Duwane Pendarvis
Duwane Pendarvis is an experienced vocalist, dancer, educator, teacher, choreographer, model, poet, actor and commercial artist who majored in Voice and minored in Commercial Art at Tougaloo College (Private United Negro College), Tougaloo, Mississippi. Mr. Pendarvis is a Principal Senior Company Member of world acclaimed Chicago-based Joel Hall Dancers & Center, where he teaches ballet, jazz, modern (Horton based) dance, performance workshop classes and choreographs a professional end of the year dance concert for children and adults; also Artistic Director of Joel Hall Dancers II (second company) since its 2001 inception. His professional travels and experiences have taken him across the United States, Europe and the former Soviet Union.
Duwane, in 1991, toured with the National Touring Company of Sesame Street Live; 1992 received three grants, one of which enabled his professional choreographic debut with Mississippi Ballet, Jackson, MS; 1992-1999, Dance and Drama Director for Department of Parks of Recreation, Jackson, MS; 1997, Headliner (actor, emcee, singer dancer) at Isle of Capri, Off Broadway production of “A Legendary Review, also taught dance and choreography for Mississippi School for the Blind; Founder/Artistic Director of Duwane Pendarvis & Company in 2001, debut at Harold Washington Library, sponsored in part by a grant from Illinois Arts Council; 2002, two commissioned choreographic works for Black Catholics National Convention, also taught ballet, jazz, modern (Horton based) dance at Dr. King Jr. College Preparatory High School, Chicago, IL; 2003/2004/2005, nominated for Black Theatre Alliance Award..
Mr. Pendarvis continues to encourage, teach, train and inspire young people to strive for excellence and always challenge one’s self to reach his or her fullest potential. Life Motto: “Feel the Spirit, Share the Experience (the Power of Love)
William Gill
William Gill, a Chicago native has danced and taught professionally through out the nation and internationally for the last 12 years. He started his Career with the Joel Hall Dancers and The Bryant Ballet where he was a principle dancer. He recently moved back to Chicago after touring with the Dallas Black Dance Theater for the past 8 years. While at Dallas Black he worked with many dance legends such as Donald Bryd, Alonzo King, Donald McKayle, Milton Myers and Chuck Davis, just to name a few. He was proud to be chosen to teach and perform at The Austrian Dance Festival in 2006, in Vienna, Austria where he performed the legendary solo “Ostrich” choreographed by Asadata Dafora. Although he has an extensive concert background, he had the opportunity to work with Hollywood choreographers Otis Sallid and Niesha Folks on the Movie “Hoodlums” with Lawrence Fishburne, Queen Latifah and Cicely Tyson in 1999. He can also be seen in the television show “The Untouchables”. Recently (2010) he was proud to return to Europe in Liverpool, England with The Joel Hall dancers where he was a guest artist at the Leap International Dance Festival. William is in demand through out the Chicagoland area and across the nation for his modern classes (Horton style), which have been said to be “high energy” and “intense”. He is on staff full time in Chicago at Chicago Multi-cultural Dance Center and The Joel Hall Dance Center, where he is glad to be working again with his mentors Homer Bryant and Joel Hall. He also teaches Master classes at many Colleges, studios and dance conventions across the nation.
Julie Marie Carrico
Julie Marie Carrico is currently finishing her Masters at Columbia College in Performing Arts Management. In 2008, she received her BA at Hope College in Dance Performance/Choreography and Communications. She has eight years of experience teaching children and adults various forms of dance including ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and flamenco. This is her third year teaching children’s dance classes at Joel Hall Dancers and Center.
Betsy Herskind
Betsy Herskind began her dance training with Edna McRae and Ellis-DuBoulay. She has danced professionally with Lyric Opera Ballet, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Illinois Ballet, Melody Top Theater and Ruth Page’s Nutcracker. Ms. Herskind had her own dance school for more than thirty years on the northwest side of Chicago. She is currently on the faculties of the Joel Hall Dance Center and Dance Center Evanston.
David Isaac Leef
Anne Marie Loesch
Anne Marie Loesch began her training in Charlotte, North Carolina. She studied Humphrey-Weidman´s modern dance technique under Mary Ann Mee, dancer and demonstrator for Charles Weidman. Katharyn Horne provided Ms.Loesch with a thorough schooling in the methodology of Enrico Cecchetti. Ms. Horne was a devotee of Margaret Craske, Enrico Cecchetti´s only recognized teaching protégée. It was under these two talented women that Anne Marie began her professional dance career with Dance Central, Kinetyx Dance Ensemble, and Moving Poets Theatre of Dance. Since settling in Chicago she has worked with Against the Grain, For Dance, Paul Sanasardo, and Zephyr Dance. Ms. Loesch is also the Ballet Mistress for the Joel Hall Second Company.
Merrick M. Mitchell
Merrick M. Mitchell began taking dance classes while majoring in biology at Illinois State University. After earning his B. S. degree he returned to Chicago and started taking classes with Julian Swain who also suggested that he take ballet classes. Later on Mr. Swain invited Merrick to dance with his company Inner City Dance Theatre. Yearning for more Merrick auditioned for Joseph Holmes Dance Theatre where he danced featured roles under the artistic directions of Joseph Holmes and Randy Duncan. While dancing in JHDT he sought out the Boitsov Classical Ballet School to continued studying ballet. Mrs. Boitsov offered him a role in her production of the full-length ballet Pinocchio. Merrick has appeared in numerous productions in the Chicago area as a guest artist with Bryant Ballet, Columbia College, Mayfair Academy of Fine Arts, Dance for life, Duke Ellington´s musical revue, Jump for Joy, Luster Product “Man Hunt of the Year Awards”, and the “Amoco 100th Anniversary Celebration”. He is certified in Beginning and Intermediate Pilates mat and trains in Pilates with Linda Spriggs. Currently Merrick is a veteran member of the Joel Hall Dancers and teaches Graham based modern classes at the Joel Hall Dance Center and Boitsov Classical Ballet School. He has studied under teachers who were taught by Martha Graham as she developed her technique and who danced in her company. He also teaches in the Chicago Public School system, and is a very active member of his church. Merrick is blessed and thankful to be able to continue to share his craft with you.
Joan Oberndorf
Joan Oberndorf’s early ballet training was with Bentley Stone and Walter Camryn. She has also studied ballet with Larry and Dolores Long, Orrin Kayan, and Birute Birodicaite, and jazz with Lou Conte and Claire Bataille. As a dancer she performed with Light Opera Works and Topeka Civic Theatre as well as doing industrial work for several corporations including Sperry-Rand and Carson Pirie Scott. Joan focuses on alignment, building strength and proper placement to help the dancers in her classes stay injury free. She also stresses musicality as she teaches, enabling students to move and dance at their fullest potential.
Mandy Olson
Mandy Olson is certified in K-12 Dance Education with a Masters in Teacher Leadership. She currently runs a dance program for K-8th graders at a fine arts magnet school in the Chicago Public School system. Mandy has performed in Michigan-based dance companies with various choreographers and directors. She danced for Aerial Dance Theater, Insync Dance Theater and Strike Time Dancers. She is happy to be teaching dance in the public school system as well as being a new faculty member at Joel Hall. Mandy currently teaches Ballet Fundamentals and substitutes for classes in the Youth Division. Look for information on her new Summer Workshop for ages 3-14 coming up soon!
Aimee Tye
Aimee Tye began training at the Bullard School of Ballet and the Kalamazoo Ballet Company. She also studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Professional School for two years. She became a member of the Metropolitan Ballet Theatre of Detroit for the 1993-94 season. Ms. Tye dances with the Joel Hall Dancers and is a principal dancer and Associate Artistic Director of Tyego Dance Project and the Hyde Park School of Dance. Ms. Tye has a degree in massage therapy from the Soma Institute.
Kristin Vollmer
Kristin Vollmer has been dancing since the age of three, beginning at the Kehl School of Dance in Madison, WI. There she trained primarily under JoAnn Uhalt Janus and Susan Marsden in the disciplines of ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, partnering and even baton twirling. Continuing with four years of experience in the Madison Ballet Youth Company, Kristin spent her summers training at Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Chicago and Alvin Ailey in New York. In 2004 she found herself at the Joel Hall Dance Center performing in JHD II and eventually The Joel Hall Dancers, including their performance in the 2006 Jazz Dance World Congress. Since then, she has worked with such companies as Cerqua Rivera Dance Theater, Inaside Chicago Dance, and most recently Chicago Dance Crash and performed in a USO/MWR tour in South Korea. Kristin is happy to be back at the Joel Hall Dance Center teaching ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical and sharing her passion with the generations to come.
Regina Wiethrop
Regina Wiethop is originally from St. Louis, MO. She has had the privilege of studying dance with Stanley Herbert, Michael Simms, Betsy Herskind, Joel Hall, William Gill, Bril Barrett, Mark Yonally, Nancy Teinowitz, Mary Rotella, Nick Pupillo, and Birute Barodicaite. In 2001, she apprenticed with M.A.D.D. Rhythms tap company. Regina performed four years with Vanessa Truvillion’s jazz workshop group and in 2008 became a member of JHD II. In 2011, Regina joined the Joel Hall Dancers as an apprentice. She has been teaching dance since the age of 16 and continues to enjoy sharing her passion with both adults and children. Her classes in ballet, tap, and jazz focus on technicality, musicality, and moving with confidence and feeling. Regina earned a BFA in Visual Arts at Stephens College and will earn an MAT in Art Education (K-12 certification) in May 2012.
Heather Zimny
Heather Zimny, originally from the suburbs of Chicago, received her BA in dance at Columbia College Chicago. In addition, she has trained at the Joel Hall Dance Center, Lou Conte Dance Studio and Visceral Dance center under Betsy Herskind, Birute Barodicaite, Joel Hall, Paul Sanasardo, Kirby Reed, Mike Gosney, Pam Tanis, Duwane Pendarvis, Marshall Mitchell, Nancy Teinowitz, Vanessa Truvillion and many other wonderful teachers. After completing an aerial dance intensive with Aerial Dance Chicago she has thus become addicted and also currently trains there as well. She can currently be seen onstage getting sassy with the Joel Hall Dancers. She has also had the pleasure of dancing in Ballet Entre Nous’ “The Nutcracker!” for the past two seasons. Her other dance credits include dancing with Rasa Dance Chicago under the direction of Van Collins, Paul Sanasardo, GI Alliance, Allure Dance Company (Detroit, Michigan), D.I.A.L and with many independent choreographers. Last September she had the chance to dance overseas in Liverpool with the Joel Hall Dancers as part of a year long celebration of their LEAP program’s 10th anniversary. Heather has had the pleasure of teaching dance throughout the city and suburbs and in Chicago Public Schools through D.I.A.L for several years and is happy that she has the opportunity to do what she loves every day. Currently she is teaching ballet and jazz at the JHDC. Her classes are a blend of technique, control, athleticism and musicality.
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