2025 Faculty

  • Liberian dance educator, West African and performing artist, choreographer, and scholar. She received her Ed.D from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from The College at Brockport and a B.F.A. in Dance Education from Brenau University. Currently, she serves as the Chair and Associate Professor and Chair of Dance at Brenau University and chairwoman on the Georgia Council of the Arts under the Governor’s Department of Economic Development. As a Liberian-American, Madia shares her culture and knowledge of West African and social dances to all ages at various venues. She is a performer of the Ghanaian dance company Mawre African Dance and Drum, which travels throughout the Southeast performing and conducting residencies. Madia’s other company credits include the Bill Evans Dance Company and Sankofa African Dance Ensemble.

    In addition, she has collaborated with various musicians, visual artists, and singers to produce multi-artistic works and performance art in the U.S. Her choreographic works and teaching credits include a variety of dance disciplines in genres of the African Diaspora, modern, afro-modern, West African, Afro-funk, and jazz. Additional teaching and choreographic credits include the American College Dance Association, University of Alabama, Darton College, Middle Tennessee State University, Amherst College, Dean College, The University of the South, The Atlanta Ballet Centre of Dance Education, The Dancers’ Studio, Vanderbilt Summer Dance Intensive, New York Summer School of the Arts, and the Gainesville Ballet Summer Intensive Residency as well as others. In addition to teaching, she has had the opportunity to work and perform works of Kofi Mawuko, Robert Battle, Carolyn Adams, Donald McKayle, Cleo Parker Robinson, Dianne McIntyre, Chet Walker, Darwin Prioleau, Habib Iddrisu, Bill Evans, Larry Keigwin, Telly Fowler, and Sherry Zunker.

  • is the director of the WVU Dance Program, the WVU Summer Dance Academy and a founding member and president of the WV Dance Education Organization. He received his BFA from The Juilliard School, his MFA from University of Washington, Seattle, and his PhD in Educational Administration from the University at Albany, NY. He has been a member of the Jose Limon, Paul Taylor and Pilobolus dance companies to name a few. Dr. Kaddar has choreographed over 70 works for dance and theatre, is a Fulbright Scholar, and teaches nationally and abroad. He has been a member of the American College Dance Association Board of Directors, served on the US Fulbright Selection Committee for the Arts and is currently the president of the National Dance Education Organization.  http://theatre.wvu.edu/faculty-staff/yoav-kaddar

  • graduated from Point Park University, Conservatory of Performing Arts, with two dance degrees in 2008. While at Point Park she performed at the Pittsburgh Playhouse in faculty performances including works with Ron Tassone, Pearlann Porter, and Kiki Lucas.  She was also in Doug Bentz’s contemporary debut performance of “The Snow Queen”.  With a duel concentration in jazz dance and dance pedagogy (the art of teaching dance), Rosalynn, affectionately referred to as Roz by her students and peers, quickly landed teaching jobs at various prestigious dance establishments in the Pittsburgh area. Roz has previously taught at CLO Academy teaching hip hop, Point Park University in their community dance program, Arthur Murray teaching ballroom dance, Dance Alloy teaching jazz and hip hop, NUP Pittsburgh Charter School teaching hip hop dance and hip hop dance history and numerous other local dance studios and cheer gyms. While in college she was Vice President to the student hip hop dance group “Impulse”, first Hispanic President to the United Student Government at Point Park and maintained an apprenticeship through the COPA department all four years of her education.  She fulfilled her apprenticeship working as a hip hop teacher for an after school dance program at McKees Rocks Middle School.  Roz was the choreographer and lead back up dancer for pop artist Tino Coury and solo artist Ambition, former member of R&B group Pretty Ricky.

  • grew up in Milwaukee, WI where she began dancing at the Milwaukee Ballet School. She holds a high school diploma from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, a B.F.A. from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, and an M.F.A. from the University of Washington.  Ms. Powers has danced with the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, The Radio City Christmas Spectacular as a Rockette, Li-Chiao Ping Dance, The Catey Ott Dance Collective, and Skybetter and Associates. She has performed works by Bill T. Jones, Crystal Pite, Alwin Nikolais, Susan Marshall, Laura Dean, Kate Ware, Lucinda Childs and Zvi Gotheiner. She is currently on faculty at the University of Georgia where she teaches ballet, contemporary modern, jazz, dance appreciation, and practicing wellness. As co-founder and co-director of the Art of Wellness living learning community at UGA, she works to bring wellness instruction and activities to students across campus. Her work in wellness has been presented at IADMS, the National Dance Education Organization, and the Healthy Dancer Canada Conference. Barbara is a certified vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga, Pilates mat, and meditation instructor, and has taught celebrities, individuals, and groups throughout New York, Wisconsin, Washington, and Utah, as well as workshops abroad.

  • is a newly appointed Assistant Professor of Dance at Brenau University with an MFA from the University of Alabama. During his performance career, he was a member of the Proia Dance Project (Atlanta, GA) before joining the Roxey Ballet (Lambertville, NJ), dancing in numerous classical and contemporary roles. Following his MFA, he held a full-time faculty appointment at Alabama and completed the American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) National Training Curriculum through Level 5.

    His choreographic work has been featured at Broadway Dance Center, the Young Choreographer’s Festival, Benjamin Briones’ The Round Table, and the Alabama Dance Festival. George has created numerous dance films with select screenings at MFA Makers in Motion and the American College Dance Association’s (ACDA) Screendance Festival, where his film “Fragile” was chosen for the final night gala. His feature-length Screendance “SeaQueens” premiered in 2023 at the Historic BAMA Theatre with a live orchestra and original score by Dr. Warren Ertle. 

    His research has earned him several awards, sponsorships, and grants, including an Outstanding Non-Traditional Thesis from the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, a Levitetz Innovation Seed Grant, and an Outstanding Research Paper from the Southeastern University Graduate Research Symposium. In addition to concert dance work, he has choreographed several musicals, including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Red Mountain Theatre (Assistant Choreographer/Director) and TheRocky Horror Show on the Marian Gallaway mainstage at the University of Alabama. He believes in true collaboration and the importance of the dance community existing beyond theatre walls as we fight for our art form in the vast media landscape.

  • is a professional dancer, teacher, choreographer, and consultant who relocated to Houston, TX after receiving his B.A. in Dance from Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts. Terrill is the founder of HTX Connect, a platform designed to connect the local dance community by providing resources and various events. He was a seven-year company member with the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company (Met Dance) and has served as a faculty member for both the professional company and pre-professional company. He has worked with companies such as Attack Theatre, Pittsburgh Opera, West Virginia Public Theatre, Playhouse Dance Company as well as performed in several industrial performances. Since joining the Houston MET he has performed works from choreographers such as: Caleb Mitchell, Jason Parsons, Spencer Gavin Hering, Jess Hendricks, Joe Celej, jhon r stronks, Kiesha Lalama, Peter Chu, Salim Gauwloos, Jason McDole, Kiki Lucas, Kate Skarpetowska, Lauren Edson and Larry Keigwin. He has performed at venues such as The Dance Gallery Festival, Bayou City Arts Festival, Artopia, Texas Contemporary Dance Festival and the APAP Conference. He has also had the pleasure of performing in the Boston Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Dance Festival in Massachusetts. Additionally, Terrill was chosen as one of Houston’s 100 creatives in 2014.

    As a teacher and choreographer, Terrill has set works on Houston Contemporary, Houston Contemporary 2, MET dance, Wanderlust Dance Project, St. Johns School, Contemporary Ballet Dallas and has also traveled the coasts for competitive studios, dance teams and youth companies. He served as a choreographer for the educational outreach program for MET dance and has worked training other pre-professional dancers in Houston. Additionally, has had the opportunity to choreograph for the world-famous Kilgore Rangerette Dance Team and has served as a consultant for the Texas Tech Pom Squad, Sam Houston State University Dance Team, the West Virginia University Dance Team and TJC Apache Belles.

    Terrill has a decade of experience as a company director and educator for pre-professional organizations. His students have attended prestigious college programs such as Point Park University, PACE University, Julliard, University of Arizona, Sam Houston State University, George Mason University, Texas Christian University, Julliard, and AMDA, and more! Terrill travels the U.S. as a faculty member with Dupree Dance Convention and is represented by GO 2 TALENT AGENCY.

  • Neal Carter, born and raised in Maryland, has been dancing since the age of 12. Throughout his career, he has entertained audiences in various arenas. In 2008, he joined the Baltimore urban youth team, Solid Rock Ministries, where he not only performed but also had the privilege of mentoring at-risk youth throughout the city as part of the staff team.

    In 2009, Neal furthered his teaching career as a hip-hop choreographer. He has performed and taught hip-hop across the United States, including in major cities like New York. Neal has made guest appearances as both a dance judge for local dance events and a choreographer at numerous dance studios, schools, camps, and more. As a multiple award-winning choreographer, he achieved great success but felt there was still much more to accomplish.

    In 2014, Neal and his two brothers realized their dreams as business partners by launching 3Kingz LLC, a ministry where they travel the country performing and speaking in front of thousands of young people. In September 2018, Neal was hired by the nonprofit organization City of Refuge Baltimore as their Youth Empowerment Director, taking on the significant challenge of guiding youth by offering programs and opportunities to help them become fearless, self-sufficient adults in society.

    Although Neal has taken a step back from the dance world, he still enjoys educating dancers whenever the opportunity arises. When he is not wearing one of his work hats, Neal loves spending time with his friends, family, and, most importantly, his beautiful daughter, Ny’Asia Carter.

  • has been using African percussion for education and entertainment for over 15 years.   As an AmeriCorps member he started his drum training playing 18 hours a week at Inner Harbor  a mental health facility in Georgia.  He was able to study Mande music with master drummers Mahiri Keita and Mamady Keita of Tam Tam Mandinque drum school. For three years he was the accompanist drummer at Factory Street studio in Athens, Ohio for the African dance classes he started. He is an Artsbridge catalog artist in Parkersburg, WV serving local schools. Lawrence is now the founder of Ugata: drum and dance where he offers classes and workshops in southern Ohio and the Mid Ohio Valley.

  • Originally from Ohio, Emma began her training at The Schrader Youth Ballet.  She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in ballet from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.  She has danced with the Louisville Ballet and Eugene Ballet prior to joining Nevada Ballet Theatre in 2014, where she danced as a leading artist for 11 seasons.  Some of Emma’s most notable repertoire includes Septime Webre’s Wizard of Oz (Dorothy) and Alice (In Wonderland) (Alice), Trey McIntyre’s Peter Pan (Wendy), Ben Stevenson’s Dracula (Flora) and Cinderella (Cinderella), Nicolo Fonte’s Carmina Burana and Bolero, James Canfield’s The Nutcracker (Clara), The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Florine), Adam Hougland’s Rite of Spring, Paul Taylor’s Company B, Christopher Wheeldon’s Carousel (A Dance), Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, and Lew Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast (Beauty).  Emma has also performed principal and soloist roles in numerous Balanchine ballets with her favorites being Who Cares?, Serenade, and Raymonda Variations.  She has originated roles in world premieres by Matthew Neenan, Nicolo Fonte, Sidra Bell, and Lauren Lovette.  For 6 years Emma performed in A Choreographers’ Showcase, NBT’s annual joint production with Cirque du Soleil performing at the Mystère Theatre.  Being an advocate for community collaborations, Emma was a founding member of the Las Vegas-based Ballet120 and has appeared in events with the Eugene-based performance group #instaballet.  For 4 seasons, Emma was a member of the summer company Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance directed by Heather Maloy.  As a teacher, Emma has taught for Young People’s Summer Stock, Chattanooga Ballet, Las Vegas studios such as Dance Connection and Summerlin Dance Academy, and the Yvonne Chouteau School of Oklahoma City Ballet.  Currently Emma serves as Program Director and Company Artist with Central Oklahoma Ballet Theatre.

  • With decades of experience in Appalachian clogging, I bring both performance expertise and teaching passion to my workshops. My journey began at age twelve when I discovered the rhythmic joy of this traditional dance form. By fourteen, I was touring with the renowned Ohio Valley Clogghoppers exhibition team, performing across North America from Canada to Hawaii, including prestigious venues like Silver Dollar City in Branson, MO and Jamboree USA in Wheeling, WV, along with numerous regional fairs and festivals.

    After seven formative years with the Clogghoppers, I took on the role of director for the Carolina Cloggers in Greenville, SC, where I led the team for four years, refining my leadership and choreography skills. Currently, I serve as a clogging instructor at Oglebay Institute's School of Dance in Wheeling, WV, where I continue to share this vibrant Appalachian tradition with dancers of all ages and skill levels.

    My teaching approach combines technical precision with the cultural heritage of clogging, ensuring students not only master the steps but connect with the rich history of this uniquely American dance form.

  • has been playing and studying music for over 25 years. As a percussion major in college, he would provide accompaniment for dance classes as part of the Governor’s School for the Arts, which turned into many years of collaboration with West Virginia-based dance companies. Nathan continues to perform with local and regional bands and ensembles.

  • is an Assistant Professor of Dance and Head of Dance at Western Illinois University. He holds an MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine.

    For 15 years, Laney served as the Producing Artistic Director of the West Virginia Dance Company, where he performed works by renowned choreographers including Doug Varone, Daniel Nagrin, Gerri Houlihan, danah bella, and Toneta Akers-Toler, in addition to creating original choreography. His performance credits include engagements with the West Virginia Dance Company, Houlihan & Dancers (Miami, FL), Randy James Dance Works (NYC), and X-Factor (NC).

    Laney has also worked extensively as a director and choreographer in regional theatre, with credits at Western Illinois University, Greenbrier Valley Theatre, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, Cape Fear Regional Theatre, and Theatre West Virginia.

    Since 2005, he has served as the Master Teacher in Modern Dance for the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts. In recognition of his contributions, he received the West Virginia Governor’s Award for Leadership in the Arts in 2018.

  • is a multidisciplinary movement based artist from San Juan, Puerto Rico. His choreographic work has been shown at Judson Memorial Church, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Inside/Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow among others. His choreographic project, The Movement Playground, has been awarded multiple residencies and commissions through New Dance Alliance (LiftOff!), Gibney Dance (Work Up 5.0), Mana Contemporary in collaboration with Gibney (New Voices), and a two-time CUNY Dance Initiative Awardee with Hostos Performing Arts Center. Javi has danced professionally with Falcon Dance and Summation Dance based in NYC. Javi's work is deeply rooted in improvisational practices that involve movement, sound creation, video design and spoken word. 

  • is an Assistant Professor of Dance at Winthrop University, where he is a proud alum of their undergraduate program in Dance Education. He holds an M.F.A. in Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. As a dancer, choreographer, and educator, Brian's work spans a range of dance forms and perspectives, with a particular focus on the intersections of gender, sexuality, and dance in his research.

    Before transitioning to higher education, Brian taught middle and high school dance in both North and South Carolina. His professional dance experience includes performing with Plexus Dance and Caroline Calouche & Company, where he also taught contemporary and aerial dance. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to perform works by choreographers that include Martha Graham, B.J. Sullivan, Janet Lilly, Meg Schriffen, Stacey McConnell, Michael James, Jennifer House Hinshaw, Amelia Binford, and Mary Beth Young.

    Beyond his academic endeavors, Brian is an active choreographer, clinician, and adjudicator in the pageantry arts community. He currently serves as the director of Etude, a performing arts organization under the Carolina Arts Collective, and sits on the Advisory Boards for both the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association and Winter Guard International.

  • (he/his) is a native of Mt. Airy, North Carolina. He received his formal training from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) and the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet. He spent his ballet career with the Kansas City Ballet, where he performed soloist and principal roles by many of the great ballet and contemporary choreographers including Petipa, Balanchine, Robbins, Cunningham, and Tharp. He is a Lead Teaching Artist with North Carolina Arts in Action, an affiliate of the National Dance Institute. He has instructed, choreographed, set repertoire, and rehearsed professional ballet companies and schools across the country including CPYB, UNCSA, Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, The University of Alabama, Kansas City Ballet, Montgomery Ballet, Alabama Dance Theatre, Littleton Ballet Academy, Ballet Conservatory of Asheville, Dance Conservatory Charleston, The Movement Ballet, Dance West Virginia, Greensboro Ballet, and Dance Teacher Web Live. He has served as the Director of the UNCSA Preparatory Dance Program, faculty of CPYB, as a board member for the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the union that represents ballet and opera performers, and as a board member for The Arts Based School in Winston-Salem, NC. In addition to dance, he enjoys teaching physical theater/comedy to dancers, actors, and anyone willing to learn.

    Donnell is also an actor, singer, film maker, physical theater artist (clown), husband, and father. His theater credits include Kansas City Starlight Theatre, Kansas City New Theatre, Houston Theatre Under the Stars, and the New York Musical Festival. With partner Alana Niehoff, he wrote, produced, and performed in his one-man clown/physical comedy show The Chapeau Show in NYC benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. His short film series, The Adventures of Jim has been screened in film festivals on the East and West Coasts.

    He is the author of the illustrated children’s book The Boy with the Patch, The Nutcracker Chronicles.

    He has received teacher training in the CPYB syllabus, the National Dance Institute, Classical Character Dance training and certification with Inna Stabrova, and is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.

  • Bio Coming Soon!

  • is a pianist, piano studio owner, and instructor based in Beckley, WV. Following years of pre-collegiate private lessons, Savannah deepened her love of learning piano literature at West Virginia Wesleyan College through her roles as a music scholar and the primary pianist for the college’s Big Band and Afro-Cuban ensembles. After completing her studies of Secondary Education, English Literature, Music, and Business at WVWC, Savannah began her primary role as a piano studio owner and instructor. Additionally, she has acquired years of experience as both an Instructional Interventionist for the public school system and now Dance Ministry Educator at Rhythms of Grace dance studio. 

    Throughout her childhood, the art of ballet played a formative role in Savannah’s development not only as a dancer, but also as a musician and creative. In her current role at Rhythms of Grace, Savannah utilizes her musical expertise, years of dance experience, and knowledge of pedagogy to provide her students with an artistically enriching dance education. A new addition to the Fall Festival faculty at Dance WV, Savannah is excited to combine appreciation of both music and dance through her service as a Ballet Accompanist this fall. 

  • has been dancing professionally for over 30 years and has accomplished performing as a principal dancer with 7 different professional dance companies including: Nashville Ballet, BalletMet, Richmond Ballet, Ohio Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, Groundworks Dance Theater, Verb Ballets and Dancing Wheels. He has choreographed and danced  major ballet works including Nutcracker, Wizard of OZ, La Fille Mal Garde, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Hamlet, Copellia, Dracula, Little Match Girl, and Alice in Wonderland. He has also choreographed contemporary and modern works that have been performed with major dance companies, and has choreographed musicals including Mary Poppins, Aida, Jesus Christ Superstar, Momma Mia, Scrooge, La Cage Aux Follies. Peter Pan, Oklahoma, Guys and Dolls, Cabaret, and 42 Street. He is continuing to perform major ballet and modern works, travels around the world to teach ballet, contemporary, partnering workshops and seminars for dance studios, and coaches professional dancers and choreographers for dance companies and studios.

  • is a painter and teaching artist in WV. She is a graduate of Davis and Elkins College in Psychology and Human Services. With daughters who dance, she is happy to be bringing her years of experience as a teaching artist through ArtsBank Inc and the Augusta Heritage Center to the festival.

  • is a native of West Virginia and a graduate of Doddridge County High School. She graduated in 2012 with a B.M. in Piano Performance from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Before opening Rayme’s Piano Studio in 2015, she was an instructor with the Academy For the Arts at Fairmont State University. At her studio, Ms. Pullen teaches over 50 piano students every week. In addition to private instruction, she enjoys work as a collaborative pianist with soloists and ensembles, and she accompanies K-6 voice students at recitals several times a year with the Academy for the Arts.

    Rayme serves as a WVMTA board member and is active in organizing District 2 festivals and adjudications. She is also active in providing live music performances in Salem with her piano students at the Apple Butter Festival, Spring Arts Kick Off at Fort New Salem, and Christmas at Depot Park. Rayme resides in Salem with her husband Trevor and their two children, Ezra and Blythe.

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