TDC Instructors

Catie Burkhardt

Company Director

Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Musical Theater, Company

Catie Burkhardt has been a member of The Dance Company since its inaugural year and was a Company member for ten years. Catie began teaching at The Dance Company in 2006, and while attending the University of Central Florida, Catie was a dance instructor at University Performing Arts Centre in Oviedo, Florida. In 2010, Catie graduated from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Dance. Catie was a performer at the Walt Disney World Resort from 2007-2011, and was an opening cast dancer in the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” parade. Catie has also worked as an actor at Universal’s Orlando Resort. Catie has taught as a guest instructor and choreographer at Murray Middle School and was the Assistant Coach for St. Augustine High School’s Ja’Quettes Dance Team. Catie currently serves as Company Director and leads the students to performances, competitions and conventions, where her dances have won awards for Entertainment and Choreography.

Athena Calvin

Pre School

Athena is inspired by her young dancers. Although, most of her own childhood she played sports: Basketball, soccer and baseball—yes baseball, she had always been curious about the study of movement.  She was introduced to technical dance instruction at Lake Brantley High School, in Orlando, Florida where she studied with Mr. Robert Meyers.  After completing College and starting a family, she pursued opportunities to begin her dance studies as an adult. She found a home at the Dance Company in St. Augustine.  Here she has been given the opportunity to absorb a comprehensive education under teachers Marie Laperierre, Sara Bailey, Jane Bradshaw, Luis Abella, Carole Dickens and Stephanie Burkhardt.   She has furthered her studies by attending workshops, college courses, and guest artist series featuring nationally renowned teachers, choreographers, and performers. She hopes to inspire other adults to courageously investigate the interests of their youth; to attempt the curious feat, to “Go confidently in the direction of their dreams”(Thoreau).

Carole Dickens

Tap, Jazz

Carole began dancing at age eight in Ft. Lauderdale, FL under the instruction of two members of the original June Taylor Dancers.  Her training continued through high school at New Orleans Center of Creative Arts and as a dance major at Florida School of the Arts.  While in middle school and high school from 1879-1983, she was a regular cast member on, “Hey Kids It’s For You”, Channel 26 New Orleans, Louisiana, a Saturday morning TV program promoting arts and entertainment for children.  Through this affiliation, Carole also appeared on “PM Magazine” and other local TV programs to promote the arts.  Carole owned and operated Anastasia Dance Theatre in St. Augustine from 1988-1993.  She was Director of Children’s Dance, for the City of Pompano Beach Civic Center and the City of Ft. Lauderdale’s Children’s Programs from 1993-1994, while living in Coral Springs FL.  She was also tap and jazz teacher for the Boca Dance Studio, Boca Raton, Fl.  Carole was Director of The Dance Company of St. Augustine from 1994-2001, and continues to be on their staff as tap and jazz instructor.  She was the Festival Director for the Annual St. Augustine Winter Dance Festival, and continues to set  choreography for various schools and studios throughout Florida.  Carole has been the Dance Director at St. Johns County Center for the Arts Dance Program at Murray Middle School for the past six years.  Many of Carole’s long time students have had the success of dancing with professional companies and/or performing on Broadway.

Marie Laperriere

Ballet

Marie has been dancing since 1989. She studied biochemistry in college and was deeply involved in the San Francisco arts and music scene. She was a manager for four years at Café DuNord- a very successful S.F. live music venue, well known and respected for showcasing underground talent, and holding often avant garde performances. She has studied dance at Western Michigan University, The City College of San Francisco, the ODC School/Rhythm and Motion in San Francisco, and after moving to St. Augustine in 2003, at The Dance Company. She has studied Afro-Haitian, West African, Middle Eastern, Jazz, Hip Hop and Ballet, attended numerous contemporary workshops and summer intensives at The Dance Company as well as the 2008 and 2009 American Dance Projekt in Jacksonville. She performed at The Limelight Theater in “La Follies-La Joie de Vivre,” “Divas Tonight” and “St. Augustine’s Got Talent.” In March 2011 she performed with a group of local dance teachers, as The St. Augustine Dance Guild, in their own production, “Visual Harmony.” In August 2010 she took a group of 9 Dance Company dancers to Cambridge and London England as part of a dance-exchange she organized with The King-Slocombe School of Dance in Cambridge. In 2011, four King-Slocombe dancers participated in The Dance Company’s summer intensive. She has an eight year old son and has worked full time for the past five years as a Course Reviewer providing instructor support for The Academy of Art University in San Francisco.

Jessica Lengyel

Company Director

Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Company

Jessica Lengyel received her B.A. in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. She now dances with Surfscape Contemporary Dance Theatre of New Smyrna Beach, FL. Jessica trained at The Dance Company of St. Augustine and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. She was a Company Member at the Dance Company for ten years and a member of Douglas Anderson’s Dance Theatre for three years. She has attended various summer programs such as the Orlando Ballet School, the Joffrey Ballet School, the Nashville Ballet School and the Florida Dance Festival.  Jessica has been privileged to work with choreographers such as Francesca Harper, Nicholas Petrov, Peter Merz, Franco Nieto and Alison Seidenstricker. She has performed with the Three10 Moment, ASEID Dance Company, The Conservatory Dance Company of Point Park and Douglas Anderson Dance Theatre. In addition to her dance education, she has completed her Power Pilates mat certification. Jessica has had the opportunity to teach and choreograph in Pittsburgh and around the St. Augustine area.  Jessica currently serves as a Company Director at The Dance Company.

Monika Macbeth

Ballet, Pointe

Monika Macbeth earned a degree in dance from Hochschule for Musik and Theater in Hannover, Germany. She further studied with Vera Volkova, Alexandra Danilova and Erik Bruhn. In Cannes, France, she studied with Rosella Hightower and in London, Great Britain, with Kathleen Crofton. She was a member of the Royal Academy of Dancing. After dancing professionally in companies throughout Europe, she continued her education in dance pedagogies at Hochschule for Musik and Theater, Hannover, where she studied with Alan Howard, New York City. Monika taught ballet in her own studios in Hannover, Germany for thirteen years before coming to the United States. In 1990 she met Carole Dickens and joined her as Ballet Mistress, first with Fancy Feet and then at Anastasia Dance Theatre. She has been Ballet Mistress for The Dance Company since its inception. In 1995, Monika was rehearsal director for the First Coast Nutcracker in Jacksonville, Florida. She has been a frequent guest instructor/choreographer at the LaPierre School of Dance, Boston, and at studios in South Florida. She has been on staff at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville from 1994 through 2003 and a guest teacher at Murray Middle School since 2003.

Ellie Potts Barrett 

Modern Dance  - Graham, Humphrey, Limon and Cunningham Techniques

Ellie attended college at Boston Conservatory, and after performing as Mary Magdalene in the 1st National Touring Company of Jesus Christ, Superstar, returned to college and received her BA in Dance from the University of South Florida.Ellie danced with the Ina Hahn Modern Dance Company, Boston Dance Company and Mary Anthony in New York, as well as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. She has been an associate at the Atlantic Center for the Arts to Master Artists Merce Cunningham, Meg Harper and Elizabeth Streb. She was selected for inclusion into the Florida Artist’s Residency Directory by the Division of Cultural Affairs in Tallahassee, as well as being selected by her students for the Who’s Who Among America’s Best Teachers publication. Ellie has choreographed for Walt Disney World, Sea World, Church Street Station, as well as theme parks in South Korea. She most recently composed the Modern Dance Syllabus for the Florida Dance Masters Organization, which will be used as a study tool for the testing of future Modern dance teachers in Florida. She produced and choreographed BARRETTWERKS, a modern dance concert presented in Orlando, April, 2008. Ellie was honored in April, 2008, as the recipient of the Central Florida Lifetime Achievement Dance Award given by the University of Central Florida. In October of 2010, she had the privilege of choreographing the Orlando Philharmonic/Mad Cow Theatre production of GUYS AND DOLLS which starred Broadway actor Davis Gaines. Ellie is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.

Nicole Tiller

Pre School, Combo, Tap/Jazz

Nicole Tiller began dancing in 1984 in Long Island, New York. She became a student of Carole Dickens and Monika Macbeth in 1988, and began teaching full time in 1995. Nicole has studied under Ellie Barrett, Marcellus Brown, Lynette Wadsworth and Dorothy Lambert. She has attended numerous master classes in Orlando, Jacksonville, and the Broadway Dance Center in New York City. Nicole graduated from Florida School of the Arts in 1999, with an Associate’s degree in modern dance. She is an award winning choreographer, recognized by the Florida Dance Association. Nicole is currently on staff at The Dance Company as well as a guest teacher at Murray Middle School and St. Augustine High School.
 

Jane Bradshaw

Ballet

Jane Bradshaw has over 35 years of experience as a master ballet instructor, coach, choreographer, staging and rehearsal mistress. Her outstanding technical direction and teaching methods have made Ms. Bradshaw a much sought after professional in both the artistic and academic community. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL and served as a faculty member at Georgia State University and Spelman College.  Ms. Bradshaw has taught at many schools including, the Atlanta Ballet and the Orlando Ballet (formerly Southern Ballet Theatre). Jane’s entire professional career has been spent sharing her love and in-depth knowledge of classical ballet.  Beginning with her work in Atlanta, GA and continuing during her years in Central Florida, she has worked with her students, encouraging them to achieve advanced technical skill levels. Many of her students have had professional careers in ballet companies such as the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Orlando Ballet (formerly Southern Ballet Theatre), as well as dancing and working professionally on Broadway, in film, on television and in musical theatre repertory and touring companies. Year after year, they all return to train with “Miss Jane”, seeking to refresh themselves with her technical knowledge, intuition and artistic confidence.

Not Pictured:

Abby Holland

Taryn Fuller