Susan Jaffe, Co-Founder and Risa Gary Kaplowitz, Co-Founder & Director

Risa Gary Kaplowitz, Co-Founder & Director

Risa Gary Kaplowitz is a former principal dancer with Dayton Ballet and member of Houston Ballet and Manhattan Ballet. She has also performed with Pennsylvania Ballet and Metropolitan Opera Ballet and as a guest artist with many companies nationwide.

She was originally trained at Maryland Youth Ballet by Tensia Fonseca, Roy Gean, and Michelle Lees. She spent summers as a teen studying on scholarship at American Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Houston Ballet. As a professional, her most influential teachers were Maggie Black, Marjorie Mussman, Stuart Sebastian, Lupe Serrano, Benjamin Harkarvy, and Ben Stevenson. She has performed the repertoire of many choreographers including Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Stuart Sebastian, Dermot Burke, Billy Wilson, and Marjorie Mussman.

After spending ten years in a successful business career while building a family, Ms. Kaplowitz returned to the dance world and founded Princeton Dance and Theater Studio (www.princetondance.com) and DanceVision, Inc. (www.dancevisionnj.org) with Susan Jaffe, former ABT principal ballerina. Ms. Kaplowitz is now PDT's Director, and the Artistic Director of DanceVision, Inc. She also founded D.A.N.C.E. (Dance As a Necessary Component of Education), an outreach program that brings dance to New Jersey schools.

Ms. Kaplowitz has choreographed more than twenty pieces, and her original full-length ballets, The Secret Garden and The Snow Queen, premiered with DanceVision Performance Company in 2008 and 2011, respectively. Additionally, she has choreographed for several New Jersey Symphony Orchestra family and school outreach concerts.

Ms. Kaplowitz is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 5. She has lectured the ABT/NYU Master candidates on starting a dance studio. She is most grateful for her teachers who gave and (in the case of ABT Curriculum) give her the exceptional tools necessary to have had a performance career and the opportunity to train others in authentically. She also feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to dance with and learn from many exceptional dancers.

Recognized as one of the leading ballerinas of her time, Ms. Jaffe has performed in many Opera houses throughout the United States and Europe. She joined American Ballet Theatre in 1980 at the invitation of Mikhail Baryshnikov and became well known in the dance world at a young age. She has received critical praise for her interpretations of such roles as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Kitri in Don Quixote, Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadere, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Swanhilda in Coppelia and the title roles in Manon, Giselle, and La Sylphide.

Ms. Jaffe has worked with and performed the repertoire of many of the twentieth century's most prominent choreographers including George Balanchine, Anthony Tudor, Kenneth MacMillan, Jerome Robbins, Roland Petit, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kiyan, and James Kudelka.

Ms. Jaffe's European engagements have included performances with The Royal Ballet, The Kirov Ballet, The Stuttgart Ballet, The Munich State Opera Ballet, La Scala Ballet, The Vienna State Opera Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, The Royal Swedish Ballet and The English National Ballet.

Television appearances have included several "Dance in America" programs and host of "Dance New York". Film credits include 1994's "Angie" with Geena Davis and the 1995 documentary "Ballet" directed by Frederick Wiseman.

Ms. Jaffe has served as advisor to the chairman and president of the Board of Governing Trustees at American Ballet Theater and she gives master classes throughout the United States and Japan. She has recently received the Annual Dance Magazine Award.

Ballet		Modern
Risa Kaplowitz		Evelyn Ebo
Maura Ryan
Nora Cotter
Jung Soo Kim
Manolo Molina
Brian Reeder		Hip Hop
		Tom Mckie
Jazz - Broadway
Matt Williams		Stretch/Pilates
Maria Francesconi		Linda Mannheim
		Marie Alonzo Snyder
Accompanist		Guest Instructors
Phylis Kohn		Cynthia Gregory
Judy Yeh		Susan Jaffe
		Roy Kaiser
Ballroom for Kids		Adam Holms
Henri Velandia
		In recent years, our guest instructors have included:
Tap		Maxim Beloserkovsky, Irina Dvorovenko, Cynthia Gregory,
Karen Callaway Williams		Robert Hill, Christian Holder, Sascha Radestsky, Julie Kent
		Desmond Richardson, John Selya, Martine Van Hamel, Igal Perry
Flamenco		Stephanie Saland, Michael Shannon, Preston Duggar,
Lisa Bottalico		Jared Matthews, Yuriko Kajiya

Maura Ryan, Assistant Director - born in Staten Island, New York and began seriously training in ballet after her family moved to the Princeton area during her childhood.  She danced at Princeton Dance and Theater her junior and senior years of high school dancing in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Pequita, Sleeping Beauty and Raymonda. After graduating high school, she attended the Dance Conservatory at SUNY Purchase College on scholarship, where she received a B.F.A in Dance Performance in both ballet and modern technique. While at Purchase, Maura has danced soloist and demi-soloist roles in ballets such as Four Temperaments (Phlegmatic, Melancholic) and The Nutcracker (The Dewdrop Fairy and Marzipan)as well as worked with Robert Hill, Bettijane Sills, Rosanna Seravalli and Ted Kivitt. She is an ABT Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3.

Cyndi Chervenyak (studio manager) has worked in the advertising world for many years and came to Princeton Dance and Theater Studio in 2005 in search of a new career path. Cyndi eagerly joined the staff with an open mind to learning all about the studio. Over the years, she attended many workshops and integrated many new creative ideas in order to perfect the efficient running of PDT.  Cyndi is always readily available in the office to address any questions or concerns.

	Lisa Botalico (Dance, Choreographer) toured throughout the USA as Artistic Director and Principal dancer of La Compania Folklorica Latina under the auspices of the National Theatre of the Performing Arts; performing in such theatres as Town Hall (NYC), Constitution Hall (DC), Society o f the Four Arts (Palm Beach), Chicago Theatre, and the Masonic Temple (L.A.). She has shared the stage with many flamenco greats including Maria Alba, Jose Molina, Manolo Rivera, Orlando Romero, Victorio and Carmen Salao. Lisa performed in collaboration with the great Middle Eastern Dancer, Elena in Flamenco Moro. Currently Lisa is principal dancer and co-artistic director of the Alborada Spanish Dance Theatre with whom she has received critical acclaim throughout the tri-state area, including performances at the George Street Playhouse, Crossroads Theatre, Union County Arts Center, Community Theatre of Morristown, Keane University, Passage Theatre, and the Ocean County Arts Center to name a few. She has appeared many times on NJN's Images/Imagines. Lisa recently conceived and directed Sueno de Una Nina, a Spanish Dance Ballet based on the Nutcracker Ballet. Her upcoming performances include The Feast of Sarah at the George Street Playhouse in May and The Sephardic Connection (The Story of the Spanish Jews) at the new performing arts center at Princeton High School. Lisa dances regularly at the tablao at Spain Inn II in Clinton.
	Nora Cotter - Nora Cotter was born in Buffalo, NY and began dancing at age 12. Ms. Cotter graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts High School with a concentration in Ballet and as a North Carolina Regents Scholar. Nora continued her education at Mercyhurst College where she earned a BA cum laude in Dance. While in school, Ms. Cotter performed leading roles in Giselle, Raymonda, Symphony Italienne, Stars and Stripes and Coppelia. She also had the opportunity to work with Configuration Dance Theater, performing works by Joe Cipolla and Harrison McEldowney. Nora holds a Masters Degree magna cum laude from NYU in Dance Eduction, with a concentration in American Ballet Theater Pedagogy. While attending NYU, Ms. Cotter worked at the School of American Ballet as an Assistant Resident Hall Director for two years. Nora is certified in all levels of American Ballet Theater's National Training Curriculum. Also, Ms. Cotter has worked with Dance Educators of America, both judging and teaching the Ballet portion of workshops. This July, Nora will teach the ballet workshop for Dance Educators of America's national compeition in Orlando, FL. Ms. Cotter currently teaches at Marymount Manhattan College as an adjunct Ballet instructor, and at a private studio in Warren, NJ
	Evelyn Ebo - Evelyn began her training at the age of four with Joan Myers Brown, executive director of the Philadelphia Dance Company and the Philadelphia School of Dance Arts. Hard work and total committment has been a part of Evelyn's character since she began her professional dance career at the age of 15 with the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), where she also began her teaching career. Since then Evelyn has toured and performed abroad with The Wiz and the Broadway production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens just to name a few. Evelyn's credits also include television, music videos, commercials and feature films. You may have seen her in episodes of Fame, The Cosby Show, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit TV Special, Homicide...Life on the Streets and many more. Evelyn, now a mother of 2, is still involved in the performing arts encouraging young people to pursue their dreams.

Phylis Kohn, has a B.A. in Music Education from Kean University. She has accompanied dance classes for many years, taught Dalcroze, Music for Dancers, and teaches privately. Phylis is delighted to have been a part of PDT since its start.

Jung Soo Kim - received a Masters of Arts in Dance Education from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (“NYU”), where she graduated from NYU’s newly designed concentration: American Ballet Theatre (“ABT”) Ballet Pedagogy. She is also an ABT Certified Teacher, successfully completing the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the 2009 ABT National Training Curriculum. Ms. Kim was born in Seoul, Korea and began her professional ballet training at the age of eight. She is a graduate of Kaywon High School of Arts and received her BA degree from Sung Kyun Kwan University, where she double majored in Dance and Business Administration. Ms. Kim also received training at the Seoul Ballet Theatre and completed the Ekaterina Maximova Intensive Workshop. Ms. Kim has performed in numerous classical ballets include Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Le corsaire, Don Quixote, and Paquita. Ms. Kim has extensive experience teaching ballet in both Seoul, Korea and New York. She enjoys teaching class with a sensible, clear and fun approach; requiring her students to build a solid foundation as a prerequisite for further advancement.

Linda Mannheim, is a former apprentice to the Martha Graham Dance Company. She holds a BFA and MFA in Dance from Florida State University, and a MPA in Arts Administration from Syracuse University/Maxwell School. While in Washington, DC, Linda served on the staff of the Dance Program for the National Endowment for the Arts and was a Professor of Dance at American University. While performing with companies of Daniel West, Liz Lerman, David Holmes and City Dance Ensemble, she was on faculity at Washington Ballet and Maryland Youth Ballet. Additionally, she has performed with the Kennedy Center Artists-in-Education Program. Linda is a nationally Certified Pilates Instructor. She is currently working on her Master Teacher Training in Pilates at The Pilates Center in Boulder, CO

Tom Mckie - there is no substitute for Tom. He has been entertaining audiences of all kinds since the early 1990s. His work has been seen in an array of venues from Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, to New York's Apollo Theatre. Tom has also choreographed for productions for Sesame Street Live, "Dance Jam" at New Jersey's Performing Arts Center, Towson University's Dance Team in Maryland, and the annual Ladies of Hip Hop Festival in Philadelphia to name a few. While Tom chooses not to perform frequently, he has a strong history of training young dancers who have grown to go on to great jobs in the dance industry. Tom's teachings spread throughout the states of New Jersey, New York, as well as internationally (Europe and Canada). He teaches children and adults of all ages from dance studios, to public schools, to colleges and universities. Tom wishes to keep traveling the world, spreading knowledge of the Hip-Hop culture to anyone willing to learn it. His will to continue learning and growing has pushed Tom forward into becoming more than just a messenger of dance and culture, but a manisfestation of the true essence of the culture itself

Brian Reeder born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania and began his dance training with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. After attending American Ballet Theatre's Summer Programs, he then studied at the School of American Ballet. Before joining American Ballet Theatre (1994-2003), Mr. Reeder performed as a soloist with William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt (1990-1993) and also danced with New York City Ballet (1986-1990). As a choreographer Mr. Reeder has created nine original works for ABT II and a pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala (2007), accompanied by world-renown concert pianist Lang Lang. Brian was the recipient of a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship Grant (2005) in collaboration with the Washington Ballet, where he has done several works on the main company as well as their second company. He has also created and restaged his ballets on Pacific Northwest Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Grandiva and Ballet Pacifica. A new piece for Sacramento Ballet will be presented thanks to the generous gift of a Jerome Robbins Foundation Grant. In addtion, Mr. Reeder's work has been produced three times by the Works and Process series at the Guggenheim Museum, one of which was done in collaboration with modern choreographer, Pam Tanowitz. Brian has taught and choreographed at multiple ballet academies, regional dance companies and prestigious universities including Brown University, Emory University, Barnard College and The Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Also, this Fall Goucher College will perform a new work by Mr. Reeder. Brian was involved with the ABT Education Department's Make a Ballet program (2004-2006), is currently on staff at ABT's Summer Intensives in NYC and is the Coordinating Director of Dance Bermuda, ABT's International Summer Dance Intensive. He has been a guest teacher at several institutions: The Alvin Ailey School, School at STEPS, Studio Maestro, Orange County High School of the Arts, Newark Arts High School, Icelantic National Ballet Company , Peridance Capezio Center and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company. Mr. Reeder had the pleasure of creating the choreographic sequences for the independent film "American Primitive". He also recently made the dance moves for a music video, "Brit Slap", performed by American Idol contestant, Norman Gentle. Brian was honored to let his work process be the focus of Elliot Caplan's unconventional 18 hour documentary project, "15 Days of Dance: The Making of Ghost Light". Selected sections of the film have been screened at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and will also be shown in venues to be announced in the near future.

Marie Alonzo Snyder - is a modern dancer, choreographer, scholar and educator. Born in the Philipines, Marie was raised in Italy and eventually settled in New York City attending New York University's Tisch School of Arts earning her BFA and MFA in Dance. She has performed and toured with HT Chen & Dancers, Asian American Dance Theater, Hikari Baba Dancers, Second Avenue Dance Co., Maude Baum & Co., and performed works by Don Redlich, Ruby Shang, Joan Finkelstein, Cliff Keuter, Remy Charlip, James Cunningham, Yung Yung Tsuai, and Rozalind Newman. Since 1986 Marie's works have been presented in New York, Princeton and throughout the United States and Canada. She has also been produced several times by the Chen Dance Center/Mulberry Street Theatre, NYC and commissioned by Ear to the Ground Series, supported by the Jerome Foundation. Marie is a founding member of the West Windsor Arts Council and in 2004 she co-founded the "I'll have what she's having..." Dance Project, a dance cooperative of NJ 40Up women choreographers. Marie also earned her EdD from Columbia University and presented papers at Texas Women's University, Teachers College, Michigan State University, the University of Quebec, Princeton University, Barnard College and University of the Philippines. In 2009 she ws a guest dancer with Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Lincoln Center Festival. She has been on faculty of Princeton Dance and Theater Studio since 2003 and is D.A.N.C.E. Program Coordinator for DanceVision Inc. Marie is a certified Pilates instructor with her own studio.

Henri Velandia born in Venezuela and social dancing has always been his passion. His training began in classical ballet, jazz and modern dance at the age of 20 under the tutelage of Susan Jaffe and Risa Kaplowitz. He has completed various workshops with Complexions Contemporary Ballet in New York City. He also trained with Irina Piginnina and has competed in the Pro-Am division for Ballroom for 2 years. Henri also teaches his own style of hip urban street Salsa.

	Karen Callaway Williams, an original member of the New Jersey Tap Ensemble and its first Dance Captain, is currently featured on the cover of Flow Magazine Summer Issue. She can be seen in the current documentary Been Rich All My Life (The Story of the Silver Belles).Broadway credits include Tony Award Nominated Duke Ellington musical PlayOn and the International Phenomenon Riverdance-On Broadway of which she was the first African American female tap dancer and dance captain. A special quest artist on Sesame Street she was also interviewed in Bojangles the Legacy for Showtime. Karen tours nationally and internationally with Tap City in Tour and Tap Tel Aviv.Other credits include Essence Magazine, Dance Magazine, and performances at the Cotton Club and the Apollo. She has been a quest tap soloist for several orchestras including The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati PopsLook for the upcoming release of her first children's book "Gabriella's Tap Shoes".
	Matt Williams, choreographed Will Ferrell's Tony-nominated and Astaire Award-winning Broadway show, You're Welcome America. Last fall, Matt created the choreography for the world premiere of Wicked creator Stephen Schwartz's new opera, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, which arrives at New York City Opera in 2011. Off-Broadway, he choreographed Paul Scott Goodman's Rooms, directed by Scott Schwartz. Matt created, produced, and choreographed his first full-length dance play, WARD 9, at the 2008 New York Musical Theater Festival, for which he received the festival's award for Best Choreography. Since 2004, Matt has been the choreographer and manager of the Big Piano Show at FAO Schwartz toy store in New York City where he recently performed for First Lady Michelle Obama and her family. Matt is also the resident choreographer for the internationally acclaimed Circus Smirkus. Matt's choreography has appeared at The Alley Theater, Lincoln Center, Irish Repertory Theatre, La Mama, The Rubicon Theatre, Stamford Center for the Arts, Metrostage, and Geva Theatre. Most recently, Matt assistant-directed the Broadway production of All About Me starring Dame Edna and Michael Feinstein. Matt holds a BFA in choreography from UC Irvine. He is married to former New York City Ballet soloist Jennifer Tinsley, with whom he has a beautiful one-year old baby girl, Chloe. www.mattwilliamschoreographer.com
	Judy Yeh, B.A. with a music major from National Taiwan Normal Univ., M.A. (piano pedagogy) and M.Ed. (music education) from Teachers College, Columbia Univ. NYC. Judy has been a piano teacher for twenty years, having played piano and organ in different churches for over twenty five years, and an accompanist for PDT Studio since 2005.