ITDI - Guest Facility Bios

IDTI TEACHING FACULTY BIOS   JACKIE BALIGIAN began her dance training at the age of 13 in Warwick, R.I. at the Carolyn Dutra Dance Studio. After graduating from California State University, L.A with a degree in Theatre Arts & Dance, she moved to NYC where she became a scholarship student at the Broadway Dance Center. While studying at BDC Jacqueline was hired to co-direct the children's dance program. Since then, Jacqueline has taught around the world including England, Austria, and the Czech Republic. Her students have appeared in commercials, at Disney World , on Broadway, numerous television shows , and as Radio City Music Hall Rockettes. Currently Jacqueline travels all across the country as a master class teacher, choreographer, and competition judge. Her choreography has won numerous awards and cash prizes. In the October issue of Dance Spirit magazine , Jacqueline was voted one of the most popular judges/instructors of 2006.   Most notably Jacqueline has recently completed work assisting Sheila Barker on "Invitations to a Dancer", a show starring Savion Glover to be performed at the Joyce Theater in NYC  ----------------------- LINA EARLY-MACMENAMIN is co-direcot of Opus 1 Contemporary Dance has been teaching, performing and creating works for the company as well as many other ballet and modern companies in the tri-state area for the past 25 years. In addition to being direcotr of the ballet and modern programs at Touch of Class Dance Studios, LIna has been on staff at Temple University, Brym Mawr College, Rowan Univerisity to name a few. Lina has been a receipient of the Pa Fellowship for the Arts, the ADF Festival at Duke University (choreography scholarship) and The Pew Foundation for Choreographers.  ----------------------- MARK SANTORO  is one of the most sought after dance educators in the industry today. Celebrating over 25 years of teaching and judging for every major dance organizations in the United States as well as Canada, Mexico and Italy. Mark has served on the faculty of the DMA Teacher*s Training School and is currently on the faculty of the Teachers Training Program for DEA under the direction of his mentor Charles Kelley. For the past three years Mark has been the Jazz Instructor for the ABT Young Dancer Summer Workshop under the direction of Franco De Vita. Mark is the author of Tap Drills an educational book with over two hundred and fifty tap technique exercises to sharpen tap skills and has arranged and complied 3 Tap Dance CD*s Tap & Groove, Tap Jamz, and Tap Actions under the Riz-Biz label. His impressive Broadway shows credits include Gypsy (the first revival), Sophisticated Ladies (Las Vegas Co.), The Tap Dance Kid (national tour), Carrie,Cats, Al in A Chorus Line, Damn Yankees (*94* revival), Busker Alley (pre-b*way) and Show Boat. He has worked with such notable choreographers as Danny Daniels, Debble Allen, Tommy Tune, Rob and Kathleen Marshall, Baayork Lee and Susan Stroman. As a choreographer his Regional theater credits include Directing and Choreographing such show as Dames At Sea starring Kristen Chenoweth, Footloose, Mame, Annie Get Your Gun, Forty Second Street and South Pacific.   Mark is currently on the faculty of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and also teaches professional Tap and Jazz classes at Manhattan Movement Arts Center in New York City.  ----------------------- MELISSA VELLA  is one of the hottest young dancers in the United States.  You may recognize her as one of the top four finalists in the first season of "So You Think You Can Dance?"  Following her success after the show, she has become one of the most sought after Choreographers and master class teachers around the country.  Most recently, she performed on "Ellen", the "Blg in "05" awards on VH1, and was on the T.V. Guide Channel and Good Day LA.  A native of Springfield, PA, she grew up training at McHenry Dance Center of Havertown, PA, under the direction of Dolores McHenry and Jamie Lee Dain, as well as studying at Point Park University for a year.

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