Dance Teacher bios

Amanda Stanger-Read, MFA, Director : (734)646-9417 - Toddler Toodaloo, Dance Stories, Beginnning Dance, Jazz, Modern, Adult Modern/Jazz, Ballroom, Dance Exercise, SDC
Amanda moved to MI from the East Coat after having received a BA in English and Dance from Columbia University in NYC where she was took classes in the techniques of Paul Taylor, Martha Grahahm., Merce Cunningham, Eric Hawkins, Jose Limon and Lynn Simonson. She earned her MFA in Dance from the UofM in 1994. Since then she has taught at UofM Flint, the AA YMCA, Jewish Community Center, Dance Gallery and in 2001 she opened her own dance studio, Arts in Motion, with her husband Scott Read. Amanda has taught ages 1-70 in creative movement, modern dance, and jazz. She recently participated in a teacher training workshop with Jacques D'Amboise and the National Dance Institute in NYC where she learned some new techniques to engage all levels and ages of students in dance, performance and learning. Her performance credits include: People Dancing (a member from 2005 - present), Sister Earth, Wild Swan Theatre, Ann Arbor Dance Works, and she has been featured in reconstructions of the works of Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp, Daniel Nagrin and Nijinski and in the works of Gay Delanghe, Jessica Fogel, Ruth Leney-Midkiff, Suzanne Willets Brooks, Christina Sears Etter and Shawn Bible.

Scott A. Read, Director - Ballroom, Jazz, Modern, Ballet
Scott has been a performer and dance teacher in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area for 30 yrs. He has studied ballet with Christopher Flynn and Judy Rice and the techniques of Martha Graham and Jose Limon in NYC and at the University of Michigan as well as the Arthur Murray Ballroom technique. Has has been featured in the works of Sophie Maslow (Folksay), Jose Limon, Murray Lewis, Bill T. Jones, Ann Carlson, Daniel Nagrin, Linda Spriggs, Vera Embree, Jessica Fogel, and Ruth Leney-Midkiff. He was a member of The Detroit Dance Collective. He has taught at Art Worlds and the University of Michigan and now teaches at his own studio, Arts in Motion. In the summer of 2005 he trained with Jacques D'Amboise at the National Dance Institue in NYC where he had hands on experience teaching dance in the public schools

Kerry Allan - Adult Modern/Jazz and Oboe (Not teaching the 08-09 season)
Kerry Allan graduated from the University of Georgia, where she studied modern dance technique and dance education under the direction of Bala Sarasvati and Rebecca Enghauser. She was a member of CORE, a pre-professional modern and ariel dance company, and has performed with other groups, including the Woodstock Ballet Theatre and People Dancing. She teaches intermediate and advanced levels of modern dance at Randazzo Studio and Dance Arts of Chelsea and has showcased her choreography at venues in Georgia and Michigan. Kerry is also an oboist and music tutor for the Saline schools music program

Shirley Axon - Modern Improvisation
Shirley started in modern dance when it was first introduced into colleges and has taught Improvisation Modern at Dance Gallery Studio for 13 years. The class performs locally and throughout Southeastern Michigan. In addition, Mrs. Axon has performed at the Universities of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Michigan and attended the annual American Dance Festival. She holds a BS in Botany and an MA in Geography.

Jennifer Burke - Dance Stories, Beginning Dance, Jazz 3

Nancy Heers - Modern Improvisation

Christine Golus - Improvisation, Modern
Ms. Golus received her BFA from the University of Michigan School of Art and is currently Vice President, Creative Director at Q LTD, a strategic design consultancy located in Ann Arbor. Christine has a life-long love of dance and her training began in Detroit at a young age. She was a long time modern dance student of J. Parker Copley. Christine has choreographed and performed her own works as well as performed in works by Noonie Anderson, J. Parker Coplely, Pat Plasko, Peter Sparling, Whitley Setrakian, and many others. She has taught creative movement since 1993.

Diana Gonzalez - Tai-Chi
Diana received her Master of Science in Oriental Medicine (MSOM) at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She is trained as a Qi Gong and Tai Chi teacher as well as in Acupuncture, Chinese and Western botanical medicine, Homeopathy, Western and Chinese nutrition, and Chinese Pediatric massage. She has been practicing Tai Chi and Qi Gong for 9 years.

Slavka Jelinkova, MFA, - Ballet 3, Character/Repertory, Pointe, Adult Ballet (Adv.)
Bohuslava Jelinkova (Slavka) danced for ten years as a soloist and ensemble member of the National Theatre Opera Ballet in Prague, Czech Republic, touring Italy, France, Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, and Japan. Trained in the Russian Vaganova method of ballet at the Conservatory of Dance in Prague, she had the distinction of teaching ballet at her alma mater in 1998-99. Slavka studied at the Royal Conservatory of Dance in The Hague, and the Academy of Modern Dance in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. She earned a degree in Dance Pedagogy from the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague. Slavka remains active as a dancer, a choreographer and teacher. Now a permanent resident of the United States Slavka works in the Ann Arbor area, mainly at the Brighton Ballet School, the Flint School of Performing Arts, and in her native Czech Republic in the summers.

Lisa Johnson - Modern 3
Lisa Johnson was a founding member of the Peter Sparling Dance Company, the J. Parker Copley Dance Company, and Dance Gallery, the resident company under the direction of Alan Lommasson. She has
toured, performed and taught in residencies throughout the Midwest, as well as performed as a guest artist with Ann Arbor Dance Works (University of Michigan), Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (Laurie Eisenhower, Artistic Director), and People Dancing (Whitley Hill, Artistic Director). She has also performed works choreographed by Rachel Harms, Erin Matthiessen, Rick Merrill and Terri Sarris, to name a few. During her formative years, she attended numerous workshops throughout the country, and was particularly influenced by Bill T. Jones, Ralph Lemon, Doug Varone, and Mel Wong. She trained with Camilla & John Chiapuris, Alan Lommasson & Lynn Slaughter, Wendy Dubois, Parker Copley, Gay Delanghe, Bill DeYoung, and Peter Sparling. She has taught at and choreographed for Community School of Ballet, Dance Theatre Studio, Gym America, the Huron High School Music Department, and Dance Gallery Studio. Lisa joined Arts in Motion in the Fall 2008 and teaches modern, ballet, yoga, and creative movement.

Lesley Kabza Criscenti, MA, - Dance/Art Stories
Lesley is a visual artist, dancer and educator who has dedicated her life to developing art and dance curriculum for children. She has degrees in Dance, Education and Creative Writing.

Gayle Martin - Musical Theater, Hip Hop, Line Dancing

Dorian McCauley - Friday Night Dance Parties

Anna McGarry - Ballet 1, 2

Elke Meek - Ballet 2, Adult Ballet Beg. (on leave 2009-2010)
Elke Meek received her training at the Grand Rapids Ballet under the instruction of Charthel Arthur and Robert Estner. She has performed with the Grand Rapids Ballet, Alma College Dance Company and Toledo Ballet performing lead roles in classics like Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet, and Sleeping Beauty. She spent summers training at both the Cleveland Ballet and BalletMet. Elke taught for 3 years at the Toledo Ballet before moving to Ann Arbor to practice non-traditional law at Community Mental Health.

Helena Meuller - Ballet 1, 2, Adult Ballet (Int.)

Kathy Para - Pilates
Kathy trained as a pilates instructor under Khita Whyatt of Core Grace Studio in Ann Arbor. She teaches Khita's modifications of the original Pilates method providing the framework for an effective and safe whole body workout. Kathy's teaching approach focuses on the body/mind in an exercise experience that strengthens and tones the core muscles, the, upper and lower body, increases flexibility, and relaxes the mind.

Christina Sears Etter, MFA, - Adult Modern/Jazz, Tap 1, 2, 3,
Christina Sears Etter has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at University of Toledo, UM-Flint, Michigan State University, Towson State and Monroe County Community College. She earned degrees in Dance from the State University of New York and the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor, and studied additionally at the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London. Sears Etter's choreography has been produced extensively in NYC and its environs, as well as in Upstate NY, and has been presented in DC, Illinois, Maryland, Poland, and the UK. Sears Etter has danced in the works of Randy James, Whitley Setrakian, Lourdes Bastos and Jeanne Bostian. She has performed in the following companies: Katrina van Zee Dance, Kista Tucker Dance Company, Ann Arbor Dance Works and Terpsichore's Kitchen. Currently, Ms. Etter pursues independent projects and is Project Manager/ Contributing Artist for People Dancing, a not-for-profit contemporary dance company whose mandate includes education, outreach and interdisciplinary work. Sears Etter was awarded a Creative Artist Grant from the State of Michigan in 2002 and has presented choreographic and research projects at multiple international conferences.

Hui Fang Shen - Ballet 1, 2 (Not teaching the 08-09 season)
Huifang Shen graduated from Shanghai Ballet School and performed in Shanghai Ballet Company in China before coming to the States. Following her performance career, she worked in Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Truman State University in Missouri, and built a rich experience in teaching ballet in different levels, as well as in choreography of ballet pieces.

Robin Wilson - Afro-Caribbean Dance (Spring 09', additonal information coming soon!)
Known primarily as member of the UM modern dance faculty for over a decade, Wilson has been teaching Afro-Caribbean dance and other forms from the African Diaspora for almost twenty years. She has been a student of Baba Richard Gonzalez, Danis La Mora, Cutumba Ballet Folklorico, Pat Hall, among others.

Hannah Yelencich - Dance Stories 1, 2, Beginning Dance 1, 2

Suzanne Willets Brooks - Yoga, Modern 2
Suzanne recieved her BS in dance drama and education from Eastern Michigan University. Her deep interest in healing through movement continued with, yoga, somatic studies as well as certifications in massage therapy and transformational breath work Suzanne has studied many forms of yoga for the past 20 years including Iyengar, Ashtanga, yin yoga, vini yoga and kundalini yoga. Her teachers include Angela Farmer and Victor Vankooten,Gary Krafstow, Doug Swenson, Donna Farhi, Eric Schiffmann , and Barbara Benaugh. Drawing from her Iyengar training Suzanne's classes utilize props and anatomical alignment as well as somatic and therapeutic applications. Her classes include flowing sequences as well as in depth explorations of poses, pranayama, and guided meditation. Through imagery and concrete understanding of anatomy and alignment and a generous dose of humor, students unfold from the inside out becoming stronger more flexible and relaxed . Suzanne has taught classes for pre scholars through senior citizens, athletes as well as severely limited individuals. She has taught performed and choreographed for over 20 years, and has been a massage therapist in private practice for over 11 years. Suzanne is the mother of 2 amazing girls ages 7 and 4 and the journey continues....

William Brown, Capoeira
William Brown started training Capoeira in the winter of 1997 in Detroit, MI where he built his foundation. From there he began an annual trip to California to train with his Mestre Marcelo Caverinha. He continued to travel and study with many different Capoeira Mestres through workshops and special events. William began to be a student instructor in the fall of 1999 and received the title of Instructor in the fall of 2004. In 2006 Ihe graduated and received the title Contra-Mestre, which is a junior master or first level of master in Capoeira. In order to receive this title one must teach a variety of dances associated with Capoeira, be proficient in singing the songs and playing the instruments, and teach classes and conduct workshops. Today he continues to teach classes and conduct workshops throughout the U.S. and Canada. When he’s not teaching he performs with his group at a variety of festivals, cultural, and educational venues.