09-10 Dance Newsletter - Slippery Rock University

A Message From
THE CHAIR
Contents
A Message from the Chair 2
SRU Dance Events 3
Faculty Highlights 4-5
Student Awards
and Scholarships 5
Student Highlights 6
Artists in Residence 6
Student Reports 7
Alumni News 8-9
Sabbatical Report:
Nora Ambrosio 10
Featured Alumna:
Tara Madsen 11
Save the Dates -
Auditions 12
Dear Friends, Colleagues and Alumni,
In 2009, the department of dance at Slippery Rock University completed its 20th
year as an independent, autonomous department. When I came to the University in 1988,
the dance program was housed in the department of physical education, but we wanted
to be self-governing and were eager to establish dance as an art form on the SRU campus
and in the region. In 1989, under the guidance and assistance of our academic dean, Anne
Griffiths, we made the split and established our own program, which was first chaired by
professor emeritus Lucy Sack and included five dance majors and a handful of dance minors.
Now, with more than 125 majors, a full dance minor program, six full-time and three parttime
faculty members, a full-time staff musician and a full-time administrative assistant, to
say we’ve come a long way would be an understatement. I am so very proud of all of the
accomplishments made by our faculty members and students, many of which are outlined in
this newsletter and in past newsletters (see www.sru.edu/dance for past newsletters).
Since the department’s inception, our growth has been consistent and deliberate.
To all parents of current and prospective students, I want to make clear that a degree in dance
is as worthwhile and meaningful as a degree in any other discipline. As a matter of fact, the
necessary life skills that students gain as a dance major are not usually an intrinsic part of
other major areas of study: self-discipline; strong work ethic; confidence; determination; the
ability to communicate effectively; learning to be a clear and articulate writer; and gaining
proficiency with technology. In other words, dance majors gain the important attributes that
every potential employer in every field requires. The success of our past graduates is ample
proof that this claim is true. This publication features some of our outstanding alumni, many
of whom work in higher education, perform with professional dance companies, have
established their own dance companies, are owners/operators of their own dance studios
and art centers, and are in other dance and dance-related fields. A recent survey of
alumni determined that 100 percent of all dance student respondents rated their
educational experience at SRU as “excellent.” We are very proud of these statistics
and always strive to make the educational and artistic experience at SRU the best
it can be.
Thanks to a technology grant received by Jennifer Keller, we
have completed the conversion of one of our dance studios into a dedicated
space for dance technology classes, informal showings and performances.
We are very excited about this project, which will allow our students to
continue to create cutting-edge work with dance and video.
Planning is still on-going for the new performing arts center.
The Board of Governors has recently approved the renovation of
Miller Auditorium, which will include state-of-the-art facilities for
dance. Look for an update on our Web page later this year.
We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming performance or dance
event. It is always so nice to see friends, colleagues and alumni in the
audience and feel their support for dance and the arts.
Sincerely,
Nora Ambrosio
Chairperson
A member of the Pennsylvania State
System of Higher Education
www.SRU.edu
Editor:
Photography:
Design:
Contributors:
Printing:
Melissa Teodoro
dgarson.com
Trevor King
Department of Dance Faculty
and Students
Knepper Press
2
The department of dance at Slippery Rock University is an
accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.

SRU DANCE EVENTS
Rock Dance Company, SRU’s student
dance company dedicated to children’s and
community performances, completed its
second and third seasons with a rock-solid
finale. School visits included the SRU preschool,
all three elementary schools in the
Slippery Rock district, as well as RDC’s first
visit to nearby Butler and Seneca Valley school
districts. Children enjoyed the RDC repertory
and audience participation with some exciting
additions, including Mark Taylor’s whimsical
and challenging chair trio from his 1986
comedic suite of dances, “From the Archives:
A History of the Tango, Vol. XII.” Faculty
member Melissa Teodoro added to the RDC
repertory with two dances from Colombia
– the playful “Cumbia” and the high energy
“Mapalé.” RDC alumna LaKeisha Mackey
returned to campus to set her soulful “Shades
of Destiny.” Rounding out RDC’s community
performance schedule were the Passavant
Retirement Center, SRU’s Service Learning
Institute’s Empty Bowls fundraiser, the SRU
Office of Advancement’s Celebration of
Giving, and the College of Humanities, Fine
and Performing Arts Children’s Day at the
Kaleidsocope Arts Festival. Since its inception
in 2007, RDC has performed for more than
2500 children and 2,000 community members.
For its 2010-2011 season, Rock Dance
Company is honored to have received
a Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education “Joint Faculty and Student Public
Service” award. Faculty member and RDC
Director Jennifer Keller wrote the $7,300
award in order to expand the impact of RDC
on the local community, to commission three
new works for the company, and to hire the
student company members for rehearsal
and performances outside of the academic
calendar. Company teachers will also lead
dance activities in the classroom of every grade
at the local elementary school. “I’m excited to
take the company to its next level; our goal is
to reach 4,000 children next year” said Keller.
The 2009 and 2010 SRU Faculty and Guest
Artist Concerts featured works from faculty
members Jennifer Keller, Nora Ambrosio,
Melissa Teodoro, Jaya Mani, Nola Nolen-
Holland, Ursula Payne, Teena Custer, Thom
Cobb and Andy Hasenpflug, and took place at
Miller Auditorium.
SRU Dance in India Initiative hosted a
fundraising lecture-demonstration that
featured SRU dance students who traveled
to Chennai, India in the summers of 2008
and 2009 to continue their studies in Bharata
Natyam. In addition to performing, the
students presented a lecture with audiovisual
accompaniment based on their India
experiences. This event took place in the West
Gym Dance Studio.
The 2009 and 2010 annual Jazz Dance/Tap
Ensemble Concerts once again sold out in
record time. All concerts sold out in a little
more than three hours (that’s more than
600 seats.). The concerts featured dances by
student choreographers and the company was
directed by Nora Ambrosio. The different
styles of jazz dance as well as the sophisticated
and varied musical selections ensured that
there was something for everyone in these
concerts. The campus and community have
begun to look forward to this yearly event, but
the word is out—get your tickets early.
SRU Dance Theatre Adjudicated Concerts I
and II highlighted more than 30 choreographic
works by SRU dance majors and was
performed by approximately 90 dancers. The
concerts took place in the West Gym Dance
Studio in November of 2009/2010.
SRU Department of Dance Fall Concerts
I and II featured the works of SRU Dance
Theatre choreographers chosen from the
Adjudication Concerts and took place at
Swope Recital Hall in December of 2010. In
addition to student choreography, professor
Jaya Mani presented her World Dance class,
who performed the classical Indian dances
“Pushpanjali and Thillana.”
SRU Department of Dance Winter Concert
2010 titled “Defying Gravity” featured the
work “Tomorrow” by Doug Varone, “Grusin
Suite” by Frank Chavez of the River North
Chicago Dance Company, “Multiplex” by
alum Chad Hall (2000), and “Somebody’s
gonna luv u” by faculty member Teena Custer,
as well as six student works. The 2011 concert,
“Shifting Ground,” features “Of the Earth Far
Below” by Doug Varone, “Molly” by faculty
member Jennifer Keller, as well as eight
student works.
“Oh! The Places They’ll Go!” was the title
of the 2010 senior synthesis dance concert
that featured dances choreographed by senior
dance majors that depicted the feelings of
excitement, joy and trepidation that many
students feel about moving on after graduation.
The dancers once again performed to two
sold-out audiences. Professor Ursula Payne
provided choreography for the senior dance.
Titled, “In the Midst of Chaos…Time Slips
Away,” the dance afforded the opportunity for
all of the seniors to perform together one last
time as a group.
The senior synthesis concerts, under
the artistic direction of Nora Ambrosio,
showcased the seniors in a wonderful way,
and featured everything from traditional
modern dance to post-modern dance,
improvisation and partnering, and video
dances. Jennifer Keller’s Dance Technology
students provided several pre-show video
dances for the audiences to view.
3

Faculty Highlights
Nora Ambrosio continues to serve as the
chairperson of the department of dance. In
addition to chairing, Ambrosio teaches dance
composition, dance history, dance pedagogy
and senior synthesis. She also served as the
artistic director of SRU Dance Theatre from
1989-1998, and beginning in 2010, she will
once again act as artistic director for that
company as well as the Jazz Dance/Tap
Ensemble. She has written Learning about
Dance, 6th edition (Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Company, IA, 2011), which is used in dance
departments throughout the country and
has sold more than 100,000 copies. Kendall/
Hunt Publishers has also published her latest
text, The Excellent Instructor and the Teaching of
Dance Technique (2008). The second edition
will be published in fall 2011. Ambrosio
is a prolific grant writer and has secured
more than 40 grants for the department of
dance and her own artistic endeavors,
and has recently assisted other
organizations in receiving grants,
such as the National Museum
of Dance and Slippery Rock
Development. Ambrosio remains
active in the downtown revitalization
of the Village at Slippery Rock, and
has been instrumental in bringing the
arts to the downtown area. Ambrosio
enjoys choreographing on student
dancers, and created a new solo with
an outstanding dance major, Krysta
White. She has been elected to the
Commission on Accreditation for the
National Association of Schools of
Dance, where she also serves as a site
visitor.
Thom Cobb is an associate professor
and senior faculty member in the
department of dance at Slippery
Rock University of Pennsylvania, where
he has taught since 1978. His experience
and expertise in teaching, performing
and choreography have led to numerous
residencies and presentations at colleges and
universities, public schools, private studios
and conferences and conventions during
his 36-year career in dance. Well-versed in
several dance forms, including international
dance forms, character, social dance and
vernacular dance (Vintage Jazz Dance and
Authentic Dances of the 1920’s and 30’s),
Cobb currently focuses his work in the area
of dance education at SRU and teaches
“Dance Fundamentals,” “Introduction to
Dance,” “Creative Dance for Children,”
“Society and Social Dance,” and “Jazz Dance
Technique.” He is quite active in state, district
and national dance associations including the
Pennsylvania State Association of Health,
Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
having served in numerous positions on the
executive board for 25 years as vice president
for dance twice and as the president of the
association in 1991. Cobb has also been an
active member since 2002 and served on the
NDEO board of directors for six years. He
is consistently invited to present numerous
workshops and master classes throughout
the United States every year including the
prestigious Dance Teacher Magazine Summit
(Summer Conference) in New York City since
2003. Most recently Thom received “The
2007 College/University Dance Educator of
the Year Award” from the National Dance
Association of the American Alliance for
Health, Physical Education, Recreation
and Dance and “The 2008 Outstanding
Dance Educator Award for Post-Secondary
Education” from the National Dance
Education Organization. Thom and his wife
Christine, associate professor of dance at
Youngstown State University will celebrate
their 36th wedding anniversary in August 2010.
Teena Marie Custer is a b-girl and
hip hop dance theatre artist based
out of Pittsburgh. She performs
and competes internationally
with her crew, Venus Fly Trap,
an all female street dance crew,
as well as Get Down Gang,
a local Pittsburgh b-boy crew.
Custer is also a part of Under
1 Roof, a Midwest collective
of house dancers. Her solo
“The B-Girl Diaries” was
performed at the Breakin’
Convention in London,
England, and in
addition to theatrical
works, she has won
underground
freestyle dance
battles such as
“Underground
Movement 5, Enter the
Cypha I,” and was also seen
on an episode of MTV’s
MADE. Custer was also
a featured dancer and
assistant choreographer for
the feature film “Leading
Ladies” starring Benji
Schwimmer and
Melanie LaPatin
from “So You Think
You Can Dance.” In addition to being
a part of hip hop culture, Custer has an
extensive background in contemporary
dance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in
dance from Slippery Rock University and
an MFA in dance performance from Ohio
State University. She has been on faculty
at Slippery Rock University, Ohio State
University, Antioch College, as well as the
prestigious American Dance Festival and
Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. Custer has
choreographed hip hop dance theatre pieces
for various university dance programs and
companies, and has performed with Dance
Alloy, Attack Theatre, and Ursula Payne. She
also represented CM² (Columbus Movement
Movement) in Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to
Watch” in 2007.
Since our last newsletter Andy Hasenpflug
has kept himself busy both at SRU and
abroad. He continues to accompany dance
classes, supervise student accompanists,
compose for the dance department, perform
audio editing and engineering for SRU dance
concerts, and teach the Music for Dance
course. In addition, Hasenpflug has taken part
in two collaborations with the Art department
– a multidisciplinary performance and a
series of classes exploring how concepts travel
between music, dance, and visual art. Outside
of Slippery Rock, Hasenpflug has composed
music for Pittsburgh dance companies
Labco and Dance Alloy. He has been a
staff musician for Doug Varone’s summer
intensive and the American Dance Festival.
His music has been featured at the Chicago
Contemporary Museum of Art, The 2010
International Computer Music Conference in
New York, N.Y. and at several performances
internationally. He has attended the 2010
International Guild of Musicians in Dance
conference, and judged music competitions for
the 60x60 project and Untwelve. He has also
released a new CD entitled “Mandible.”
Jennifer Keller has been a guest artist
(performer, choreographer, collaborator)
with Pennsylvania Dance Theatre in State
College, Pa. for the summers of 2008, 2009
and 2010. In July 2009, she co-choreographed
and premiered “Devils,” a duet collaboration
with PDT Artistic Director, Andre Koslowski
and set designer Susanna Amundarain. In
2010 she performed in Koslowski’s dance
theatre work “For Those From Before.” She
twice traveled to Puebla, Mexico, where she
performed and taught in March 2009 as part of
the conference proceedings of “Performática:
International Forum of Contemporary
Dance and Movement Arts” and returned the
following spring for a teaching residency at La
Universidad de las Americas Puebla. Jennifer
continues to direct Rock Dance Company, and
received a $7,300 grant for academic year 2010-
2011 that commissions three new works for the
company by guest artists, and pays company
members for rehearsals and performances
outside the academic calendar. Keller’s 2008
4

Faculty Highlights Continued
grant proposal for $90,000 to transform the
Field House Dance Studio into a performance
space that supports dance technology is
complete. The space features a custom-made
track with white masking on three sides, an
upgraded electrical system with professional
stage lighting, and a 5,000 lumen projector and
portable 10 x 18 foot projection screen.
Jaya Mani has been conducting classes in
Bharata Natyam for more than 30 years at
the S.V. Temple in Pittsburgh. More than 90
students have graduated and performed their
Arangetram or final dance demonstrations,
under her guidance and training. She has
given a number of stage presentations,
mostly solos, and some with professional
ensemble companies throughout India and
in many countries around the world such
as the U.S., Canada, Australia, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Kenya and
Brazil. Additionally, she has choreographed
a number of individual items and dance
dramas. The Community Foundation of
Westmoreland County and Srinivasa
Prasad International Foundation
for Performing Arts
presented Jaya Mani
with an award in
recognition for her
commitment and service
in promoting South Asian
Performing Arts among North
American youth in 2010.
Nola Nolen Holland has just
concluded a two-year term
as the treasurer for CORPS
de Ballet International,
Inc., a professional and
service organization for ballet
teachers in secondary and
higher education. Since 2008,
she has overseen the organization’s
bank accounts, administered its
online membership dues and conference
fee payments, overseen its budget, paid the
organization’s bills, solicited grants for the
Basil Thompson Scholarship Fund, organized
conference finances, and worked on the 2009
and 2010 conferences. At the organization’s
July 2010 conference, the membership
unanimously elected Nolen Holland to
president-elect. She will be responsible for
soliciting abstracts for the 2011 and 2012
conferences as well as overseeing the abstract
adjudication process. In these positions, Nolen
Holland works daily on behalf of CORPS de
Ballet completing administrative tasks and
projects as a member of the CORPS de Ballet
board of directors and the executive council.
Since 2009, Nolen Holland has also been
revising the first six chapters of the Music
for Dance textbook in preparation for its
publication through Human Kinetics Publishers
within the year. Once the first textbook
is published, she plans to begin work on
publishing the second text about the history of
dance and music. In addition to these activities,
Nolen Holland is still teaching ballet technique
and dance theory courses during the academic
year. She also prepared two works for Andy
Hasenpflug’s 60 x 60 Project in September
2010, which were shown on the 2010 Faculty
Concert in October. Perhaps one of the most
exciting of her current projects is Nolen
Holland’s 2011 spring break seminar in Paris.
With the assistance of SRU’s International
Studies Office and her former Pittsburgh Ballet
Theatre artistic director Patrick Frantz and
his wife, Patti Davis, Nolen Holland, Frantz,
and Davis will host a week-long tour of Paris
focusing on historic dance sites and offering
daily dance classes in Paris for the students who
participate.
Ursula Payne contributed a chapter to
the manuscript, “Women of Color in
the Pennsylvania State System of Higher
Education: Reclaiming Our Voices and Our
Professional Space” edited by Vivian Yenika-
Agbaw and Amarilis Hidalgo-De Jesus. The
anthology was published in February 2011.
Her paper “Exercise in Pedagogy: Story
of the Bones” was presented at the
2009 Congress on Research in Dance
(CORD) special topics conference
on Dance Pedagogy in Leicester,
England and published in the
conference proceedings. She
also delivered her paper
“Experiencing Transcendence
in Dance Performance” at the
2009 Across the Threshold:
Creativity Being and
Healing Conference at Duke
University in North Carolina.
Payne choreographed five
commissioned works from 2009-
2011 that were presented by Project
Motion Dance Company in Memphis,
Tenn.; Labco Dance Co. in Pittsburgh;
Mary Willford Shade, a professor at
Texas Woman’s University; and Loyola
Marymount University in Los Angeles. Her
most recent commission by Dance Alloy in
Pittsburgh premiered in April 2011. In 2009
she performed the solo “In Her Solitude:
Lest We Forget” at the American Dance
Guild Performance Series in New York
city. Payne continues to be on faculty at
the American Dance Festival (ADF) where
she is in her tenth summer teaching technique
and repertory. Her repertory class “The Primus
Archive Project” has presented four original
works, and she was recently named the codirector
along with Pamela Pietro of the 2011
Three Weeks School for Young Dancers at
ADF. At Slippery Rock University she served
as the rehearsal director for Doug Varone’s
“Of the Earth Far Below” which was acquired
through a NEA American Masterworks grants
written by Nora Ambrosio from spring 2010 to
spring 2011. In December of 2010, Payne did
her first Poetry Reading at Chatham University
in Pittsburgh where she is a candidate for a
master’s degree in creative writing.
Melissa Teodoro, together with 20 dance
majors, researched and re-constructed four
Afro-Colombian dances that culminated in
the performance of a 25-minute piece titled La
Candela Viva that was performed in various
venues and events on and off the SRU campus
in 2009-2010. She was granted a PASSHE
Faculty Professional Development Grant
that will support her ethnographic research
on Colombian carnival dances during her
sabbatical semester leave in the spring semester
of 2011. Teodoro was director of SRU’s
Kaleidoscope Arts Festival during 2009-2010
and coordinated more than 20 different events
that featured cultural diversity through the
performing and visual arts. The Latin American
Institute awarded Teodoro the 2010 UCLA
Library Research Grant that presented her with
the opportunity to spend valuable research
time where she was able to take advantage
of UCLA’s library resources to enhance and
advance her research on Afro-Colombian
dance forms.
Student
Scholarships
and Awards
The Lucy Isacco Sack Academic
Year Scholarship 2009-2010
was awarded to Amanda Peterson
The Lucy Isacco Sack Freshman
Dance Scholarship 2009-2010
was awarded to Karlee Hoffman
The Lucy Isacco Sack Diversity Dance
Scholarship 2009-2010 was
awarded to Dwenda Mosley
The Lucy Isacco Sack Summer Study
Scholarships 2010 were awarded to
Krysta White and Alicia Garrity
The Joanne McKeag Scholarship
2009-2010 was awarded to
Jessica Madden
The following students were
recognized by the Department
of Dance for their outstanding
achievements during the 2009-2010
academic year:
Award for Outstanding Major in Dance:
Todd Englander and Marissa Lang
Award for Outstanding Performer:
Jennifer Meckley
Award for Outstanding Choreography:
Kaitlyn Christensen
Award for Outstanding Research
Paper/Presentation Award:
Julie Ackerly
Award for Outstanding Teacher:
Bailey Bretz
Award for Outstanding Service:
Jean Rettig
Award for Outstanding Minor:
Katelyn Saylor
5
5

Student Highlights
Todd Englander, a dance and elementary
education major from Wantagh, N.Y., adjudicated
his dance Knowledge – Lessons =
Tests? at the American College Dance
Festival held at Ohio University. Englander’s
dance was chosen out of 40 dances to be one
of 12 appearing on a Gala Concert. Three
adjudicators, all prominent professionals in
the dance field, then chose Englander’s solo
to be performed at the National American
College Dance Festival, held at the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., May 27-29,
2010. This solo, which featured Englander’s
athletic skills, included a video montage and
the use of a school desk as a prop. Adjudicator
Sean Curran called Englander a “kamikaze
performer,” due to his daring choreography
and performance. Englander also
received the Outstanding Senior Man Award
from the Slippery Rock University Alumni
Association and the Outstanding Dance
Major Award from the department of dance.
We are very proud of Todd for his hard work
and dedication to dance.
Senior dance major Julie Ackerly presented
her research paper titled “Resistance and
Surrender in Tango Dance: Negotiating
Cultural Identities and Social Class in Early
20th Century Argentina,” at both the Latin
American Studies Symposium at the University
of Pittsburgh, and at the SRU Research
Symposium in the spring of 2010.
Senior dance major Teresa DeBacco presented
her research paper titled, “Cajun Dance
and Cultural Explorations Continued: A
Comparative Analysis of the Teaching Techniques
of Cajun and Zydeco Dance” at the
SRU Research Symposium in the spring of
2010. She also attended the White Mountain
Summer Dance Festival in Bronxville, NY.
Lisa Bavisotto presented a poster titled, “Yoga:
An Interdisciplinary Approach to Wellness at
the SRU Research Symposium in the spring of
2010.” She also participated in the Bill Evans
Summer Intensive in Brockport, N.Y.
Colleen McBee presented a poster titled,
“Dancing without Pain: The Dancer’s Handbook
for Injury Care and Prevention” at the
SRU Research Symposium.
Patty Petronello, Kacie Peterson and Taylor
Sady traveled to Chennai, India, in the
Summer of 2009 where they continued their
training in the classical Indian dance form
of Bharata Natyam with master
Revathi Ramachandran.
Artists in Residence
Artists in Residence: Doug Varone
From March 29 to April 10, 2009, SRU
dance majors were hard at work in the studio
with Doug Varone Dance Company guest
artist Natalie Desch, who was setting Varone’s
“Tomorrow” for performances in the
2009 SRU Faculty and Guest Artist Concert
and the 2010 Winter Concert. “Tomorrow,” a
work Varone originally created for his company
in 2000 to the notable music of Reynaldo
Hahn, was performed on campus with live
music by SRU’s Nanette Kaplan Solomon,
Professor of Piano and Colleen Gray,
associate professor of music and soprano.
SRU’s cast of seven dancers presented a
series of solos, duets, and ensemble sections
that comprise the 22-minute work.
Desch challenged SRU’s dancers to embody
Varone’s style of moving in and out of very
technical movement vocabulary without losing
their sense of humanity and “just being.”
Jennifer Keller, SRU faculty rehearsal director,
said she appreciated the way that Natalie
taught this work. “At the same time as being
incredibly specific, Natalie gave the dancers
space to discover their own narrative and
feeling of community with the other cast
members,” Keller said. Jennifer Meckley, a
senior dancer in the work, explained “The
movement was far from easy, but Natalie was
so good at explaining what Doug was going
for and how to apply it to the movement. She
is a beautiful teacher and dancer. I would
really like to get to work with her again.”
Meckley got her wish when Desch returned
to campus in October 2009 to provide final
coaching before the SRU premiere
on October 27.
Artist in Residence: Chad M. Hall
In the fall of 2009 the Department of Dance
invited back one of its very own alums, Chad
Michael Hall, a faculty member at Loyola
Marymount University in Los Angeles. The
residency lasted one week with Hall
teaching master classes, and instructing nine
SRU dancers and two understudies in the
reconstruction of his work titled
“Multiplex.” The dancers rehearsed this
physically demanding piece throughout the
semester, and performed the piece at the Slippery
Rock University Dance Theatre winter
concert in January 2010.
Artist in Residence:
River North Chicago Dance Company
In October of 2009, Frank Chavez and
Mary Jo Irbe from River North Chicago
Dance Company arrived for their two-week
residency. Students were able to take master
classes in jazz dance from both company
directors, and eleven dancers were chosen
to learn the piece titled “Grusin Suite.” The
students performed the piece for the Slippery
Rock University Dance Theatre winter
concert in January, and also opened the show
when River North Chicago Dance Company
took the stage in February of 2010.
6

Student Reports
Bills Evans Summer Intensive,
Brockport N.Y.
By Lisa Bavisotto
My experience at the Bill Evans Summer
Intensive at Brockport 2008 was an incredibly
rich one. The atmosphere established by the
seasoned dancers and teachers who attended
allowed for uninhibited creativity. I could not
help but absorb the energy and wisdom from
such accepting artists. The five-day workshop
consisted of somatics lab, Bill Evans Method/
Laban-based modern dance technique, Alexander
technique, repertoire, improvisation,
and performance. The individualized feedback
I received from Bill Evans, Don Halquist,
Suzanne Oliver, and others challenged me to
see myself as a unique performer. I walked
away from the intensive with a refreshed sense
of focus and movement quality. Spending a
week with other dancers who share my undying
passion for art helped me understand the
importance of sharing our gifts.
Summer Dancing in Italy
By Amber Allgyer
In July, I was fortunate to be able to live in
Italy for a month’s time while participating
in the Prodanza Dance Intensive. The
program itself is relatively small, but has been
a tradition in the Tuscan beach town called
Castiglioncello for 19 years. I can honestly say
this was one of the best, if the not the best, experiences
of my life. I was able to combine my
love for dancing, traveling and the beach into
one phenomenal trip. Monday through Friday
we danced in a studio a mile from our apartment
from sunrise to sunset. We had classes
in various dance genres including modern,
improvisation, Afro-Cuban and hip-hop
with both American and Italian teachers and
students. Together with SRU student Kaitlyn
Grimes, I created a piece for the final showing.
Our classes and rehearsals led up to a
small showing at the end of the month for the
people of Castiglioncello, which turned out to
be a success. We had most of our weekends
free, which provided us time to travel to other
parts of Italy. I chose to see some of the main
attractions of Florence, Rome and Venice.
I fell in love with each of these cities for different
reasons, and I can honestly say if Italy
isn’t a priority on your list of places to travel
to, add it to your list. You won’t regret it.
Jones Summer Dance School
By Alicia Garrity
This summer I, along with eight other SRU
students, attended the Jones Summer Dance
Intensive at Dance Alloy in Pittsburgh. Each
student accepted into this intensive attends on
full scholarship. This intensive is fully funded
by organizations and companies throughout
the area. At JSDI we took three technique
classes a day that varied from ballet, modern,
jazz and hip hop, as well as had repertory in
the afternoon. This two week intensive ended
with a performance at the Kelly Strayhorn
Theatre in Pittsburgh. The performance was
a wonderful way to demonstrate to our families,
as well as the community, all the hard
work we did over the two weeks. JSDI was
a wonderful experience that kicked us into
shape and prepared us for the upcoming year
at school.
American Dance Festival
By Molly Hanlon
I went to the American Dance Festival in the
summer of 2010 that was offered at Duke
University in Durham, North Carolina. I took
classes from many outstanding teachers such
as Brenda Daniels and Mark Haim. I was also
honored to take Ming-Lung Yang’s repertory
class. I learned so much from my experience
in ADF and have grown and matured as a
technician in just six weeks. Viewing dance
concerts and pieces from renowned choreographers
was inspiring and insightful. Other
SRU students that attended ADF
were Amber Allgyer, Kaitlyn Grimes,
Becka Young, Sarah Lavallee,
Alicia Garrity, Kaitlyn Dye,
Kaitlyn Christenson and Roberta Ferrari.
Embodying a culture through
dance: the research and re-construction
of 18th century Afro-
Colombian dances
By Sarah Lavallee
During the spring semester of 2008,
Melissa Teodoro, assistant professor of
dance, worked with a group of 20 dance
majors, including myself, in the reconstruction
of four traditional Afro-Colombian
dances. The semester-long research process
included lectures, video viewing, readings,
cultural activities, re-construction and
movement sessions that all helped us gain
a solid understanding of the Afro-Colombian
culture, its historic background and its
different artistic manifestations. Through existing
written and audio-visual
documentation, in addition
to Teodoro’s knowledge of
Afro-Colombian dance forms
obtained through ethnographic
research, we were able to
reconstruct and embody the
18th century dances and their
complex movement vocabulary
and choreographic patterns.
The resulting product
was a 30-minute compilation
of dances titled “La Candela
Viva” that featured dances
such as El Bullerengue,
El Garabato, La Cumbia and
el Mapalé. During the 2009-2010 academic
year, the Afro-Colombian ensemble performed
in various venues on and off-campus.
In the fall of 2009, the ensemble performed
at the SRU Faculty and Guest Artist Dance
Concerts, and the SRU Celebration of Giving.
In the spring of 2010, the ensemble was
invited to the Latin American Festival in
Pittsburgh and the SRU Kaleidoscope Arts
Festival. The dances were also included in
The Rock Dance Company’s 2009-2010
repertoire directed by Jennifer Keller.
7

Alumni News
Amy Buterbaugh (Fullerton, 2007) teaches at the
Laurel Arts Dance Center in Somerset where she
has choreographed for numerous performances
and competitions. In the summer of 2009, she was
offered a position in the Somerset Area School
District where she currently teaches kindergarten.
She was married in July of 2010.
Christine Chever Healy (2008) is currently teaching
full time at the Lititz Academy of Dance. She also
teaches at an after school dance program for innercity
students at Fulton Elementary in Lancaster, PA
and teaches and performs liturgical dance at St. Peter’s
Lutheran Church. She is a certified Yoga, and
Zumba instructor and teaches these fitness and conditioning
forms at various locations. Christine has
performed in several concerts with the Grant Street
Dance Company, directed by Kim Jureckson and
Eclectic Dance Company, directed by SRU graduate
Kathryn Kuczka. She worked with Lynn Brooks,
dance director at Franklin and Marshall College, on
Brook’s project entitled “Migrations: Resistance and
Endurance.” She also participated in the world premiere
new musical of “Georgia O’Keeffe: A woman
on paper” through the Lancaster Opera Company.
Christine married Edward Healy in 2009.
Rachel D’Amico (Mess, 2008) currently
works as a dance teacher at Janet
Hays and Company in Upper
St. Clair. She is also a company
member of the Mary Miller
Dance Company. After six years,
she continues working as a seasonal cast member at
Walt Disney World. In 2008, in collaboration with
Lauren Plesko (2007), she produced, funded, choreographed
and performed in a dance concert at the
Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh. She married
Mark D’Amico May 9, 2009.
Chrystal Davis (McCurdy, 2001) is a doctor of
physical therapy and works as a full time physical
therapist at UPMC Horizon. She also teaches at the
Dance Center Studios in Slippery Rock, Mercer,
and Sharon. “I enjoy teaching dance and demonstrating
proper body mechanics from a kinesiology
perspective.” She resides in Mercer, Pa with her
husband Michael McClenny, daughter Lillian June
Bea and son Colton Joseph.
Danielle DiFederico Gowen (2000) currently works
for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection. She also volunteers at the community
theater The Players Club of Swarthmore as stage
manager, props and stage crew. She married Jason
Gowen in 2009.
Jennie Eckenrode (2008) is dancing for Cleveland’s
American Hockey League team. She states that
this experience has been a “a step in a totally different
direction, but so much fun Being surrounded
by 20,000 screaming hockey fans is indescribable.”
She also worked as the choreographer for a local
play that was performed at the Cleveland Playhouse
in the fall of 2010.
Darcie Anselment (2006) lives in Long Island, N.Y.
where she is pursuing her chiropractic internship. She
will graduate in July 2011 from the New York Chiropractic
College with a Doctor of Chiropractic.
Tiffany Colleen Finamore (2008) works with the
Pennsylvania Dance Theatre under the direction of
Andre Koslowski. She was married in November
of 2008.
Sarah Green (Zabarowski, 2008) teaches dance
and gymnastics to the children (ages 2-17) of the
military community of Kaiserslautern, Germany,
averaging 31 classes a week. She also continues
training in dance and dancing in a variety of
festivals hosted by the village where she resides.
She will be living with her husband in Germany
until 2012 and has, so far, travelled to nine different
countries and twenty-nine cities.
Chad Michael Hall (2000) completed his master of
fine art degree in choreography at Ohio State University
in 2004.That same year he was invited to
join Diavolo Dance Theatre based in Los Angeles.
During this time, he served as part-time faculty at
California State University in Los Angeles, visiting
assistant professor in the dance program at Loyola
Marymount University, and danced with the Regina
Klenjoski Dance
Company.
Chad recently
founded his
own projectbased
dance
company
called Move
Dance Theatre. In the fall of
2009, he returned to his alma mater
at SRU for a teaching and choreography
residency. He is currently a full-time faculty
member at Loyola Marymount University.
Anna Harsh (Pishner, 1995) is the artistic
director and founder of Allegro Dance
Company which has toured the U.S. and
Italy. Throughout the year, Anna finds
time to volunteer as the West Va.
State Director for National Dance
Week teaching master
classes in community
centers and public
schools. Her
work has
been
seen in
Dance Magazine,
Danza
Italia and published
in Dance Spirit Magazine.
She instructs dance
and Pilates for WV Northern Community College
as well as private dance studios throughout W.Va.
She choreographed the musical “Damn Yankees”
for Wheeling Park High School and was the Ballet
Instructor for West Virginia Governors School for
the Arts. With grant funding, Anna will be giving
lectures and demonstrations on dance and fitness
for teachers throughout Ohio schools. Harsh and
her husband recently celebrated their 5th wedding
anniversary and reside in Wheeling, W.Va.
Joanie Johnson (2004) recently graduated from
The Institute of Integrated Nutrition. She is a
dancer, dance educator, pilates instructor and the
founder of Motivated Nutrition. (http://www.
motivatednutrition.net) She dances professionally
with New York-based H.T. Chen and Dancers and
Valerie Green/Dance Entropy. She is involved with
the non-profit organization, House of the Roses, as
a full time movement teacher, dancer, and member
of the Artistic Advisory Committee. She is on faculty
at Chen Dance Center as a dance instructor.
Darcey Karas (2009) completed her exercise science
internship at Heritage Valley Wellness Center during
the summer of 2009. She is currently attending
Chatham University to obtain a master’s degree in
occupational therapy; she will be graduating in the
summer of 2011. Karas, along with a group of her
classmates, presented their research findings at the
Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association
Conference in the fall of 2010. This year Darcey
was asked to be the OT representative for Chatham
Eastside’s graduate student advisory group. For the
past year, Karas has been instructing group exercise
classes as well as choreographing and teaching dance
at Louise School of Dance.
Jamie Knurek (2006) graduated from
Case Western Reserve University with a
master of fine arts in dance in 2009. She
was offered a part-time position at Case
Western for a semester. She also teaches
dance at The Fairmount Center for the
Arts in Novelty,
Ohio.
She starts a
three-year
doctorate
degree
program
in physical
therapy in
January of
2011.
Heather
Konopka
Gerlach
(2000) works
independently
as
a teaching
artist at various
organizations in Pittsburgh and surrounding
areas, including Pittsburgh Center for the Arts and
Dance Alloy Theater. Her work has been shown
in the SRU Faculty and Guest Artist Concert and
LABCO’s Black Box Series. She is also involved
with the dance ministry at Northway Community
Church, and has a strong passion for praise and
worship dance. Gerlach has been teaching classes,
including modern dance and hip hop, at Pinetree
Performing Arts Center in Valencia, Pa. since 2002
and offers workshops in other dance-related topics.
She has been a trainer with IM=X Pilates, Inc.
since 2005 with certifications in basic and advanced
exerciser (reformer) and floor formats. Heather is
also a member of the Zumba Instructor Network
since 2007 and offers classes at several locations.
Danielle Krynicki (2005) works as a physical
therapist at UPMC/CRS, Sports Medical Complex
evaluating and treating dancers and dance-related
injuries, sustained by professionals and children.
Since 2009, she has been an orthopaedic resident
at UPMC/CRS, which includes responsibilities as
Teaching Assistant at University of Pittsburgh with
8

Alumni News Continued
the Department of Physical Therapy, participating
in the journal club reviews with department
faculty, assisting with research presentation for the
Combined Sections Meeting in San Diego,
California regarding rehabilitation for Anterior
Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, and case
presentations for the Physical Therapy
Department courses.
Erin Luccio (Rudisill, 2006) is currently a postbaccalaureate
student at Towson University earning
a K-12 Teaching Certificate in Dance Education. In
the fall, she will be completing her student teaching
internship. Student teaching is the last step to receive
certification and she hopes to obtain a job teaching
in a public school in Maryland and eventually
attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in
education or dance education. Luccia was married
on June 5, 2010 to SRU alum Justin Luccio.
Shari Karn Mastalski (2007, minor) pursued her
graduate studies at SRU and graduated with a
master of science in sustainable systems in
Dec.2009. She recently performed at Fellowship’s
Gallery Night at Carnegie Mellon University. She
has taught creative dance for Butler YMCA’s summer
arts camp and continues working on projects
that combine sustainable systems and the arts.
Kristin Mazzulli (2004) has performed on tour,
nationally and internationally, with Vee Corporation’s
Sesame Street Live since 2007. Kristin is very
happy to be able to educate individuals through the
art of dance.
Trista Newcomer (2008) teaches at Dance Unlimited
in Windber, Pa. Her piece “Over the Pond”
received a High Silver Award in the New York City
Dance Alliance competition in Buffalo, N.Y. She
also teaches at Uzelac Gymnastics in Richland,
Pa. where she teaches ballet for gymnasts to help
improve their alignment, turn-out and provide
them with more core strength and fluidity of
movement. She teaches creative movement and
choreographs floor routines in this school. Trista
has taught dance and art at the Johnstown Bottle
Works and Ethnic Center that is a program geared
towards under-privileged and at-risk youth. She has
performed and choreographed for the d’Art Movement
at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh.
Brandy Niccolai (2004) currently resides in the
Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas. After graduating
from SRU, Brandy went on to receive her master of
fine arts in dance from Texas Woman’s University.
She is currently an associate professor at Collin
College teaching Jazz and Anatomy/Pilates for
Dance, and an adjunct faculty member at Tarrant
County College where she teaches jazz, modern,
and ballet. Niccolai spent most of her summer
developing an Online Anatomy and Kinesiology
for Dance Course for Richland College and is
interested in exploring the online teaching/learning
environment within the field of dance. In addition
to teaching, Brandy is a Pilates Trainer at Get
Reformed Pilates Studio and a Collective Member
of Muscle Memory Dance Theatre.
Amanda O’Brien Rosenbaum (2004) currently
dances with Full Circle Dance Company based
in Baltimore, Md. under the direction of Donna
Jacobs. She still performs occasionally with Ballet
Lafayette in her hometown of Uniontown under
the direction of Kelly Jenkins. She married Joshua
Rosenbaum in August of 2008.
Lisa O’Brien (2008) is pursuing her graduate studies
in osteopathic medicine at the Philadelphia College
of Osteopathic Medicine. She will graduate
in 2013.She teaches 17 plus group fitness classes a
week at 8 different locations within the Philladelphia
suburbs. Her primary specialties are yoga and
Zumba. She is also an instructor with Epic Boot
Camp. Additionally, she is a personal trainer at a
fitness center and has been training for bodybuilding
competitions since 2009.
Carrie O’Donnell (2007, minor) teaches in the
Millcreek Township School District. She is also a
dance instructor at the Erie Dance Conservatory,
and a Fitness Instructor at the Nautilus Club &
Family First Fitness Center.
Leigh Puntureri Shields (2004) teaches dance to
teenage students and directs a dance company
called Praise Symbols at Grove City Alliance
Church. She married Stephen Shields in 2005 and
they now have a daughter Cassie.
Anita Marie Reda - (Bartlett 2004) is the co-owner
of Essence Of Motion Dance Studio together with
Margaret Spahr (2005). The studio now has two
locations - Coudersport, Pa. and Emporium, Pa.
They celebrated their 5th Year Anniversary Concert
in June 2010. She is married to Jason Bartlett
and has two daughters, Layla Janis and
Gwendolyn Victoria.
Jennifer Sherman (2006) has taught at the Endless
Mountains Dance Center for four years and is pursuing
a master’s degree in education with a certificate to
teach Spanish at Mansfield University. She married
Justin Navickas of Troy, Pa. on July 17, 2010.
Sarah Shingleton (DiFrischia, 2007) opened Crossroads
Dance Academy in Slippery Rock, Pa. in fall
2009. She married SRU alum Allen Shingleton and
has two daughters Elise and Eilee Belle.
Kelly Smith (1994) received a master’s degree in
library and information science in 2008. She is an
archives intern at The Studio Theatre in Washington,
D.C. and was a Dance Heritage Coalition Fellow
working in the archives at Jacob’s Pillow in 2009.
Laura Stokes (2006) was an apprentice for The
Pillow Project Dance Company, and taught hip-hop
at the Hope Academy of Music and the Arts, as well
as creative movement in the public schools through
the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She performs on
occasion with the Guinea West African Drum and
Dance Ensemble, and choreographed a work for
dArt Movement’s Decollage Summer Dance Project,
formed by SRU graduates. She is administrative
assistant and Baha’i events coordinator to Kevin
Locke, a Native American Hoop Dancer.
Nichelle Strzepek (1999) is a full-time mom,
dance writer, and performer living in Houston,
Texas. In March 2009, she performed with Suchu
Dance (Houston, Texas) in an evening-length work
choreographed by Jennifer Wood called “How to
Absorb the Colorama Format” and performed an
excerpt of the work at the DanceUSA conference
in June of 2009. She runs and writes a successful
dance education blog called “Dance Advantage”
(http://danceadvantage.net) and is a freelance
dance writer for other Web sites, including dance
reviews for DanceSource Houston and other online
arts organizations. Strzepek is married to Mark
Strzepek and has a son born in 2007.
Kelly Tiffany (Lewis, 2004) completed her master
of arts in theatre arts at Western Washington University
in December 2009. She married Derrek
Tiffany in 2008 and has a daughter named
Eilleillwy who was born on March 18, 2009.
Rosie Trump (2003) moved to Houston, Texas
in 2010 to accept the position of dance program
director at Rice University. She recently curated
the Rice Dance Film Festival and hosted the Texas
Dance Improvisation Festival at Rice. She runs the
blog “Reading the Dance” and is reviewing dance
performances for the Houston Press.
Ashley Valo (2006) moved to Richmond, Va. and
started dancing with Dim Sum Dance, Ground
Zero Dance and RVA Dance Collective. She also
works as an independent choreographer, and in
August of 2009 debuted “Alicia’s Bag” at the
Visual Arts Center of Richmond and at the 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
worked with local Richmond filmmaker Walker
Allen in an artistic short film that was presented
in August of 2010. Valo was 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 and works as an
administrative assistant at the Visual Arts Center of
Richmond. She plans to continue creating experimental
work and eventually continue her studies of
choreography at a graduate level.
Jennifer Verba (Roe, 2004) is the elementary arts
coordinator and dance teacher at Lincoln Park Performing
Arts Charter School in Midland, Pa. She
has been choreographer for the musical productions
of this school and for the dance department.
She was married in 2005 to Nathan Verba (SRU
Alumni, 2005) and recently had a baby, Cadence.
Marcey Yonkey Clayton (2005) graduated from
Texas Woman’s University in 2008 where she
received a master of fine art degree in dance. She
then accepted a full-time position at Columbia College,
S. C. She is choreographing and performing
extensively with Columbia’s Professional Contemporary
Dance Company, “The Power Company”
through which she has had the chance to collaborate
with visual artists and musicians from the
community. She facilitated the implementation
of “Dance Lab” a group of community artists
dedicated to experiential and experimental ways of
creating art. She married SRU alum Jared Clayton
in December 2008.
9
9

The Components of a Successful
Sabbatical Leave
By Nora Ambrosio
At Slippery Rock University, faculty members
are fortunate to receive sabbatical leaves that
allow a concentrated period of time to do
activities such as travel, engage in research,
and complete proposed projects. During my
recent sabbatical leave in fall 2010, I was
able to write the sixth edition of my book
“Learning about Dance.” I did extensive
research and updated all chapters, and
rewrote several sections to include current
information and describe new technologies.
I also created a web site that will be used
exclusively by the instructors who use the
text in their courses. The Web site includes
an outline of each chapter for lectures
and discussion, discussion questions, test
questions, and links to video clips that will
serve as visual examples of the topics in the
text. The new edition (and Web site), was
published in fall 2010 and printed in color. It
is really beautiful. “Learning about Dance”
has sold more than 100,000 copies.
I also worked on a second edition of “The
Excellent Instructor and the Teaching of Dance
Technique.” In “The Excellent Instructor,”
I updated all chapters and included new
information on dance pedagogy. Although
I still have more work to do to before the
book goes to print - (I will be working with a
photographer to acquire new photos and also
creating a Web site to accompany the text) - ,
the writing is almost finished, and I am very
pleased with the revisions. The second edition
of “The Excellent Instructor” will be available
in fall 2011.
I was happy to provide a service to a major
dance organization and assist in writing a
$20,000 grant for the National Museum
of Dance in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. I have
recently been informed that the museum did
receive this grant, which will allow for the
development of a new children’s wing.
During this sabbatical, I was also able to travel
to Italy, and although I was not planning to do
research there, my travels led me to a small town
in Umbria called Gubbio, where I discovered
that the local museum houses bronze tablets
created in 3BCE that describe the directions
for specific ceremonies. I was curious to see
if these tablets included any directions related
to dance, and after some communicating in
Italian, English and (mostly) grand gestures,
I was able to search and eventually found an
English translation that did, in fact, show that
dance is mentioned several times throughout
the text. This “find” was very exciting, as these
tablets are not written about in any dance
literature. I was able to add this information to
“Learning about Dance,” and will continue to
do research on these tablets.
I am grateful for this sabbatical, and I was
able to complete my projects as planned. I
was also able to cook a lot, one of my favorite
pastimes, for which my family was truly
grateful. I perfected my homemade pizza,
making so many different kinds (white pizzas,
vegetable pizzas, gourmet pizzas), my kids
eventually said “Please just make the regular
kind.” I also, for the first time in my life,
tried my hand at baking. If I say so myself,
my flourless chocolate torte is fantastic!
Although the sabbatical was great, there is
only so much sitting in front of a computer
a person like me can do. I was happy to get
back to the department of dance and to my
students. I was rejuvenated by my research
and work (and cooking) and eager to get back
to chairing our wonderful department.
10

Featured Alumna:
Tara Madsen Robbins
Slippery Rock University B.A. in Dance 2000-2004
Smith College M.F.A. in Dance 2004-2006
As an undergraduate dance major, Tara Madsen
Robbins knew she wanted to perform professionally.
She especially enjoyed being on stage and
interacting with an audience. Her stage presence
and performance qualities made her stand out
as a dancer. Her originality and talent as a choreographer
also began to develop as an undergraduate
student at SRU. She was always an inquisitive
student and worked hard to accomplish
her goals. While at SRU, Madsen was extremely
involved in guest artist works, faculty work, as
well as student work. She took full advantage of
the different learning avenues the department of
dance had to offer and established a wonderful
relationship with her professors and peers. Her
experience as an undergraduate dance major at
Slippery Rock University was just the beginning
of a beautiful career ahead of her in the field
of dance.
After graduating from SRU, and eager to continue
her education in dance, Madsen applied
and was accepted to Smith College to pursue
her master of fine art degree in performance and
choreography. It was the perfect choice for her
upon graduating from SRU since she was genuinely
interested in furthering her education as an
artist. The professors at SRU were behind Madsen
in this decision and were truly happy for her.
Upon graduation from Smith College in 2006,
she moved to Philadelphia to dance and tour
professionally with the modern dance company
Tania Isaac Dance for three years. During her
three years with the company, she performed
at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Bates
Dance Festival and other venues. Isaac’s piece
“Stuporwoman” was created on Madsen and
a few other dancers, along with live musicians.
It was a privilege for her to be involved in such
an exciting project. She had the chance to witness
Isaac’s creative process from conception to
final product, and then successfully performed
in the premiere in September of 2008 at the
Suzanne Roberts Theater in Downtown Philadelphia.
Madsen’s experience with the company
sculpted her into a new dancer. She is grateful
to have had this performance opportunity under
the guidance of Tania Isaac.
Madsen has always enjoyed constructing
dances and expressing her thoughts, ideas
and aesthetics through movement. While at
Smith College, she started presenting her choreographic
works in festivals and showcases
nationally and internationally. Nationally she
has presented her work at numerous venues in
New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington,
D.C. and various cities in the state of
California. Her first international invitation
was to Barcelona and Madrid in Spain in the
summer of 2005 where she toured her solo
“Here Then Gone” on a showcase with other
artists from all over the world. The showcase
was presented by Dance Forms Productions
with Director Susana Williams.
Madsen was also invited to present
her work at the Edinburgh Festival
Fringe in 2006, and in Greece, Italy
and Guatemela in 2008. Her work
has received critical acclaim:
“There was also some promising
work by several young American
dancers: Ariel Cohen and Amy
Softic in a duet that investigates
changing patterns in the evolving
relationship between two sisters,
intelligently crafted by recent
Smith College graduate, Tara Madsen”.
-Graham Watts-Ballet co.uk
Magazine, August 2006
“I particularly enjoyed ‘One’ by Tara
Madsen, in which the choreography and music
was really united.”
-Frances Campbell, Edinburgh Festival
coverage, Unlimited media, August 2006
Madsen always knew she wanted to share
her knowledge and passion for dance with
others. She was offered a teaching fellowship
at Smith College and enjoyed teaching
at the college level. After graduation, she was
hired part-time in the dance department at
DeSales University where she started her fifth
year in the fall of 2010. She has taught various
levels of modern dance, jazz dance, tap,
introduction to dance and dance composition
courses. She has also been on faculty at the
DeSales Summer Dance Intensive since 2006
teaching “Modern Dance,” “Improvisation,”
and “Repertory.” Her teaching credits include
Smith College, Amherst College, Bucknell
University, Kutztown University, American
College Dance Festival Association at Boston
University and the University of Maine. Madsen
is very passionate about teaching at the
college level and eventually would love to find
herself full-time at a university in or around the
Philadelphia region.
Madsen believes that the learning of dance is
continuous and never-ending. She is currently
enrolled in the Modular Certification Program
at the Laban Institute of Movement Studies in
New York City where she is working towards a
Certified Movement Analyst degree.
“The SRU department of dance made a huge impact
on my life as a dancer. Through the program
and the faculty, I was able to establish a solid foundation
in dance for myself as a performer, choreographer
and teacher. The proper technical training,
conceptual growth, and the motivation and encouragement
I received from the faculty, was the perfect
formula I needed to succeed. SRU provided me with
all of that and so much more. I am forever thankful
to my SRU dance family for all of their hard work,
support and belief in me.”
11

Department of Dance
1 Morrow Way
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
Save these Dates
• SRU Dance Theatre Winter Concert –
Feb. 3, 4, 5, 2011 Miller Auditorium 7:30 p.m.
• Ensemble Español, presented Feb. 16, 2011 in
the Succop Theatre of Butler County Community
College, 8 p.m.
• Kaleidoscope Arts Festival, April 13 -24, 2011
Campus of Slippery Rock University
• Senior Synthesis Concert – April 23, 2011
Swope Recital Hall, 5 and 8 p.m.
AUDITIONS
for prospective dance
majors and minors
•Feb. 7, 2011
•March 21, 2011
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