Mary Beth Kelleher - Manager - Office, Ballet, Musical Theatre
Mary Beth started her dancing career in Worcester Massachusetts at age 5. By age 7, she was cast in the Boston Ballet's production of the Nutcracker. Under the tutelage of Irene Merrill, she won several prestigious awards including the Capezio Award for Excellence in Ballet and was cited by the Governor of MA for this award. After being granted a full scholarship to Skidmore College, she continued her studies in dance while earning a Bachelor's Degree in Business. Under the direction of Elizabeth Carroll and Felix Smith, she performed in a number of ballets including Les Sylphides and principled in The Golden Coin. During this time, she also participated in several Musical Theater productions including Hair and choreographed the production of Grease. After graduating from Skidmore, she became a member of Dance Prism Company in Boston where she performed in several Ballets including the Nutcracker. She then moved to Cape Cod, MA, married, started a family and became Director of the Dance Program at Mary French Dance Studio. After her second child was only nine months old, she opened her own studio, Kelleher Dance Center, which won the Entrepeneurial Award for Excellence from the Small Business Administration of MA. In 2006, she relocated to Richmond and is very excited to be back teaching again.
Robin Friedersdorf - Assistant Manager - Ballet, Pointe, Pre-Ballet, Pilates
Robin Friedersdorf has studied dance for over 35 years. She began her studies with Kristin Parks and performed with the Olaker Youth Ballet. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Shenandoah Conservatory with a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance Performance and Education. While in college, she performed as principal dancer with Shenandoah Dance Ensemble. After graduating, she went on to perform professionally as a soloist with the St. Louis Ballet. In addition to performing, Robin has taught in various studios for over 20 years, performed as a guest artist with the Concert Ballet of Virginia, and set choreography for the Olaker Youth Ballet as well as the Concert Ballet of Virginia, and Pulse Dance Collective. Robin is Pilates Certified and has been teaching Pilates for many years. When not teaching or dancing, Robin enjoys spending time with her four children.
Heidi Winton-Stahle - Ballet, Pointe
Heidi Winton-Stahle was trained in Saratoga Springs, NY principally by Melissa Hayden, Elizabeth Carroll, Felix Smith, Tomislav Vuchovich, and Michael Steele. As a child, she was cast by the New York City Ballet during their first summer season to perform parts in The Nutcracker, Harlequinade, Coppelia and Firebird. At 17, she was invited to study at the Boston School of Ballet with Bruce Marks and Ron Cunningham. At 18, Heidi joined The Louisville Ballet and, later, Ontario Ballet Theater. She had soloist roles in Raymonda Variations, Serenade, and Tunes, and principle roles in Beauty and the Beast, and Alice. Heidi attended the University of Buffalo and studied dance education, theater, ballet, modern and jazz techniques. She has performed in productions of Guys and Dolls and Chicago. More recently, she performed as a principle dancer with The Latin Ballet of Virginia and toured to Cartagena, Columbia. In 2000, she began a summer ballet intensive for adult dancers which grew to become Sun King Dance, now in its 11th year. She continues to direct the company and teach for several schools in the Richmond area.
Ashley Valo - Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet I
Ashley Valo received her B.A. in dance from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in 2006. After graduation she moved to Richmond Virginia and started dancing as a company member of Dim Sum Dance. During her two years with Dim Sum Dance’s Founder and Artistic Director Julie Mayo, Valo had the opportunity to perform in Columbus, Chicago, and surrounding cities in the Richmond area. Valo has also worked with Ground Zero Dance and is a current member of RVA Dance Collective; she also works as an independent choreographer. In, August 2009 Valo debuted Alicia’s Bag at the closing reception of the Visual Arts Center of Richmond exhibition [WORK] as well as the opening of Richmond’s Dogtown Dance Theatre. Alicia’s Bag was an experiment to understand and maintain the value of movement in terms spontaneity, surprise, and improvisation.
Her newest work, Tailored, is an investigation into finding a common ground between two technically trained dancers and one “non-dancer.” This work was debuted at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond on June 25, 2010. Valo recently worked with local Richmond film maker Walker Allen in an artistic short film which will be presented in August.
Valo has recently been commissioned for a work-study position at the Studio Upsun in Pennsylvania (SUPA) Choreographers Workshop with Jeanine Durning. She also teaches dance at various studios in the Richmond area. She plans to continue creating experimental work and eventually continue her study of choreography on a graduate level.
Jamie Reynolds - Modern
Jamie received her BFA in Dance and Choreography from VCU, and is currently dancing with the performance groups Amaranth and dim sum dance. Jamie desires to be a teacher who can pass along her passion for performance as well as choreography, and instill a sense of curiosity within her students. She holds the standard that only through the combination of enjoyment and discipline can improvements occur. Her mission is to be a part of a studio with parallel ideals; that believes in the value of introspection and conscious awareness of the surrounding world; to not be afraid of inviting chance or taking risks.
Bryan Skates - Dance Company
Bryan Skates was born and raised in Honolulu, HI. He trained at the Hawaii State Ballet from the age of 12. In 1997, Bryan joined the Richmond Ballet. He spent seven seasons dancing different roles in many ballets such as Cinderella, Nuevo Tango, Coppelia, Three Preludes, Vestiges, and The Nutcracker. In 2004, Bryan joined Ballet Theatre of Maryland as Ballet Master, Principle Dancer, and Faculty Member. In his four years at BTM, he choreographed four ballets for the professional company as well as staged classical works and new choreography for the school Among these pieces were Don Quixote Suites, Sleeping Beauty suites, Giselle, and Prince Igor. Both he and his wife retired in 2008 and moved back to Richmond where they both continue to teach dance and spend time with their young son and daughter.
Tony Colden, Jr. - Jazz/Hip-hop, Tap
Tony Eugene Colden Jr, originally from Portsmouth, Virginia, began his dance training at the age of five at the Gail Harts Dance Company where he studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip hop, and African dance. He then attended the magnet dance program at Churchland High School. Tony received his BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University where he worked with numerous guest artists such as Tania Issac, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Robert Battle, Heidi Weiss, as well as many Faculty. He was a full scholarship recipient at the Deeply Rooted Dance Productions Chicago Summer Intensive, in which he also was an apprentice. Tony currently teaches dance for Henrico Center for the Arts program, and dances with The Starr Foster Dance Project. He continues to further his education in dance through technique classes, teaching and performing.
Allison LaNeave - Butterflies, Creative
Allison LaNeave began studying ballet at a young age with the Richmond Ballet, where she excelled in technique and spent many years at the School of Richmond Ballet. In choreography courses, Allison’s pieces were often chosen to be performed for the school. After delving in modern, character and jazz dance, she chose to further focus her love of dance and choreography at VCU. Studying with masters such as Francis Wessels, David Dorfmann, and Scott Putman, and continuing with Richmond Ballet's Mr. Maider, supplied invaluable tools that she now loves to impart to her students and children. Cultivating new ways of enriching her students' experience of dance is just one way she likes to spend her time. Allison hopes to create a love of life and dance for her students.
Denise Purvis - Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet
Denise Purviscurrently performs with Starr Foster Dance Project and directs the dance program for the Chesterfield County Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High School in Chester, VA. She holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance and Performance/Choreography from the State University of New York at Brockport and her undergraduate degree in dance from Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, VA. Her faculty positions have included the State University at Brockport from 2000-2004 and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, in Geneva, NY, from 2003-2004. In addition to her continuing studies and training with Bill Evans, she has been privileged to study under Eugene Roscoe, Sharon Kinney, Barbara Grubel, Bebe Miller, Mark Haim, Risa Steinberg, Nina Watt, and many other wonderful dancers and choreographers. An experienced performer, choreographer, and educator, Ms. Purvis’ works have premiered in Virginia, as well as New York. She has taught at reputable dance schools throughout Richmond, VA and Rochester, NY, choreographed several musicals for both amateur and professional theater and has performed professionally with various choreographers.
