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.

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.

Ryan Tuerk
Instructor of Ballet

Ryan started dancing at age seventeen. Originally a gymnast, Ryan discovered his love of dance by searching new ways to move and express himself. In 2005 Ryan graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in jazz dance. While in college, he had the pleasure of working with such companies as Koresh, Philanco and Pennsylvania Ballet. Ryan was a soloist in the 2005 Philadelphia "Live Arts" Fringe Festival, dancing in a piece titled "Patio Plastico" directed by Brian Sanders (of Momix). He has also performed with Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. While living in Florida, he co-founded (with hip-hop mogul Pablo Malco) a pre-professional hip-hop company called "Imputz." Currently, Ryan dances as a principal dancer for "Spiritoso Ballet." Teaching and choreography are his passion; his free time is spent coming up with new and innovative movement combining fundamentals of jazz with the "Vagonava" Ballet Syllabus, and exploring texture, rhythm, and multi-directional flow of energy.

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.

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.

Cara Maher
Instructor of Hip-Hop

Originally from Pennsylvania, Cara grew up with a passion for dance from the age of 3. For the next 14 years, she trained in all areas of dance including tap, jazz, lyrical, ballet, pointe and hip hop. After graduating high school, Cara went on to dance for the 13 time national champion Towson University Dance Team on scholarship. She started her professional career at Tokyo Disney and never looked back. Cara moved to New York City and began working at Broadway Dance Center. There she had the opportunity to train with Sheila Barker, Josh Borgasse, Michelle Barber, Tracie Stanfield, Chio, Rhapsody and many great teachers. Her favorite professional credits include A Chorus Line, High School Musical, West Side Story, The Wizard of Oz, Holland America Cruise Lines and performances with American Idol's Justin Guarini and television star Wayne Brady. After traveling nationally and internationally, Cara is so excited to be teaching and judging in the Philadelphia area!

Stephen Casey
Instructor for Theatre Tap

Stephen Casey held the position of Artistic Director and resident choreographer for the Bucks County Playhouse from 1996-2010. Among the 80+ productions he directed and choreographed there, his favorites include Joseph...Dreamcoat, Crazy for You, Damn Yankees, Once Upon a Mattress, Seussical, Chicago, and All Shook Up. He has also re-created the original choreography for numerous productions of A Chorus Line, 42nd St., Hello Dolly!, The Will Roger's Follies, Carousel, Oklahoma! and Sweet Charity. In addition, he has choreographed for the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, DeSales University, the Pennsylvania Youth Theatre, Lehigh University, Jenks High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Neshaminy, Parkland, and Pennsbury Schools, Neshaminy Valley Music Theatre, and Acting Naturally of Mooresville. Mr. Casey has performed in the Broadway National, European, and bus and truck touring companies of 42nd St., as well as the Wolfgang Boksch production at the Schiller Theatre, in Berlin, Germany. He has toured nationally with A Chorus Line and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, as well as the European touring companies of Golden Musicals and The Rocky Horror Show. On the high seas he has performed in an adagio team for Marcelo Productions on board the M.S. Nieuw Amsterdam for Holland America Cruise Lines, and for Commodore Cruise Lines with Kennedy Entertainment. He also performed in A Chorus Line at the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Regionally, he has had the great fortune to perform at Papermill Playhouse, North Carolina Theatre, St. Louis MUNY, Dallas Musicals, Artpark, Theatre under the Stars, and the Cleveland Opera. He received a B.A. degree in theatre and dance from DeSales University.