Teachers
Bio: Miss Maureen has been dancing since the age of six. With now over twenty years of teaching experience she decided to start her own dance studio because of her passion of ballet.. She started her dancing career at Blue Bell School of Dance, located in Blue Bell, PA under the instruction of both Miss Irene Evans and Miss Wanda Klazack. She went on to further her education receiving a Bachelor's in Business at Gwynedd Mercy College.
Some other accomplishments include:
Choreographed yearly performances for Archbishop Kennedy High School including: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, How to Succeed in Business & Fiddler on the Roof
Choreographed Wissahicken High School Summer Theater performances including: Oklahoma, Finneian's Rainbow & Annie Get Your Gun
Appeared and danced professionally in City Line Dinner Theater production of Hello Dolly
Appeared and danced professionally in Mickey Rooney's Dinner Theater production of Grease
Continues to attend dance conventions, competitions and seminars both in New York and Philadelphia throughout her dancing career.
Classes Taught: General I/II,III, Ballet & Pointe / Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss Sandie
Bio: Miss Sandie has been dancing since the age of three. She is a graduate of Gwynedd Mercy College with her Bachelor's in Science and Radiology. She has performed in several area competitve dance compeitions and conventions. In addition to her primary training, Miss Sandie has studied with Ron DeVito (Original Broadway Producrtion of "Cats"), Missy Lay Zimmer, Andrew Hubbard (Broadway Productions of Cats", Footloose", "Jesus Christ Superstar") and owners of Planet Dance & Exhale Dance Company and Thom Lake (The Joffrey Ballet). Before coming to Rising Star she has had several years teaching General Classes, jazz, and tap. She continues her dance education attending various conventions/seminars throughout the year. This is Miss Sandie's 5th season with Rising Star and we are very proud to have her on board with her extensive experience.
Some other accomplishments include:
The Radio City Rockettes Experience
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Performer
Dance Team member at Gwynedd Mercy College
Classes Taught: Tap, Ballet/Jazz - Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss Alyssa
Bio: Alyssa Spangler remains with Rising Star for her third year. She is from Allentown, PA and started dance at the age of four. She graduated from Temple University majoring in Kinesiology and Excercise Science in Spring of 2011. Has been with the Temple Diamond Jems Dance Team all four years of college and was captain her last year. She was selected, this season to coach the Diamond Jems. She is responsible for all the choreography for this team. She teaches at the fitness center on campus and area fitness gyms. Her goal is to work with Senior Citizens.
Some other accomplishments include:
Currently working in Universal Studios, Florida at The Blue Man Group at City Walk - "The Beatlettes"
Head Coach for Temple Gems Dance Team
Team Captain for Temple Gems Dance Team
That's Dancin' 2006
William Allen Dance Academy 2002-2006
William Allen "Allegro" Dance Team 2004-2006
Trained in ballet/modern/hip-hop/tap/jazz/African styles/aerobics
Classes Taught: Hip-Hop, Tap / Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss Ashley
Atlanta native, Ashley Nichole Johnson began her formal dance training at the age of two. It was at Norma's Academy where she discovered her love of dance. Her training and company experience comes from Norma's Academy of Dance, Ballethnic Academy of Dance, Total Dance, and North Carolina School of the Arts. While attending Tri-Cities High School, Ms. Johnson was a dance major, but was also seen in several musical theater performances, and was accepted into the Govenor's Honors Program. After high school, Ashley continued her education at The University of the Arts. Ms. Johnson had the privilege of training and working with dance masters Carmen DeLavallade, Milton Myers, Cleo parker Robinson, Ron K. Brown, Christopher Huggins and many more. During her college career, she had the pleasure of becoming a member of Philandanco's Second Company D-2. In 2007, Ms. John returned to Atlanta and while there she became a member of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks A-Town Dancers. In 2008-09 Ms. Johnson was a member of the up and comping Dance Theater X and also auditioned in Memphis, TN for Season 5 of Fox's Hit TV Show "So You Think You Can Dance". Ms. Ashley made it through to "as Vegas being picked to move on over hundreds of dancers. Currently Ms. Johnson has just completed her third year as a member of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers Dream Team.
Classes Taught: Ballet Technique, Leaps & Turns & Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss Amy
Miss Amy graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in dance from Temple University with concentrations in modern, jazz, and ballet. For three years, Amy has worked for the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts where she was formerly a modern dance scholarship student. She is the assistant director for the TapOlé Dance Company located in New Jersey, performing everywhere in the tri-state area. Also, she performs, choreographs, and is a featured tap dancer with the Call Me Crazy band. Amy has performed with many local companies at such venues as The Arts Bank, The Ethical Society, the Community Education Center, Conwell Dance Theater, The Academy of Music, The Drake, The Painted Bride, Rittenhouse Row, on the Liberty Bell Boat on the Delaware River, The Kraine and Apollo Theatre in New York City, and throughout New Jersey including Atlantic City. Amy has also studied with many independent choreographers such as Mike Shulster, George Alley, Michelle Van Doeren, Tim Early, and Derrick Yanford, along with directing and choreographing for her own dance company, The AccoMpanY Dancers. She has taken master classes with Barbara Duffy, Ray Hesselink, Derick Grant, Bob Rizzo, Meghan Braun, Shimon Braun, Crystal Frazier, Mia Michels, Dan Karaty, Gil Stroming, and Mike Minery. Her choreography has won numerous commendations such as Entertainment Award, Exceptional Precision, Exceptional Footwork, Best in Show, and many first place awards. Recently, Amy has shared her love of music, writing music and lyrics for three musical cd’s, and teaching piano
Classes Taught: Ballet/Jazz/Lyrical/Contemporary/Modern/Tap - Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss A'aliyah
A'aliyah Khan, a native of Philadelphia, PA, begn her first dance artistic experience at the Wm. Meredith Elementary School. At age 12, she began training at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center where she trained in ballet and Graham. She was a member of Fusion 2 and performed in several Nutcracker's with the International Ballet Theatre. A'aliyah is a graduate of The Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts where she studied with Ladeva Davis, Wayne St. David for jazz and Shawn-Lamere Willams for Horton. She participated in Boscov's Thanksgiving Day parades for four years, danced at a celebration for Patti labelle and was a member of Capa Dance Company. A'ailyah was also one of the recipients for the 2003 Coca-Cola Scholarship. After graduating high school in 2004, Ms. Khan was excepted into Eleone Dance Theatre under the direction of Shawn-Lamere Williams and Dr. Shelia A. Ward. There she had the oppurtunity to work with choreographers such as Christopher Huggins, Diane Macintyre, and performed works by the legendary Katherine Dunham to name a few. Shes also trained at Philadance and Dance Theatre of Harlem, and performed with Dance Company at Mercedes Benz L.A. Fashion Week.A'aliyah attended The University of the Arts as a ballet major and graduated in 2009. She's taught at various dance schools in the philadelphia area, as well as fitness and wellness workshops at Universal Institute Charter School. Ms. Khan is also a graduate of Jean Madeline Aveda Institute for comsetology.
Classes Taught: Ballet / Pointe
Teacher's Name: Mr. Matt
Matt Thomas is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He began his training at age 6. He studied at L&L Dance Studio, YTPC, Philadanco and Pennsylvania Ballet - The Rock School. Matthew performed in the Duke Ellington's Harlem Nutcracker. Matthew was an original member of Eleone Connection and joined Eleone Dance Theatre in 2007. This is Mr. Matt's second year with Rising Star.
Classes Taught: Hip-Hop, Tap / Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Miss Paige
Paige Jamison started danceing at the age of four with Premiere Dance Studio. She took ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, lyrical, hip-hop, pointe, funk and acro classes. She participated in many dance show, conventions, competitions and workshops. Pagie started student teaching classes when she was fourteen. She also started competing in numerous dance competitions when she turned fifteen until she graduated. Pagie graduated from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy of New York City. She studied dance, singing, musical theater and acting. She graduated in February of 2012 with an associate's degree in musical theater. While attending AMDA, Paige had the opportunity to work with many professional directors, choreographers, performers, people in show business and accompanists. Other accomplishments include: Dancing in Disney.
Classes Taught: Musical Theater, Jazz, Lyrical / Competition Teams
Teacher's Name: Ms. Sharee
Bio: Sharee started dancing at the age of 3 in a small studio located in Scranton, PA. She later was accepted to the University of the Arts for Dance. Sharee noticed that she had to work extremely hard because all of the other students had superior training prior attending the University. This was frustrating, but continued to move forward. After receiving her BFA, she took a non-union job dancing for a show in Atlantic City. The contract completed and she was still in need of intelligent training and decided to devote each year to extensive dance programs. All of her earnings went to gaining education from dance companies such as: Complexions, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Lines, Philadanco, Koresh Dance Company, The Edge, Debbie Renolds, jLas Vegas Ballet, Company, Merce Cunningham, etc. She also studied next to Kat Wildish, Calen Kurka, Cheryl Murakami, Salim Gauwloos, Luam, Cherice Barton, etc. After feeling confident from the extensive training, she landed dancing contracts in NYC, TEXAS, LAS VEGAS, CALIFORNIA and PHILDEAPHIA. After the completion of her last contract, she noticed dancers rehabilitating and preventing injury with the pilates reformer. She studied directly with trainers and later became certified. While instructing pilates, jSharee continued to study all areas and styles of dance with a specific focus on injury prevention, longevity of a dancer's career and dance anatomy. She would travel 2x a week to take classes at Steps in NYC and to sit in lectures with Julliard's functional anatomist. Her passion for not only the art of dance, but also the science and mechanics began to connect and evolve. Sharee promised herself that when she decided to teach that she would have the ability to provide TOP QUALITY dance education to children to FULLY prepare them if they chose a career in dance. Sharee is now Director of the Serenity School of the Performing Arts. She stresses the importance of quality dance education, traveling to seek the best training from the source and creating intelligent dancers whio will forever have the discipline to succeed in whatever pathe they later chose. She continues to take class and freelance so that her information is constantly evolving with the art form itself.
Classes taught: Ballet, Lyrical & Jazz
Teacher's Name: Miss Jenna
Miss Jenna is a Perkiomen Valley graduate who went on to get her degree in nursing. She is currently an RN at Paoli Hospital and the Trauma Center in their critical care department. Jenna started her dancing career at the young age of 3. She has been training under Miss Maureen for several years now and when it comes to teaching, takes on a very similar style. She is excited to be teaching balllet andf tap for the second year at Rising Star Dance Academy. Miss Jenna contiunally attends area workshops and conventions to improve her teaching skills.
Classes Taught: General I & II