Faculty

Marcia Howard has been performing with Coyaba Dance Theater since 1997. She began her training in Baltimore, MD with the Francine School of Dance and The Baltimore Dance Theater. She studied West African dance with Sylvia Soumah and traveled to Dakar, Senegal in 2000 to study with Bouly Sonko of Les Ballet du Senegal. Ms. Howard is an Adjunct Faculty member at American University and is on faculty at Dance Place and Coyaba Academy. She is the Assistant Director of Coyaba Dance Theater, an instructor/choreographer with Imagination Stage, and conducts creative movement workshops with the elderly and special needs populations.

Class Description

Marcia's Beginning African Dance class explores the richness of African Dance traditions from Guinea, Mali and Senegal. Students will learn the history and identity of the dances through dance, music and song. Accompanied by live drumming.

Faculty

Carla Perlo is Founder/Director of Dance Place and has had an active career choreographing and teaching for 30 years. She has taught across the US and in London, Paris, Italy, Austria, Israel, Mexico and Brazil. Carla teaches and lectures at Universities, Colleges and Community Centers throughout the region. She has served as the National Coordinator of DanceAfrica America and in 1988 was honored with Tony Taylor Award for outstanding service to the field of Dance. Carla was named Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in 1997.

Class Description

Carla's Beginning, Intermediate and Advanced Modern classes are influenced by a wide range of dance and movement techniques including Cunningham, Horton, African, Social Dance and Yoga. The classes are rhythmically based from her years of studying and playing percussion and emphasize body awareness, physical endurance, spatial awareness, centering, laterality, techniques for learning choreography, quality exploration and moving rhythmically. Guaranteed to make your heart beat fast and your spirit soar.

Faculty

Deborah Riley is the Dance Place Director and has been a member of the Dance Place faculty since 1987. She has taught at the University of California/Santa Barbara, George Mason University, American University, the Peridance Center in New York City and has been a guest artist in numerous universities, colleges and community settings across the U.S. She was a member of Douglas Dunn & Dancers from 1978-87, touring extensively in Europe and the US. She has been director of her own company based at Dance Place since 1987, Deborah Riley Dance Projects.

Class Description

Deborah's Modern classes at Dance Place guide each individual in finding their movement potential, body connectivity and expressiveness. As a dancer and certified movement analyst, her classes explore Body, Effort, Space and Shape based on the Laban/Bartenieff movement modality. With training in various modern dance techniques and yoga, she also emphasizes grounding and dynamic qualities that help dancers to accomplish a wide variety of movement expressions. Accompanied by a pianist on Tuesday and drummers on Saturday.

Faculty

Sylvia Soumah is the founder and Artistic Director of Coyaba Dance Theater. She has studied, performed, and taught throughout the DC Metro area and abroad. She has studied in Conakry, Guinea with Les Ballets Africaines, and Senegal under the director of Bouly Sonko, Artistic Director of the National Ballet of Senegal. She also performs with Erika Thimey Dance Theater and Carla & Company.

Class Description

Sylvia's West African Dance class explores the richness of African Dance traditions from Guinea, Mali and Senegal. Her class emphasizes the relationship between music and dance. Students will learn the history and identity of the dances through dance, music and song. Students will feel empowered and inspired to learn more about how these dances and chants relate to their parent cultures.

Faculty

Trina Williams

Class Description

Trina's Belly Dance class teaches students how to isolate distinct muscles and use them to execute a series of movements and dance phrases. This class is great for beginners as well as intermediate level dancers. Students can expect great music and a fun environment to learn shimmies, undulations and rib lifts. Comfortable work out attire and a hip scarf should be worn for class.

Faculty

Stefanie Belnavis is a Jamaican-born Dance Artist and Choreographer who trained in the islands with the Elizabeth Vickers-Samuda Ballet School (R.A.D Ballet), the Tony Wilson Junior Department and Senior Company (Horton and Graham Modern Technique), and, the Edna Manley School of Dance Junior Department (Jamaican Folk and Cuban-Modern) in her formative years. After seeking to expand her movement vocabulary and training outside of the Caribbean Stefanie completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom in July 2008. During her studies, Stefanie explored Alexander Technique, Release Technique, Contact Improvisation, Post-Modern Dance, and, Laban Notation. She has since trained and performed with Vincent Cacalano, Anna Macdonald, Rachel Duerden, Rosie Kay, Ralph Glenmore, Arsenio Andrade, Barry Moncrieffe, Clive Thompson, the late Professor Rex Nettleford, Diversity Dance Company, Forecast Dance Company, the Vincent Cacalano Dance Company, Reflections Dance Company and The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica.

Class Description

Stefanie's Contemporary Jamaican Folk Dance class is a fusion of these authentic Jamaica Folk dance forms, namely Kumina, Dinki Mini, Bruckins, Tambo and Gerreh, combined with a Contemporary Modern influence, namely Release Technique.

Faculty

Hawa Conte

Class Description

Hawa's West African dance class explores the richness of African dance traditions from Guinea, Mali and Senegal. Students with learn the history and identity of the dances through movement, music and song and students are sure to leave with eagerness to learn more about African dance and culture.

Faculty

Class Description

DC Casineros' Salsa class includes a call and response circle dance, with fun turns,
footwork and sexy Cuban flavor. The class will begin with a warm-up based in Afro-
Cuban styles such as Rumba, Son and Orisha dances and then move into learning both
Miami and Cuban calls in the Rueda. Come alone or with a partner.

Faculty

Nkosinathi "Natty" Mncube was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he studied at Moving into Dance. Since moving to USA, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at Coker College, Columbia College, and Fort Jackson Military Base in South Carolina teaching Modern dance, History and Anthropology. Natty is presently a dancer and rehearsal director Edgeworks Dance Theatre and teaches Modern dance at American Dance Institute. Besides dancing, he is a Licensed Massage Therapist practicing range of modalities focused on dancers and athletes.

Class Description

All participants must be available for tech and dress rehearsals on Friday, December 3 from 2-10pm and for performances on Saturday, December 4 at 8pm and Sunday, December 5 at 4pm.

Natty Mncube presents Trans4mation as part of the Carla & Company December 2010 performance. How do we as people find the versatility to trans4m from one form to the next? This work is based on questions that transpire from capabilities and incapabilities that humans encounter.

Youth Classes

Faculty

Korie Booker

Class Description

Hip Hop: Students experience an introduction to techniques such as Popping, Locking and House Elements, as well as opportunities to work on their own freestyle abilities. The class builds strength, stamina and style through contemporary hip hop movement.

Faculty

Korie Booker

Class Description

Tumbling: Focuses on beginning gymnastic movement and gaining flexibility. Children work on mats and the mini trampoline.

Tumbling I: Forward rolls, Handstands, Tumbling safety

Tumbling II: Cartwheels, Backbends, Walk-overs, Back rolls

Faculty

Kara Wade

Class Description

Ballet/Tap: A beginning ballet and tap class that gives students a technical foundation and teaches the basics of these traditional dance forms. (Attire: leotard, tights, ballet and tap shoes)

Ballet I: Class etiquette, Basic terminology, Locomotor skills
Tap I: Articulation of feet, Shuffles, Flaps, Step ball change, Shuffle hop step

Ballet II: Arm and foot positions, Port au bras, Arabesque, Promenade, Locomotor skills
Tap II: Brush hop step, Step ball change, Waltz clog, Buffalo, Time step

Faculty

Class Description

Dance Combo: Students explore a variety of dance styles - including modern and jazz. The class focuses on building strong basic technique and vocabulary, rhythmic patterns, following directions and class etiquette. (Attire: footless stretch pants or sweat pants and t-shirt)

Faculty

Class Description

Urban Energy: A fun class that gets students moving with a combination of percussive and rhythmic dance styles such as hip hop, tap and step techniques.

Faculty

Valerie Branch graduated in 2008 with her BA in dance from the University of Marlyand, College Park. She is a recipient of the Phillip Merrill Presidential Scholars Award, the Shirley Chisolm Award for academic excellence and a CAPA scholar. She has had many opportunities to work with and perform work by professional dance artists in and out of the MD/DC metropolitan area. Valerie began her career in the professional dance field when she began dancing with Lesole's Dance Project in 2007. Her future plans include continuing to perform, teach, and investing more time in gaining knowledge within the field of arts administration. Her goal is to continue exploring aspects related to choreography, performance, and dance education so that she can be a useful asset to all aspects of the dance world. She is ever grateful to be apart of the Dance Pace family!

Class Description

Hip Hop/Modern Combo: Students will enjoy the contemporary flair of hip hop while learning the fundamentals of modern dance technique. (Attire: footless stretch pants or sweat pants and t-shirt)

Modern: Positions of the feet, Weight shifts, Articulation down the spine, Head tail connection, Locomotor skills, Improvisation skills, and creative movement

Hip Hop: Basic elements of breaking, popping and locking, Putting elements of hip hop and modern in choreography

Faculty

Kara Wade

Class Description

Creative Movement: An introduction for pre-schoolers to the joyful magic of dance. Rhythm and movement games teach students new ways of expressing themselves, basic dance elements and vocabulary, space, time, and body awareness, and dance class etiquette. (Attire: shorts or sweat pants and t-shirt)