The Philadelphia Dance Academy (PDA) is located a few blocks from Society Hill in the Old City arts community, directly behind the Arden Theatre. In addition to a full class schedule at this main location, the Academy offers two satellite programs:
Rittenhouse Square: Early Childhood Program
Wynnewood: Early Childhood, Primary, and Theater Dance Programs
Our goal at The Philadelphia Dance Academy is to provide exceptional dance training in a professional and positive environment. We view each student as an individual and aim to ensure he or she reaches maximum potential. Students are placed in appropriate training programs and taught by a professional, experienced faculty.
Our programs prioritize refined technique, dancer wellness, and artistic development. At our main location in Old City we offer: Early Childhood Dance, Primary and Pre-Professional Ballet Programs, a Boys Scholarship Program, Theater Dance, Adult/Teen Recreational Classes, and Pilates.
The Philadelphia Dance Academy is home to The Philadelphia Youth Ballet. PYB was founded to inspire dedicated young dancers by providing them with the opportunity to learn and perform a diverse repertoire. PYB rehearsals and performances help young dancers develop their artistry and build confidence, enhancing the technical precision demanded in their technique classes.
The Philadelphia Dance Academy is proud to include the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum, a breakthrough 8 level program that combines high quality artistic training with the basics of dancer health and child development. The ABT® National Training Curriculum consists of a comprehensive set of age-appropriate, outcome-based guidelines to provide the highest quality ballet training to dance students of all ages and skill levels. Primary through Level 7 will be taught by ABT® Certified Teacher, Lori A. Lahnemann, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Annual Spring Showcase
Each year at the end of the Spring Semester, we hold a Showcase for most of our dancers. This is an opportunity for family and friends to witness how much our students have learned over the course of the year. Through performing in the Showcase, participants are able to gain an appreciation for the time and effort involved in preparing for a show. Though students are not required to participate in order to still take class during the Spring Semester, we strongly encourage it. Performing with fellow students is an invaluable experience for young dancers.
When?
Sunday, June 9, 2013. We will have a 2:00pm and a 5:00pm show. Each show will last about one hour.
Where?
The Gordon Theater at Rutgers University-Camden
Who?
Ballet II Sat 9:30am, Ballet IIIA, IIIB, IVA, IVB, V, Boys, Theater Dance I Thurs 4pm, Theater Dance II, III, and Teen Theater will be in both shows. All other classes are in one show. See the Class Assignments post for details.
What else?
The costume and participation fee is $65. If your child is performing in more than one dance, the cost is $65 for each separate costume. If we do not receive your costume fee, we WILL NOT order your child a costume.
Students learn dances during their regularly scheduled classes.
Each class has a different costume and a different dance, so switching classes after costumes are ordered is not permitted.
There is a mandatory Dress Rehearsal on Sunday, June 2 at the studio. Each class’ 20 minutes time slot will fall between 11:00am and 4:00pm.
More details are available throughout the Spring Semester, both on our Latest News page and on the studio bulletin board.
Our Faculty
Lori A. Lahnemann, Ed. M.
Director
Lori A. Lahnemann received her fundamental training with Scott Jovovich, principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet; Nina Fedorova, principal dancer with New York City Ballet; and Jeffrey Lyons, dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet and faculty of The San Francisco Ballet School. Ms. Lahnemann attended the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and studied under Gloria Govrin and Yvonne Patterson of New York City Ballet. At age 15, she began working closely with her mentor, Anna Maria Jones. Ms. Jones coached dancers of The Pennsylvania Ballet, School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, and Ballett Frankfurt.
Ms. Lahnemann has attended: Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Boston Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Danza Contemporanea de Cuba (Havana), David Howard Center, Steps on Broadway with Willy Burmann, and The University of the Arts.
At age 17, she began teaching at The Studio in Bucks County under the direction of Nina Fedorova. In 1999, she partnered with her mentor, Anna Maria Jones, and opened DanceSpace in Philadelphia, a program offering small group instruction in Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, and Ballet Technique. Other teaching credits include the Dance Academy in Cherry Hill, under the direction of Douglas and Dalia Haye, and Rittenhouse Dance Academy.
She opened the Philadelphia Dance Academy in 2004 with the mission of creating a structured, disciplined, pre-professional ballet program in a positive, healthy environment. She strongly believes that the two do not need to be mutually exclusive.
In 2009, she completed a two-year intensive Pilates certification program under the direction of master teacher, Karen H. Carlson. This program, based in functional anatomy, afforded new perspectives on the biomechanics of ballet and allowed her to offer Pilates as part of the training program at The Philadelphia Dance Academy.
Ms. Lahnemann holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education and has taught in the Philadelphia public school system.
Ms. Lahnemann is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Jennifer Smith
Principal Teacher
Jennifer Smith began her dance training when she was only three years old at a local dance studio in her hometown of Manahawkin, New Jersey. After seven years there, Ms. Smith continued her studies at Red Bank Dance Academy with Rosemary Boross before moving to attend high school at North Carolina School of the Arts.
Ms. Smith graduated a year early to begin her professional career as an Apprentice with Pennsylvania Ballet in 1993 and was promoted to a member of the Corps de Ballet in 1994. She has been featured as Bianca in John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew, Dewdrop in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Lead Butterfly in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the White Cat and Song Bird in Janek Schergen’s The Sleeping Beauty. She has also danced leading roles in Balanchine’s Steadfast Tin Soldier and Western Symphony; Lar Lubovitch’s Waiting for the Sunrise and Concerto Six Twenty-Two; Paul Taylor’s Arden Court; Trey McIntyre’s Cantilena; Jerome Robbins’ Interplay; and Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis En Vie.
Ms. Smith inspired and performed several principal roles in Christopher Wheeldon’s World Premier of Swan Lake. She also created roles in the world premieres of Kevin O’Day’s Col Legno, Matthew Neenan’s Vicissitudes and 11:11, Kirk Peterson’s Dancing with Monet, and Val Caniparoli’s Jaybird Lounge.
Jennifer also rehearsed the Wilma Theater’s resident ballet company, BalletX, for a number of their performances over the past three years.
Jennifer Lameo
Theater Dance Program Director
Hailing from Scranton, PA, Jennifer began dancing at age 5. Although primarily trained in Ballet, at age 18 she discovered her passion in Theater Dance and Voice.
Jennifer has performed many lead roles in Regional Theater and National Tours. Favorite shows include: A Chorus Line, 42nd St, Grease, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Annie, and Crazy for You. Her most recent role was the quirky “Princess Winifred” in Once Upon a Mattress.
She has lived in NYC for the past 10 years, in which time she has studied with Randy Skinner (Choreographer of 42nd St Broadway revival and White Christmas) , Germaine Salsberg, David Marquez, Mark Santoro, Josh Bergasse (Choreographer of NBC show “Smash”), David Howard, and Kat Wildish, at such schools as Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, and New Dance Group.
Jennifer was also selected to be one of the very first Rockette Assistants for the “Radio City Rockette Experience” held at Radio City Music Hall. For four years, side by side with a Rockette, she taught the original Rockette choreography, style, etiquette, and audition technique to students from all over the country.
Sara Nye
Program Manager
Sara Nye has been living and working in Philadelphia since 2007. As a contemporary dance performer she has collaborated with RealLivePeople(in)Motion, Scott McPheeters, Kathryn TeBordo/Workshop for Potential Movement, Cie. Willi Dorner, Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble, Jenn Rose/Loose Screws Contemporary Tap Co., and Daniele Strawmyre/readySetGO. In 2010, she had the opportunity to work for Willi Dorner again, participating in the Lower Manhattan staging of bodies in urban spaces. She has also recently worked with theater artists Martina Plag and Anisa George.
She began training in ballet at age six and continued studying modern and contemporary dance, improv, choreography, and theater at Dickinson College. Sara graduated magna cum laude from Dickinson with a B.A. in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She serves as a freelance teaching artist for the Kimmel Center, the Walnut Street Theatre, Theatre Horizon, and The Philadelphia Dance Academy. Sara is currently the Program Associate for Enchantment Theatre Company and the Program Manager at The Philadelphia Dance Academy.
Meredith Rainey
Boys Program Instructor
Meredith Rainey began dancing at 15 in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale. In 1985 he joined the Milwaukee Ballet, and in 1987 he was asked to join the newly formed Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet. When the joint venture ended, he remained with the Pennsylvania Ballet and was promoted to soloist in 1999 until his retirement in 2006.
In 1997 he performed briefly as a demi-soloist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He was also a guest artist with Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in their gala performance in honor of Masazumi Chaya. In addition he toured throughout North and South America, Europe and Seoul, Korea as a choreographer and dancer.
Meredith performed works by choreographers George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Mary Anthony, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, Jose Limon, John Butler, John Cranko, and William Forsythe. He also originated roles choreographed by Jean Grand-Maître, Robert Weiss, Jorma Elo, David Parsons, Trey McIntyre, Kevin O’Day and Matthew Neenan.
Meredith has been commissioned to create works for Pennsylvania Ballet, Incoln Ballet (Ballet Clássico Nacional de Colombia), Brandywine Ballet, Ballet X, Delaware Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Phrenic New Ballet. His work is performed throughout North and South America and Europe including Miami International Ballet Festival, the International Ballet Festival of Ecuador, the First and Second International Ballet Festival of Calí, (Colombia) and Madrid, Spain.
Upon retiring from the Pennsylvania Ballet in 2006, Meredith decided to focus his creativity on his passion for choreography. To that end Meredith spent two years as part of the Susan Hess Modern Dance Studio’s, “Choreographer’s Project”. Here, he took part in workshops mentored by Ralph Lemon and choreographic discussions with Simon Dove and alike.
In 2008, he was awarded a one-year “New Edge” residency at the Community Education Center (CEC) of Philadelphia. During this residency he started a new project, “Look Inside” that eventually evolved into his company Carbon Dance Theatre (CDT). During the collaborative process of building the work, Meredith realized his vision for creating a company. CDT empowers performers and entertains audiences by creating work that is rooted in classical ballet and infused with the collaborative processes of theatre. In a short amount of time Meredith’s vision has taken flight. CDT has been presented in Baltimore and Pittsburgh and is a resident company at Drexel University.
Meredith has won numerous awards including the 1995 & 2002 PA Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant for Choreography, 2001 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Artist as Catalyst Grant, 2002 Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts, 2003 Pew Fellowship in the Arts Finalist, and most recently a 2010 Dance Advance Grant.
Meredith resides in Philadelphia with his partner of 10 years and their “child,” an adorable, overly excitable chocolate lab named Keiko.
Megan Butler
Megan Butler began her dance training at the age of eleven at Evelyn Ott School of Dance in Norfolk, Virginia. Focused on Jazz and Tap, she decided to audition and join the Charisma Performing Company offered to those who wanted more opportunities to be on stage.
In the middle of her freshman year of high school, she auditioned for the dance program within the Governor’s School of the Arts. After being accepted, Megan became a Modern Dance major her sophomore year. Attending academic classes in the morning, dancing at Governor’s School in the afternoon, and at her home studio in the evenings, she had the chance to work with renowned masters such as Todd Rosenlieb, Gayla Zukevich, Bellamy Eure, Laurie Metzger, Denise Ott Land, Deborah Thorpe, and Ricardo Melendez. In 2007, Megan graduated from Granby High School and the Governor’s School for the Arts with top grades and received a college scholarship.
Although she was accepted into Point Park University, she chose to attend the University of the Arts here in Philadelphia. While attending, Megan had the pleasure of performing works by Robert Burden, Zane Booker, Christine Cox, Brian Sanders, Anastasia Babayeva, and Myriam Herve-Gil. In 2010, Myriam Herve-Gil selected Megan, as well as nine other dancers, to spend two weeks in France performing a new piece of work set on a group of UArts dancers. After graduating with her BFA in Ballet Performance, Megan attended the World Dance Movement in August of 2011 in Castellana Grotte, Italy. She spent two weeks studying with Desmond Richardson, Bruno Collinet, Joshua Pelatzky, Jason Parsons, Michele Assaf, and David Marquez. In September of 2011, Megan was offered her first teaching job with Philadelphia Dance Academy and could not be more excited to work for such a wonderful school. When she is not teaching, she can be found performing and assisting with Choreosplat Dance Works founded by Kelly Turner also located here in Philadelphia.
Sun-Mi Cho
Sun-Mi received a full scholarship for dance at Southern Methodist University, where she graduated with a dance degree and an advertising degree. While at SMU, Sun-Mi performed in Paul Taylor’s “Esplanade,” pas de deux in Balanchine’s “Concerto Barocco,” Moses Pendelton’s “Bonsai,” and the lead role of “yellow” in Martha Graham’s “Divergence of Angels.” She received two fellowships to study at Alvin Ailey American Dance School. Last year, Sun-Mi was dance captain for the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s telecasted production of “Carmen.” She dances with Meredith Rainey’s Carbon Dance Theatre, where she also serves as Artistic Associate, and she teaches at the Rock School for Dance Education. Sun-Mi also does theatre and commercial work. She hosted 8 segments of ballet on Comcast on Demand’s “get up and dance,” was on a bus wrapper ad campaign for Septa, and can be seen in Harrison Ford’s upcoming movie “Paranoia.” She is excited about teaching at The Philadelphia Dance Academy.
Felicia Cruz
Felicia Cruz was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania. When she was three, she started her dance training at the Dolly Haltzman Dance Academy under Dolores Haltzman and Jennifer Haltzman-Tracy as well as Maurice Brandon Curry and Gloria Govrin. In addition, she has trained multiple summers at the Rock School, and spent two consecutive summers on scholarship at the Richmond Ballet. In 2002 she was accepted into the work/study program at Steps on Broadway in NYC. There she had the opportunity to study closely with Jay-T Jenkins, Deborah Roshe, Jana Hicks, and Wilhelm Burmann. She graduated from University of the Arts in 2010 obtaining her BFA in ballet with an emphasis in performance. While there she worked with Louis Johnson in “Forces of Rhythm”, Ronen Koresh in “Sense of Human” and “The Beast”, while also performing works by Christine Cox, Scott Jovovich, Curt Haworth, Donald Lunsford II, Anthony Burrell, and Karen Cleighton. Her professional performing experiences include “Shut up and Dance” with Pennsylvania Ballet, touring “Crossroads” with Jette` Performance Company, and performing lead roles in “The Nutcracker”, and “Dracula” with Repertory Dance Theater.
Felicia is a founding member and currently performing with DanceSpora. In 2011 she was promoted to Assistant Director. In addition, she has been performing with Carbon Dance Theatre after apprenticing with the company in the summer of 2010. Outside of performing Felicia has been teaching ballet, tap, jazz, and modern to children ages preschool to high school for over fourteen years. You may currently find her teaching at various schools in and around the Philadelphia area.
Karen Eisele
Karen Eisele holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Education from Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland. She is also 500 hour certified through YogaWorks Manhattan, with a special Core Strength Vinyasa Training certificate from Sadie Nardini. Karen has trained with various companies like the Dance Theater of Pennsylvania (Budzynski’s Studio of Ballet), Sarasota Ballet, and Paul Taylor Dance Company in New York City. Growing up, she was a member of the competition dance team at Kelly Richards School of Dance just outside Philadelphia, PA and was a member of the ensemble at the Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, PA. Some of her favorite roles include Dream Laurie in Oklahoma! and feature dance roles in West Side Story and Carousel. Following University, Karen went on to perform on various cruise ships with Jean Ann Ryan Productions and later, Princess Cruises. She starred as the lead aerialist in Tokyo Disney Sea’s Mystic Rhythms in Tokyo, Japan. Most recently, Karen was seen as the magician’s assistant in The Magic of Saipan at the SandCastle Dinner Theater in Saipan just outside Guam. In between jobs, Karen looks forward to adjudicating during the competition dance season, teaching yoga, and teaching at local dance studios. Excited to join the staff at Philadelphia Dance Academy this year!
Magrielle Eisen
Magrielle (Maggie) Eisen, a Philadelphia native, received the majority of her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. Prior to training at CPYB, Maggie trained locally at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center with Jennifer Wheat, Barbara Sandonato, and Nancy Berman Kantra. After attending summer courses on scholarship at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, WA, Maggie was invited to study in the PNBS Professional Division program and was afforded the opportunity to perform with the Pacific Northwest Ballet Company in several productions. The following year, she joined Oregon Ballet Theatre under the direction of Christopher Stowell. Maggie has danced in numerous Balanchine ballets, as well as classical story ballets and contemporary works.
In addition to teaching ballet at PDA, Maggie works in the public health field with a focus on health disparities and health policy. Her projects reflect her passion for social justice and equality.
Maggie graduated in 2012 with a dual Master’s degree in Law & Social Policy from Bryn Mawr College. In 2009, Maggie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Anthropology.
Maggie is thrilled to continue working with the wonderful students and faculty at PDA.
Sabrina Faith
Sabrina Faith loves sharing her passion for dance with others. She has been teaching dance for over 13 years. She received her Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance from Temple University in 2001. She danced professionally with local Philadelphia companies and has taught at various studios in the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas. Ms. Faith participated as an independent choreographer in the Female Persuasions Series at The Arts Bank, Philadelphia, PA in 2007. She has choreographed and staged numerous productions, such as Snow White, The Nutcracker, and most recently a piece for The Philadelphia Youth Ballet.
Ms. Faith is a certified Dance/Movement Therapist (BC-DMT). She received her Master’s Degree in Creative Arts Therapy from Drexel University in 2006. She currently provides therapy to children diagnosed with neurological disorders. She enjoys the challenge of the process and more importantly the rewards that happen along the way. She believes in building confidence and a “sense of self”, educating dancers by knowing the functions of movement and how it relates to their bodies, and increasing team-building skills.
Tara Keating
Tara Keating began her training at the age of seven at the Pioneer Valley Ballet in Northampton, Massachusetts. She then attended the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where she received a BFA in dance. While there, she was awarded the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship and the Most Outstanding Dance Major award from the National Dance Association. She began her professional career with the American Repertory Ballet and then joined Twyla Tharp’s company, “THARP!”, where she performed both internationally and at City Center in New York.
Ms. Keating joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1998, and was promoted to soloist in 2003. During her ten years there, she danced leading roles in numerous classical and contemporary works. Throughout her career she has originated roles in world premieres by such renowned choreographers as Jorma Elo, Jodie Gates, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, and Christopher Wheeldon.
In 2005, she became a founding member of BalletX, and has danced in virtually every performance since their inception. She has traveled to Korea; St. Louis; and Laguna, CA with the company. Ms. Keating was the Producing Director in 2006 and 2007 for Shut Up and Dance, an annual benefit for MANNA, created by the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. She was also the recipient of a 2002 City Paper Choice Award. She is on faculty at various schools in the region, and has taught master classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and at NADAA dance conventions throughout the country. She has staged numerous ballets on BalletX, and has set Neenan’s work on Pennsylvania Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and Bucknell University. Ms. Keating also serves as the Artistic Coordinator for BalletX.
Blythe Smith
Blythe Smith began her dance training at age 3 in South Jersey. She became a member of the Vineland Regional Dance Company at age 12 and went on to achieve the role of soloist. She also trained at Pennsylvania Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, Ballet Magnificat, Central Pennsylavania Youth Ballet, and Atlantic City Ballet.
Blythe was offered scholarships to attend Joffrey Ballet, Boston Conservatory, and SUNY Purchase. She attended The University of the Arts on scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Ballet Performance in 2004. She was offered a trainee position with Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, MS in 2005. Her performance credits include Regional and National Dance America Festivals and soloist roles in The Vineland Regional Dance Company and Atlantic City Ballet’s “Nutcracker”. She has also performed soloist roles in “Paquita,” “Swan Lake,” and “Les Sylphides” at The Merriam Theater. She has performed in several performances of new work at the Painted Bride in Philadelphia, PA and in dance festivals in NYC including Pentacle Dance Works and Thelma Hill Dance Festival.
Blythe is a dance instructor and choreographer at several local studios throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania and has taught within the Philadelphia school system. She is the Associate Artistic Director and founder of Magnolia Hill Studios NJ, a studio dedicated to sharing a love of the visual and performing arts with children. In the summer of 2012 Blythe completed the Lester Horton Pedagogy Workshop at Alvin Ailey. In addition to teaching, Blythe danced in a touring Tina Turner Review Show entitled, “Simply the Best” and was a member of Alchemy Dance Company for 7 years. She currently dances with the Philadelphia based company Danse4Nia Repertory Ensemble and DanceSpora.
Guest Faculty
Heidi Cruz
Born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Heidi Cruz began her dance training at the age of four at The Dolly Haltzman Dance Academy. She went on to study at the School of American Ballet and The Pennsylvania Ballet.
Ms. Cruz has been a member of The Pennsylvania Ballet since 1994. Some of her featured roles include Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Summer Fairy in Ben Stevenson¢s Cinderella, Vortex in Alvin Ailey’s The River, Eve in Margo Sappington’s Rodin, Mis En Vie, the Pas de Trois in The Sleeping Beauty, and Christopher D’Amboise’s Symposium. She has also had featured roles in many George Balanchine works including Marzipan, Coffee and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker, Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Choleric from The Four Temperaments, and leading roles in Serenade, Who Cares?, Western Symphony, Scotch Symphony, and Divertimento #15. Ms. Cruz has premiered works for such renowned choreographers as Paul Taylor, Margo Sappington, Christopher D’Amboise, Jessica Lang and Pennsylvania Ballet’s Meredith Rainey, and Matthew Neenan.
In addition to dancing with Pennsylvania Ballet, Ms. Cruz has performed as a guest artist throughout the United States and Europe.
As a choreographer, Ms. Cruz has been commissioned to create works for Franklin and Marshall College, Repertory Dance Theater, and Ballet D’errico. Ms. Cruz has also had her work performed annually since 2000 for Shut Up & Dance. She was a winner of Ballet Builders 2004 in NYC where she showcased The Glistening. She performed and created works with the internationally renowned spoken word/recording artist Ursula Rucker. She was awarded a New Edge Residency from the Community Education Center of Philadelphia for 2004-2005.
Caralin Curcio
Caralin Curcio is from Sparta, NJ where she began her ballet training at age seven at the Ballet Barre School of Dance. Following her studies with the Royal Academy of Dancing, Ms. Curcio had the opportunity to perform The Nutcracker with the Donesk Ballet Company from Russia at age 10. In 2003, Ms. Curcio was invited to train in New York City in the Young Dancers Program at Steps of Broadway. There, she received private coaching with Leslie Browne. In 2004, Ms. Curcio joined ASH Contemporary Dance Company where she performed many original works by director Braham Crane.
Ms. Curcio has attended summer programs at the American Academy of Ballet, The New Jersey Ballet School, Ballet Academy East, and American Ballet Theatre where she performed La Bayadere, Push Comes To Shove, and appeared as a Demi-Soloist in Paquita. She also performed as a soloist in Brahms Trio, an original ballet choreographed by Leslie Browne.
In Fall 2006, Ms. Curcio joined Pennsylvania II, became an Apprentice in 2007 and was promoted to the Corps de Ballet for the 2009-2010 Season. Since joining the Company she has danced featured roles in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker™ (Coffee), The Four Temperaments (Second Theme) and Raymonda Variations (Variation VI), Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake (Big Swans), and Matthew Neenan’s Penumbra, Carmina Burana and 11:11. Ms. Curcio has danced in the world premiere of Jupiter Symphony by Peter Quanz and Pulcinella by Jorma Elo, as well as many other company productions including George Balanchine’s Serenade and Ballo della Regina. She was also one of fourteen Pennsylvania Ballet dancers who performed in the Academy Award-winning film Black Swan.
