M.A. in Dance with an emphasis in Dance History & Criticism from the University of New Mexico and a BFA in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to directing ClancyWorks, teaching dance at George Mason University, she is currently pursuing a PhD in Dance from Texas Woman's University.
Christine Cobb has a BA in dance from Illinois State University (1976) and an MA with a choreographic emphasis from The Ohio State University (1989). She has taught at various state, regional, and national professional conferences and served as Dance Vice-President of the PA State Association of HPERD. She is a tenured faculty member at Youngstown State University, artistic director of the YSU Dance Ensemble, choreographs the annual musical theater productions, and administrates the dance minor.
Thom Cobb is an Associate Professor and senior faculty member in the Department of Dance at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. Well versed in several dance forms, including traditional forms and character dance, Thom currently focuses his work in the area of dance education and teaches Dance Fundamentals, Introduction to Dance, Introduction to Creative Dance, Improvisation and Modern and Jazz dance technique. He is invited to present numerous workshops and master classes throughout the United States every year including the prestigious Dance Teacher Magazine Summer Conference in New York City. In 2007 Thom received the College/University Dance Educator of the Year Award from the National Dance Association (NDA).
Dianna Cuatto is Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Maryland [BTM], the premier professional ballet company in Maryland, coming to Annapolis after serving as Ballet Mistress for the Richmond Ballet for four seasons. She began her career as a professional dancer with Ballet West, and was promoted to principal dancer in 1970. She has choreographed eight full-length ballets, more than 20 short works, and has restaged more than 14 works, including William Christensen's Swan Lake, Act II and Nolan T'Sani's Awakening and has had a career in Hollywood performing and choreographing in movies, television, and live theater.
Nakia Dickens (jumps/tricks/turns) trained at Towson University's Children's Dance Division where she was on full scholarship. She has studied at The Baltimore School for The Arts and graduated from The Carver School of Arts and Technology. Her performance experience includes Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Theater Project, King's Dominion, Towsontowne Festivals, The Towson University Children's Dance Division Troupe, The Stephanie Powell Dance Ensemble. She is currently a member of The Rage Box Contemporary Dance Company and on their Dance Faculty teaching Hip Hop, Tap, Jazz, Modern Dance, and Jumps, Tricks & Turns.
Steffany Haaz, is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), Certified Movement Analyst (CMA), and dancer/choreographer. She has a BA in Biology and Dance from Oberlin College and an MFA in choreography from the University of MD and has a career in clinical research of mind/body therapies. Steffany has taught somatic studies in colleges and universities, workplaces, and private studios. Currently, she is Project Director in the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center and a doctoral candidate in Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on the role of physical activity, diet, stress management, and other lifestyle changes in the overall management of chronic conditions.
Carol Hess is Associate Professor and Chair of Dance at UMBC in Catonsville and choreographs and performs with the PHOENIX Repertory Dance Co. She has been artistic director of the Oregon Dance Theater and PHOENIX and has taught at the International Dance Studio in NY, Southern Oregon State College, and the Jazz Dance Center in Amsterdam. She has a BA in dance from Barnard College and an MA from Columbia University in Dance Education. She has been on the faculty of the International School of Dance at Carnegie Hall, and the American College Dance Festival and has given dozens of workshops, lecture-dems, and teacher training sessions in modern dance, creative dance, and tap.
Aquiles Holladay trained and dances with Kathy Hardy Gray Dance Theater in Northern Virginia and Momentum Dance Company in D.C. His dance background includes Afro-Brazilian, Latin, modern dance, hip hop, jazz, and club dance. He is Assistant Director of Community Programs for Momentum and a dance specialist for D.C. Scores where he teaches hip hop for the Higher Achievement Program. He also coordinates and instructs for Momentum's Jazz, Hip Hop Camp.
Vanessa L. Jackson (lyrical jazz) is a Professor at Coppin State University where she chairs the dance program. She earned a B.S. in dance from the University of Maryland at College Park and MFA from Temple University. She has studied in NY with at the Dance Theater of Harlem with Karel Shook and Tanaquil LeClerq, Peridance Centre with Finis Jhung, and, Ballet Arts with Ronald Perry. She has also studied traditional Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Cuban dance at Joneeba Dance Center in NYC and has performed with international companies.
Rhodie Jorgenson (ballet) received her training at the School of American Ballet & the American Ballet Theatre School and is on the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet. As a performer she danced with ABT for 7 years, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Radio City Music Hall Ballet Co., in summer stock musicals, and on stage, TV, and in movies. She is the children's ballet mistress for the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center and has successfully coached gold & silver medal winners at International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Karen Katrinic received her early training in Baltimore from Janette Brown and continued her training in NY and performed in equity musicals and revues. Her choreographic credits include PBS, off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions, recently for the Alaska Dance Theatre. She has been a guest artist at the Fairbanks (Alaska) Summer Arts Festival, a guest choreographer for Alaska Dance Theatre in Anchorage, and a guest tap teacher for the Dance Council of Dallas Texas. She currently teaches at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and Anne Arundel Community College (AACC).
Renee Lamont trained at the Baltimore School of the Arts and with Spanish Dance Society with whom she also performed. A member of Momentum Dance Theater since 2003, Renee toured with Momentum to New York City and performed at the Merce Cunningham Studio. She has also performed with the Washington National Opera and as a flamenco dancer at Jaleos and many other restaurants in the Washington area. She has taught hip hop, ballet, creative movement and flamenco at DC Dance Collective and CityDance Center at Strathmore Hall in Rockville.
Calen Kurka started his training in Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Modern, and Chinese Dance. Currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, Calen has also taught across Canada, the U.S., and Japan. He is a Master Faculty member for Dance Masters of America and is on faculty of Dance Educators of America. His choreography has been recognized as outstanding at many competitions throughout the U.S. and Canada. In addition to teaching in and around New York, he's also assistant to choreographer/director/instructor, Michele Assaf. He's also the founder, director and choreographer of :pushing progress, a contemporary dance and workshop company dedicated to pushing the limits of movement, creativity, and one's art form.
Kamel Nance graduated from Swarthmore College as a sociology-anthropology major, completed an M.Ed. in Dance at Temple University, and is currently working toward an Ed.D. in Dance at Temple. He is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Kariamu & Company: Traditions and has started a new dance initiative with dance partner, Stafford C. Berry, Jr. of the African American Dance Ensemble called The Berry & Nance Dance Project. Kemal teaches African dance at Swarthmore.
Lucy Bowen McCauley was trained in Indianapolis, at Interlochen, and on scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School. She has performed with the Joffrey Concert Group, the Maryland Ballet, the Virginia Ballet, Daniel West Dancers, and was a founding member of Eric Hampton Dance. Since 1996 Ms. McCauley has been the artistic director of the critically acclaimed Bowen McCauley Dance, which performs regularly at the Kennedy Center. She has choreographed over 40 ballets for her own and other companies and has been a guest teacher throughout the US and Mexico. She is a pioneer in stretch technique.
Dr. John Michie is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and Exercise Physiologist with a private practice in Broadneck Medical Center in Arnold, MD, and Evolutions Body Clinic in Annapolis. He has 13 years of practice treating athletes, dancers, and the general public utilizing applied kinesiology, spinal manipulative therapy, physiotherapy, and nutrition. He is Arts Medicine Team Director and co-founder and has over 1000 hours proficiency training in musculoskeletal injury and sports performance management, clinical nutrition disorders, and rehabilitation.
Roberta Rothstein has been performing, choreographing, and teaching in New York, Chicago, Washington, DC, and Europe for 30 years. She trained at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and has performed with Bill T. Jones, Talley Beatty, David Holmes, and in musical theater, cabaret, and industrial shows. She is the founder-director of Momentum Dance Theatre in D.C. and currently teaches at DC Dance Collective, Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, and RESULTS the Gym.
Natalia Schifini was born and raised in Argentina where she started ballet lessons at five years old. As a teenager, she had a chance to travel through the Caribbean where she discovered a passion for Salsa, learning (Cuban Style Salsa, Mambo, and Salsa Rueda "Casino") studying with Quico Cespedes (renowned Salsa, Merengue, & Cha Cha Cha instructor from Dominican Republic). She connected with her roots and immersed herself in the famous, traditional Argentine Tango and has studied with various teachers in Argentina and the U.S. On her trips to Buenos Aires, she tours the best Milongas where the most traditional form of Tango still is experienced.