| Ballet Syllabus Although ballet has become more International through the years and many instructors come from different ballet backgrounds, the main training structure of our ballet programs follows the syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and the School of American Ballet (ABT) |
| Tap From classic tap to the cutting edge rhythms of todays hoofer's, our tap courses will focus on percussion, improvisation, clarity, terminology, and tap history. |
| Jazz Dance courses will be a study of all the styles from the great classical jazz masters, Cole, Mattox, Luigi, Forella, Fosse, and more! |
| Ballroom classes, will focus on the Latin and American Social. Traditional Fox Trot, Waltz, and Swing, Salsa, Meringue, Samba, Rumba, Cha Cha. Wedding Dance - Choreography for your first dance on your special day. |
| Contemporary Dance and Modern dance classes are based on the classical and contemporary techniques of the individual instructors. See instructors resume below. |
| FENCING !!! Recreational and Competitive. Students who wish to train in the competitive level of fencing will need to become members of the USFA (United States Fencing Association). All pertaining paper work will handed out at registration. Or visit www.usfencing.org |
| NEW YORK STYLE HIP-HOP The latest influences in the hip hop and Latin dance scene come together in Edwin's fun and energetic classes. You will be dancing to your favorite hip-hop, pop, and R & B radio hits. If you want to feel electrified, don't miss this chance to dance with Edwin! |
| Director - Michele Ribble Born and raised by showbiz parents, Michele is an award winning choreographer, Master instructor, producer, dancer, and coach who has spent a lifetime working in classical ballet, tap dance, musical theater, and jazz. She has choreographed for both stage and screen including: assistant choreographer for the film "Beetlejuice", several Off Broadway shows and has choreographed numerous “gag” acts for the Garden Brothers, Right Bros., Bentley Bros and Ringling Bros. Circuses. Other credits include workshops and performances for Jacob's Pillow, HBO, Miramax, Circuit Productions, Hanna-Barbera and MTV. As lead dancer and choreographer for the Tommy Sands Revue she has played every town from NY to WA and has had the privilege of sharing the stage with: Count Basie, James Brown, Charo, Sammy Davis, Jr., Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Jack Jones, Shirley Maclaine, Fabian, Juliet Prowse, Red Skelton, Ben Vereen, Dianne Walker; just to mention a few. She recently performed in the star-studded performance of "From the Horse's Mouth" with Martine Van Hamel, Brenda Bufalino, Tina Croll, Edwin Fion and Jamie Cunningham. Michele has danced as a member of the NYC Company, Ronn Forella and the Second Century Dancers, as guest artist with the Kirov Ballet, is a featured soloist at Tap City, the NYC Tap Festival and is known as dance partner to Charles Goddertz and Harold Cromer. In demand worldwide for her choreography and unique teaching skills Michele is constantly on the move sharing her talents anywhere dancers are eager to learn. Students at CSA (Community School of the Arts) in Marion Indiana were delighted to host her Tap Workshop , where she taught the original Bill Bojangles Robinson Stair Dance. Her choreography has been enjoyed by audiences at the Rainbow Room in NYC, the Marco Polo in Miami, Harrah's Casino in Atlantic City, Reno/Tahoe, as well as London, Scotland , Prague and on such prestigious stages as the Joyce Theater, Symphony Space, and the Duke on 42nd Street Theater on Broadway, NYC. Michele was on the summer staff at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center as an instructor and choreographer for the Extreme Ballet Pre-professional Intensive Summer Ballet Program, the Director of The New York Dance Center, a Master Instructor for Omega Institute’s summer intensives, an adjudicator and adjunct professor of dance at S.U.N.Y. New Paltz College, a Master Instructor for NADAA (National Association of Dancers and Affiliated Arts), writer/director/choreographer and MC for Tap City, the New York City Tap Festival, and a judge for Starbound and Olympic Miss Dance Competitions and a columnist for the International Tap Association Newsletter. Former Director of The New York Dance Center in Manhattan she is currently a faculty member and education advisor to the American Tap Dance Foundation, a guest instructor for Steps on Broadway in NYC, Director of the Rhinebeck Dance Centre in Rhinebeck and Red Hook and Showbiz Dance Studio in Kingston, NY. Member of: the America Federation of Radio & Television Artists & Screen Actors Guild, Kaatsbaan International, Dance Theater Workshop, International Tap Association, American Ballet Theater, Ulster Performing Arts Center, American Tap Dance Foundation, Dutchess and Ulster County Arts Alliances, and the National Association of Dancers and Affiliated Arts. Michele has a 15 year affiliation with the American Academy of Ballet, an 30 year affiliation with the American Tap Dance Foundation, a lifelong affiliation with members of the Royal Academy of Ballet , and is the Founder of the Roya Curie Dance Scholarship Foundation, which has funded over $17,000 to dancers in need since 1998. Michele is locally know as the "Dance Diva of Dutchess County" Teaching Experience - 35 years |
| RDC Teacher BIOS Anne Brosche - (RDC Ballet Mistress and resident ballet company Coordinator for Rhinebeck Ballet Theatre) has trained in Classical Ballet with Nolan Dingman of North Carolina School of the Arts, Melissa Hayden, Jacques D’Amboise and Edward Villella of New York City Ballet, Robert Denvers of Bejart Ballet of Belgium and Eugene Loring. Her passion for dance was recognized by Violet Verde who offered her a scholarship to the School of American Ballet, the official school for New York City Ballet, and she has also studied extensively under the tutelage of Roya Curie, whom she attributes as being instrumental in her success as a dancer. Anne has been in several Off-Broadway productions including The Public Theater, and the James Joyce Memorial Liquid Theatre. She has been a member of the Poughkeepsie Civic Ballet Company, where she performed as lead dancer in Jose Coronado's Mujares, and was a featured soloist with Poughkeepsie Ballet Theatre under the direction of Gilbert Reed. Miss Anne is thrilled to be on faculty at the Rhinebeck Dance Centre and is looking forward to collaborating with such an esteemed professional staff, and in making RDC her new dance home. Miss Anne is looking forward to meeting and working with RDC's talented caliber of students. Miss Anne also has the distinction of having world renowned choreographer, William Forsythe set his first ballet, "Foibles" on her. She studied choreography and dance at Jacksonville University. She has also been in several national commercials and has appeared on ABC in a television show with her father. Miss Erika Campbell - (Youth Combo Classes and Dance Troupe) This will be Erika's 5th year at RDC and we just love her! She has yet to give us her bio. Lauren Frisch - Laurens has been dancing since she was a youth and has a background in jazz and modern. Her dancing and performing experience began with the Thodos Dance Chicago Youth Dance Company and Dance Chicago at the Athenium Theater. As a teen she performance with the Latin School of Chicago Dance Performing Company where she was involved with the creative process for new works in progress and performing in annual Dance Concerts. In college Lauren was a performer with the Colgate Ballet Company and Colgate Dance Team for the biannual performances at DanceFest. She was a member of the Jazz Dance Group at Colgate University where she obtained her undergraduate degree. Training and study credits include: Thodos Dance Chicago with Jeannette Gordon and Bob Fosse style Jazz Dance. Lauren loves to choreograph, and was the leader and choreographer for Shock Jazz Dance Group. She is currently a student at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy and is very excited to be on staff at RDC this year. MonRay Francois - CardioDance has been dancing forever! He has performed in numerous music videos, Broadway and Off Broadway productions and most recently seen performing at the Rhinebeck Performing Arts Center's production of Rent. He wants participants to come to his class with one thing in mind... Conditioning the body. Mon Ray is very excited about joining the RDC dance family and to share his Muscle Confusion with a broader and more diverse group of people. CLASS DESCRIPTION: Muscle Confusion is a full body workout that is designed to replenish your mind, body and spirit. No weights are used. Mon Ray says "Don't think exercise... think DANCE" Participants will enjoy dancing to Latin and African rhythms starting with a diversified warm-up, different styles of choreography, and a challenge section for two groups. Mon Ray assures that with his stress releasing class and Muscle Confusion Techniques, that he can provide you with a better physique in just a few classes. Let's "Pump that core & tale it low" Brenda Hicks - Yoga Is a certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor has been teaching Yoga classes in the Dutchess and Ulster County areas since 1993. She has educated her students in the art of Kripalu Yoga at: Marist College, the Nubin Directions Health Center, the Linden Tree Center, Casperkill Country Club, Sunrise Jo Path in Fishkill, and the YWCA and YMCA in Pok. Brenda keeps on top of the Yoga scene with her on-going and continual education in the field. She has completed the Certified Facilitated Stretching Program which assists in the Teachers Certification Training at the Kripalu Yoga Center, in Lenox, Mass. She is currently the instructor for Yoga lessons at both All Sport Centers in Poughkeepsie and Ulster County, and has been rated Dutchess Counties most favorite Yoga instructor by 3 of the area’s most well established and prestigious dancing schools. She is warm, caring, positive, and takes the time to work with each student on an individual basis. With Brenda’s excellent reputation and immense popularity, the Rhinebeck Dance Centre is thrilled to have her join our staff. We guarantee that you will walk away from your lesson feeling just wonderful .Jeannette Kravic - (Youth, Teen and PreDance classes) brings to RDC her extensive dance training and passion for the dance. She has studied under the direction of Tom Adair and was a member of the Poughkeepsie Ballet Theater and the Dutchess Dance Theater performing several principal roles and as a featured soloist in many a Nutcracker. She has performed at the Bardavon and UPAC Theaters in several ensembles and has been cast in dozens of plays to include: Oliver, Taming of the Shrew, The Apple Tree, The Man Who Came to Dinner and George M. Cohan to mention a few. She began her love for dance at the Pinewood Ballet Academy where she trained in Jazz and Tap from 1981-1989. She continued her dance studies at SUNY Albany, Union College and the Guilderland Dance Center. Jeannette settled down in Red Hook NY to become a Mom of her three lovely children and now that her children are older, she has the time to return to her love of dance. She has taught for the Poughkeepsie Civic Ballet Company and the Pinewood School in children’s ballet and combination classes. Jeannette is excited to meet her new students and looks forward to a great year of dance... learning and sharing the FUNdamentals! Todd Li - (Adult and Teen Beginner Tap) began his tap dance training at the Rhinebeck Dance Centre in the early 50's .... more precisely, HIS early 50's. He has studied and trained for more than 9 years under the direction of Michele Ribble, and in Master classes with instructors including David Rider, Brenda Bufalino, DeWitt Fleming, Susan Hebach, Eli Newsom, Charlene Barro, Jared Grimes, Max Pollak and Jason Samuel Smith. He has choreographed and performed at the Ulster Performing Arts Center. In addition to his interest in tapping, he plays saxophone, and has performed around the Mid-Hudson Valley since 1988, most recently with the Big Blue Big Band, the Contemporary Jazz Composers Ensemble at Bard College, and the saxophone chamber ensemble SaxSations. Todd's teaching philosophy combines the fundamentals and history of tap with his interest in jazz music, so that the students can learn to teach themselves. Todd is honored to have this opportunity to share his love of tapping with others. . Todd also counsels small businesses as a volunteer for SCORE, drawing upon his prior professional experience in geophysics, supercomputers, marketing and intellectual property law. Pietrin Orza - (Children & Youth Classes and assistant to Michele Ribble) Has been dancing since she was 6 years old when she won her first award from the American Academy of Ballet, the "Silver with Distinction" Medal and she currently holds the highest AAB honor of a "Gold with Distinction" Medal for ballet performance. She is proficient in Classical Ballet, Pointe, Classical Jazz, Tap, Contemporary and Lyrical and has continued studies in Hip Hop, Irish Step Dance and Modern. Her tap dance education under such Masters in the field include: Chloe Arnold, Barbara Duffy, Josh Hilberman, Tony Waag, Kendrick Jones, Brenda Bufalino, Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards. Hip Hop with Geo and his Iconic Dance Crew and Edwin Fion. Classical Ballet with Michele Ribble, Mignon Furman, Brian Loftus and Anushka Roes. Performance credits include: The Duke Theatre on 42nd Street Theater and Symphony Space on Broadway NYC, The NY Dance Residency and locally at Ulster Performing Arts Center, the Bardavon and as a featured soloist at the Center for Performing Arts in their production of the Nutcracker. She has won many first place High Gold Champion Trophies and scholarships to several dance competitions and conventions. As a soloist she has won numerous first place awards and scholarships and out of 200 performers, was one the top 10 Best Acts in the New York State Fair Finals. Her scholastic accomplishments include: President’s Education Awards Program, Principal’s Award and National Honor Society. This is Pietrina's fourth year as an RDC Student Teacher in Training and she enjoys working with the children and seeing their progress. Ashley Ott - (Tap, Theater Dance, PreDance & Lyrical) For Ashley, Performing was not only a hobby, but a passion. On top of being an award winning dancer, singer and choreographer, she has also performed in various NYC Workshops and was a cast member of Break The Floor Productions at the American Place Theater. She holds a BFA in Theater Arts from Five Towns College where she studied every aspect of the theater world. It was there that she was also trained in Stage Combat, Suzuki, & Shakespearian Theater. Along with performing in musicals, she was also involved in many Songbooks (Gershwin, Jason Robert Brown, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hammerstein) and Directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Favorite roles include Jo (Little Women), Yenta (Fiddler), Reno Sweeney (Anything Goes), Amy (Company), Hair (Sheila) , Martha (The Secret Garden), and The Witch (Into The Woods). In her senior year she was personally selected by Tony Award Winning composer Charles Strouse (Annie, Bye Bye Birdie) for a performance workshop he developed showcasing his work. Ashley is thrill to be joining the RDC staff and is looking forward to meeting her new RDC students. Abby Puca - (Tap and Contemporary) Abby give us your BIO! Katelyn Shoemaker - (Children's Hip-Hop and assistant to Edwin Fion) began her dancing at RDC with Michele Ribble and is now in her 11th year of training in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz and Hip-Hop. She has performed in several shows at The Duke on 42nd Street Theater and Symphony Space on Broadway and at The Joyce Theater in Manhattan. She has also performed locally at The Center for Performing Arts, Vassar College, Raphael's Dutchess County Search for Talent, Sophisticated Productions, Star Power Dance, and for the International Dance Competition winning High Honors and Ribbons too numerous to mention. This will be her forth year performing as a featured dancer and soloist in the annual production of the Nutcracker of which two years she performed the lead role of Clara. Most recently Katelyn was seen tap dancing in a Tribute to James Cagney with The Northern Duchess Symphony Orchestra and with the New York Dance Residency. She has auditioned and done photo shoots for several Dance Costume Catalogues, studied in New York City at the American Tap Dance Foundation where she performed for Tap City-The NYC Tap Festival and has attended The American Academy of Ballet taking several styles of dance courses and Injury Prevention. She also likes modeling, acting and theater dance. This will be Katelyn's 12th year dancing at RDC and she is looking forward to choreographic collaborations with her RDC teachers for her youth classes and for her Senior Solo in June. She is delighted to be teaching her first year here at RDC. Jordan Stroly - (Children's Classes - Ballet, Jazz and Lyrical) began dancing at the age of three at the Stissing Loft School of Dance in Pine Plains, NY, studying Tap and Ballet under the direction of CarolAnn Frenzel. In 1997, Jordan relocated to the Rhinebeck Dance Centre where her love for dance truly came alive under the direction of Michele Ribble. From 1997 through 2004, Jordan trained in various disciplines, including Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical, Pointe, Contemporary, Tumbling, Tap, and Hip-Hop. Throughout her years at RDC, she was given many opportunities to perform. These include the American Stardom competition, the Roya Curie Gala, the Dutchess County Fair, and the Performance Awards presented by the American Academy of Ballet, where she earned Gold for her performances of Levels Four and Five. In 2001, she attended the American Academy of Ballet Summer School of Excellence at Vassar College, directed by Mignon Furman, where she was hand-chosen by the director to dance in the final performance. Jordan later attended Dream Studio in Rhinebeck, NY, training in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Pointe, Hip-Hop, and Yoga under the direction of Lara Ganz. In high school, Jordan pursued her love of musical theatre at TriArts Sharon Playhouse in Connecticut and with the Stissing Theatre Guild. With the Guild, she earned the honorable title of Dance Captain, and throughout her experience was a featured dancer and also earned roles such as "Graziella" in West Side Story and "Bet" and the "Rose Seller" in Oliver!. Jordan is thrilled to be back at the Rhinebeck Dance Centre and knows that her passion for dance will continue to grow! Jenna Stroly - TXTK Guest Artists Edwin Fion (Hip-Hop and Contemporary) Professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer is currently working as an exclusive talent for one of the Top NYC Talent Agencies, the Clear Talent Group. Artistic Director and Teaching artist for NY Dance Residency where he teaches Hip-Hop and Latin-American dance in Arts- In-Education programs throughout New York State. Originally from Guatemala Edwin holds a degree in Advertising. His professional theater career spans from having the leading roles in plays such as: West Side Story, Grease, Godspell, Jesus Christ Super Star, and other shows to include: the Tina Croll and Jamie Cunningham’s show “From the Horses Mouth” where he also shared the stage with Martine Van Hammel, Michele Ribble, Brenda Bufalino, and famed Hip-Hop duo Kwik and Rokafella. His awards as dancer and choreographer include: the prestigious Silver Medal Award at the World Championship of Performing Arts for dance E.E.U.U., and Coach of the Year Award for La Copa de las Americas, Mexico. His performing and dance training background in Theater and Dance Arts are: Jazz &Tap dance, Hip-Hop, Clogging, Modern, Ballet, World Dance, Latin, Swing, Musical Theater, and his own style of “BPT” (Body Percussion & Tap). His most recent credits Include: appearance on the popular ABC network Soap Opera “One Life to Live”, guest choreographer for an Off-Broadway Production of Arabia Nights directed by Amira More, performing with CWDT at the Alvin Ailey Theater in the production “Tapas”, choreographer for the T.V sport "Mini baby bell cheese, appearance in the new Verizon campaign and Performing in the International Dance festival Jacob's Pillow. Eric Soyka - (Fencing and All Boys Ballet and Partnering) Eric is the director and owner of the Phoenix Center in Poughkeepsie NY, and has been involved with the sport of fencing since the age of ten. In addition to managing The Phoenix Center, he currently works as an Assistant Coach for the Vassar College Men's and Women's Fencing teams. His students compete at the divisional, sectional, and national levels. Eric has also competed at the divisional, sectional, and national levels and has two students currently on the National Points List. He has completed Level 1 Foil at Coaches College and is SST certified for both children and adults. He is a nationally rated referee earning his level 6 referee in Foil and Epee, and a level 9 in Saber, and is working towards certification as a Moniteur d'Escrime. Eric also has an extensive classical ballet background. Eric is excited to meet and share her skills with her new RDC students. |
| RDC Faculty 2013 |
| Miss Jordan Miss Katelyn Eric Miss Anne Miss Erika Ms Pietrina |
| Musical Theater Class will be based on Theatrical Songs, choreographies and production numbers from many wonderful Broadway Shows such as, Oliver, Annie, Peter Pan, My Fair Lady, Gypsy and on and on... |
| Michele Ribble Artistic/Executive Director Choreographer Master Teacher & Coach |
Edwin Miss Abby Miss Ashley Ms Jeannette Mr Todd Miss Jenna
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| Private Instruction available in all disciplines provided at our school as well as Professional Choreography for: Pagents, competitions, body builders, clowns, color guard, cheer leaders, choral groups, bands, vocal groups, magic acts and for all ages, all levels. |
| Award winning Beauty Pageant Coaching and Choreography |
| MonRay |
