I remember climbing the rickety stairs up to the second floor, finding a little cubby for my dance bag and heading to the assigned studio for my class. When I was 6, I had to walk the long hallway to the back studio where Miss Joanne would teach me ballet, and eventually tap and jazz. I remember watching the older girls in the big studio, they were so strong and beautiful. From down the hall, I heard a very distinct voice, the voice of Mrs. Reynolds.  She would eventually become my teacher and her influence would change my life.  I could have never imagined the impact that these formative years would have on my life as a dancer.  Making friendships that would last a lifetime and working together towards something we loved was at the core of my time at The Dance Studio and eventually at Ballet Theatre of Scranton. I fell in love with dance and especially ballet because I was lucky enough to be taught that dance is an art form. Technique, respect, discipline, hard work, and artistry were the foundation of training and I experienced that for over 20 years. The training I received on Lackawanna Avenue and eventually at 310 Penn, prepared me for a professional career. 

 At the age of 11, in addition to training at Ballet Theatre, I began training at professional ballet schools across the country. Exposure to different teachers was encouraged and for that I am forever grateful. I was able to train with private coaches, take classes regularly at the School of American Ballet and the Pennsylvania Ballet and attend some of the most prestigious summer programs including the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Boston Ballet and the Washington Ballet. I continued to train in jazz and tap because Mrs. Reynolds and Miss Joanne always supported the importance of versatility. 

At Ballet Theatre I danced several principal roles including Lise in La Fille Mal Gardee’, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the title roles in Cinderella and Esmerelda, the Sylph is La Sylphide, Kitri in Don Quixote, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. I spent hours and hours in a studio with Mr. Danton learning so much more than steps. The attention to detail and nuance changed me as a dancer, I became at artist. Mrs. Reynolds and Miss Joanne recognized how special in was to learn from Mr. Danton, and to this day Miss Joanne upholds that tradition of exposing her students to teachers and choreographers from all over the world. 

 I continued on to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where I earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Dance on a Full Scholarship. Following my time at Tisch, I had the honor of performing with the Koresh Dance Company. I was then hired to be a Rockette for both the national touring company, and at Radio City Music Hall in NYC. During my 20 years with the Rockettes, I was a swing, dance captain, assistant choreographer and associate choreographer. I directed and choreographed the national tour and was the creative director for the Rockettes. Choreographing the Tony Awards and working with Linda Haberman, Wayne McGregor, Mia Michaels and Warren Carlyle were highlights in my dance career.