Miss Kristin Beyers
Kristin has studied dance at Florence Gardner’s School of Ballet and Concepts in Motivation’s Damascus Studio of Dance, where she now teaches. She has completed and received certification with the Cecchetti Council of American Classical Ballet through grade three. While her favorite style of dance is classical ballet, she enjoys tap and modern as well. She has enjoyed and attended workshops with Dance Master’s of America, and the Cecchetti Council, including those held at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.
Dancing since the age of three, now 14 years, she has performed with Florence Gardner’s Upper Montgomery Ballet studio and has performed in recitals such as; Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Beauty and the Beast, and parts from The Nutcracker.
Kristin is a senior at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, where she is a member of the National Honors Society. Kristin is happy to be teaching with Concepts and have the opportunity to share her love of dance with younger children.
Miss Tiffany Blackman
Miss Tiffany has been studying dance since the age of 4. She has experience in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern dance. She has studied at local dance studios around the Washington D.C. area, including one of our own Concepts In Motivation dance studios.
Tiffany has also performed with the Montgomery College Dance Company, where she has worked with choreographer Tommy Parlon and Alvin Mayes. She is currently working with Alvin Mayes on a project.
Tiffany has also received her Associates degree in Dance from Montgomery College in 2005, and is currently studying dance at the University of Maryland, College Park. There she is also studying Cultural Anthropology with a focus in cultural dance. She will be graduating December 2007.
Miss Natalie Blank
Miss Natalie is a student at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting with a minor in Dance. She has trained in the Cecchetti Method of Ballet at the Florence Gardner School of Ballet for thirteen years. Miss Natalie, while attending the University of Maryland has been studying Laban Principles, Alexander Training, and Fitz Maurice.
Miss Natalie loves to teach children the art of dance and drama. She plans to continue teaching upon graduation while pursuing her acting career.
Miss Louise Bogan
Miss Louise is an active member of Dance Master’s of America, Chapter 17 since 1969. She is certified by DMA in ballet, tap, jazz and pointe.
Miss Louise started dancing at the age of 3 and has been teaching since she was 16 years old. Over the past 35 years, she has taught at several metropolitan area studios as a faculty member and a master teacher, however, she made Concepts in Motivation her home in 1988.
Many of our dancers began their dance technique training as First Steppers with Miss Louise. Her nurturing personality reflects in all her dancers as they grow in the studio, but still maintain their relationship with Miss Louise. As her dancers grow and advance through the higher levels of dance in the studios, Miss Louise keeps an eye on her dancers and watches many of them go on to compete or perform winning high awards and titles.
Though she has taught at all Concepts studio locations, Miss Louise can currently be found at the Olney Studio and Briggs Chaney Dance Center, where she has served as manager for the past 5 years.
Miss Colleen Bogan
Miss Colleen has been with Concepts in Motivation for more than 16 years now, while teaching the past 8 of those years. She began dancing at the age of 2 ½ and danced with various competition groups until entering college.
In high school, she was a member of the Good Counsel Pom Squad and choreographer of various school musicals. As a freshman in college, she was invited to dance with the Longwood College Dance Company which performed in the metropolitan Richmond area. Upon returning to the Washington Metro area, Miss Colleen became an original member of the Olney Elite Company and began her teaching career with Concepts.
In 2001 Miss Colleen became a member of Dance Masters of America Chapter 17. She has choreographed the opening number for the Petite/Junior Miss Dance Pageant and has also served as co-chair for the DMA Ch. 17 scholarship committee. Miss Colleen has coached tap and jazz soloists, competition groups and aspiring actresses.
Miss Colleen is a graduate of Marymount University of Virginia with a Bachelors of Art and Science in Interior Design. She currently works as an Architectural Designer for Lehman Associates, PC of Highland, Maryland.
Miss Ashlee Halbritter
Ashlee Halbritter is very excited to be teaching for Concepts in Motivation at the Damascus Studio of Dance!
Ashlee began her dance training with Momentum Dance Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia at the age of three. At the age of 12, she became an apprentice with the Kitchen Sink Dance Company under the direction of Michael McGowan. She also trained at the Beck Center of Arts in Cleveland, Ohio and at Bruckman’s Studio of Dance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ashlee has a strong background in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical and Modern dance. Currently, she is a senior at the University of Maryland, where she has taken numerous dance classes. She is a member and choreographer of the UnBound Dance Team at the University, and is also very involved with the Student Dance Association.
Welcome Miss Ashlee to Concepts in Motivation.
Miss Dawn Hessler
Miss Dawn, originally from Toledo, Ohio, began dancing at the age of thirteen after many years of gymnastics training; and has been dancing ever since!
Dawn explored and pursued dance throughout high school and into college where she received her BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Ohio University.
Dawn has performed throughout the Midwest as well as Kanagawa and Tokyo, Japan. She has choreographed for school plays, fashion shows, and student showcases. Dawn believes dance is for everyone whether someone dances for fun, health reasons, for a creative outlet or to make dance a career.
Miss Dawn is excited to continue teaching at Clopper Mill this summer and next fall.
Miss Lauren Katsikopoulos
Lauren Katsikopoulos, a native New Yorker, began her dancing career at the age of six. She has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern. She danced with the Bronx Dance Theatre Senior Company where she traveled and performed all over the world.
She has more than 18 years of experience as a dance instructor, specializing in Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Hip Hop. Lauren has taken intensive dance workshops in New York and has performed locally and worldwide in various performances, including the Kennedy Center¹s Millennium Stage. She has choreographed for competitive dance teams for over 12 years. She looks forward to using her teaching expertise, her performance experience, and, most of all, her joy of dancing, with her students this year at Cloppers Mill Dance Center, Damascus Studio of Dance, and Olney Studio of Dance. She will also be managing the Cloppers Mill Dance Center.
Miss Lauren’s has dancers who have gone on to become a member of NFL’s Washington Redskinettes and crowned Miss America.
Miss Paula LaVere
In 1993, Paula La Vere earned a B.A. in dance from Point Park College, Pennsylvania. Paula was first introduced to dance 27 years ago through the art form of ballet.
Over the course of her career, Paula has studied with some of the well known names over the world including; Sylvester Campbell with The Baltimore School for the Arts, Laura Alonzo with the Cuban Ballet Company in Cuba, Arthur Mitchell with Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Fredrick Franklin of the Ballet Russe.
Through her intense studies, Paula was able to perform major ballets such as Giselle, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Firebird, and other notable ballets. Paula has also appeared as a guest soloist on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood.
Furthering Paula’s accomplishments, she formed the Union City Youth Ensemble, for the inner city kids of New Jersey. Currently, Paula is a freelance ballet instructor and guest artist for a variety of dance schools.
While at Point Park College she had the opportunity to influence the lives of toddlers and young adults through her teachings of ballet. Most importantly, Paula has found a love in being a positive role model to the children she has guided and instructed throughout her profession. Paula has also shared her knowledge and passion for the art of ballet through volunteer work with the inner city.
We are delighted to have Paula teaching at our Damascus and Briggs Chaney studios.
Mr. Justin Lewis
Mr. Justin is a senior at Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland. He has been dancing for 12 years and has been an active member of Tappers with Attitude Youth Tap Ensemble for the past 6 years.
He enjoys studying the styles of Savion Glover, Jimmy Slide, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and the late Gregory Hines. His passion rhythmic tap dance has given him opportunities to choreograph several numbers and perform on many famous stages.
Justin will be attending Columbia College of Chicago this fall where he will be studying Arts Entertainment and Media Management.
Miss Dawn Macquade
Miss Dawn began dancing at the age of 2. She is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern and hip hop. She is also a trained gymnast.
Miss Dawn started competing at the age of 7, performing in many competitions. She has also been fortunate enough to travel to Paris dancing with her company for dance classes in 2001. In high school she was a member of her school’s pom squad.
Miss Dawn is looking forward to joining the CM family teaching at CMDC in the fall and working with the new dance company. Dawn is planning to audition for next year’s fox 5 show, “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Miss Nicole Martin
Miss Nicole began her dance training at the age of 2. Over the years she has taken classes in ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop. She attended Seneca Valley High school and competed with her school’s Latin Dance Company.
While attending Montgomery College, she performed with their dance company. She later attended Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland majoring in Musical Theatre, with a focus on dance.
Miss Nicole has performed in several local shows and musicals such as, “Hello Dolly,” “Brigadoon,” “Gypsy,” “Footloose,” and “Bye Bye Birdie.” She loves working with and teaching younger children and looks forward to continuing with the Concepts in Motivation family.
Miss Jill May
Miss Jill received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, where she danced with the Floridance Company, the University of Florida Department of Theatre and Dance, and was selected to perform at the national showcase of the American College Dance Festival Association.
She began her dance training with the Dance Theatre of Pennsylvania in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. She spent her summers studying with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, and as a scholarship student at BalletMet Academy in Columbus, Ohio.
Miss Jill is currently in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at the University of Maryland. Miss Jill is excited to be back for her third year with Concepts in Motivation.
Miss Lisa McKay
Miss Candice Peterson
Candice Peterson began her dance career at the Germantown Dance Center at the age of three. She has been dancing now for 17 years studying ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and lyrical. She has studied dance at Patricia Kelbough’s Dance Studio, Denise Shores Studio of Dance, Clopper’s Mill Dance Center and the Olney Studio of Dance.
Candice was a member of the competition team at her dance studio and competed from the age of five until she was nine winning many awards from Bronze to High Gold. She was also a member of her high school’s team pom squad as well as the Olney Studio’s Elite Competition Team.
Candice enjoys sharing her love of dance. She is happy to again be teaching with Concepts in Motivation’s Briggs Chaney Dance Center.
Miss Brittany Rose
Miss Brittany has danced with the American Ballet Theatre in their production of NUTCRACKER AND LA CORSAIRE. She also danced with the Universal Ballet of Korea in their production of LA BAYADERE. Brittany is in the Advanced Release Time II class at the Maryland Youth Ballet and is preparing for the Youth America Grand Prix Ballet Competition, which will be held in January 2006.
Miss Brittany has been dancing for 14 years and has studied ballet, tap, jazz and modern. She has danced at the Kennedy Center's Opera House. She has spent the last four summer's studying at the Miami City Ballet under the direction of Edward Villela and his wife, Linda.
Miss Brittany is looking forward to teaching the young dancers at the new Damascus and Olney Studio of Dance
Miss Rhonda Rose
Rhonda Rose, a native Washingtonian, started her dance and baton training at the age of 9. She formally trained in jazz, tap, Hawaiian, and baton twirling. Rhonda has taught dance and baton for five years.
Rhonda was a competitive baton/dance twirler for over ten years (within the National Baton Twirling Association NBTA). She has held state and regional championships in Baton and participated in national championships at Notre Dame University. Rhonda was also a former certified NBTA judge for 5 years. She has held numerous titles within the Maryland Scholarship Pageant for the Miss America pageant from the counties of Miss Montgomery County, Miss Frederick County and Miss Greenbelt. Rhonda is currently the director of the Chesapeake Bay Pageant held each June.
During the day, Rhonda is a Procurement Manager at Lockheed Martin Corporation in Rockville, Maryland. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management.
Rhonda is beginning her first year at Concepts in Motivation’s Damascus Studio of Dance and is happy to be teaching young children again. In addition, she will also serve as the office manager at the studio.
Miss Debra Spotts
Debra Spotts is certified by Dance Masters of America to teach Tap, Ballet, Jazz, Pre-School, and Ballroom Dance. She is also certified as a nationally Register Yoga Teacher (RYT) through Yoga Alliance. This RYT certification required extensive training through in Yoga Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4, with additional Yoga studies at the Omega Institute. Miss Debbie is certified to teach Basic Yoga, Advanced Yoga, Yoga Butt, Yoga for Kids, and Gentle Yoga for Seniors.
Debra has more than 30 years of dance experience, studying in New York City, with the Hal Garvin Studio of Dance and with Dance Masters of America. She founded and operated her own successful dance & Yoga studios with two locations in northern Pennsylvania for 13 years prior to moving to Maryland in 2005.
Debra is beginning her second year with Concepts teaching dance and Yoga at the Mt. Airy Studio of Dance.
Miss Jennifer Steiner
Jennifer Steiner is currently a dance and psychology major at the University of Maryland. At the University of Maryland she was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with professional choreographers, Mark Haim and Ed Tyler.
Miss Jennifer has been dancing for over 15 years in a variety of dance styles including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, pom, and hip-hop. However, her passion and specialty have always been with ballet. Jennifer has received training from several schools including the American Dance Institute and Arizona State University.
Last summer Miss Jennifer performed as part of a grant from the DC Commission for the Arts. Miss Jennifer will be teaching her second year at the Briggs Chaney Dance Center and is looking forward to a great year with her dancers.
Miss Caitlin Stelben
During her dance career, Caitlin Stelben has been fortunate enough to study with well known dancers and choreographers such as Dan Karaty, Mandy Moore, Nick Lazzarini, Tabitha and Napoleon, Gil Storming, Ray Leeper, Dee Caspray, Mike Minery, Denise Wal and her son Travis, and Pat Berrend. She has attended dance conventions such as JUMP and DMA. She currently studies jazz, tap, ballet, modern, pointe, lyrical and pilates.
Caitlin is beginning her first year of teaching with Concepts! She began dancing at the age of three and started at Olney when she moved to Maryland. She has been a student of the Olney Studio of Dance for nine years, six of which she was a part of the award winning Olney Elite Dance Company. This year she will serve as dance captain, assisting the Junior Elite Team.
Caitlin has also been an assistant at Olney for the past several years, but is excited to now teach. She has expanded her dance training taking classes at the Pat Berrend Dance Centre, Joy of Motion, Strathmore and American Dance Institute. Caitlin has attended many dance camps including the Radio City Rockette Intensive at Pointe Park and the American Academy of Ballet Summer Intensive. She has also served as a junior counselor to Concept’s CM Premier Dance Camp.
Caitlin has performed numerous solos for competitions and was recently awarded the Cyd Charisse Award at the American Dance Awards. In 2003, she was the runner up for Chapter 17 Dance Master’s of America Miss Junior Dance, where she also won the Jazz and Interview Award. She is currently a Junior Member of DMA.
Caitlin was also a member of her school’s pom squad at Good Counsel, where she received numerous first place awards at camps.
Miss Sarah Stoodley
Sarah Stoodley is thrilled to be a member of the D.C. metropolitan dance community. Her childhood was spent on a small farm in Central Maine, and her early training involved studying ballet and jazz. She spent thirteen seasons with the Bangor-based Robinson Ballet Company, performing principal roles in many classical and contemporary works. After a short stint in the DC area as a Marketing Intern for 4H Council, her 2000-01 season was spent as a company member with Maine's only professional modern company, Ram Island Dance Company (RIDC). She credits Sara Whale, RIDC's Artistic Director, with helping foster her love of modern dance.
Locally, Sarah has worked with Contradiction Dance Company, CrossCurrents Dance Company, and Tony Powell/ Music & Movement. Currently she can be found performing with Cynthia Word's Word/Dance/Theater and also Jazzdanz/dc, directed by Douglas Yeuell.
As rewarding to Sarah as dancing, is her joy found in educating others by passing along her love of ballet, jazz and modern. In the past year she had students ranging in age from 3 to their 70's. Miss Sarah and has taught at Wooton and Blake High Schools.
We are excited and pleased to welcome Miss Sarah to the Olney Studio of Dance!!!
Miss Jennifer Teitelbaum
Miss Jennifer has been teaching at the Olney Studio of Dance since 2001. She began her dance career as a young child in the early 1980s. In 1991 she became an assistant and also attended CM Premier’s Dance Camp as a counselor.
Miss Jennifer loves to teach young children. She returned to the Olney Studio upon her college graduation to teach beginner jazz, tap and her 4-5 Beginners.
During the day, you will find Miss Jennifer as a consultant with Bearing Point, Inc. She hold a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Geology from Kutztown University and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland. She and her husband, Mike, live in Rockville.
Miss Stephanie Vara
Stephanie Vara has been part of the Concepts in Motivation dance family for over 12 years studying jazz, tap, ballet, hip hop and baton. She has been an assistant dance teacher for over seven years and joined the staff as a teacher in 2006. Being a serious student and performer Miss Stephanie has attended numerous dance workshops, including Dance Masters of America local conventions.
In addition to her extensive dance background, Stephanie is a USTA (United States Twirling Association) certified Level 1 coach. She is also part of the United States International Cup team and will compete in both 2- baton and 3- baton in Canada in August.
Miss Stephanie has been a competitive baton/dance twirler for over ten years. She started doing team events and a year later she started competing in individual events and has attend the state, regional and national championships ever since. She has won numerous titles on the local, state, regional, national, and international level, including the silver medal for the U.S. team in Junior 3- baton B in 2005 in the first ever International Cup Championships. She also won the silver medal for the U.S. team in Junior 2-baton B in 2006 at the 2nd International Cup Championships in Rome, Italy.
In addition to 2-baton and 3-baton, she competes in dance twirl, strut, solo, pairs, dance twirl pairs, freestyle, and freestyle pairs. She particularly enjoys the freestyle events, which allows her to incorporate dance and twirling into her personal selection of music. This year she will be competing a freestyle that she choreographed herself including selecting the music cut that she will be performing too.
Miss Angelique Waldron
Angelique, a native Washingtonian has studied many styles of dance since the age of 3. She is formally trained in tap, jazz, ballet, and modern. Growing up, she competed at regional & national dance competitions as well as participated in many dance workshops locally & abroad. Angelique was captain of her high school pom pom squad. She was awarded NCA Superstar for two consecutive years and awarded first place Captain at the County Championships.
Angelique moved on to attend Shenandoah University where she majored in Dance. She was a member of the Shenandoah Dance Ensemble, as well as a member of the Shenandoah Sensations Nationally Competitive Collegiate Dance Team.
Angelique has been teaching dance in the Metropolitan area for the past 12 years. Formally the Children’s Director & Artistic Director of Jr. & Teen Dance Company in Montgomery County. She is a former judge of the Washington Wizards Professional Dance Team and is currently one of the Team Coordinators for the Mid Atlantic Pom and Dance Association. She has been judging with MAPDA since 2000. She has also served as head judge for the past three years with American Cheer and Dance Academy.
She earned her Early Childhood Education Certification in 1995. She resides in Olney with her husband and son.
Angelique is beginning her forth year on staff at Concepts in Motivation’s Olney Studio of Dance.
BRIGGS CHANEY | CLOPPER´S MILL | MT. AIRY | OLNEY STUDIO OF DANCE
| DAMASCUS STUDIO OF DANCE
301-774-3535