Tricia Famolaro,
jazz, tap, lyrical & modern
Tricia
grew up in Central New York and has been teaching for the past 5
years. Her early training was with the United Academy of the Performing
Arts under the direction of Wende Warne and Sandie Fukes. She later went
on to study at Munson Williams Proctor Arts Institute under Nancy Long,
Kathy Ryan and Lynne Bollana.
Tricia went on to further her dance education and graduated Magna Cum
Laude from the University at Buffalo in 2003. She holds a BA in Dance.
While attending UB she was a featured dancer in the Zodiaque Dance Company
and choreographed/performed for the Young Choreographers Showcase and
Dancers Workshop. Her honors include, Phi Beta Kappa, Who's Who Among
College Students, Golden Key International Honor Society and Phi Eta
Sigma Honor Society. Additionaly Tricia studied beginning, intermediate
and advanced levels of tap, jazz, ballet, modern and musical theatre
along with choreography, dance history, teaching methods, kinesiolgy,
nutrition, creative movement and basic acting. She was a teacher
assistant for ballet and jazz classes and a demonstrator at departmental
auditions for prospective students. Tricia also performed for the American
College Dance Fesitval in Buffalo and Pennsylvania.
Her residencies include ABT II, Limon, Bill T. Jones,
Paul Taylor 2, Giordano Jazz Dance of Chicago and West African Dance
with Biboti Ouikahilo.
Tricia performed with Artpark in Lewiston, NY in productions of
Copacabana, The King & I, Oklahoma and Swing. In 2007 Tricia was
a member of Girodano Jazz Dance of Chicago's second company, and was
able to tour with the main company during their winter season. She performed
works by Christopher Huggins, Randy Duncan, Jon Lehrer, Cesar Salinas
and Eugene Peabody. In the summer of 2007 she danced in the African Dance
Benefit Concert for the Vinnie Coluzza Scholarship Fund here in Utica.
In 2008, Tricia brought two advanced modern pieces to perform in a choreographers
showcase as part of C.O.R.E Dance Project in Auburn, NY. She has also
set works on dancers at Absolute Dance in Auburn, NY under the direction
of Yvonne Villano-Hassett. Tricia has won choreography awards at Starpower,
Sophisticated Productions and the Mohawk Valley United Dance Competition
along with other special awards such as Outstanding Staging, Outstanding
Interpretation, Technical Elements, Amazing Accents, Intensity Awards,
Determination Awards, Fabulous Feet Awards and Precision Awards. She
has had dancers win high score awards and titles at competitions
such as New York City Dance Alliance, Starpower, Starquest, Sophisticated
Productions, All American Talent, Mohawk Vallety United Dance Competition
and Hall of Fame.
Tricia and Juliana have also volunteered their knowledge of dance education
at New Hartford's Perry Jr. High for their Horizons Day over the past
3 years. They will continue to do this for the upcoming school year.
Juliana Renard-Payen,
ballet, pointe, jazz, pre-school
Juliana
Renard-Payen brings with her 13 years of experience as a professional dance
instructor as well as a knowledge of classical ballet and technical expertise.
Ms. Renard-Payen grew up in Central New York and completed studies in ballet
under the Royal Academy of Performing arts syllabus under the direction of Delia
Foley. She also studied with Stephen and Canan Jackson at the John Hayes O'Neill
Studio of Dance, in Rome, NY, Columbia City Ballet director, William Starrett,
and Anthony Salatino of Syracuse University. In addition, Juliana also atttended
the Boston Ballet Summer Program for 7 consecutive years.
Ms.
Renard-Payen has a BFA in Dance from the Boston Conservatory where she graduated
with honors and as a recipient of the Ruth S. Ambrose award for Excellence
as well as being listed in Who’s Who Among College Students in 1994.
At the conservatory Juliana studied extensivley with such master teachers as
Christine Busch, Anamarie Sarazin, and Laura Young. After college Juliana
was a principal dancer for José Mateo’s
Ballet Theatre in Boston. She also performed guest artist at West Coast Ballet
in Santa Barbara, and Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Juliana has also been
a guest teacher at the Portsmouth Ballet School in NH, Merrit School of Dance
in Albany NY, the Cape Cod Conservatory in Orleans MA, and the Cazenovia School
of Ballet.
For two years Ms. Renard-Payen also taught very young children as a faculty member
of the Creative Movement and Arts Center in Needham MA. Juliana is a strong proponent
of developing creative thinking skills and the inclusion of dance education in
the a child's formal learning experiences during their early years. Ms. Renard-Payen
also refined her skills with young children at the Children's Center of Brighton
in Rochester NY where she was a senior teacher for 2 years.
Georges
Biboti comes from the Cote d’Ivoire ( Ivory Coast ) West
Africa where he was in the National Ballet of the Ivory Coast for 17 years
as dancer, drummer & choreographer.
In 1997, Biboti moved to United States where he spent 6 years in NYC teaching & performing.
Later, in 2000-2002, Biboti was part of Jimmy Buffet summer tours, Biboti also
participated at Hollywood movie “Tears of the Sun” starting Bruce
Willis.
In 2003, Biboti moved to Syracuse, NY where he shares his culture with the community,
schools from Kindergarten to colleges and dance studios. Biboti just opened a
multicultural dance studio in Syracuse. For more information about Biboti and
Wacheva, go to www.wacheva.com
Rashaan James II went to Univ. of Buffalo for a BFA in Musical Theatre. Some of Rashaan’s favorite Credits include Aida (Mereb u/s-Nubian), Cats (Plato/McCavity), Dreamgirls with Jennifer Holliday (Tru-Tone/5Tuxedo), 42nd Street (Featured Ensemble), The Wild Party (Jackie), Swing! (Sexy Couple), Smokey Joe’s Café (Adrian), Godspell (“Light of the World”), Oklahoma (Joe/Dance Capt.), Children of Eden (Young Cain) and the 50th Anniversary West Side Story European Tour (Luis/Shark Swing). Recently he has just returned from teaching At London’s Westminster Dance College and Amsterdam’s Dutch School of Ballet.
Felix LaBella is
an accomplished dancer, teacher and choreographer who now calls New York
City home. As a performer, he
has toured nationally and internationally with productions such as 42nd
Street, Cats, and Oklahoma!
Other regional credits include: Thoroughly Modern Millie, West
Side Story, A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, Crazy For You, and
the world premiere of Around the World in 80 Days at the Fulton Opera
House. Felix’s production of Chicago, in which he directed
and choreographed, was voted “Best Production of the Capital Region 2002” by
the nationally accredited Times Union Newspaper. TV/Film: W.B. Mason for the
NY Yankee’s.
He holds a degree in dance from Skidmore College
and has taught master classes at studios like
the Alvin Ailey School in NY, and colleges/universities
around the country. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Nicole Sell grew up in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, where she started dancing at the local studio at the age of three. As a teen, she spent her summers studying dance at the Ballet/Aspen program in Colorado and at the Dupree Studios in Los Angeles. She completed her high school years at the Idyllwild School of Music and Performing Arts in California and graduated Valedictorian of her class. She then studied at The Boston Conservatory, earning a BFA in Dance and graduating Summa Cum Laude and Salutatorian of her class. Ms. Sell has performed regionally and internationally with Prometheus Dance, ACE Entertainment, Impulse, and Boston Dance Company, and has also danced a leading role in an industrial video for Spalding sports equipment and a TV commercial for W.B. Mason, for which she was also the choreographer. She is currently on faculty at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, Boston Youth Moves, Walnut Hill School, and The Boston Conservatory
Yvonne Villano-Hassett
Yvonne
began her dance career at the early age of three at “The School
of the Dance Arts” in Auburn, NY. Yvonne has been able to work with numerous
artists of TV, and stage. Her regional credits in theatre include; 42nd Street,
Anything Goes, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum, Oklahoma, and
Damn Yankees.
Her professional choreography credits include; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Anything Goes, Godspell, Oklahoma, South Pacific, Suessical The Musical, Meet Me In St. Louis, Bye Bye Birdie, Once Upon A Mattress, and Footloose.
Her passion for Dance and Musical Theater brought her to further her training at the University at Buffalo Dance Department. Yvonne, has trained under such professionals as; Thomas Ralabate, Lynne Kurdziel-Formato, William Thomas, Karen Georger, Jeanne Fornarola, Elizabeth Waddell, Eileen Lambert, Shelly Hain, Tressa Gorman-Crehan, and Joyce Miller-Lychtenberger.
In 2001, Yvonne returned to Auburn and opened up the Absolute Dance Studio and founded the Absolute Dance Company. She built the institution to give dancers of Central NY a facility that produces the “well-rounded” dancer. Yvonne believes in nourishing the heart and soul of the aspiring dancer and giving them the resources to develop a solid foundation to pursue a career in the dance arts. Yvonne founded the Absolute Dance Company to give students in Central NY, the opportunity to work in a professional environment, enhance their skills in auditioning and performing, and to give back to their community through the art of dance. In 2004 Yvonne collaborated with Lisa Ientilucci and Jennifer Antropoli to form the C.O.R.E. Dance Project, a professional touring dance company.
To learn more about Yvonne and Absolute Dance visit their website!
Aleksandra Wojda was born in Pretoria, South Africa, but grew up dancing in the Chicagoland
area. She graduated from Northwestern University in June 2006 with dual
degrees in Communication Sciences & Disorders and International Studies.
While attending Northwestern full-time for four years, she trained at the
Giordano Dance Center as both a work-study and scholarship student. She
has performed in Dance Chicago under the direction of Nick Pupillo and
Tracy Marrion. In the summer of 2006, she was seen as a top twenty dancer
on the second season of Fox's hit show, So You Think You Can Dance, and
it was a truly life-changing experience to have made it to the Top 16 dancers
of that season. She returned back to Chicago after the show to continue
her dance career full force. After ending a run at the Lincolnshire Marriott's
production of All Night Strut, she joined Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago's
second company, which she enjoyed for a year. She has been featured in
industrials for Jockey, Panasonic, Barton G., Sebastian/Graham Webb/Wella,
Pepsi, and the Red Hawk Casino. Currently residing in Los Angeles, she
has kept busy working in music videos (Lady GaGa, David Cook, Kaskade,
and Sara Bareilles), television (House), and feature films (Funny People
and School Gyrlz). She feels so blessed to have had such an amazing dance
journey thus far and is thankful for all who have supported her and inspired
her to keep on moving!
