EMC Performing Arts Studio

Dakota Engel

Dakota Engel
Student Dance Instructor

Reagan Hilsher

Reagan Hilsher
Student Dance Instructor

Emma Cummings

Emma Cummings
Student Dance Instructor

Sydney Thomas

Sydney Thomas
Student Dance Instructor

Erica Bull

Erica Bull
Dance Instructor

Brett Bogardus

Brett Bogardus
Artistic Director

LaTeisha Melvin

LaTeisha Melvin
Dance Instructor

Lyssa Wopat

Lyssa Wopat
Ballet Director SYB Director

Originally from Baltimore, Maryland, Lyssa Wopat began dancing at age four at EMC Performing Arts Studio in Pennsylvania. After graduating in 2013, Lyssa began studying at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) as a ballet major in the dance department under the direction of Susan Jaffe. While at the school, she also studied under Jared Redick, Jennet Zerbe, Laura Martin, Dayna Fox, Mikhail Tchoupakov, Nina Danilova, Fanchon Cordell, Frank Smith, and Susan McCullough. During her time at UNCSA, Lyssa performed roles in Paquita, Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations, the first regiment of Stars and Stripes, Donizetti Variations, Napoli, La Bayadere, Serenade, Les Sylphides, and as Flower, Snow Corps and Spanish in Ethan Stiefel’s The Nutcracker. Shortly after graduating from UNCSA in 2017 with a BFA in dance, Lyssa began dancing with The Georgia Ballet where she has performed the Prelude variation from Les Sylphides, 2nd Act of Swan Lake, La Fille Mal Gardée, Carmen, Haydn Concerto, as a “friend” in Sleepy Hollow, Iris Hensley’s Fantasy, Daet Rodriguez and Margit Peguero’s O Fortuna,and as Doll, Flower, Snow Corps and Mirliton in The Nutcracker. Lyssa is looking forward to taking on the role of Artistic Director of the Susquehanna Youth Ballet and Ballet Director at EMC Performing Arts Studio this fall.

Trynaty Thompson

Trynaty Thompson
Dance Director

Trynaty is an EMC Grad with training in dance and vocals. She participated in dance classes and theater while in college to become a therapist. With the knowledge she gained through her studies she combines her love of dance and performing arts with therapeutic techniques in her full-time job as a child therapist. Trynaty co-directs and choreographs for a local high school theater department, and also teaches Theater Dance, Street Jazz and more at EMC. As the Black Box Theater evolves, Trynaty is thrilled to lend her talents to helping the program grow!

Alli Walker

Alli Walker is a senior and has been practicing gymnastics, cheer, theatre, and choir throughout her life. She started in gymnastics at age four, attended EMC, and continued to do gymnastics for several years until her focus changed to cheerleading. For the last five years, Alli has been involved with cheerleading and is currently a Varsity cheerleader (Point Flyer) at Susquehannock High School. Additionally, she participated in the Big 33 Cheer program. She also enjoys tumbling, choreography, theatre, and singing in the Company of Praise Youth Choir. In the past four years she has participated in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Singing in the Rain, and The 2020 Outdoor Showcase at Stewartstown United Methodist Church’s Summer Theatre. Alli is president of her school’s MiniTHON Club, a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish club, and serves as a Junior Leader at Grace Fellowship Church. Alli enjoys working with children and staying active.

Hayden McGarvey

Hayden grew up around music, becoming a very versatile performer. His study began at age 6, taking drum lessons with his father James McGarvey. Currently a freshman at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Hayden studies classical percussion with Don Liuzzi of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Robert van Sice, and Eric Millstein. With these teachers, he studies timpani, snare drum, marimba, xylophone, hand drums and multi-percussion. Other disciplines he is learning at Curtis include piano, music theory, music history, ear training, singing and chamber music. While attending Susquehannock High School, Hayden became a very successful percussionist for PMEA honors groups. On top of numerous district and regional festivals, he performed two years in the PMEA state orchestra, as well as one year in the National All-Eastern Wind Ensemble. During High School he performed with the jazz band, pep band, marching band, orchestra, and wind ensemble. Hayden also attended the renowned Interlochen Summer Arts Camp in 2019 where he played as principal percussionist in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. In addition to classical percussion, Hayden is well versed in drum set playing, previously studying with his father and Tench Tillman. He currently studies drum set with John Riley of the Manhattan School of Music, and has played in various settings such as jazz combos, jazz big bands, rock bands, duos and recording sessions. Hayden can be heard on Brendan Wiencek’s debut album Endless Bonds, as well as his latest single, Second Base. Hayden is very excited to pass on his knowledge and passion for music to his students at EMC.

Milana Schechtman

Milana Schechtman
Student Dance and Discovery Gym Instructor

Milana Schechtman is a senior at Dallastown Area High School and has been performing since the age of 5. Dancing, singing, and acting have always been passions of hers. She has been a student at EMC for ten years and in Company Elite for three years.

Milana has participated in many musicals with roles such as Tanya in Mamma Mia, Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank, Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sharpay Evans in High School Musical, Tinker Bell in Peter Pan and so much more. She has also been a featured dancer in The King and I, Les Miserables and James and the Giant Peach. Milana has trained in New York at The Joffrey Ballet School’s Musical Theatre Intensive, and at Broadway Dance Center’s Musical Theatre Intensive. She has also trained at The Peabody Preparatory, The Modell Lyric’s and Center Stage’s Musical Theatre Intensives in Baltimore, MD.

Milana is a member of the National Honor Society, National Dance Honors Society, International Thespian Society and Dallastown Performing Arts Club. Milana began training as an EMC teacher when she first started assisting in the Discovery Gym and Kreative Kidz classes. She grew to love helping the younger dancers.

Katie Holtslander

Katie Holtslander
Discovery Gym Director

Katie’s highly successful acrobatics program at EMC Performing Arts Studio was established in 2008. Katie has used her background as a national champion gymnast and child development educator to craft a unique program that cultivates your child’s potential. Katie was a gymnastics participant for 13 years including several national championships, training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and a Member of the NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Team. Following her gymnastics career, Katie obtained a degree in Child Development, Safety Certification, and has worked continuously in the field of Child Development since 2000. Some highlights of Katie’s career are coaching many state champions, starting a preschool program, and developing cutting edge cognitive and physical therapy programs for special needs children. Katie credits gymnastics as offering a great source of fun, self-esteem, and teamwork in all children. She is looking forward to emphasizing those ideals while working with you and your child to reach your goals.

Nicole Carnaggio

Nicole Carnaggio
AcroGymnastics Coach

Nicole is an honor roll student at Hereford High School. She is captain of her high school’s dance company and is involved in various leadership roles throughout the school. For a majority of her childhood, she was enrolled at dance at EMC, training in a large variety of styles, and trained in gymnastics for 3 years. Now she enjoys spreading her passion for gymnastics and dance to younger students and watching them grow and progress in the classroom.

Brianna "Breezy" Copp

Brianna “Breezy” Copp
Student Dance Instructor

Brianna “Breezy” Copp has been dancing at EMC Performing Arts Studio since the age of 4. She has been assisting in the already Kreative Kids program since 2016. Seeing how dancing can help her express herself and bring her joy, Brianna has loved helping dancers find their love to continue down the road of dance. As she goes on teaching her students, she hopes that it will inspire them to be the best dancer they can become.

Sydney Carnaggio

Sydney Carnaggio
AcroGymnastics Coach

Sydney is an honor roll student that currently attends Hereford High School. She studied dance at EMC for several years before persuing an interest in gymnastics. She has been a gymnast since 2012 and has competed at different gyms in neighboring states. Sydney is currently coaching in the Discovery Gym at EMC where she enjoys working with children.

Emily Runkle

Emily Runkle
Ballet Instructor

Emily Runkle first began studying ballet at Ballet with Cindee Velle, intensively studying with Caryl Maxwell. In high school she attended The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and received coaching by former dancers of New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Hungarian National Ballet, Ballet Nacional De Caracas, and the Bolshoi Ballet. From 2008-2009 Emily danced as a trainee with Ballet Magnificat, America’s premiere professional Christian ballet company in Mississippi. Her professional repertoire includes soloist roles with Ballet Chesapeake, Misako Ballet Company, Merge Dance Company, and New York State Ballet, and she has performed works by Balanchine, Edward Stewart, and Eva Anderson, as well as the full length classics. Emily choreographs for both contemporary and classical companies and schools. For the last two years, she has been the director of Project C Studios’ ballet program. In 2019, she co-founded Ballet Embody, Maryland’s premiere narrative contemporary ballet company. Emily believes in interpreting the art of ballet in a very specific, yet attainable way for all students, and is very excited to be joining EMC in fall 2020.

Teresa Whittemore

Teresa Whittemore
Dance Instructor

Teresa won her very first dance lessons when she was ten years old, in a raffle at a carnival, and she was quickly immersed into a world she could not live without. Needless to say, it was a better treat than any cotton candy she ate or carnival game she played that day. Since her family could not financially support the complete dance education she craved, she began working the desk at her dance studio when she was 14 to be compensated with lessons. From then on, she devoted every summer to internships within the studio, and observed any class she could, to bear witness to dance education in action. Education was Teresa’s first passion, so throughout high school, she completed the Teaching Academy of Maryland, through which she took courses in child development, pedagogy, and curriculum. Through this program, she was given the opportunity to student-teach in the Howard County Public School System as a senior in high school. Teresa then attended University of Maryland, Baltimore County, under the Linehan Artist Scholarship, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Dance. She also studied Pre-Physical Therapy, which has contributed to her deep interest in anatomy, physiology, and somatic practices. Teresa incorporates cross-training and conditioning into her technique classes, pulling primarily from the Pilates Method, and her certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Teresa’s choreography has twice been selected for presentation at the American College Dance Association’s Gala Concert, and has also been presented through the New York based outreach organization, Arts By the People. While choreography is Teresa’s favorite artistic outlet and she continues to develop her artistic method, it is teaching that truly fulfills her soul. Teresa dreamed of being a teacher, even before she was dancing, so every class she teaches is truly a dream-come-true.

Emily Allred

Emily Allred
Dance Instructor

Emily Allred Born and raised in Maryland, Emily Allred began her dance training at a very young age. Training in modern, contemporary, ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, improv, and hip hop, Emily soon realized she wanted to dedicate her life to dance. To continue her training, she went to Virginia Commonwealth University where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. Emily also had a General Business minor and worked as a desk assistant and resident assistant for the University. During her time at VCU, she had the opportunity to dance in works set by guest artists like Helen Simoneau, faculty members, and her peers. As a result of VCU hosting the 2018 American College Dance Association Mid-Atlantic South Conference, Emily became a volunteer and was working behind the scenes to help make the conference happen. Emily was also invited to perform a tap piece in an art gallery for RVA on Display in 2017. This past summer, she got the opportunity to perform as a dance extra in a music video for Australian artist, Yanni Burton. Emily is now auditioning for cruise lines, NBA dance teams, and other exciting performance opportunities! She is excited to eventually move to Atlanta where she can fully commit to being a performer. Emily also enjoys teaching on the side so she may shed her knowledge and passion to the younger generations.

Rachel Elizabeth Thompson

Rachel Thompson Rachel fell in love with ballet the very first time that she saw the Nutcracker on TV. She begged her mother to let her take ballet lessons. Her mother eventually agreed and her grandmother took her to summer ballet camp. Rachel hasn’t stopped dancing since that first day of camp and she doesn’t intend to stop anytime soon! While she was in middle school and high school, she received the opportunity to perform with a student ballet company and to assistant teach – opportunities that she is thankful are also available to EMC students! She went on to earn degrees in Dance and English. Over the course of her training, she has performed in numerous classical, contemporary, and liturgical pieces. Since graduating from college, Rachel has taught and choreographed for dance studios and fitness centers in Maryland and Pennsylvania. At heart, Rachel is a classicist. She teaches classical humanities to high school students and classical ballet to students of all ages. Regarding ballet, Rachel believes that ballet is best understood as a gift – something to be given, received, and shared. And, she loves sharing ballet with EMC students! More than anything else, she hopes that students leave her classes more aware of themselves and their own capacity for graceful, purposeful movement.

Brooke Manker

Brooke Manker
Dance Instructor

Brooke Manker Brooke graduated with honors from Towson University where she received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography in Spring of 2019. Brooke is an EMC alum and began working with EMC as a dance instructor in 2015. When she is not teaching dance, Brooke spends her time performing in the Baltimore/DC area as a company dancer with Motion X Dance DC and with other project based performances. Outside of dance, Brooke loves to spend her time running, hiking and cooking. Brooke has a true passion for working with her students. Her mission is to help her students build a strong basis of technique, alongside helping them to find their creativity and explore the endless possibilities that dancing provides.

Amanda Cummings

Amanda Cummings
Dance Technique Program Director

Carly Faye

Carly Faye After dancing professionally and teaching in NYC for 10 years, Carly Faye has returned to her hometown of Baltimore, MD. She has been training dancers in Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Modern, Lyrical, Street Jazz, Tap and Ballet for over 15 years. She firmly believes dance is for every BODY, and wants to instill a love of movement in all of her students. She believes in process over product, and hopes all of her students learn to love hard work. Carly Faye has also served as an Adjudicator and Master Teacher with Starquest International, Spotlight Dance Cup, and Impact Dance Adjudicators. Carly Faye, with her sister Hannah Mae, currently co-hosts, “Count Me In: A Dance and Education Podcast” where they discuss dance, education, and so much more. They have in depth conversations with working artists, educators, writers, producers, from all over the world about their experience in dance and education. She finds this platform to be the perfect opportunity to continue to educate herself and others on the dance world, teaching strategies, and the importance of arts education. The podcast has proven to make her a better educator and human.

Rita Baker-Schmidt

Rita Baker-Schmidt
Voice, Piano, and Guitar

Music Instructor – Vocals

Rita Baker-Schmidt, Music Academy Music Director Rita has always been a singer. As a little kid racing around the backyard with her brother and sisters she might have been a little too loud, prompting her sweet, elderly, next-door neighbor, Miss Bess, to comment “young lady, you are most definitely going to be a soprano.”…Miss Bess was right. Rita has been singing, playing (first piano, then guitar, bass, uke and djembe) and involved in Theatre ever since. She is a long time advocate for the performing and literary arts. Her love for writing and graphic design (she has a Masters Degree in Publications Design) helps when she creates special worksheets and musical games for her students. Her goal in teaching is to help students develop their unique musical “voice”. Rita enjoys teaching students of all ages no matter where they are on their musical journey.

Bailey Ryon

Bailey Ryon
Student Dance Instructor

Bailey has been a part of EMC since the inception of the New Freedom studio, officially beginning classes in 2005. Her training includes Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Theater Dance, Hip Hop, Improvisation and composition, as well as Music lessons and Acting. Bailey is a Company Member of both The Repertory Ensemble and The Susquehanna Youth Ballet. She also participates in the musicals at Susquehannock High School and is an official member of the International Thespian Society. She has attended Summer Intensive Programs at The Joffrey Ballet School and The Broadway Collective in NYC, as well as regularly attending classes at Broadway Dance Center.

Bailey joined the EMC Teacher Training Program in 2015, she has taught several Theater Master Classes, in NYC, NJ, and Florida. Bailey received a Tony Honors and Grammy nominee for her role as “Matilda” in Matilda the Musical on Broadway. Other credits include “Cindy Lou Who” in How the Grinch Stole Christmas National Tour, “Mary Lennox” in The Secret Garden at The Arden Theatre, and “Clara” in Sandman for the 2013 NAMT Festival in NYC. Bailey has discovered her love of teaching while working with our Kreative Kidz students and plans to pursue teaching the Arts while performing professionally.

Rachel Cyr

Rachel Cyr
Theater Instructor and Acrobatics

Rachel graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2006 with a BFA in Acting. She also has a teaching certificate from Towson University. “Miss Rachel” has been on staff at EMC Performing Arts Studio since 2010. She enjoys teaching EMC’s Kreative Kidz dancers, acrobatics, and theatre classes. Rachel visits many of the local schools sharing EMC’s programs with the community. She also is the costume manager at EMC. Rachel loves working with young people and helping them grow creatively.

Discovery Gym

Our gym specializes in teaching children under 13 years old fundamental acrobatics and tumbling skills in a non-competitive environment. Our fully trained acrobatics coaches are caring and attentive to every child while adhering to strict teacher-student ratios. Your child is special and will not be lost in the crowd. A year-end show and award ceremony will make every child feel like a winner!

Ilayna Silliman

Ilayna Silliman has been dancing at EMC for 9 years. She knew from very early on in her training that teaching was her passion. While other dancers love the thrill of performance, Ilayna has thrived on the technical training, correction, and perfecting her craft. She has been working as an assistant in both the dance studio and the gym for the last 3 years as well as teaching whenever and wherever needed when called upon to do so. She has a heart for children with disabilities and has begun learning sign language hoping to find opportunities to teach dance to hearing impaired children. She has thoroughly enjoyed the children she has had the privilege of interacting with and is planning to pursue a career in education.

Hannah Fowler

Hannah Fowler
Vocal Instructor

Hannah was born and raised in Central Maryland with a family with a love of music. Music has always been her passion, and now she is lucky enough to make music her career. She is a graduate of The Catholic University of America with a degree in music education, focusing on Vocal Music. She has been singing since she could talk and has had formal and informal training in both voice and piano as well as informal training on guitar and ukulele. Hannah has enjoyed participating in musical theatre in high school and college and is currently the vocal coach for her school’s musicals, working on shows such as Shrek Jr. and the The Wiz. She currently works in Baltimore County Public Schools as a middle school choral teacher. Her goal for each student is for them to develop a love for music, an appreciation for all types and styles, and the vocal training and development to help them succeed in music, wherever is may lead them.

Mandy Myrick

Mandy Myrick
Ballet Instructor

Mandy has been a part of the dance world for as long as she can remember as a student, performer, teacher, dance mom, and costumer. As a youth, she studied ballet, tap, jazz and modern on the Eastern Shore of MD and Delaware before moving back to the Northern Baltimore County area and studying in a pre-professional ballet training program at the Carroll County Dance Center with Sandra Woods. Additionally, she has studied with the South Carolina Summer Dance Institute at the University of South Carolina, the Washington School of Ballet, and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She has performed various roles in the Nutcracker, Coppelia, La Bayadere, and Swan Lake with youth ballet companies and the former Maryland Ballet. Mandy is a passionate advocate for arts education and also enjoys serving as Costume Mistress for the Susquehanna Youth Ballet and Program Sponsor for EMC’s Junior Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. She is very excited to return to the classroom this fall!

Lily Eisenklam

Lily Eisenklam
Student Dance Instructor

Lily Eisenklam began dancing at the age of three. She danced at various studios in Maryland before joining EMC’s family in the fall of 2014. She became part of the Repertory Ensemble in 2015. Lily was accepted into the Junior Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts in 2018. Currently, she attends Hereford High School, where she is also a member of their Dance Company. She has trained in many styles of dance including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Contemporary and Tap, her favorite. Lily became part of the Kreative Kids Team in the Fall of 2018 as a student teacher. Lily loves watching her students develop and grow their passions for dance.

Kathy Burns

Kathy has been part of the EMC Team since 2006 and she is the “friendly face” of EMC that our families have grown to know and love. She enjoys interacting with our students in her role as Office Manager and she loves her job! Fun facts: Miss Kathy has a cosmetology teaching license and worked as a barber for many years. She also has a CDL and has worked as a school bus driver. Currently, she shares a home with her husband, Monte and spends her free time riding on the back of a Harley Davidson, kayaking and enjoying sightseeing adventures most weekends. Kathy has three grown children and two grandchildren that she spends time with as much as possible. Her oldest daughter Ashley was one of EMC’s first dancers in PA and is now running the EMC Spirit Shop on Facebook. Kathy makes it a point to always attend our Holiday Celebration and Spring Concert at the Pullo Center and loves seeing the students grow from year to year.

EJ Shaull-Thompson

EJ Shaull-Thompson
Drums & Percussion

EJ Shaull-Thompson is entering his fortieth year as a drummer and his 25th year as a drum instructor. Like most drummers, his first instruments were pots and pans hit with wooden spoons on the kitchen floor. Exposure to classic rock, blues, country, and jazz fueled an early passion for music. EJ has been performing since the age of eleven and has played with many bands from a wide variety of genres. Current bands include: Caleb Stine and the Revelations, the Bellevederes, Letitia Van Zandt, and Nectar and Trilogy. EJ has recorded drums and percussion for many radio and television programs including: ESPN, National Public Radio, Geico, and Maryland Public Television.

Bella Scheckels

Bella has been dancing at EMC for 11 years! She has been a member of Dance Company for 10 years and a dancer in Company Elite for 3 years. Bella is a member of the Hereford Dance Company at Hereford High School and will be Captain her senior year. Bella is also an officer of the National Dance Honor Society affiliated with Hereford High. She has trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Modern, Musical Theatre, and Hip Hop, as well as past training with the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Bella will be entering her Senior year and plans to go to college for Dance and Physical Therapy. She began training to become an EMC teacher in the summer of 2016. Starting off as a Kreative Kids assistant she now teaches multiple genres of dance including Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern. Bella has a love for choreography and is excited to share her passion of dance with her students.

Ciara Miller Driscoll

Ciara Miller Driscoll
Artistic Director/Kreative Kidz Director

Ciara has been a part of the EMC staff since the inception of the PA studio in 2003. She is widely known throughout the Southern York County and Hanover areas for her work in their theaters and schools both in dance education and musical theater training. She graduated from Susquehannock High School and The William Penn Performing Arts Institute in York, PA. She continued her education in New York City at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, as well as Broadway Dance Center. Ciara’s training includes ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, and competitive ballroom in Adagio Partnering.

Carrie Millikin Euker

Carrie Millikin Euker
Ballet Director

Carrie began studying dance in Rockford, IL under former Radio City Rockette, Kathy Nelson She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance from Mercyhurst University and achieved her MBA degree at the University of Colorado, Denver. While attending Mercyhurst she danced various roles in Carmen, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Sylphide, and Raymonda, under the direction of Tauna Hunter. She danced with Milwaukee Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet II, performing in Michael Pink’s Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Romeo and Juliet.

Carrie performed in Denver with the David Taylor Dance Theater enjoying soloist and principal roles in works by James Wallace as well as Gregory Dawson’s “Eclipsing Venus.” She has also performed with 7 Dancers, notably in “ART” by Mandy Moore, of the hit television series “So You Think You Can Dance.” Carrie also danced the lead role in 101 Things to do in a Lifetime, featuring choreography by Chantal Robson. During her four year stay at Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Carrie performed numerous works by director Karen Mareck Grundy as well as works by Shannon Lee West, Thang Dao, Autumn Eckman, and Joshua Blake Carter.

Carrie originated the role of Alice in Grundy’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In 2011 Carrie became the founding director and lead instructor of the School of MCB. During this time, she also coordinated DanceReach, offering dance to at-risk youth in the community, and in 2013 she co-founded DanceAbility, a program offering dance classes to students with special needs. In 2016 Carrie was appointed Executive & Artistic Director of the Susquehanna Youth Ballet and in her first year mounted a brand-new full-length Nutcracker as well as choreographing new contemporary works for the company. In addition to directing the non-profit SYB, Carrie has also assumed the role of Ballet Director at EMC Performing Arts Studio.

She has served on the board of the Maryland Council for Dance. She is currently an adjudicator for Energy National Dance Competitions and a roster member of Impact Dance Adjudicators. Carrie’s original choreography has been performed by students as well as professionals and she has extensive experience instructing and coaching dancers of all ages in ballet, jazz, tap, and modern/contemporary styles. Carrie resides in the greater Baltimore area and appears nationally as a guest artist, teacher, and choreographer.

Dania Lanaa

Dania Lanaa is a Senior dance major at Towson University. She began training in Mount Laurel, NJ where she studied ballet, jazz, modern, tap and hip hop. Since joining Towson’s dance department in 2016, Dania has participated in several Student run shows as both a choreographer and dancer. She has been a member of the Towson University Dance Company since Fall 2018, and a member of the Reveal Movement Company, since July 2016. She returns home to perform with them in Philadelphia, PA every August. Dania prides herself on her passion, devotion and love for dance and is committed sharing that passion with students.

Jake Rivers

Jake Rivers
Cello, Violin, Guitar and Songwriting

Music Instructor

Jake Rivers has always been a very musically minded person. He has been playing cello since the age of 8 and has picked up numerous other instruments along the way. He is a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s degree in music performance. Since 2016, Jake has been teaching at EMC, providing lessons in cello, violin, viola, guitar, bass, ukelele, piano, and songwriting, as well as directing EMC’s student bands: Straight Flush, and The Black Jacks. Having been a part of EMC for a few years, Jake has come to love teaching here.

Morgan Anderson

Morgan is a dancer, teacher and choreographer that has trained in all styles of dance. She spent 3 years at Howard Community College where she earned her A.A. In Dance Performance, training in genres such as modern, ballet, pointe, and jazz. While in school, Morgan danced with the student company at HCC and was later featured as a guest artist in their 2017 concert. During her time in the student company she was featured in pieces by Elizabeth Higgins, Trent D Williams Jr, Adrienne Clancy and Mat Elder.

Morgan has also trained in modern and contemporary dance with Baltimore and DC area artists like Christopher K Morgan, Vaught Contemporary Ballet, Clancy Works, and Latefia Bradley. Morgan has taught and choreographed for several studios throughout Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania. She trains students of all ages in many styles of dance including modern, contemporary, ballet, pointe, jazz and musical theater. She has also choreographed concert and musical theater work for Catalyst Dance Theater, Equinox Dance Company, Liberty High School, Gettysburg High School and Towson High School. She currently holds the position of the coach for the Westminister High School Dance Team.

Jamie Ferguson

Jaime has been part of the EMC Team since 2010 and her role has grown into many different branches of EMC. She enjoys working with EMC’s Administration as well as teaching the young musicians of EMC.

Jaime has her Bachelor’s degree from IUP (Indiana University of PA) in Business Marketing and before joining EMC, she had been working in Human Resources for 10 years. She lives at home with her husband, Kerry and two beautiful children, Van & Wyn. Jaime loves being outdoors, watching and playing sports and being active. Running, swimming, skiing, playing volleyball and playing with her kids is something she always enjoys.

Jaime truly enjoys working at EMC and watching the students grow into wonderful young adults and finding their way in the world. She believes that with hard work, dedication and patience anything is possible

Catie Costantino

Catie Costantino
Piano

Music Instructor – Student Teacher

Catie cannot remember a time without music. With years of both trumpet and piano lessons she quickly grew a love for learning everything she could. With her lessons, she hopes to share her passion by building strong foundations in which her students can branch from and explore different styles, all while having fun!

Brendan Wiencek

Brendan Wiencek
Guitar & Bass

Music Instructor – Student Teacher

Brendan began studying guitar and voice at the age of 5, here at EMC under Seth Kibel, Ethan Walker, Matt Shriver, Mark Kraus and Allison Hutchison. Outside of the studio, he has studied with Carl Bahner and Curt Sipe and continues to study under Max Kuzmyak. Brendan was a member of Inspire’s advanced jazz band, Runferyerlife and is a founding member of The Black Jacks, the EMC house band. Brendan studies classical, jazz, rock, blues and metal in his multiple guitar lessons each week. He also records, writes, reads and arranges original music. As a senior at Susquehannock High School’s Digital Academy, Brendan hopes to join their jazz band this upcoming year, and aspires to study music in college. Brendan has attended guitar and performance summer programs at Berklee College of Music for the past two years and hopes to pass his passion and knowledge of the guitar on to his students at EMC.

Jacob Ziegler

Jacob Ziegler has been active in music performance throughout his entire life. He has been playing the piano since he was five years old under the direction of Shirley Elsroad, and has performed in several recitals held at Greenmount Methodist church in Hampstead, Maryland. Jacob began studying the trumpet when he was ten years old and became a member of various ensembles throughout his grade school career. He was most active when he attended Hereford High School, where he participated in the chamber choir, Jazz band, pep band, and percussion ensemble. He was also a member of the school’s pit orchestra for the annual winter musical. During this time, Jacob began taking pipe organ lessons with Lee Pogue at St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church. After graduating high school, Jacob attended Towson University and pursued an undergraduate degree in Electronic Media and Film. During that time, Jacob began playing the organ at St Marks regularly after Lee moved to Florida. He helped direct the music there alongside with Amanda Storey until she moved to Virginia to pursue a job opportunity. Eventually Jacob became the minister of music at St. Marks and is currently serving to this day. He selects the music for each service and directs the chancel choir, contemporary band, and handbell choir. He is also in the process of reviving the children’s choir and assisting with other youth activities at St. Marks. In 2015, Jacob began taking organ lessons again under the direction of Ted Dix to refine his technique and expand his repertoire. In 2016 Jacob returned to Towson University to pursue his Master’s degree in organ performance, which he achieved in the Spring of 2019. He is still serving at St Marks and is currently teaching organ lessons at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.

Robin Snyder-Wiencek

Robin began her dance training at a “hot mess” local studio in Baltimore at the age of three, where she couldn’t get enough of “dance studio life”. Later, she was fortunate enough to attend the prestigious Baltimore School for the Arts, where she received a proper dance education and a love for teaching.

Upon graduation from high school, Robin attended college briefly, but the entrepreneurial bug bit hard and she jumped at the chance to open her studio when the opportunity presented itself.

In 1992, at the age of 22, Robin started her studio in a single room studio in Baltimore City. She made many, many mistakes along the way but with the support of her husband who joined in and made the dance studio dream his own, the studio eventually took hold and gained traction. Today, EMC Performing Arts Studio provides dance, music, theater and gymnastics classes to more than 500 students in New Freedom, PA each week.

The dance program is the crown jewel of EMC, and is focused on teaching proper technique and preparing dancers to perform concert-style in a variety of genres in professional venues. While EMC dancers don’t do “the competition thing”, they do perform frequently and are given numerous opportunities to develop their artistry.

Robin resides on 8 acres of country land with her husband, young adult sons, elderly parents and too many cats and dogs. Her happy place is floating in her pool in the summer months, listening to Frank Sinatra and running her business from her deck. Robin has finally figured out how to work ON her business, not IN it and is still passionate about her business’ growth, even after 27 years!

In the next chapter, Robin hopes to share her knowledge and experience with studio owners around the country through DSO Connect.

Jaime Ferguson

Piano
Music Director

Music DirectorA York County native, Jaime has been playing piano for over 20 years and enjoys many styles of music.

Classically trained, Jaime took many music classes while obtaining her B.A. in Marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She enjoys teaching at all levels and ages.

She builds a solid foundation for her piano students by emphasizing on theory, note recognition and rhythm. Jaime is a patient and creative teacher that would like to make music fun for her students. Her goal as a teacher is to help and train each of her students to reach a level of note reading and musicianship to become independent musicians!

Please park in one of these places:
EMC lot
Second Street parking
Grace Church lot (except Wednesdays and Sundays)
Street parking across from the post office
Drop off using the Drop-Off lane

Thanks for your cooperation.

Technique Program

The lessons we teach in our dance program create well-prepared young adults, poised and ready to succeed! Each year we send dancers to prestigious dance intensives, college programs, performing arts high schools and professional dance companies. We must be doing something right! Even if you don’t have these aspirations for your child, the lessons we teach will result in a disciplined, poised young person who is bound to succeed regardless of the path that is chosen.

The Music Academy

Private music instruction in voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, strings and more are offered in our studio. Professional musicians and educators will help your child learn the basics that can develop for years to come. Formal and informal community performance opportunities are offered throughout the year, encouraging your child to share his/her love of music with others!

Allison Hutchison

Allison Hutchison
Piano & Voice

Music Instructor

Allison was born and raised in western Pennsylvania by a family of music makers. Music has always been her passion, and now she is lucky enough to make music her career. She is a graduate of York College of Pennsylvania with a degree in music industry and recording technology and minors in musical theatre and legal studies. She has been singing since she could talk and has had formal and informal training in both voice and piano as well as informal training on guitar. Allison has enjoyed participating in musical theatre in high school and college and studying the techniques in vocal belting. She was the music director of ICCA finalist a cappella group YCP Rhapsody in college where she arranged music and taught a group of around 20 acappella singers. She currently works at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre in Lancaster, PA as the Assistant Box Office Manager and in the marketing department. Her goal for each student is to develop a love for music with proper technical training and a whole lot of fun!

Alexander Wiencek

Alexander Wiencek
Drum kit & Hand drums

Music Instructor – Student Teacher

Alex began studying drums at the age of 8 under James Gummer, here at EMC. He is a founding member of The Blacks Jacks, and has performed at The Strand, The Pullo Center, Baltimore Sound Stage, the Ottobar, the Recher, Glen Rock Arts and Brew Fest and numerous local events. Playing music with his brothers is an important part of Alex’s daily life and he has grown to appreciate the bond that music can create between people. Alex looks forward to sharing his love of percussion with his new students.

James Gummer

James Gummer
Drum kit & Hand drums

Music Instructor – Drums

James Gummer began playing drums in 1987 and is proud to be part of the original MTV generation. He’s played everything from heavy metal to the music of our ancestors. He’s been fortunate to study with Dr. Bill Watson, Wes Crawford, and Dr. N. Scott Robinson. James teaches privately and is the drum and percussion instructor at The Saint James Academy in Monkton, Maryland and EMC in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. Among his many musical adventures, James has been the resident drummer at the Maryland Renaissance Festival since 1997 and is currently an accompanist for CCBC’s dance department. He is also a Remo Health Rhythms Drum Circle Facilitator and trained directly with The Remo Drum Company. Find him online at jamesgummer.com.

Black Box Theater

The Black Box Theater Program will nurture your child’s ability and desire to think creatively and critically, work as a team and build self-confidence. Black Box classes help your child gain acting and performing skills in a fun, positive, and quick paced environment. EMC’s Black Box Theater Program teaches the skills necessary for students to audition successfully, master any role, and perform with proficiency.

Specialty Dance Classes

At EMC we believe in providing access to classes that enrich the mind and body. Our dance professionals have carefully selected classes designed to help your dancer stand out from the crowd, delivered in a professional yet fun learning environment. Specialty Classes also serve as an enrichment to the Technique Program Package. Our most serious dancers add Specialty Classes to their package in order to create a program that suits their goals and needs.

Kreative Kids Dance

Our Kreative Kidz dancers are our youngest dancers and are treated to the full dance education experience! Aspiring dancers from 2-8 years old are part of the unique classes that take them from the first plié to the final curtain call on stage. Our dancers will not only learn the foundational skills of ballet, tap, and jazz but will come to appreciate the joy of dance!

Randi Wolcott

Randi Wolcott
Gymnastics Director

Randi Poff has been a gymnast since 1995. Even though she was 3 years old, she instantly fell in love with the sport. She participated in competitive gymnastics for many years and was blessed to have traveled around the United States and even outside the country to London, England. She loves everything about gymnastics and all that the sport can offer. Her passion for gymnastics is evident when working with children. One of Randi’s favorite things about teaching gymnastics is seeing the smile on a child’s face after mastering a skill. She is proud to be a part of the EMC team.

Rachel Fiorini

Rachel Fiorini
Student Dance Instructor

Rachel has been dancing since the age of 3. She began her training at EMC in 2005, and has trained in various styles of dance including ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, and improvisation/composition. Rachel has been a member of the Repertory Ensemble since 2009, and a member of Company Elite since 2015. In 2011, she became a member of the Susquehanna Youth Ballet. Rachel is co-captain of Hereford High School’s Dance Company, where her choreography has been selected to be performed at events such as the Maryland Dance Alliance. She has also been named a Maryland All State Dancer. She has participated in events including Disney’s Dance the World and the Youth American Grand Prix, and has attended summer programs such as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s August Week Intensive, and the Joffrey NYC Summer Ballet Intensive. Rachel joined the Kreative Kidz staff in 2013, and the Technique Program staff in 2015. She loves sharing her passion for dance with her students!

Theresa Falzone

Theresa Falzone
Student Dance Instructor

Theresa is currently a student at Susquehannock High School and has been studying at EMC Performing Arts Studio since 2006. Her training consists of ballet, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, improvisation, composition, choreography, and basic dance education. Theresa is a member of the Susquehanna Youth Ballet, and is in the studio’s prestigious Company Elite. She finds it important to give back to the community. She loves sharing her passion for dance with the little ones. Without art and culture, she doesn’t know how she would live.

Katelyn Dixon

Katelyn Dixon
Student Dance Instructor

Katelyn began dancing at EMC in 2003 at the age of 3. She has trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, as well as composition and improvisation. She joined the Repertory Ensemble in 2009 and has been a member of EMC’s Company Elite since 2016. She has performed in events such as the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker, Disney’s Dance the World, Maryland Dance Alliance, Baltimore County Dance Festival, Maryland Public High School Dance Showcase, The North East Theatre Fest, and has participated in various master classes and dance intensives. Katelyn is the dance captain and choreographer of Hereford High School’s musicals and is a member and co-captain of Hereford’s Dance Company. She is also a member of the Hereford Chamber Choir, National Honor Society, National Honor Society for Dance Arts, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Future Educators of America, and is an officer for International Thespian Society. Katelyn has also been a member of Johns Hopkins Peabody Children’s Choir since 2010 and is serving as a student intern for the youngest choir. Katelyn joined the Kreative Kidz staff in 2012 as an assistant. In 2014 she became a teacher for both the Kreative Kidz and Technique Dance Programs at EMC. She is so excited to be sharing her knowledge and love of dance with younger dancers!

Brittany Copp

Brittany Copp
Student Dance Instructor

Brittany has been dancing at EMC Performing Arts Studio since 2005. She has trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and improvisation/composition. She has been a member of the Ensemble since 2014 and was accepted into the prestigious Company Elite in 2016. Brittany participated in the AIM Invitational at Broadway Dance Center in 2017 with her fellow Company Elite dancers.

She is currently a student at Susquehannock High School where she participates in the school musicals.
Brittany really enjoys working in the Kreative Kidz Program at EMC because she loves watching the little ones learn and grow.

Jessica Treherne

Jessica Treherne
Ballet Instructor

Jessica began her ballet training with Judy Daniel at Upper Falls Dance Academy and Michelle White at Harford Dance Theatre. She continued her training at Baltimore School for the Arts, and Central PA Youth Ballet. Jessica has also studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet. She is a graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, where she trained under world-renowned teachers Melissa Hayden, Warren Conover and Gyula Pandi. Jessica has performed in works by John Clifford, Wes Chapman, Paul Vasterling Fernando Bujones, Hinton Battle, Susan McCullough, Marius Petipa, August Bournonville and George Balanchine, among others. In 1999 she was invited to appear with the Hungarian National Ballet in Budapest. Jessica is the recipient of several certificates of honor and distinction granted by England’s Royal Academy of Dance. She has performed with Carolina Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. Jessica has been on the faculty of the Greater Dover Dance Academy, Cedar Lake Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Upper Falls Dance Academy, Harford Dance Theatre, Dance Conservatory of MD, and the School of the Washington Ballet.

Briana Marshall

Briana Marshall
Ballet Instructor

Briana is a student at Towson University as a dance major. She will graduate in the fall of 2019 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in dance performance and a certificate to teach dance to grades K-12. She is training in ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop and pointe. She began her training at Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey where she graduated as a dance major in 2013. She has also trained at Just Dancin’ in Bloomfield, New Jersey where she was a company member and performed with the Nova Dance Ensemble. She also trained at Sharron Miller’s Academy for the Performing Arts in Montclair. New Jersey where she was also a company member and performed with the Performance Workshop Ensemble. She attended the Earl Moseley’s Institute of the Arts summer intensive program in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 she was named one of the four New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Star Ledger Scholars and was awarded $20,000 for her dance and choreographic talents to attend the University of her choice. She became ZUMBA certified in 2015 and is currently a member of Towson University’s Dance Company.

Kathryn Jacques

Kathryn Jacques
Ballet Instructor

Kathryn Jacques began her training at Towson University’s Children’s Dance Division where she studied ballet, modern and jazz and was a member of both award-winning performing companies. She later attended Towson University on merit scholarship and graduated with Honors with a BFA in Dance Performance. Kathryn spent summers at Baltimore Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and has performed professionally with the Baltimore Ballet, Ballet Chesapeake (formerly Harford Ballet Company), Eclipse Performing Dance Company, with various independent choreographers and has appeared in local TV commercials, magazines and advertisements. She has been accepted into programs for Richmond Ballet, Ballet Austin, Ballet Theater of Maryland, and Nashville Ballet and received Honorable Mention as a Maryland Distinguished Scholar of the Arts.

For over a decade she has taught all levels of ballet and Pointe throughout northern Maryland. Her students have been accepted into programs for American Ballet Theater, The Rock School, Bolshoi Ballet, Miami City Ballet and many other prestigious training programs as well as performing arts high schools and college majors. Former students have received professional contracts with Ballet Theater of Maryland, Nashville Ballet and Richmond Ballet. Kathryn also coaches students for the Youth America Grand Prix and many students have won awards and scholarships at numerous regional dance competitions.

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WHAT WE BELIEVE

Happy Parents and Happy Kids

BRENT SILLIMAN

STACY AMPARO

JEN DUDDERER

KELLY MONTGOMERY

BRIANNA DIMEGLIO