FACULTY
 
Deanna Ford
Upper School Ballet, Jazz, Choreography
 Deanna Ford began her classical training in Washington State. Upon
her arrival in New York City, she continued her training, on scholarship,
at the School of American Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, The Harkness
Ballet and with David Howard. Deanna began her professional career
as a soloist with the Hartford Ballet. She was also a member of the
New Jersey Ballet. Deanna was a featured ballet dancer for Radio
City Music Hall Productions, and was also a Rockette at Radio City
Music Hall. She has been teaching classical ballet and jazz
throughout the Northeast for twelve years.  
Belle Golden
African, Choreography 		Belle Golden has been dancing since the age of four. She initially
studied ballet and tap at the New Rochelle School of Ballet. In
the late 1970's, she had the opportunity to study with Pearl Primus,
one of the pioneers of African Dance in America. Belle joined Pearl
Primus Dancers and performed throughout the United States. Belle
also studied at Dance Theatre of Harlem, The New Dance School in
New York City. She performed and danced with Alvin Ailey when
Mr. Ailey asked Pearl Primus Dancers to work with his company.

Belle has taught African Dance throughout both Westchester County
and Dutchess County. She is also a personal trainer and was
interviewed on The Today Show in New York City on the subject of fitness. 
Pilly Gonzalez
Hip-Hop, Choreography

Pilly Gonzalez was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. As a child
she studied ballet and jazz. In her early teens, Pilly began studying
Hip-Hop. She has studied with choreographers Rhapsody, Luam, Geo
Hubela, Frank Gatson, and Brian Friedman. Her athletic Hip-Hop is
infused with jazz, latin, pop, afro-caribbean, and break-dance. In
2003, Pilly formed her own dance crew, and, since then, her crew has
performed in a wide variety of venues. Pilly has been teaching Hip-Hop
throughout the Northeast for thirteen years.

Pilly appeared on the television show "So You Think You Can Dance?"
and also on MTV’s "Making the Band 3".


 
Monifa Kincaid
Tap
 Monifa Kincaid is a rhythm tap dancer and choreographer who trained
with Brenda Bufalino and Barbara Duffy, among others. She has performed
in New York City and throughout the Hudson Valley; at The American Tap
Dance Foundation’s Tap City Festival; with the C3 Tap Co-Operative;
Andrea Del Conte; Barbara Duffy; Brenda Bufalino; and with the Mary
Seidman Dance Group, among others. She is currently performing every
Monday night at The Cotton Club in New York City. Monifa received a
Master of Arts in Dance from the Laban Center in the United Kingdom,
and a Master of Sciences in Early Childhood Education from Lehman
University. She has taught rhythm tap throughout the Hudson Valley
and in New York City.  
Denyse Looney
Middle School & Upper School Ballet, Choreography
 Denyse Looney began her training at the New School of Ballet, in
Schenectady, New York, under the direction of Phyllis Marmein. During
her early years as a dancer, she performed childrens' roles in numerous
ballets, including The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night's Dream and
Firebird. When she was fourteen, Andre Eglevsky arranged an audition
for Ms. Looney at the School of American Ballet, where she was accepted
under full scholarship. Ms. Looney danced professionally with the
Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, the Washington Ballet and the Hartford
Ballet, and as a soloist with the Eglevsky Ballet Company.

Ms. Looney studied with David Howard, Melissa Hayden, Robert Denvers,
Bobby Blankshine, and Dianna Cartier, among others, and has taught
ballet technique for Robert Denvers. 
Marguerite Scherr McNeilly
Lower & Middle School Ballet, Choreography
 Maggie McNeilly began her ballet training with the Garden State Ballet,
performing with the Company as Clara in The Nutcracker at age nine. At
11, she began studies here at Ballet Arts Studio, and at age 13 Maggie
performed with The Poughkeepsie Ballet in The Nutcracker as both the
Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy. The following season, Maggie
performed with the New York City Ballet, under the direction of
Peter Martins and Heather Watts, at the Saratoga Performing Arts
Center. She spent three seasons at the Jacobs Pillow Dance
Festival, training with, among others, American Ballet Theatre,
The Royal Danish Ballet, the Martha Graham Dance Company and
the Paul Taylor Dance Company, before joining, at age 16,
the Central Pennsylvania Ballet as a soloist.

Maggie's teachers have included David Howard, Peter Martins, Melissa
Hayden, Benjamin Harkarvy, Edward Villella, Johann Renvall and Bobbie
Blankshine. She has been on the faculty for summer dance programs held
at the State University of New York at Purchase and taught at the Logrea
Dance Academy and for the Westchester Ballet Company. 
Laura Seaman
Lower School Ballet, Choreography
 Laura Seaman has been dancing since the age of three. At eight, she
began to study ballet at Ballet Arts Studio. As a teenager, she
continued her training at Ballet Arts with Valerie Feit, Hilda Morales
and Laurie Freedman. In 1995, Laura earned a BFA in Dance, with a
scholarship, from the State University of New York at Purchase. While
at SUNY Purchase, she studied with Kevin Wynn, Larry Clark, Sarah
Stackhouse, Neil Greenberg and Kazuko Hirabayashi. Laura was a company
member of The In-Forward-Motion Dance Company, under the artistic
direction of Debra Noble. While in the Company, she performed the
works of Colin Connor, Jean Churchill, Albert Reid, Alan Danielson,
Randy James, Neta Pulvermacher and Maida Withers. Laura then
joined the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company. Laura has taught dance to
children and adults. She is also a Registered Nurse.

 
Michael Shannon
Ballet Faculty & Resident Choreographer

 Michael Shannon received his professional traning on scholarship at the
School of American Ballet and the National Ballet School of Canada.
At age 19, he became the first American scholarship graduate of the
Bolshoi Academy, and the first American Principal Dancer of the Bolshoi
Ballet. He was a Principal Dancer for the Vienna State Opera Ballet,
England's Birmingham Royal Ballet, and was also the Permanent Principal
Guest Artist with the Kremlin Palace Ballet Theatre and Hungarian State
Opera Ballet. He is a two-time laureate and medal winner in international
ballet competition, received commendations from Presidents George F. W.
Bush & Bill Clinton, and performed for President and Mrs. Gorbachev
and President and Mrs. Ford.

Michael is a graduate of the Moscow Choreographic Institute, and received
a Professor of Choreography degree from the Ukrainian State Academy
of Ballet. He has premiered 37 ballets in the United States and Europe
since 1995, and was named Outstanding Choreographer by the Youth
American Grand Prix in 2008.  
Laura Sine
Lower School Ballet, Choreography 		Laura began her dance training at age three.  She studied at Ballet Arts Studio and was a member of the Duchess Ballet Company.  She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from Mercyhurst College in 2003, with a concentration in teaching dance and in choreography.  After graduating, Laura trained at the Paul Taylor Dance Company School and The Merce Cunningham Dance School.  She was a member of Carol Fonda & Company.  Laura is currently performing and touring with Saint Michael's Warriors Dance Company located in the Bronx, New York.  Laura has been teaching dance since 1995.  She is a certified personal trainer as well as a spinal rehabilitation specialist.  
Yuriy Vodolaga
Middle and Upper School Ballet
 Yuriy Vodolaga was born in Kiev, Ukraine. He trained at the Academy of
Classical Ballet in Kiev, and began his professional career with the Kiev
State Ballet Theatre. He received his Masters Degree in teaching from
the St. Petersburg Conservatory of Classical Ballet in St. Petersburg,
Russia. Yuriy has been teaching Vagonova-based classical ballet for
twenty years, both in Russia and in the United States. He has been
a guest teacher with the San Francisco Ballet, Baton Rouge Ballet,
the Greenwich Academy of Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet
Company, the Peri Dance Center in New York City, the Broadway Dance
Center in New York City, and the Miami City Ballet. For the past
five years, Yuriy has been the main guest pedagogue for the Youth
America Grand Prix Competition in New York City. Yuriy's students
are members of major ballet companies worldwide, including American
Ballet Theatre and the New York City Ballet.


 
 

STAFF
 
Sheri Mulligan

Administrative Assistant 
Mary Pesacreta

Administrative Assistant