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Dance Alloy Theater
5530 Penn Avenue,
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
T: 412 363 4321
F: 412 363 4320
Email Greer Reed-Jones
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Education Director Bio Greer Reed-Jones As a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she began early training with the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble. Upon graduation from high school, her intensive dance education continued at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York. Having successfully completed the Certificate and Merit scholarship programs of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, she became a member of the outstanding Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble. Advancing her career opportunities, she became a contracted dancer with the internationally acclaimed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, (DCDC) Dayton, Ohio. Rising to principal dancer during her ten years with DCDC, she has worked closely with internationally renowned choreographers and directors, touring extensively throughout the US and abroad. Teacher Bios  Michael Walsh Michael Walsh joined Dance Alloy Theater in 1999. During his tenure he has performed and originated roles in works by, among others, Mark Taylor, Sarah Skaggs, Joe Goode and Beth Corning. Before moving to Pittsburgh, Michael danced with Shawn Womack Dance Projects in Cincinnati. He holds a BA degree in Psychology from Ohio State University, where he was a member of the national champion cheer leading squad. Michael is also an active choreographer and teaching artist in Pittsburgh.  Christopher Bandy Christopher Bandy began his professional career with American Repertory Ballet in 1997, where he performed for eight years. He moved to Pittsburgh in 2004 to be closer to the woman who is now his wife, Mollie. He joins Dance Alloy Theater this season following a four-year stint with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. During the summer, Christopher dances with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in Asheville, NC, where he will return in 2009 for his sixth season. He is also an avid organic gardener and proud father of his daughter Amelia, who will be two in October.  Kadiatou Conte-Forte Kadiatou Conte Forte was born in the Republic of Guinea in Conakry in 1955. As a young girl, Kadiatou did the traditional household jobs of cooking, cleaning, laundry, and taking care of the males in the family. She began to dance at age three with the rest of the community, and by age five, she knew she had a special talent. As a teenager, she auditioned for and was accepted into the prestigious Les Ballets Africains, the national dance company of Guinea, becoming one of its premiere dancers. She also danced with Le Ballet National Djoliba, another Guinean troupe. In 1985, Kadiatou moved to Washington, D.C., and became a major force in the African arts community there. In 1997, she formed her own group, Balafon West African Dance Company, whose mission is to “provide an insightful, woman-centered perspective on West African tradition and culture as a source of healing and balance by providing quality education and entertainment to audiences of all nationalities and walks of life.” In 2003, Kadiatou moved to Pittsburgh. She became the Artistic Director of UMOJA African Arts Company, with whom she performed and was in charge of teaching a group of African and African-American drummers and dancers Guinean dances and songs. Kadiatou received a PA Council on the Arts Fellowship in the Traditional Arts in 2008, the highest award a traditional artist can receive in the Commonwealth. Additionally, she has been nominated for The Fund for Folk Culture’s Artist Support Program.  Teena Custer Teena Custer aka B-girl Teena Marie is currently a freelance hip hop dance theatre artist. Teena battles and performs with her crew, Venus Fly Trap, the first all female/all hip hop styles crew in the U.S. She has won b-girl battles such as Underground Movement 5 in Cleveland, Enter the Cypha I, and was also seen on an episode of MTV’s MADE. Teena premiered her solo hip hop dance theatre piece, “The Be-Girl Diaries” at the Breakin’ Convention in London, England, where she also performed with her crew at the B. Supreme Festival 2007. In addition to being a part of hip hop culture, Teena has an extensive background in contemporary dance. She earned a BA in Dance from Slippery Rock University and an MFA degree from The Ohio State University. She has been on faculty at both schools where she taught hip hop styles, as well as the prestigious American Dance Festival. She has choreographed hip hop dance theatre pieces for various university dance programs and companies, and has danced 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.  Veronica Sansing Veronica Sansing began belly dancing more than 12 years ago. She has studied with well-known dancers such as Mona N’wal, Jasmin Jahal, Habiba, Dr. Mo Geddawi, Jillina, Kweilin Nassar and Amani Ali. She is currently a member Sahara Dance Troupe, Pittsburgh’s oldest belly dancing company. Veronica’s belly dance specialties include zils, veil, floorwork and cane. Her Middle Eastern dance skills include Tunisian folkloric, American tribal, Greek and Turkish rom, Lebanese cabaret, Egyptian cabaret, classical and Raqs Sharqi. Veronica also has a dance background in modern, hip hop, swing, ballet, African and Latin.  Mary Ann Blair Mary Ann Blair has taught for more than 15 years. She has studied and performed with many noted instructors, including Ragia Hassan, Mona El Said, Mahmoud Reda, Dr. Mo Geddawi and Yousry Sharif. Her predominate style is referred to as “Egyptian cabaret.” Mary Ann’s travels have taken her to Egypt and Greece, as well as across the U.S., to witness and experience dance in its native form. In addition to teaching, Mary Ann directs and performs with the Sahara Dance Company.  Aboubacar "Oscar" Camara Aboubacar “Oscar” Camara is a world-renowned choreographer, dancer, musician and educator. He has served as lead dancer and lead choreographer for Les Ballets Africains in the Republic of Guinea, the Ballet d’Afrique Noir in the Republic of Senegal and Koteba D’Abidjan in the Republic of the Ivory Coast. Oscar has performed at the Apollo Theater in New York, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and in the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He currently directs the Guinea West African Drum and Dance Ensemble and teaches at Winchester Thurston School.  Allie Greene Allie Greene has more than 15 years of performance and teaching experience. Her teaching philosophy is based on her belief that the dance class environment teaches much-needed life skills such as self discipline, focus, respect, problem solving and team work. She has worked for the Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic as a therapist working with children with autism and at-risk youth. Allie also created and taught CLIMB (Creative Learning in Moving Bodies), a program of creative movement therapy used for children with special needs. Allie is the owner/instructor of Pittsburgh Pilates studio at Wexford Dance Academy  Shira Krasnow Shira Krasnow teaches Hip Hop at Point Park University, the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University and Career Connections Charter High School. She also choreographs musicals at her alter mater, Taylor Allderdice. Shira has also opened shows for national recording artists, such as Flo Rida, Nas, Clipse, Lupe Fiasco, Young Jeezy and Vanilla Ice. Even though dance consumes most of her time, she is also a full-time student at the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in English and theater.  Gretchen Moore Gretchen Moore has been a company member of Laboratory Company Dance (LABCO) since 2004. She’s taught Hip Hop at Chatham College; most recently she taught at Jones Summer Dance Intensive, a two-week summer workshop for pre-professional dancers in the Pittsburgh area. Since 2007, Gretchen has been an adjunct faculty member at West Virginia Wesleyan College, where she teaches modern dance technique, choreography, improvisation and dance repertory classes. Ayisha A. Morgan-Lee Ayisha A. Morgan-Lee is the founder and CEO of Hill Dance Academy Theatre and the Artistic Director of Ju-B-Lation: Spirit Filled Feet, a multi-generational liturgical dance company that uses sacred dance as the artistic voice to celebrate the cultural and spiritual traditions of the Black Church experience. Ayisha has been seen in many stage productions; in July 2007, she received The African American Council of the Arts Onyx Award for Best Choreography in a Musical for Black Nativity. When Ayisha is not on stage, she is employed at St. Benedict the Moor School as their librarian. Jennifer Quinio Jennifer Quinio has been a Zumba instructor since July 2007. She has studied with Beto Perez, the creator of Zumba, and Erick and Asuka Boucher, two principal Zumba instructors. Jennifer has taught at ModernFormations Gallery and Performance Space, Shape Fitness, Club 1 Pittsburgh and The Jewish Community Center of Pittsburgh. Jennifer is also a board member of the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation that cultivates the education and social well-being of children and young adults in the Bloomfield, Garfield and Friendship neighborhoods. Trinidad “Trini" Regaspi Trinidad “Trini" Regaspi has been dancing Argentine Tango since 1995. She encourages a style of tango that emphasizes personal art yet respects the culture and dance codes of Buenos Aires. Using her studies of Alexander Technique as a backdrop, Trini teaches tango techniques by developing kinesthetic awareness as opposed to memorizing figures. In 2002, Trini and her husband and dance partner Sean Cosgrove founded PATangoS (Pittsburgh Argentine Tango Society), whose mission is to make Argentine Tango Pittsburgh’s most popular social dance.  Mercedes Searer Mercedes Searer began her professional career with the Windhover Dance Company. She has been a principal dancer and costume designer for The Pillow Project, and has performed with Attack Theatre and Tracie Yorke Dance. She currently co-directs, choreographs, and dances with Knot Dance, a new Pittsburgh-based performance copmany. Mercedes has taught outreach creative arts programs for Attack Theatre, Dance Alloy Theater, and Civic Light Opera. She has been a guest teacher for McAllen City Ballet's Summer Intensive in McAllen, Texas. She currently runs her own modern dance module for the Proper Charter Schools' creative arts program.  Marlon Silva Marlon Silva has been called "that red-hot chili pepper of a dance instructor" by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He choreographs, performs and teaches Salsa and Merengue throughout the Western Pennsylvania area. Marlon is the host of the Let's Dance Salsa instructional video series. His Salsa dance instruction method uses the beat of Salsa music instead of the counting steps method taught by other instructors; this “natural style” of Salsa dancing is easier to learn and more fun on the dance floor. Laurie Tarter Laurie Tarter has been a dancer/teacher/choreographer since 1971. Since has taught children’s dance for more than 20 years, including to those children who are emotionally and/or physically challenged. With the philosophy that fitness involves the whole person, Laurie’s classes draw upon her background in Tai Chi, contemporary dance, aerobics and yoga. She also cultivates deeper movement awareness for her students through the use of imagery and the principles of constructive rest. |
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