Faculty

The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet

The premier ballet school in the Capital DistrictÊÊÊÊ www.berkshireballet.org

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Summer Dance 2010

Resident Faculty

Madeline Cantarella Culpo, Director

Director-Founder and Artistic Director of the Albany Berkshire Ballet, is an alumna of the Juilliard School where she studied ballet with Margaret Craske, Antony Tudor and Alfredo Corvino and modern dance with Martha Graham. She is a nationally recognized teacher of dance, having taught throughout the United States, including at Jacobâs Pillow. She was featured in the November 1996 issue of "Dance Magazine" in an article entitled "Great Starts American Teachers Series" - "A Tribute To Teachers Who Have Produced Outstanding Results." In addition, Mrs. Culpo has received three choreography fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Nancy Ropelewski King, Ballet Instructor, Ballet Mistress

A graduate of the Cantarella School and was a scholarship student at Jacobâs Pillow. She was formerly a principal dancer with the Albany Berkshire Ballet. Mrs. King has also established herself as a choreographer. Her Peter and the Wolf has been performed extensively before school audiences throughout the Northeast.Ê In addition to teaching and rehearsing for both Schools, Mrs. King is also a resident choreographer and rehearsal mistress for the Professional Company.Ê

Deirdre Duffin-Swindlehurst, Ballet Instructor, Ballet Mistress

Started dancing at age five under Madeline Cantarella Culpo and went on to be a principal dancer with Albany Berkshire Ballet. She joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1980, and rose to soloist in The Nutcracker, Coppelia, A Midsummer Nightâs Dream, Les Sylphides, and The Four Temperaments. Deirdre has appeared as a guest artist at Jacobâs Pillow and has toured the United States with Leonid and Valentina Kaslov and with Cynthia Gregory and her "Celebration Tour."Ê Ms. Duffin is currently on faculty at The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet and Cantarella School of Dance and is Assistant to the Director of the Albany Berkshire Ballet.

Christine Geren, School Administrator, Ballet , Pilates Instructor

Ms. Geren began her training with The Northeast Ballet Company.Ê Supported by dance and academic scholarships, she earned a BA in Dance from Mercyhurst College while also performing lead rolesÊ with The Lake Erie Ballet in The Nutcracker, Balanchineâs Serenade, and Alice in Wonderland.Ê Ms. Geren is currently a principal dancer with the Albany Berkshire Ballet and guest artist with the Ajkun Ballet Theatre.Ê Her repertoire includes Carmina Burana, and The RockwellÊ Suites, as well as principal roles in Caprice, Nocturnes, Our Town and The Nutcracker with the ABB and Chiara Ajkunâs Le Corsaire and Giselle. Ms. Geren teaches ballet, repertory, and Pilates Mat classes.Ê She is also the School Administrator.

Alicia Hornicek, Ballet & Modern Instructor, Ballet Mistress

Ms. Hornicek is a graduate of the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet. Throughout high school, Alicia performed with The Albany Berkshire Ballet in such performances as The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Temple Caves, Our Town, Carmina Burana, Les Sylphides and Graduation Ball. Alicia is on the faculty at The School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet, and recently graduated from Russell Sage College, with a MS in Physical Therapy.Ê She is a practicing physical therapist as well as a permanent dance instructor and ballet mistress at the School of the Albany Berkshire Ballet..

Photo coming soon.

Julia Muzzy, Youth Tap

Julia MuzzyÊ started dancing at the age of two at the Rita Beaulieu Dance studio,Ê where she was part of the competitive dance team for 6 years. In 2000, she performed with the Rita Beaulieu Dance Company at Disneyâs Magic Kingdom. Julia joined theÊ Legion Dance Academy in Coventry, RI, where she studied tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, musical theatre, lyrical, and hip hop and was also a teaching assistant.. Currently, Miss Muzzy is studying pharmacy at Albany College of Pharmacy and is a Junior Company Apprentice. She will be teaching the youth tap program this year.

Photo coming soon.

Marcus Rogers studied in NYC on scholarship at Peridance Center, Studio Maestro and the Joffrey Ballet School.Ê Some of his professional credits include the national tour of Sesame Street Live, the national tour of Bear in the Big Blue House Live and Jean Ann Ryan Productions with the Norwegian Cruise Lines.Ê Marcus has performed many principle roles with the Northeast Ballet Company.Ê He has also worked with the Schenectady Light Opera Company, Park Playhouse, SPAC, the National Museum of Dance and Spotlight Management.Ê Most recently he performed with the Albany Berkshire Ballet for The Nutcracker 2009 season.Ê He is currently a faculty member and Assistant Director of Dance at Union College.

Ms. Pier is a graduate of the School of The Albany Berkshire Ballet and has performed with their professional company in The Nutcracker, Corelli Suite, and Alice In Wonderland. Ms. Pier isÊ a graduate of Siena College, with a BS in Biology and has been teaching at the School for the past three years.Ê Ms. Pier teaches Modern and Jazz dance, and ballet for the Preballet levels through Adult.Ê She is also a ballet mistress for the Albany Berkshire Balletâs Nutcracker rehearsing students from age 4 through 18.

Bianca Pier, Jazz, Modern, Ballet

Photo coming soon.

Marcus Rogers, Broadway Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, TapÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ

Photo coming soon.

Kerry Piaggione is a graduate of the School of The Albany Berkshire Ballet and has performed extensively with their professional company, most notably in The Nutcracker. Ms. Piaggione minored in Dance at Hofstra UniversityÊ and holds and MA in Teaching from Union College. Ms. Piaggione teaches at the school and assists in rehearsals for both The Nutcracker and the schoolâs annual recital. She is also an administrative assistant for the school.

Kerry Piaggione, Ballet & Modern Instructor, Ballet Mistress