Chesterfield Dance Center

Bios

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  Carrie Hughes

  Owner/Artistic Director

  Carrie graduated cum laude with a B.F.A. in dance and choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000. During her time at VCU she performed in faculty pieces by Chris Burnside and the late Audrey Jung, and trained with amazing faculty and guest artists such as: Chris Burnside, Barbara Grubel, Arnott Mader, Judy Jacobs, Audrey Jung, Melanie Richards, Nicolas Leicter, Judy Steel, Martha Curtis, Scott Putnam, Taylor 2 Dance Company, BeBe Miller, and many others. She was selected to attend American College Dance Festival in 2000 for her piece “Phantasm”, and again in 2001 for her performance in "Reel Elements". In 2002 she moved to NYC to study with Skip Costa and other NYC based dancers. While there, she realized that her true passion in dance was with her students. She returned the following year to continue teaching and has built a modern department at CDC that cannot be matched, and in 2006, she became the owner of CDC. The founder and artistic director of CDC's acclaimed contemporary company, dELIRIUM (est. 2006), she has received numerous awards for her choreography including Outstanding Contemporary, Outstanding Partnering, Choreographic Distinction Award, Outstanding Concept and her personal favorite; "Most Interesting Use of Music". In 2008, her piece, "The Fly" won 1st place Overall High Score, the "Judge's Choice Award", and a Choreography award. "Apologize", a piece she co-choreographed with Lauren Myers, won 2nd place overall at NYLA Dance competition. Carrie has also done choreography for Cosby High School's dance team, Titania. Most recently, Carrie performed around the Richmond and D.C. area with rva dance collective. In their first season, rva performed at the Jack Guidone Theater (D.C.), Artworks Studios (RVA) and Grace Street Theater (RVA). Their evening length show, 'breakthrough', received rave reviews by the Richmond Times Dispatch and they were the 2010 recipients of the Theresa Pollak Excellence in Arts Award in dance. She resigned from the company in 2011, after 2 seasons, to focus solely on the studio. Carrie is thrilled to be in her 9th year as Chesterfield Dance Center's owner and director, and proud to say that this is her 17th year teaching at CDC. She is overwhelmingly grateful to be able to do what she loves every day.

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  Katherine Martyak

  Faculty

  Having grown up in Florida and North Carolina, Katherine has had the opportunity to train at multiple places throughout the east coast. She began her extensive training with Mrs. P’s Dance and Acrobatic Studios in South Florida where she joined the company at the age of 6. While traveling to conventions, Katherine’s earliest influences were Barry Youngblood, Mallory Graham, and her jazz teacher, Scott Benson. When Katherine was entering the sixth grade her family relocated to Cary, North Carolina and began dancing at North Carolina Dance Institute and Cary Ballet Conservatory. She finally found her home at Cary Dance Productions under the direction of Tondalaya Pearson and became a member of the company. Katherine continued her training throughout high school where she focused on Jazz, Ballet, Contemporary, Musical Theater and Hip-hop. On the competitive circuit, Katherine was a scholarship finalist at West Coast Dance Explosion and won a hip-hop scholarship to Los Angeles from Adrenaline Dance Convention. She was also very involved in high school by being a member (Captain) of the dance team, President of Mixed Chorus, and in school musicals; playing "Bonnie" in Anything Goes and choreographed Guys and Dolls her junior year. After high school, she attended East Carolina University and recently graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance. During her time at ECU, Katherine was in multiple faculty and student productions. Her own choreography was well received by her professors and peers due to her high-energy style that focuses on attention to detail and character. Throughout college, Katherine continued to attend conventions so that she could soak up as much knowledge from a variety of teachers and provide fresh and stimulating techniques to her students. While teaching at a local studio, she also commuted back to Cary to choreograph for her old studio. Due to her success in dance team, Katherine was asked to lead and judge auditions for two high schools in the Raleigh Area and has worked with Manchester and Midlothian High School Dance Teams here in Midlothian. Katherine prides herself on being a teacher who keeps her choreography and teaching styles fresh and challenging, while maintaining a very strong focus on the technique and athleticism of dance. To her being a dance teacher is an extraordinary opportunity to share her passion of this art form and to motivate students the way that her teachers have motivated her. This is Katherine's 5th year with the CDC family.

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  Catherine Faszewski

  Faculty

  Catherine Faszewski began her dance training at the age of three at Royal Dance, and at the age of six, moved to Chesterfield Dance Center, where she continued her dance training, for the next 12 years, in modern, jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical/contemporary, and hip hop. Catherine excelled quickly and soon became the youngest member of CDC’s first competition team, Jazzworld. In 2006, she became one of the original members of CDC’s esteemed competition team, dELIRIUM, winning several awards for performing and choreographing group and solo pieces. Traveling the Virginia and D.C. area with the team, she was privileged to take class from artists such as: Marvin Millora (CDC alum on tour with Justin Bieber), Scott Jovovich, Danny Wallace, Stacey Tookey, Ivan Koumaev, Jaime Goodwyn, Mark Meismer, Barry Lathers and Travis Wall. While a student at Clover Hill High School (2010 alum), Catherine was a member of the Cavalette Dance Team and was the Captain her junior and senior years. While on the team, Catherine was chosen to be a member of the National Dance Alliance Dance Team to perform at the Thanksgiving Day Game in Hawaii and the Eastern Dance Association All-Star Team to perform at the Orange Bowl in Florida. She was also a member of both the All-girls and Mixed Show Choirs at Clover Hill and was chosen Dance Captain her sophomore, junior and senior years. As a member of the show choirs she was selected Best Female Performer each year. Catherine graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a in BFA in Dance and Choreography in May 2014. As part of the freshman showcase, Catherine was one of five students selected from a class of over 40 to be in a special faculty piece. At VCU, she has been able to study under amazing faculty and guest artists such as: Judith Steel, Martha Curtis, Scott Putnam, Melanie Richards, Christian Von Howard, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Stefanie Batten Bland. Catherine is excited to be back at CDC as a 4th year teacher and proud to be part of such an extraordinary faculty.

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  Jamie Skates

  ballet mistress

  Jamie Skates, a native of New York, began her dance training at Coupe Dance Studio under the tutelage of Nenette Charisse. She continued her training at the North Carolina School of the Arts and went on to dance with the Richmond Ballet for four seasons. While in Richmond, she performed in ballets such as Colin Connor's Vestiges, Mauricio Wainrot's Now and Then, Vladimir Angelov's Bouncing Light, Macolm Burn's Cinderella, and Balanchine's Serenade, Valse Fantasie and Who Cares. Jamie continued her career with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland in Annapolis. She performed roles such as Hester in The Scarlet Letter, Carmen in An American Southwest Carmen, Jo in Little Women, and the Snow Queen and Dewdrop in The Nutcracker. Jamie was Ballet Mistress to the professional company for four years and a Faculty Member in the school teaching ballet, acting for dancers, dance histroy, pre pointe, and pointe for five years. She staged and rehearsed works on the company as well as staged and choreographed works for the school and local high schools. In 2008, Jamie retired from dancing and moved back to Richmond where she continues to teach dance and spend time with her three beautiful children. This is her 5th year teaching for CDC.

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  Tony Colden

  Faculty

  Tony E Colden Jr of Portsmouth Virginia began his dance training at the young age of five. Tony began learning genres ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, and African dance at a local studio in Portsmouth Gail Harts Dance Company, and later continued education in the magnet dance program at Chruchland High School. Tony attended Virginia Commonwealth University where he earned his BFA in Dance and Choreography, and worked with numerous artist, Gerri Houlihan, Heidi Weiss, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Tania Issac, Robert Battle and many faculty as well. Upon graduation from VCU Tony received full scholarship for the Deeply Rooted Dance Productions Summer intensive in Chicago IL where he was an apprentice. Tony later worked with the Starr Foster Dance Company and began his teaching Journey at Henrico High School in the Center for the Arts Program. Tony is currently still with Henrico, and River City Dance Theater. Tony continues to educate himself to bring forth new and bright ideas to today’s youth. He strives to teach the unspoken language of the body to deepen the structure of his work. This is Tony's 3rd year at Chesterfield Dance Center.

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• Annielille Gavino-Kollman

  faculty

  Annielille Gavino-Kollman, a native of the Philippines, started ballet training with a local ballet school, focused on the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus. At age 19, Annie moved to New York City to train with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. While in NYC, Annie assisted Milton Myers, a master teacher in the Horton technique, performed with the Rod Rodgers Dance, Nina Buisson, Earl Moseley, Matthew Rushing, Freddie Moore and many other NYC choreographers. Annie also studied classic modern dance techniques such as Duncan under Lori Belilove, Humphrey under Gail Corbin, Graham under Hirabayashi and Kicuchi, Dunham under Joanne Peters and many others. Professionally, Annie danced for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and Dallas Black Dance Theater performing works by Talley Beatty, Daryl Sneed and Alvin Ailey. Annie also had the privilege to work with Alonzo King, Donald Mc Kayle, Kevin Wynn, Kevin Jeff, Gary Abbott, Elisa Monte, Ronald K. Brown, Hope Boykin, Dance Brazil's Jelon Viera, Nejla Yatkin, Nathan Trice, Christopher Huggins, Mary Hinkson, Donald McKayle, Eleo Pomare, Jessica Lang, David Rousseve and many others. In Richmond, Annielille is an artist in resident at the Appomattox Governor's School for the Arts. She also choreographs for the Richmond Pilipino Class where she gets to share her knowledge on Philippine folk dance. She has choreographed works for the Latin Ballet of Virginia and presented a full length on Immigration history in a show called Sketches. Annielille recently formed her company Malayaworks Dance which launched in June 2014. This is Annielille's first year at CDC.

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  Lauren Myers Stiglich

  faculty/office manager

  BIO COMING SOON

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  Brittany Powers

  faculty

  Brittany started dancing at age seven at Swift Creek Academy of the Performing Arts. At age fifteen she began dancing at CDC where she continued her training in ballet, jazz, modern and lyrical/contemporary. One year later she became a member of CDC’s competition team dELIRIUM. While traveling to conventions with the team she was privileged to take class from choreographers such as Travis Wall, Sonya Tayah, Marissa Osato, Ade Obayomi, Lauren Adams and Tessandra Chavez. While a student at Clover Hill High school where she graduated from in 2013, Brittany was a member of the dance team for four years and served as a co-captain her junior and senior year. During her sophomore year on the team she was selected to be a part of All American Cheer and Dance, where she had the honor of performing in the 2011 All American Pro Bowl Halftime and Pregame Show in Honolulu Hawaii. Brittany is currently a second year student at Virginia Commonwealth University seeking to earn a BFA in Dance and Choreography. At VCU she has had the opportunity to study under the amazing faculty of Autumn Proctor, Christian Von Howard, Judith Steele, Melanie Richards and Scott Putman. She has also had the opportunity to perform in faculty choreography by Judith Steele and Scott Putman. Brittany is excited to be a first year teacher at CDC!