Dance Arts Collaborative

Dance Arts Collaborative

DANCE FACULTY

Reina Faith
Instructor of Young Children's Program, Jazz Program, Jumps & Turns, Pre-Ballet, Beginner Ballet, Advanced Beginner Ballet, Ballet I, Teen/Adult Ballet

Reina received her early dance training from Irene Fokine where she was a jazz scholarship recipient and a member of Ms. Fokine's company. Her background was furthered with concentrated study in Boston at Emerson College where she was a member of the contemporary dance company Off-Balance and Moving West. She then moved to New York City where she was a graduate from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is an Equity performer whose many credits include the Off-Broadway production and national tour of The Secret Garden, as well as regional, dance and television work. She has been on faculty at Interlochen Center for the Arts, Summer 2000, where she also choreographed the main stage production of Kiss Me Kate. Her contemporary piece "A Cello Romp" (created for the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS) was performed at the Palm Desert Choreography Festival Under the Stars. Reina was the choreographer and director of the full length dance theatre piece called Fortune Cookie Fortunes based on the book by author Grace Lin for the non profit organization Families With Children From China. She was also proud to have her piece "Kindertransport" based on the Kindertransport of World War II commissioned by the Kindertransport Survivor Society and shown at their annual conference in New Jersey; it was a recipient of a Pennsylvania Humanities Grant through the Children's Cultural Center. Reina has been the Associate Director of Dance at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA where she was one of the choreographers involved in Collaboration, the premiere of a new Jazz Ballet produced by Moravian College at Foy Hall. She was a finalist in the Leo's Jazz Dance Choreography Event at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago Summer 2009, and she is the Artistic Director of the non-profit dance and theatre company Artists in Rhythm, along with her husband Chris.

Molly Farrell
Instructor of Ballet II, III/V, V, Pointe, Advanced Ballet

Molly Farrell began her training and is currently back as a principal dancer with Repertory Dance Theatre in Lehigh Valley as well as a Principal Dancer of our own Artists In Rhythm. She has performed many works, such as Balanchine's Stars and Stripes at Regional Dance America Festivals. Molly continued her training and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance from University of Cinncinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, where she had the honor of dancing the principal role in Giselle during her Senior year. Post graduation Molly went on to dance for the Dayton Ballet, Kentucky Ballet Theatre and Ballet Theatre Maryland. Molly is also on faculty at the Allen Program, The Allentown Academy of the Arts, as well as Repertory Dance Theatre.

Maggie Anderson
Instructor of Ballet for Jazz

Maggie Anderson received her MFA (Musical Theatre) from Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, her BFA from Elon University (Musical Theatre Major, Dance Minor) and high school diploma from North Carolina School of the Arts. Maggie is a proud member of Actor's Equity and has performed in NYC and regional theatres across the country as well as television and film. Favorites include: Walnut Street Theatre, where she will be seen again this Fall 2008 in State Fair. Fulton Opera House, Galveston Grand Opera House, North Shore Music Theatre, Trump Plaza Atlantic City, Gateway Playhouse, and most recently the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago for Surflight Theatre in Suflight, NJ. She has taught for schools and companies across the country. She was the Artistic Director of the Broadway Dance Studio in Queens, NY and also on staff teaching the professional program at Manhattan Motion in NYC. She has been a guest teacher at Spritioso Ballet as well as being on faculty at Toni's Studio of Dance in Levittown where she teaches upper level ballet and jazz. Maggie is also a founding member of Artists In Rhythm.

Tony Jackson
Visiting Guest Artist, Boy's Ballet, Guest Choreographer

A native of Philadelphia, Tony began his formal training at the Philadelphia High School for Creative & Performing Arts, where he later went on to be a guest teacher. He went on to study at PHILADANCO, the Rock School for Dance Education and recently the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Tony has his BFA in Ballet Performance from the University of the Arts and has danced and apprenticed for local companies: Eleone Dance Theatre and Philadanco D/2. Tony is currently a guest artist with Smoke, Lillies & Jade Arts Initiative under the direction of Zane Booker.

Sarah Cooper
Ballet Coordinator / Guest Choreographer

Sarah Cooper is the founder of Philadelphia Dance Access. She grew up in Philadelphia, PA and studied classical ballet with master teacher Marion Tonner. Sarah also completed intense studies at Central PA Youth Ballet under Artistic Director Marcia Dale Weary. Sarah has a college degree from State University of New York and has completed Composition of Dance at American University and studies in Temple University's Masters of Dance education program. In Washington, DC Sarah worked for Maryland Youth Ballet and developed her own syllabus for early childhood education dance programs. Along with teaching Sarah performed both classical and contemporary works throughout the District and Maryland. She also staged and was rehearsal assistant for original works for emerging choreographers. Sarah's passion is for dance education, and she believes that dance is a wonderful way to develop the life skills of discipline and hard work. Sarah is currently a faculty member of The Rock School in Philadelphia.

Rochelle Haynes
Instructor for Tap II/III and Advanced Tap

Rochelle Haynes, a Dallas Texas native, has been dancing since the age of three. She received her BFA in modern dance from the University of the Arts. Rochelle became a principal dancer of Tap Team Two in 1997, traveling the US teaching the history of tap. She has shared the stage with tap greats Germaine Ingram and Nicole Hockenberry to name a few. In her 10th year of teaching, she is honored to now be on the faculty at the University of the Arts and a tap guest artist in residence at Moravian College. Ms. Haynes is happy to be in her second year as choreographer for the Garden State Dance Festival.

Faith Sherman
Instructor of Beginner Tap, Tap I/II, Teen Tap/Adult Tap

Faith Sherman is an Equity performer who was in the original cast of Nunsense at the Society Hill Playhouse in Philadelphia. She is a founding member of Storybook Musical Theatre and conducts their Page to Stage workshops for young children. She has been the choreographer for Germantown Academy for over ten years. She has studied and danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet and has taught ballet, theatre dance and tap for various schools in the Philadelphia area.

Hope VonSas
Instructor of Hip-Hop

Hope VonSas comes to us from Hanover, PA where she spent the past three years on faculty at Oxford School of Performing Arts teaching Hip-Hop and Contemporary. She is a graduate of University of the Arts here in Philadelphia and has also studied at many conventions such as Hollywood Vibe, The Pulse and Monsters of Hip Hop with all the Hip Hop greats such as Shane Sparks, Brian Friedman, Cris Judd, Napolean and Tabitha Dumo and many more. We welcome Hope to our DAC faculty.