2008-2009 Registration Form-Click Here!

Kathleen Nanni, of Broadway's Mary Poppins has permanently joined the NSDDA staff. For more info click here!

Courtney Daniels will be performing in the Cherry Hill Education Foundation's, Dancing with the Cherry Hill Stars! For more info click here!

Former Miss New Jersey to teach at the Next Stage. For more info click here!

Check the Calendar Section for more important events!

 

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, MUSICAL THEATRE INSTRUCTION, DRAMA

COURTNEY DANIELS, an alumnus of St. Joseph’s University, received a masters degree from Immaculata University in 2002. Since 2002, Ms. Daniels has served as the director of the Dance and Drama Department at Paul VI High School in Haddonfield and is a certified school psychologist specializing in child development and educational strategies. A former Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleader and Head Coach of the St. Joe's University Dance Team, Courtney began her training at the Bowman School of Dance in Cherry Hill and then later studied at the University of the Arts. She has been performing and instructing for over 14 years, in addition to choreographing and directing over 25 productions for theatre companies and high schools such as Camden Catholic High School, The Ritz Theatre, and The Prince Music Theatre in Philadelphia. Courtney has appeared on ESPN, ABC's Monday Night Football and the 2003 NFC Championship Game at Veteran's Stadium. She was also named ESPN's "Cheerleader of the Week" in 2002 and was an original cast member of the Garden State Dance Festival. Courtney has won many awards for her choreography and direction, and her work has been featured numerous times at the NJ Teen Arts Festival representing Camden County for Excellence in Musical Theatre and Drama. Ms. Daniels is proud to be the founder and artistic director of Project Dance, an annual arts festival that celebrates the developmental and educational benefits of dance education.

 

BALLET

JOAN KILGORE began her dance training at the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet under the direction of Sandra Carlino.  She later studied at the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase and graduated with a BFA, receiving the President’s Award for Achievement in 2005. Joan was a member of the Cedar Lake Ensemble’s second company, and performed with the Ballet Contemporaneos de Burgos.  She has performed many roles in classical and contemporary ballet, and in modern dance. Choreographers include Nicolo Fonte, Luis Fuente, Jeffrey Gribler, Robert Hill, Benoit-Swan Pouffer, Bradley Shelver, Paul Taylor, and Stanton Welch. Joan is currently in her first season with the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco).  There, she has performed works by Talley Beatty, Zane T. Booker, Daniel Ezralow, Christopher Huggins, Milton Myers and Gene Hill Sagan.

Joan has been on the faculty at the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet in Enola, Pennsylvania where she acted as an instructor, rehearsal director, and re-staged several works.  She organized and directed a workshop at Salisbury University in Maryland for Cedar Lake II, and has taught master classes for Philadanco as well. Joan has also choreographed several ballets while pursuing her studies at SUNY Purchase.

Joan's Goal

I wish to instill lessons and vital information to my students in classical ballet and modern dance. My commitment towards instructing is to provide the key essentials for professional training, guidance and education.

 

JAZZ TECHNIQUE

KEITH OCAMPO has been teaching at Jazz Unlimited for the past 9 years.  His powerful hip hop style and choreography have afforded him numerous jobs both as a dancer and director of videos and performances. In 1998, Keith landed the job of “Do the Buckle,” an awareness promotional series featured on the Today Show; He has traveled the United States as a featured dancer in prestigious hair shows and dance competitions.

In the summer of 2002, Keith was a featured dancer in “Dance to the Music” at Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom.  This show was later awarded the Best Live Theme Park Show of 2002.

In the fall of 2005 Keith was given the opportunity to perform with fifty dancers as an ambassador from the United States as part of Onstage America’s Team USA. They traveled to throughout Beijing, China for nine days where they performed for more than fifteen thousand people and toured all the major venues for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Keith’s choreography has drawn both attention and praise at area competitions. Perfect Gentlemen, an all boy hip hop routine was awarded the Top Teacher’s Group award and Top Overall Award in the senior division during a regional competition in 2003.

Along with best friend & partner Vanessa Baker the duo has been honored numerous times with their creative productions such as Sweet Dreams, Keep the Faith, and most recently Chump Change.  This creative pair also lent their talents to the Voorhees Middle School Drama Club productions where they have choreographed Footloose, Carousel, Guys and Dolls, Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, and most recently High School Musical.  Keith also lends his talents to the Voorhees Theatre Company’s Children’s Summer Theatre Camp, as well as productions of West Side Story, Grease, South Pacific, & Cabaret.

Keith is currently and member of FR3SH Dance Company and most recently was a guest choreographer for the Philadelphia 76’ers Dance Team, and The New Jersey Nets Dancers.

Keith's Goal

To offer the most technically detailed class in which dancers will learn the proper ways to technically execute jumps, leaps and turns. In addition, my students will safely become more proficient in flexibility and stamina.

 

CONTEMPORARY JAZZ / MODERN

DIANA ALFERI is a 2005 graduate of Montclair State University with a BFA in Dance. Diana most recently appeared at The Carousel Theatre in Akron, OH playing Fransisca in West Side Story. Favorite credits include Dancing back up to pop singer Jesse McCartney and R&B artist Nick Cannon along with dancing the summer stages at HersheyPark multiple times! Diana has served as assistant choreographer for the Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders and the Mask and Wig Club at the University of Pennsylvania. Diana is currently on staff as a dance educator and choreographer at several studios in the Philadelphia area and is also serving as Production Assistant for the Garden State Dance Festival.

Diana's Goal

In my personal experience as a student of dance I found the most effective teachers to be those who concentrated on anatomical alignment while also stressing the importance of finding performance quality in the classroom.  As a professional dancer I find this approach to teaching to be very successful and have designed my own classroom in the same manner, ensuring that the students will advance to a higher technique level in a very safe manner. In addition to concentrating on anatomical alignment, I also emphasize the overall importance of performance quality. I strive to make connections with every student in the most positive way possible and do my best to cater to each student’s individual way of learning, enabling them to find a sense oprogression and accomplishment in my classroom.

 

CHERYL CARSON received her BFA in Dance Education from the University of the Arts in 1999. Since graduating college, Cheryl has worked with many choreographers and companies such as Rebecca Sloan and The Bald Mermaids, New Action Dance Theatre, Karin Bookbinder, Melissa Rector, Junction Dance Theatre and Winged Woman Dance Company; where she was a company member from 1998 until its closure in 2004. She has performed at such venues as the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ladyfest Philadelphia, the Kumquat Festival, Temple University, and the Garden State Arts Festival. She has presented her own choreography at the GLUE Performance Series, the Kimmel Center, the Miss Philadelphia pageant, the Philadelphia Arts Bank, Christ Church, Koresh Artist Showcases and the Philadelphia Fringe Festival. She has participated in the Philly Fringe numerous years; in 2004, she co-produced her own show, Fables, Morals and #@%! Like That. Cheryl was also a featured choreographer for Philadelphia 5’5 and Under in 2003. She danced with Junction Dance Theatre in the evening length dance/theater production, i.e. Harmony. She has choreographed for Sparks Dance Company at Wharton Business School and Kathy Henkel School of Dance in Sewell, NJ.

In 2003, Cheryl joined former professor, Roni Koresh, to become the company manager for the internationally known Koresh Dance Company, while teaching jazz dance to adults and children at the Koresh School of Dance. Her dance experience and knowledge has been requested for judging at both the Philadelphia Eagles auditions, the Miss New Jersey Pageant and most recently, to lecture for the Business of Dance class at the University of the Arts.

Besides dancing, Cheryl enjoys working in film and television. In 2001, she made her television debut on Forensic Files for Court TV. She maintains a working relationship with her favorite indie film company, Super-Nerve Entertainment. She has starred in numerous feature films Misdirected and Victim’s Song, as well as short films such as Haunted by Reality, Smoke and Mirrors…and Beer and Pizza, and Cold Heart Steel. (www.super-nerve.com)

Cheryl's Goal

My teaching goal is to share with students the knowledge and expertise I have gained through my years of training. Classes for the younger children will consist of basis jazz technique; rhythm, stretching and strengthening, leaps and turns and an overall understanding of musicality and spatial awareness. With more experienced students, technique will be key, but more importantly, they will learn how to emote feelings through dance and learn the tools to be a successful artist through choreography, improvisation, teaching and much more. Dance encompasses a vast array of talents and skills; my goal is to share every aspect of dance with all students. My classes are interactive and fun, but also disciplined and a challenge. I expect a lot from my dancers and in turn, they get a lot back.

VANESSA SMITH is a native to Southern NJ, where she began her early dance training with Mt. Laurel Regional Ballet.  Vanessa furthered her dance education in the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College, where she earned her BFA, and attended the International Dance Festival of Burgos, Spain.  Miss Smith is a founding member and dancer of Jessicadanser/dansfolk, NYC.

 

JAZZ

ANDREA MYCHEALS  found her passion when she began dancing at age 2.  Andrea has been teaching and choreographing for the past 20 years. She has performed both as a dancer and as a vocalist in Las Vegas and Branson, MO. She has worked with Kathy Sledge, Taylor Dayne, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and The Trammps. Andrea has choreographed for the New Jersey Nets Dance Team, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, “Dance is Life”, The Garden State Dance Festival and has won choreography awards for several theatrical productions. Andrea is also a dance educator at several area studios. Andrea encompasses all ranges of Modern, Jazz, funk and hip hop and turns it in to an aggressive style that is an energetic ride.

Andrea's Goal

To continue to cultivate future dancers.

 

MUSICAL THEATRE/DRAMA

Erica Scanlon Harr is a graduate of The New School for Drama (Manhattan), Erica holds an MFA in Acting. During her time in New York, she studied acting, voice and speech, Alexander Technique, combat, dialects, classics and movement under the professional faculty at NSD as well as studying dance at the Broadway Dance Center. She earned her undergraduate degree in musical theatre and vocal performance from West Virginia Wesleyan where she studied modern dance, tap, ballet, pointe, and jazz. Growing up Erica was an active dancer, studying primarily at Anna Marie's Academy in Philadelphia and working as a member of the Elysian Dance Company of Philadelphia. She grew up knowing the importance of having strong fundamental basics and a love of movement. In 2004 Erica represented New Jersey at the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City and on national television, receiving a non-finalist talent award. She continues to perform and study locally and regionally.

 

TAP

TIM YUE graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in mathematics. In addition, Tim has been tap dancing for nineteen years. He studied tap with LaVaughn Robinson. He also has studied Tabla (Indian classical drumming) with K. Prashant and was a dancer for Shining Time Station Live.

Tim is currently a tap instructor at the University of the Arts, Bryn Mawr College, Tap Team Two and the Allens Lane Arts Center. He has also taught at the Pennsylvania Dance Conservatory in Philadelphia. He is a dancer and choreographer for Tap Team Two and has performed the show Hoofing in America, for Young Audiences, an arts and education performance organization, at schools in Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Tim has also choreographed many exciting pieces such as Tim’s Take on Take Five, a tap interpretation of the Dave Brubeck song; The Little Drummer Boy; and My Baby Left Me, based on the Arthur Crudup song. He has created solos such as the William Tell Overture; More To Tell, an original be-bop style piece; and Duke Ellington’s Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.

Tim is the inventor of the electronic tap shoe. Designed and built by himself, his electronic shoes generate a wide range of drum sounds. He recorded the album Electric Anxiety, which combines guitar and tap.
Tim also is the creator and designer of a weekly tap show for which he is written, choreographed and performed many episodes. http://timothytapdancing.googlepages.com.

Joshua S. Neri, a graduate of Saint Joseph's University, received his education degree in 2000 graduating with high honors. He is now in his fourth year as the choreographer at Camden Catholic High School and has been instructing tap at numerous South Jersey studios including the Bowman School of Dance and Triple Threat for several years. He previously toured the U.S. with David King Productions, where he performed in Spirit of the Dance, an Irish dance review, and Broadway, A Star Spangled Celebration. Josh has also performed in numerous musical theatre productions with the Ritz Theatre Company (Bye Bye Birdie, The King and I, Damn Yankees and Gypsy), Triple Threat Productions (West Side Story, Dance Fusion), New Seasons Theatre Co. (Once Upon A Mattress) and NewArt Theatre Co. (Chorus Line). He is also an avid percussionist who occasionally enjoys performing with Not Worth Stealing, a local South Jersey band.