Towson Department of Dance Guest Artist Home Page

Neli Belikaite-Bloch

I started attending ballet classes when I was 5 years old. In 1988 I entered Vilnius Ballet School. When I was 15 I prepared for the role of Cinderella in Prokofyev’s ballet “Cinderella” and later Fairy, and danced repertoire of Opera and Ballet Theatre’s troupe. I have prepared for the role of Driade Sovereign in L. Mikus’ “Don Quichote” staged by the famous master V. Vasilyev. In December of 1994 I took part International Ballet Dancers Competitions in Paris, have in final and became a diploma holder. In the beginning of 1995 I took part in the International Young Ballet Dancers Competition “Prix de Lausanne” which took place in Moscow Bolshoy theatre, I became laureate and was awarded the silver medal. After this competition I was invited to Summer probation in Monte Carlo Princess Grace Kelly Ballet Academy and took part in Academia’s Gala Concert and in the Concert devoted to remembrance of the famous ballet dancer Ana Pavlova with Russian Ballet Stars in Moscow.
In 1996 I completed the Ballet School (the teacher Jolanta Vymeryte – she has been the student of the well known Bolshoy theatre’s teacher M. Semionova, the Student of Moscow Academy of Arts). During my first theatre season I danced the Flower Magnolia in Chachaturian’s ballet “Chippolino”, Myrtha in A. Adam’s “Giselle”, one of Pasdeuz-trois women parts in “The Swan Lake”. I was sent to probation Sankt Peterburg Mariyinskiy theatre. Kirov ballet where I have prepared the main role of Odette – Odile in P.I. chaikovskiy’s spectacle “The Swan Lake” taught by Ninel Kurgapkina who as been the student of the well known A. Vaganova and the soloist of Kirov Ballet. While with the Lithuanian Ballet Troupe’s ballet “Romeo and Jullette” took part in the joint tour together with master V. Rostropovich and J. Franz’s Nation’s Orchestra devoted to 70 anniversary of master V. Rostropovich (Eviane – France. Greece. Egypt). In June of 1997 I took part in the Moscow International Ballet Dancers Competition where I reached the finals, won the diploma, and special prize of “Grichko” firm for performance of modern composition and the special prize of Russian Art Critics.
During my second season in the theatre consulted by N. Kurgapkina I prepared the main role of Giselle in A. Adam’s ballet “Giselle”. I successfully performed this role during the tour in Denmark, Holland, and Estonia’s Opera and Ballet Theatre. By recommendations I was invited to Finland Mikkelli City to “Master Class” of Maya Plisetskaya. I also prepared the role of Svanilda in L. Delibes ballet “Coppelia” and Lilac Fairy in P.I. Chaikovskiy’s “The Sleeping Beauty”. At present I prepare for a role in the Miasin’s ballet “The Greek Zorba”.

Leslie Bradley

A native of Baltimore, Leslie Bradley received her ballet training in the Baltimore area under the tutelage of Edward Stewart – director of the Ballet Theatre of Maryland where she is currently guest principal dancer for the 2000-2001 season. Ms. Bradley has performed many leading roles for Ballet Theatre of Maryland and has made guest appearances with companies in New York, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Skhe has performed works by many acclaimed choreographers such as Jean-Pierre Bonnefous, Jennifer Muller and Stephen Petronio. She has been a member of the Ballet Theatre of Maryland for seventeen years and was promoted to principal dancer in 1997.
“Leslie Bradley’s Sugar Plum Fairy was magnetic – we were all in her spell. Watching her pirouette across the stage made it possible to believe in fairy tales and vision and magic.”
Evelyn Friedman, The Capital

“Ms. Bradley is the kind of performer other dancers emulate. She is beautiful, executes her steps effortlessly, and has the luminosity of face and form that conjure up both admiration and envy.”
Susan Davis Cushing, The Capital

Andrew Carroll

Andrew Carroll, an assistant professor at the University of Akron, is a former soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet Company in Philadelphia, and former lead dancer with the Ohio Ballet Company in Akron. Andrew has toured the United States, South America, Europe, and China. His repertoire includes lead roles in Balanchine’s “Square Dance,” “Serenade,” and “The Four Temperaments,” as well as Prince Siegfried in “Swan Lake,” and the Cavalier in “The Nutcracker.” After a wonderful performing career, Mr. Carroll is delighted to be full time faculty with the University of Akron, and is presently finishing his master’s degree in Arts Administration.

Alison Crosby

Alison Crosby trained at the Maryland Youth Ballet with teachers Tensia Fonseca, Michelle Lees, Roberta Stiehm, Harriet Williams and Eric Hampton. She was also a trainee of the Joffrey Ballet School and a member of the Joffrey Concert Group. Ms. Crosby dances with DC Dance Theatre, Eric Hampton Dance and Bowen McCauley Dance. In April, 1993, Ms. Crosby completed a national tour of The Music Mann with Musicals America. In 1994, she was awarded an individual artist award for solo dance performance by the Maryland State Arts Council, and received a grant from the Montgomery County Arts Council for solo artist in 1998. Alison has taught dance in the metropolitan area for the last ten years.

Suzanne Erlon

Suzanne Erlon, Artistic Director, has a 33-year career as a ballerina, teacher, and choreographer. She studied with internationally reknowned ballet masters including: George Balanchine, E. Virginia Williams, William Christensen, Toni Lander, Anthony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, David Howard, Maggie Black, Jacques D’Ambrose, Patricia Wilde, Melissa Hayden, Helga Thomassen, Bruce Marks, and Violette Verdy. She also trained with well respected organizations such as: Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and National Ballet of Canada.
Miss Erlon began her ten year career with New York City Ballet, under the direction of Mr. Balanchine, when she was 17 years old. She also performed with Boston Ballet, Eliott Feld Ballet, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and was a principal with Ballet West for seven years. In addition, she co-founded the William F. Christensen Foundation and Academy (Utah).
Miss Erlon founded the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre and Academy in 1989. She has been sucessful in taining dancers. Some of whom are currently performing with Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Met (Ohio), Cleveland Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Ft. Worth Ballet, Houston Ballet, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet and return as guest artists in MBT productions.

Rhodie Jorgenson

Ms. Jorgenson received her training at the School of American Ballet and is on the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet. She is the children’s ballet mistress for the Joffrey Ballet’s Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center. As a performer, she danced with the American Ballet Theatre for 7 years, Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Radio City Music Hall Ballet Company, in summer stock musicals and on stage, TV, and movies throughout the U.S., Europe and the Far East. She worked with the great choreographers – Balanchine, Robbins, Tudor, Limon, Feld, Nureyev, Paul Taylor, and Makarova and has coached gold medal winners at the Varna International Competition.

Lynda Plavin Fitzgerald

Lynda Plavin Fitzgerald received her M.A. from Stanford University in Education with a concentration in dance. Her undergraduate degree is from Connecticut College in English and Dance.
Prior to her arrival in Maryland, Ms. Fitzgerald taught dance at Stanford University for the “STARTS” program. She performed professionally in Los Angeles and was full-time dance faculty at West Virginia University. Lynda has performed and taught at several of the regional ACDFA’s and she has taught and judged scholarship auditions at the Maryland State Dance Festival. She has also taught master classes in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Maine, Virginia and New York.

Lynda developed the dance curriculum and created the dance option in Fine Arts at Anne Arundel Community College. She is an instructor of dance and the Director of the Anne Arundel County Community College Dance Company.

Juan Carlos Rincones

Mr. Rincones is the founder and artistic director of Rincones & Company. He is a native of Venezuelan who has been a vital member of the D.C. dance community for over a decade as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and director. Largely Washington trained, Juan Carlos started dancing at Joy of Motion Dance Center and received his training from Roberta Stiehm and Eric Hampton at the Maryland Youth Ballet and from Rex Bickmore at the Ballet Center of Washington. He has collaborated with numerous repected choreographes including Gene Hill Sagan, Twyla Tharp, Gloria Contreras, Eric Hampton, and Miya Hisaka.

Patricia Garvey Soeh

Patricia trained at the School of American Ballet and with Maggie Black, Marjorie Mussman and Gabriela Taub-Darvash, among others. She danced on Broadway with Natalia Makarova and Company and around the world with a number of companies, including Ivan Nagy’s Santiago Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, Universal Ballet, and Dennis Wayne and Dancers. Her last professional performance in Baltimore was in 1989 at the Mechanic Theater, where she played the role of the ballerina in a pre-Broadway tour of “FAME- THE MUSICAL.” She has taught at a number of studios and dance departments, including Darvash Studio, Broadway Dance Center, Barnard College and the University of Michigan. Patricia currently resides in Baltimore County with her husband and their four children.

Mary Williford-Shade

She is a noted free-lance solo artist and for the last four years has been performing with Sandra Lacy with their company "Lacy & Shade: Solo & Duet Works". During the 97-98 season the pair will perform their solo-duet evening in Austin, TX, Miami, FL, Washington D.C. and Baltimore, MD. Mary has worked with Mark Taylor for the last 12 years, both in his New York based company (Mark Taylor & Friends), and with his current Pittsburgh company (Dance Alloy). In addition, she has performed widely with such companies as Mark Dendy & Dancers, Daniel West Dancers, Maryland Dance Theatre, and Toe jam & Fresh Jelly. Her repertory credits include such acclaimed choreographers as Ohad Naharin, Susan Marshall, Bebe Miller, David Rousseve, Doug Elkins, and Mohssa Fenley. Her most recent solo commission is from an emerging New York based choreographer, Michael Foley. Professor Shade's teaching residencies include University of Quebec, Connecticut College, George Washington University, Towson State University and University of Maryland, as well as the Bates Dance Festival and the prestigious American Dance Festival.

Alcine Wiltz

Alcine Wiltz, Chairman, Professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, received his B.A. degree in choreographic design from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, his Master of Fine Arts degree in choreography and dance performance from the University of Wisconsin and certification as a Laban Movement Analyst from the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies. He taught at West Virginia University and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, where he was artist-in-residence, and Director of Dance from 1968-1983, initiating a dance major program. Wiltz was co-founder, co-director of the Mid America Dance Company, a professional modem dance touring company based in St. Louis, Missouri. Since coming to the University of Maryland in 1983 to chair the Department of Dance, Wiltz has continued to work as a free lance choreographer/performer. In 1997, at the Great Lakes Regional Festival of American College Dance, Wiltz was presented by southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the Art of Dance in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Wiltz has directed/choreographed over 70 musical theater productions throughout the United States, created in excess of 60 concert dance works, and worked with video artists creating two internationally acclaimed video works. The National Association of Regional Ballet awarded him for his choreography in 1980 and he has had a number of works selected for presentation in the Choreographers' Showcase sponsored by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Wiltz has served as adjudicator for the American College Dance Festival Association and dance festivals throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Kristi Windom

Kristina Windom trained at the prestigious, Washington School of Ballet, with Mary Day. She later went on to join the company, in which she performed many works by George Balnchine, Choo San Goh, Paul Taylor, Judith Jamison, Kirk Peterson, Fernand Nault and more. Kristy left Washington to work with Dennis Nahat in the Cleveland Ballet. While with Cleveland, she got the opportunity to tour Ireland and Scotland with

Rudolph Nureyev, in Fleming Findt’s production of Nureyev’s last major appearance, “The Overcoat.” After studying with Alonzo King throughout her dance career, Kristy made the move to San Francisco to work with Lines Contemporary Dance. She attributes her “balance of science and art” teaching style to Mr. King. Returning to be closer to her family in the Washington area, Kristy has worked as a dancer in many Washington area local cheorographers, such as Peter Stark, Eric Hampton, and Lucy Bowen-McCauley. She performs regularly with the Washington Opera Ballet. Kristy currently teaches around the DC-Metropolitan area. Training: Washington Ballet School, Professional Experience: Washington Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, Lines Contemporary Ballet, Eric Hampton Dance, Bowen-McCauley Dance,Washington Opera Ballet. Teaching Experience/Master Class/Guest Teacher: San Francisco Dance Center/Lines, Metropolitan Ballet Academy, Fredericksburg School of the Performing Arts, Towson University, Glen Echo.