Tennessee’s Best Summer Dance Program

Dance is a means of self-awareness and a fundamental form of communication as well as a performance art. Students of an age and readiness for the Governor’s School for the Arts are exposed to an intensive multifaceted program within a community of interdisciplinary arts professionals and aspirants – a stimulating environment which facilitates learning.

The Governor’s School Dance Experience

In addition to the technical benefits of an intensive dance program, the Governor’s School experience is intended to:

  • 1. Engage the imagination
  • 2. Encourage intellectual curiosity and creative thinking
  • 3. Improve self-discipline
  • 4. Enhance decision making particularly with regard to career choices

Governor’s School students learn that dance is inherent to our heritage and world and that of others around us. Students are encouraged to perceive, evaluate, and understand dance as a conveyor of culture. The program strives to integrate and enrich the balanced development of the whole person.

Selection Process

Applicants will participate in a two-hour dance class — including ballet and modern dance — as their audition. Girls should bring pink tights, pink ballet shoes, and point shoes. The modern section of the class will be in bare feet, so wear tights that can be adjusted for this part of the audition. Hair should be properly secured off the neck, preferably in a bun. No leg warmers, sweatshirts, or baggy plastic pants. Boys should bring white t-shirts, black tights, and appropriate dance shoes. Students must perform at an intermediate or advanced level, and must demonstrate a high level of sustained interest and involvement in dance. Please refer to the application for more specific criteria.


Laurie Merriman
Dance Chair
Dance Faculty

  • Laurie Merriman

    Dance Chair

    Laurie Merriman, Professor Emeritus of Dance and Associate Dean Emeritus of the College of Fine…

  • General Hambrick

    Dance Faculty

    General McArthur Hambrick is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He is a graduate of…

  • Daniel Karasik

    Dance Faculty

    Daniel Karasik has created more than 80 choreographies for stage which have been reviewed as…

  • Donna Carver

    Dance Faculty

    Donna Carver began her first stage appearance at the age of 4 performing in a…

  • Gregory T. Merriman

    Dance Faculty

    Gregory T. Merriman is a 1983 graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of…

  • Shabaz Ujima

    Dance - Faculty

    Shabaz Ujima , formerly Hershel Deondre Horner, first studied dance at Nashville School of the…

Laurie Merriman

Dance Chair

Laurie Merriman, Professor Emeritus of Dance and Associate Dean Emeritus of the College of Fine Arts at Illinois State University, earned her B.F.A. (double major) in Ballet & Modern Dance from Texas Christian University and her M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She began her professional training at The National Academy of Dance in Champaign as a young ballet dancer and eventually became a scholarship student with the Joffrey Ballet School and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. Laurie’s dual respect and love for both ballet and contemporary dance has afforded her the opportunity to perform and learn the works of many great artists in the field such as Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, Bebe Miller, Dwight Rhoden, Stephen Koester, Jose Limon, Doris Humphrey, Vaslav Nijinsky, Michel Fokine, Marius Petipa, Robert North, and Frederick Ashton (among many others).

Laurie has been the recipient of various grants and fellowships for her work in choreography, teaching, and research. Her choreographic work has been performed by the Columbus Dance Theatre, Interlochen Center for the Arts, the Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre, the University of Minnesota at Duluth, and presented at the Southwest Regional Ballet Festival, the Harold Washington Library Theatre in Chicago, Illinois State University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Winona State University, the University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse, several American College Dance Festivals, and beyond.

She has served on the National Board of the American College Dance Festival, Illinois State Board of Education Dance Content Advisory Committee, adjudicator for the Springfield Area Arts Council, panelist for a variety of learning symposiums in the arts and in general education, ballet mistress for Twin Cities Ballet, Executive Director of Illinois Summer School for the Arts, Chair of the Illinois Dance Association, adjudicator for Beloit College, panelist for the Illinois Arts Council Artist-In-Residency program, and initially hired as a ballet guest artist from 2006 – 2010, she has served as the Dance Chair for Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts since 2010.

 

General Hambrick

Dance Faculty

General McArthur Hambrick is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He is a graduate of Texas Christian University, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. He received his M.F.A. from the University of Washington where he danced with the Chamber Dance Company. Professor Hambrick studied at American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre School. He was a soloist with the Fort Worth Ballet, Hartford Ballet, and Dancers Unlimited in Dallas Texas. He was a member of Minnesota Dance Theatre in Minneapolis, under the artistic direction of Lise Houlton, where he was awarded the 1999 McKnight Fellowship for his achievements in the dance community. He was also the recipient of the 2001 Natalie Skelton Achievement Award and the 2001 Wyoming Arts Council’s Performing Arts Fellowship.

His musical theatre credits include both the Broadway and National touring companies of Cats, Miss Saigon, and Phantom of the Opera. General also toured with the 25th Anniversary Tour of A Chorus Line. Some of his regional credits include Swing, Once On This Island, Jesus Christ Superstar, The King and I and many others.

He appeared as guest vocalist along with Della Reese on the PBS special; With Ozzie and Ruby: Off-Broadway he appeared in the revival of Martha Clarke’s critically acclaimed, Garden of Earthly Delights. Professor Hambrick served as director and choreographer of the former Centennial Singers, a musical theatre touring group, from the University of Wyoming. He is the founder and director of the Joyful Noise Choral Ensemble of Fort Worth, Texas. He is currently associate professor of dance at West Virginia University.

Daniel Karasik

Dance Faculty

Daniel Karasik has created more than 80 choreographies for stage which have been reviewed as “grace and beauty personified,” having “intellectual glamor,” and being “a wonderfully effective series of dance essays.” His work, Volumes, was in a performance named one of Pittsburgh’s “Seven Most Transportive Dance Programs of 2016.” He is currently a Teaching Artist at Point Park University where he has taught for the past twelve years.

As a filmmaker, his most recent silent dance short, Le Spectre de la Rose, has been internationally awarded laurels for Best Dance Short, Best Direction, and Best Original Score. Karasik teaches and choreographs throughout the United States, at companies, schools, and festivals such as American College Dance Festival, Chicago High School for the Arts, Dayton Ballet, Governor’s School for the Arts, National High School Dance Festival, ODC/Dance, Skidmore College, Steps on Broadway, University of Kansas City Missouri, and West Virginia University. rformance named one of Pittsburgh’s “Seven Most Transportive Dance Programs of 2016.”

He is currently a Teaching Artist at Point Park University where he has taught for the past eleven years. Karasik teaches and choreographs throughout the United States, at companies, schools, and festivals such as American College Dance Festival, Chicago High School for the Arts, Dayton Ballet, Greer School, Governor’s School for the Arts, Morgantown Ballet Company, National High School Dance Festival, Skidmore College, University of Kansas City Missouri, and West Virginia University.

As a filmmaker, his most recent silent dance short, Le Spectre de la Rose, has been internationally awarded laurels for Best Dance Short, Best Direction, and Best Original Score.

 

Donna Carver

Dance Faculty

Donna Carver began her first stage appearance at the age of 4 performing in a stage production of “Pinocchio” in her hometown of Tampa, Florida. Her formal dance training began at the age of 7 and she proceeded to dance with two civic ballet companies during her student years training under Alpheus Koon of American Ballet Theater and Gerald Pascual of the Chicago Lyric Opera. She went to New York City to train under such ballet luminaries as Vladimir Dokoudovsky at the Ballet Arts School, Maria Nevelska and Vladimir Konstantinov at Carnegie Hall Studios, Anatole Vilzak at the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and David Howard at the David Howard School of Ballet. She also trained in Toronto at the National Ballet School (now School of the National Ballet of Canada) with school Principal Betty Oliphant (who was also a guest teacher at the Bolshoi Ballet) and Margaret Saul.

While performing professionally with the Florida Ballet Company, she trained with Jean Spear and the great Frederic Franklin. She passed examinations of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London, England – Cecchetti Method. In Nashville, Ms. Carver founded Tennessee Dance Theater and was its Artistic Director and resident choreographer before it became the famous modern company. Tennessee Dance Theater presented the first full-length ballet ever presented in the city when it premiered its production of “Giselle” in 1989, and sponsored the first ever showcase of local choreographers during its annual Choreographer’s Showcases. Tennessee Dance Theater paved the way for other professional dance companies in the city including Nashville City Ballet, which is now known as Nashville Ballet. She also served as the Secretary and Teacher Representative to the Board of Directors for Tennessee Association of Dance as well as a judge for several talent and dance competitions in and around the city. She taught ballet technique classes in several local dance studios including Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Fine Arts Center at Cheekwood, Nashville Ballet and The Dance Center a school she owned and operated. She also worked as a Musical Theater Director for Circle Players (the oldest community-based theatre company in Middle Tennessee) for such musicals presented at TPAC as “Brigadoon”, “Camelot” and “Hello, Dolly”.

Perhaps her biggest contribution to the dance community was the creation of The Ballet Book Student Workbooks, a student workbook series that Ms. Carver spent over ten years researching, compiling and writing. The series is designed for a program of written study for the ballet student. These workbooks have been used as textbooks in public, Magnet, and Performing Arts High Schools, private schools, boarding schools, community colleges, universities and ballet schools around the country. Continuing to share her knowledge with dance students at GSFTA since 2013, she is very excited to be joining the faculty again this year.

Gregory T. Merriman

Dance Faculty

Gregory T. Merriman is a 1983 graduate of Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Classical Ballet performance.Of the many he has studied with, Fernando Shaffenburg, Claire Duncan, Clara Cravey, Bill Martin-Viscount and Maria Grandy have been the most influential. Gregory began his early dancing career in 1977 with the Houston Allegro Ballet under the direction of Emma Mae Horn and Glenda Brown.

He was a scholarship student under the direction of Ben Stevenson at the Houston Ballet Academy and later became an apprentice to the Houston Ballet Company.Offered the Brown and Nordan Scholarships at TCU, Gregory joined the Fort Worth Ballet, dancing many of the classics as a frequent partner to Karen Schaffenburg. He was also a principle dancer with the Fort Worth Opera Ballet, under the direction of Marina Svetlova and a regular guest artist with regional companies throughout the Southwest.

 

Shabaz Ujima

Dance - Faculty

Shabaz Ujima , formerly Hershel Deondre Horner, first studied dance at Nashville School of the Arts and Nashville Ballet. He continued his training at New World School of the Arts in Miami, FL. Shabaz had the the delight to dance with Nashville Ballet’s Second Company, Graham II, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. He is the founder of shackled feet DANCE Nashville’s Black dance company.

Mr. Ujima has performed works by choreographers such as Alvin Ailey, Martha Graham, Donald McKayle, Milton Myers, Matt Maddox, Susanna Linke, Jose Limon and Paul Vasterling, Ronen Koresh, Ray Mercer, and Christopher Huggins.

Upon his professional dance retirement in 2014 he has explored the world of choreography and created works on the Franklin School of the Performing Arts, the School of Nashville Ballet and Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble. He choreographed Carly Simon’s Opera “Romulus Hunt” (Nashville Opera) as well the musicals Hairspray (Martin Luther King High School) and The Wiz (Fisk University) and was chosen to be on the Nashville Ballet’s 2017 Emergence Program.

He now teaches Graham based Modern and Contemporary dance full-time at The School of Nashville Ballet and adjunct at Belmont University. He also serves as a teaching artist for Nashville Ballet and the Global Education Center, where he teaches yoga in the juvenile detention center. “I GIVE because I have been given so much.”

 

 

Guest Faculty

  • BRETT SJOBLOM

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Brett Sjoblom started dancing at the age of thirteen at Columbia Performing Arts Centre in…

  • Jade Treadwell

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Jade Treadwell is a dance artist based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She is an Assistant Professor…

  • Kayla Rowser

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Originally from Conyers, Kayla Rowser trained at the Magdalena Maury School of Classical Ballet in…

  • Mollie Sansone

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mollie Sansone began her dance training with many teachers,…

  • Noelia Garcia Carmona

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Noelia Garcia Carmona is a native of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). She is a dance educator,…

  • Rebekah Hampton Barger

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    In 2010 Rebekah Hampton Barger relocated to Nashville after spending time in Oklahoma City, OK as a…

  • Jennifer Ross-Craze

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Jennifer’s yoga path began in 2000 with her mentor Johnny Johns at Murfreesboro’s first yoga…

  • Lindsay McNeal Ison

    Dance - Guest Faculty

    Lindsay McNeal Ison, PT, EdD, OCS is Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Belmont University.…

  • Martin O’Connor

    Fine Art Photographer

    Dance and Fine Art Photographer.  Martin O’Connor is a native Nashvillian whose photography began as…

BRETT SJOBLOM

Dance - Guest Faculty

Brett Sjoblom started dancing at the age of thirteen at Columbia Performing Arts Centre in his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. As a high school student, he danced competitively across the state while maintaining his studies. During his senior year, he moved to Lynchburg, Virginia to study ballet at the Virginia School of the Arts under the direction of Martha Faesi and Adam Sage. 

After graduating high school, Sjoblom attended The Boston Conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was able to perform new works by Bonnie Mathis, Danny Pelzig, Viktor Platnikov, Gianni Di Marco, and Danielle Agami. He also performed in works like The Moors Pavane by Jose Limon, Blank on Blank and Mechanical Organ by Alwin Nikolais, and Three by Ohad Naharin. Sjoblom later graduated with honors from The Boston Conservatory with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts degree.

After college, Sjoblom joined NB2, Nashville Ballet’s official second company, before being promoted into the main company. During his time at Nashville Ballet, Sjoblom has performed in Artistic Director Paul Vasterling’s Sleeping Beauty, Nashville’s Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet and in new works by Darrell Moultrie, Jennifer Archibald, Carlos Pons Guerra, and Matthew Neenan. Other notable performances include Val Caniparoli’s The Lottery, Christopher Wheeldon’s Ghosts, Jiri Kylian’s Pettite Mort, and Christopher Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream and Moonshine. His favorite roles over the years include Romeo in Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet, Sugar Plum Cavalier in Nashville’s Nutcracker, and a Wind God in Salvatore Aiello’s Satto. 

Outside of the studio, Sjoblom enjoys cooking, playing guitar, and teaching dance. 

 

Jade Treadwell

Dance - Guest Faculty

Jade Treadwell is a dance artist based in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Dance in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Middle Tennessee State University. She has performed with Staib Dance and ClancyWorks, as well as freelancing throughout Atlanta, the DC area, and Florida. She received BFA and MFA degrees in dance performance and choreography from Florida State University. While at FSU, she was a member of Dance Repertory Theatre under the direction of Lynda Davis, where she worked with artists such as Dan Wagoner, Tim Glenn, Gerri Houlihan, Susan Marshall, Alex Ketley, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of Urban Bush Women. As a choreographer, she is inspired by historically informed storytelling of African American culture, music, community, and spirituality, and elevating the significance of women in these spaces. Jade is a member of the International Associations of Blacks in Dance and serves on the Research Committee for the National Dance Education Organization. Her research explores the relationship of injury prevention protocols in the dance training and performance setting to promote health and wellness for the undergraduate dancer. Jade’s training background includes the movement vocabularies of modern, ballet, jazz and tap and she employs all into her theory based and movement-based teaching experiences. She looks forward to sharing her teaching with the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts.

Kayla Rowser

Dance - Guest Faculty

Originally from Conyers, Kayla Rowser trained at the Magdalena Maury School of Classical Ballet in Fayetteville, Ga., with Georgia Youth Ballet under the direction of Magdalena Maury, Jonsie Pollock and Magda Aunon. After graduating high school, she joined Charleston Ballet Theatre for a season before joining Nashville Ballet’s second company, NB2 in 2007. In her two years as a trainee, she performed with the main company in several seri es before being promoted to an apprentice. After being promoted to company member in 2010, Rowser performed as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella in Paul Vasterling’s Cinderella and Juliet in Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet. Other notable roles in Vasterling’s works include the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in Nashville’s Nutcracker, Fortuna in Carmina Burana and Layla in Layla and the Majnun. Rowser was also featured in Christopher Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream, as the Russian Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade and danced the title role in Vasterling’s Firebird. In 2018, Rowser performed as the third movement principal in Balanchine’s Western Symphony, in addition to dancing in Jiří Kylián’s Sechs Tanze and Petite Mort and as a principal in Christopher Wheeldon’s Ghosts. Other contemporary works include pieces by Christopher Stuart, Jennifer Archibald, Gina Patterson, Matthew Neenan, and Salvatore Aiello among others. Rowser has been named one of Dance Magazine’s “Top 25 to Watch”’ and has been featured in Pointe Magazine, The Washington Post, Huffington Post and The New York Times. She has performed in the Kansas City Dance Festival, Spoleto Dance Festival, Spring to Dance in St. Louis, and with Nashville Ballet at the Kennedy Center as well as teaching across the U.S including accepting an invitation to teach master classes at Yale University. Rowser was also awarded the Individual Artist Fellowship by the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2015 for her artistic achievements, and she was honored as one of the Nashville Business 100 Leading African Americans in 2018. Since retiring after a 14-year performance career in 2020, she continues to teach and mentor students while currently pursuing a Communications degree from The University of Arkansas.

Photo from the Nashville Ballet

 

 

Mollie Sansone

Dance - Guest Faculty

Growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Mollie Sansone began her dance training with many teachers, including Melissa Hale-Coyle, Claudia Folts, Lisa Leone, Mel Tomlinson, Rebecca Massey, Patricia McBride, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, and Maniya Barredo. During the summers, Mollie attended the following intensives: the Joffrey Midwest Workshop, the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, Atlanta Ballet, and Nashville Ballet.

In 2004, Mollie began her professional career as a member of Nashville Ballet 2, and in 2006, she was promoted to the main company. During her complete seventeen-year tenure, she has performed several works by renowned choreographers, such as Paul Vasterling, Jirí Kylián, George Balanchine, Christopher Bruce, Salvatore Aiello, Val Caniparoli, Sarah Slipper, Jennifer Archibald, Gina Patterson, Stephen Mills, Christopher Stuart, James Sewell, and Brian Enos. Her most notable lead roles include Juliet in Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet, Lizzie in Vasterling’s Lizzie Borden, Lady Macbeth in Vasterling’s Macbeth, The Chosen One in Aiello’s Right of Spring, Aiello’s pas de deux Satto, the Turning Girl in Balanchine’s Who Cares?, and the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Dew Drop Fairy in Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker.

During her off-seasons, Mollie has performed as a guest artist with many other institutions. She returned home to perform lead roles in ballets such as La Bayadere and Thang Dao’s Printemp Perdu. In 2010, she performed in Paix Reveuse with Kansas City’s Quixotic Fusion. She danced in Asheville, North Carolina for several summers with the former MOTION Dance Theater, where she performed original works choreographed by Nick Kepley, Gabrielle Lamb, and James Gregg. 

In 2013, Mollie was the recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship awarded by the Tennessee Arts Commission. She has accumulated numerous years of experience teaching all ages and genres of dance for organizations all throughout Tennessee. She has been a School of Nashville Ballet faculty member since she was nineteen years old. Mollie has also begun choreographing, premiering her first professional work titled Mash the Pigeon for Nashville Ballet 2’s 2019 Future Artists Showcase. She then choreographed Bootleg Sugar Lips for the main company last year. Her latest work was Fortitudine, performed for Nashville Ballet’s 2022 Attitude season.

 

Noelia Garcia Carmona

Dance - Guest Faculty

Noelia Garcia Carmona is a native of Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain). She is a dance educator, dancer and choreographer with more than 30 years of professional experience. She started dancing at a young age and followed her passion and dream of becoming a dance professional and traveling the world. She graduated from the Institut del Teatre I Dansa in Barcelona in 1993 specializing in Spanish dance and Flamenco. Upon graduation, she co-founded the Flamenco and contemporary dance company Increpacion Danza, where she was a performer and choreographer for 10 years, touring all over Europe, China and The Philippines. In 2002, she was selected as a dance performer by Cirque du Soleil, for their show Zummanity.

Noelia moved to the USA in 2003 and has since lived in Memphis,TN. Noelia has worked as a Dance Director with New Ballet Ensemble & School between 2003-20021. She is a graduate of the class of 2017,CAELI (Community Arts Education Leadership Institute) from the National Guild for Community Arts Education.

In her role as dancer and choreographer, she has created and performed numerous dance works with students and professional dancers that have been presented in venues across the city as The Cannon Center, Levitt Shell, Playhouse on the Square , Halloran Center and others. She has also performed in New York City ( Alvin Alley- APAP), and in Washington DC ( Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra). Some of her original choreography includes “Dos,” “Tiempos,” “El Rey de Harlem,” “Fuego” and “Voices.” She creates dance works that are relevant and inclusive of other dance genres outside of Spanish dance and Flamenco.

In 2022, she joined The Collage Dance Collective dance faculty. She teaches ballet and Spanish dance and Flamenco to children and adults. She is also a Dance Artist with Company D where she teaches dancers with Down Syndrome. Other institutions where Noelia teaches dance are Tennessee Governor School for the Arts, Hutchison’s School and GPAC. She is the co-founder and Artistic director of Flamenco Memphis. Their purpose is to bring awareness, create presence and educate about the art of Flamenco in the Memphis area and the Midsouth through dance classes, lectures, culture and performances. Noelia is also a Guest Faculty at University of Memphis where she teaches about Flamenco dance and history in World Dance class.

Rebekah Hampton Barger

Dance - Guest Faculty

In 2010 Rebekah Hampton Barger relocated to Nashville after spending time in Oklahoma City, OK as a company member and choreographer with modern and aerial dance company Perpetual Motion Dance, and a guest performer and faculty instructor with the Oklahoma City Ballet. Upon arriving in Nashville, Rebekah founded FALL, Nashville’s first aerial and contemporary dance company. Drawing on her multi-disciplinary background Rebekah’s work blends classical and contemporary dance with a mix of aerial fabric and invented structures, examining how the use of various apparatus’ can provide a broader range of movement possibilities, create opportunities to explore more dimensions in space, and challenge dancers to experience gravity and their own physicality in new ways.In addition to directing FALL, Rebekah is the ballet program director at Ann Carroll School of Dance, a guest instructor for New Dialect’s Contemporary Cross-Training Series, an a resident artist with abrasiveMedia.

Jennifer Ross-Craze

Dance - Guest Faculty

Jennifer’s yoga path began in 2000 with her mentor Johnny Johns at Murfreesboro’s first yoga studio.  She completed a 13 month 1,000 hours yoga teacher training program at the Southern Institute for Yoga Instructors with Betty Larsen and John Charping.  She is registered with Yoga Alliance at the highest level as an E-RYT® 500 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500 level) and maintains registry through continuing education by attending teacher trainings and workshops.  This is the highest level recognized in the discipline of yoga.  She has over 2,000 hours of yoga training (2001 to present), including a 300-hour Foundations of Yoga Therapy Program and 25 hours of Ayurveda training.

Jennifer has been teaching yoga full-time at MTSU for 15 years, instructing almost 6,000 hours and over 5,000 students.  She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Health and Physical Education, a Specialist in Education Degree and has completed all her coursework towards a Doctorate Degree in Administration and Supervision in Higher Education (currently working on her dissertation). She was acknowledged as a person at MTSU who makes a real difference in students’ lives and contributes to their success for years 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015.   She has consistently impressive student evaluations ranging from 4.6 to 4.9 (out of 5.0) for 15 years.  Jennifer created and implemented the curriculum for Beginning Yoga, Intermediate Yoga, and Advanced Yoga at MTSU.  She also co-created the Somatic Movement Education minor in the Health and Human Performance Department along with the Somatic Movement class.  In addition, she has taught in Murfreesboro’s local community for 16 years at various studios and venues.

Her teaching is a fusion of yoga styles, incorporating the alignment principles from the Iyengar tradition to the fluidity of Vinyasa with sprinklings of a modified Ashtanga method.  Jennifer’s intentions for teaching are to cultivate an atmosphere for exploration and many opportunities for growth; empowering students to become the best version of themselves on and off the yoga mat.  Her goal is to share the gift of yoga and make it accessible to everyone!

Lindsay McNeal Ison

Dance - Guest Faculty

Lindsay McNeal Ison, PT, EdD, OCS is Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy at Belmont University. She received her Bachelor of Science in psychology from the University of Kentucky her Master of Science in physical therapy from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and her Doctor of Education in Health Professions from A.T. Still University.

Her research explores dancer health and wellness, particularly the relationship between health-related education and injury prevention in professional ballet. She has treated patients in private practice in Nashville for over 20 years. She is a Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, APTA Advanced Credentialed Clinical Instructor, and her post-graduate training includes NYU’s Harkness Center for Dance Injuries certificate program, Michigan State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine Manual Medicine Series, and visceral manipulation through The Barral Institute.

She began dancing and singing onstage at age five and remains a performer at heart, serving as physical therapist to Nashville Ballet since 2005 and providing education, injury prevention, and backstage coverage for performing arts organizations throughout middle Tennessee. Lindsay is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association, the International Association of Dance Medicine & Science, and the Performing Arts Medical Association.

 

Martin O’Connor

Fine Art Photographer

Dance and Fine Art Photographer. 

Martin O’Connor is a native Nashvillian whose photography began as a special interest then evolved into a full-time profession. Many of his photos grace the pages of state dance organization’s brochures, and the publicity materials of Nashville Ballet, Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville, Franklin School of Performing Arts, University School of Nashville, Vanderbilt University Dance, Middle Tennessee State University dance and theatre, Governor’s School of the Arts, and Tennessee Dance Theatre. Additional organizations displaying his work include Baptist Hospital, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Tennessee Oncology, and The Renaissance Center. Martin has been a fervent advocate of the art of dance for many years.

In 2008, he received the Dance Advocate Award from the Tennessee Association of Dance. When presenting this award, they noted that “… his stunning images illustrate both his passion for the art form and the beauty of the art. His eye for detail and compassionate spirit make him a popular photographer for dancers to work with.” Beginning in 2012, Martin was invited to work with the Dance Division of the Governor’s School of the Arts. He is delighted to return to MTSU this summer to photograph a new group of talented young artists. Each photo opportunity that presents itself allows him to continue his search to capture the peak of motion and the essence of line and form. www.martinoconnorphoto.com  

Dance – Accompanist

  • Michael Min

    Dance – Ballet Accompanist

    Michael Min is a versatile Korean-American pianist who has excelled in various roles, including soloist,…

  • Todd London

    Dance - Dance Accompanist

    Todd London.  As a faculty member at Belmont University School of Music, Todd London teaches…

Michael Min

Dance – Ballet Accompanist

Michael Min is a versatile Korean-American pianist who has excelled in various roles, including soloist, chamber musician, concert tenor, and concerto soloist. He has graced prestigious venues worldwide, such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Concert Hall in New York, Duncan Hall, Hinton Hall, Antonello Hall, Dinu Lipatti Recital Hall in Romania, Luis A. Calvo Hall, and South Korea’s KEPCO Art Center.

As a concerto pianist, Michael Min has graced stages with orchestras such as the Seoul National Symphony Orchestra, Middle Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble, and the University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with esteemed conductors like Ik-Sung Joo and Mark Russell Smith, among others. Min’s acclaim as a sought-after collaborative musician is reflected in his performances and recordings of contemporary works, including “A RICHER DUST – Speaker & Wind Orchestra – Studio Music” composed by Dr. Nigel Clarke (UK), with lyrics by Malene Sheppard Skaerved. He has also engaged with compositions by Dr. David Maslanka (1943-2017, USA), such as “California,” “Angel of Mercy,” and “Saint Francis.” Min participated in the performance of the contemporary opera “One-log Bridge” composed by Dr. Yan Pang (CN).

Michael Min, an NCTM (Nationally Certified Teacher of Music), is committed to the craft of teaching. He has been honored with an Outstanding Teaching Certificate from the Center for Educational Innovation at the University of Minnesota, a testament to his dedication and proficiency in education.

He previously held a faculty (Staff Pianist) position at Middle Tennessee State University, mentoring students in their musical pursuits. Recently, he was featured as a guest artist at the 39th Festival Internacional de Piano organized by the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Colombia.

Michael Min earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where he also pursued his Master’s degree in Collaborative Piano and Coaching. Min also holds a Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Middle Tennessee State University and received his B.A. in Piano Performance from the Sahm-Yook University in Seoul, Korea.

Todd London

Dance - Dance Accompanist

Todd London.  As a faculty member at Belmont University School of Music, Todd London teaches applied percussion, ethnic percussion, commercial percussion seminars, and directs the Belmont World Percussion Ensemble. Todd holds the Master of Music degree from the University of Georgia with a major in Percussion Performance, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Belmont University with a major in Commercial Music Performance. As a performer, Mr. London maintains a busy schedule and has most recently been performing with the Todd London Trio, Belmont Faculty Jazz Group, Coral Bay Steel Drum Band, Deep Grooves Steel Drum Band, The Time Raiders, Matrix Percussion Trio, Nashville Praise Symphony, and Alabama Symphony.

As a composer, Todd has written music for such shows as Guiding Light and As The World Turns and has received recognition for contributions to the Guiding Light’s Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series on numerous occasions. He has also composed the music for two children’s ballets commissioned by the Nashville Ballet, The Singing Tortoise and The Emperor and The Nightingale.  Mr. London currently resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with his wife and four beautiful daughters.

 

Dance Administrative Staff

  • Christen Heilman

    Co-Costume Designer

  • John Underwood

    Dance Production Coordinator

  • Billy Ditty

    Co-Costume Designer

Christen Heilman

Co-Costume Designer

Christen Heilman, a graduate of the Performing Arts School of Metropolitan Toledo, is a costume designer and performer originally from Northwest Ohio. Her expansive career includes a Bachelor’s in Musical theater and nearly 30 years of performing and 15 years of costume design. You may have seen her work in the 2022 season of GSFTA, at Nashville Ballet, and/or on the stage with Actor’s Bridge Ensemble. Classically trained in ballet at Ballet Hispanico, Christen has gone on to dance with The Metropolitan Repertory Ballet (NYC), North American Ballet, and the Toledo Ballet. Currently, you can find her working with the young artists at Centennial Youth Ballet training the next generation of performers with dignity and joy.

 

John Underwood

Dance Production Coordinator

John Underwood is a husband, father, and proud alum of Middle Tennessee State University. He has had the good fortune and privilege of working as a production manager, designer, and technician alongside a plethora of creative artists, educators, and students on many different creative projects here in Tennessee and beyond. John currently serves as the Director of Production and Technical Operations for MTSU’s Department of Theatre and Dance. He also has had the opportunity to work as an intern for Cirque du Soleil and more recently as a lighting designer on numerous performances for the PBS televised concert series “Front and Center” and “Recorded Live at the Analog”.

John met his exceptional wife, Morgan, on stage in Tucker Theatre as a student and is now a father to two brilliant girls, River and Florence. One of John’s favorite things about working in theatre, dance, and live entertainment is the opportunity to collaborate with exceptional people every day, creating, playing, building, failing, and succeeding all to share meaningful stories through art and performance.

Billy Ditty

Co-Costume Designer

Hailing from the coal country of eastern Kentucky, Billy Ditty studied Costume Design and Theatre at Morehead State University. Since then he has sewn and performed his way across the south and the country. Here in Middle Tennessee he has had the pleasure of working on many different types of projects from film to musical theatre to dance company.

Currently, Billy is the costume designer for the Nashville Children’s Theater and working freelance for various area Regional Theaters as well as Vanderbilt University and Austin Peay University. Billy is also in his 9th year of teaching dance for Bellevue Performing Arts Center.

Dance – Counselors

  • Grace Peeples

    Dance – Counselors

    Grace Peeples, a 2020 Governor’s School Dance Division participant, is currently a Dance Performance BFA…

  • Mahoganye McFarland

    Dance – Counselors

    Mahoganye is a native Nashvillian hailing from Nashville School of the Arts(NSA). This 20 year…

  • Grayson Buchanan

    Dance Counselor

    Grayson is originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. She was a competitive dancer for 13 years and…

Grace Peeples

Dance – Counselors

Grace Peeples, a 2020 Governor’s School Dance Division participant, is currently a Dance Performance BFA student with an emphasis in ballet at Butler University in Indianapolis. Grace began her training in West Tennessee at Pat Brown School of Dancing and has had the privilege of attending several ballet intensives with the Rock School for Dance Education, Mercyhurst University, Ballet Memphis, Ballet Arts of Jackson, and International Ballet Intensive with Momchil Mladenov and Danita Emma.

Throughout high school, Grace performed with Ballet Arts of Jackson, dancing roles such as Snow Queen, Clara, and Arabian Coffee in The Nutcracker, Alice in Alice in Wonderland, Poppy Queen in Dorothy in the Emerald City, and Tiger Lily in Peter Pan. More recently, she has performed with Butler University in works such as The Nutcracker and Midwinter Dances.

When she is not dancing, Grace enjoys going for walks, reading John Steinbeck and Ray Bradbury, and journaling.

 

Mahoganye McFarland

Dance – Counselors

Mahoganye is a native Nashvillian hailing from Nashville School of the Arts(NSA). This 20 year old is on pace for greatness in the art of creative dance and movement. Her resume includes completing Governor’s School for the Arts, Tennessee Association of Dance, High School Dance Festival and the summer program with Nashville Classical Ballet Academy. Her talent extends over 12 years and has received experience from taking class and performing with the dance academy at NSA.

She’s extending her repertoire by joining Music City Cirque and inflight entertainment , and her future goals are to extend her knowledge at the University of Arizona in the dance program and audition for the Miami City Ballet. Mahoganye is intentional with her dance expressions; she has strength in movement and leaves her audience in awe.

Grayson Buchanan

Dance Counselor

Grayson is originally from Knoxville, Tennessee. She was a competitive dancer for 13 years and also participated in community theatre. She is currently a Theatre Major with a Musical Theatre Concentration and a Dance Minor at East Tennessee State University. She was recently seen in ETSU Theatre and Dance production of Bright Star (Spirit, Dance Captain, Assistant Choreographer).

 

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