Todd Rosenlieb Dance | Hampton Roads' Premiere Dance Academy

Associate Artistic Director, RICARDO MELÉNDEZ is the former Artistic Director for Ballets de San Juan, Puerto Rico. He holds a BA in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University and an MFA in Theatre from Brooklyn College, where he served as adjunct faculty. Melendez has performed with the Alvin Ailey Dance Ensemble, Ballet Hispanico, the Omega Liturgical Dance Company, and Indianapolis Dance Company. He was also principal dancer and rehearsal director for Dance Kaleidoscope in Indiana where he dedicated his efforts in developing arts in education programs. Mr. Melendez served as Resident Choreographer for the American Cabaret Theater, and he has taught, choreographed, and performed in the US and abroad as both an actor and dancer. Some of his acting credits include Puck in the Virginia Arts Festival production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet in Hamlet at Theater 22 in NYC, Rodolfo in A View from the Bridge, Orsino in Twelfth Night, Paul in A Chorus Line. Currently he teaches at The Governor’s School of the Arts, and for Tidewater Community College. Melendez is the co-founder and co-Artistic Director of Workshop Theatre Group, named by Hampton Roads Magazine as the area's most promising new theatre company.

Dancers:

ABIGAIL AXELROD attended The Governor's School for the Arts, Florida State University and is now in her senior year at The London Contemporary Dance School, under the University of Kent. Abby joined TRDance as a senior at GSA and performs with the company whenever she is home from London. Abby is also in training for her Pilates certification at Pilates @TRDance.

ELIZABETH BLACHMAN trained at The Governor’s School for the Arts and Virginia Ballet Theatre. She earned her BA degree in Literature at New York University as a National Merit Scholar and graduated magna cum laude. She danced with New York Dance Theatre and several small companies in New York and then at Nashville Ballet as a trainee. Beth most recently performed with Virginia Ballet Theatre in their production of “Cinderella”, and is pleased with be dancing with TRDance.

MEREDITH FAGES was born in Charleston, SC and traveled throughout the United States as the daughter of a naval admiral. She graduated from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1999 with a Pre-Medical Concentration in English. Miss Fages has performed with Virginia Ballet Theatre, Adams Company Dance, Eidolon Ballet in Concert, and ViewPointe.. She has been featured in the works of such choreographers as Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, Antony Tudor, Mark Morris, Todd Rosenlieb, Donlin Foreman, Helen Heineman, and Ginger Thatcher. Miss Fages studies in New York with Nancy Bielski, David Howard, Oliver Steele, and members of Stephen Petronio Company. She received her formative training at the Joffrey Ballet School and The Governor’s School for the Arts.

JACQUELINE PATCH earned her MFA degree in Dance Performance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and her BA in Theater and Dance from Old Dominion University. She has performed with the Second Avenue Dance Company, Kim Whittam and Company, and Second Wind Dance Company. Other credits include Virginia Ballet Theatre and the Todi Music Fest. She is a graduate and current faculty member of The Governor’s School for the Arts and also teaches at the TRDance Center and the TCC Dance Program.

MELANIE ORTT earned her BA in Dance Performance from Goucher College in Baltimore. She is a graduate of The Governor's School for the Arts and has worked as an instructor and administrator for the Dance Conservatory of Maryland and the Harford Ballet Company in Bel Air, Maryland.

MORGAN WHITE joins Todd Rosenlieb Dance in his first season. A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Morgan studied with Val Salnikov at the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center. He earned his BA degree in Musical Theatre Performance from Christopher Newport University in 2007. Performances at CNU included: Hot Blades Harry in “Urinetown, the Musical” and Tommy Djilas in “The Music Man”. He was also featured as a dancer for Busch Gardens in This is Oktoberfest and Howl-o-Scream. Morgan began working with TRDance as a member of the Workshop Group and an apprentice in 2006.

JOSHUA WHITEHEAD Originally from the Hampton Roads' area, Mr. Whitehead began his training with Andrei Yemelianov and has studied with American Ballet Theatre. He has performed with the Spectrum Puppets and is currently dancing with TRDance and the Virginia Opera.

REIGNER BETHUNE, originally from Chesapeake, Virginia trained locally with Andrei Yemelianov.He has also trained at Belhaven College and was a trainee for three seasons at Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Bethune is currently performing for TRDance and the Virginia Opera.

KRISTA ZOMAR has performed professionally with Nashville Ballet, Virginia Ballet Theatre, and Second Wind Dance Company and has danced for the past six years in the works of Todd Rosenlieb. She has danced the works of Frederick Ashton, Lew Christensen, Paul Vasterling, Kim Whittam, Trey McIntyre and Erick Hawkins. She trained with Deborah Hadley at the Washington Academy of Performing Arts in Seattle, with Mark Morris in New York, and Bill Evans. Krista is on the dance and theatre faculty of The Governor's School for the Arts, and teaches at the TRDance Center. She is also a certified Pilates instructor.

JENNIFER SOMERS, originally from Massachusetts began her formal training with Russell Chambers in Randolph, Mass. She has trained with the Boston Ballet, Boston Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Southwest Ballet School, and the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Company. She has performed with the Lake Erie Ballet, Ballet Concerto in Fort Worth, and Virginia Ballet Theater. Jennifer is a graduate of Mercyhurst College with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Dance Movement/Art Therapy. Jennifer is on faculty at the TRDance Center, and was recently named “Rising Star”, most improved dancer in performance by Portfolio Weekly.

© 2005 Todd Rosenlieb Dance ~ 325 Granby Street ~ Norfolk, VA 23510 ~ 757-626-DANC (3262) info@trdance.org
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