FACULTY
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HALEY BRADSTREET
Ballet/Jazz/Tap Haley began her dance training in her home state of New Jersey under the teachings of Lori Koller. She continued her training attending summer intensives with The Rock School, Saratoga Summer Dance, and The Mercyhurst Dance Experience where she was blessed to work with Bruce Marks, Melinda Roy, Ashley Bouder, and Eva Szabo. Haley graduated from Mercyhurst University cum laude in 2012 with a BA in Dance and a minor in Arts Administration. While at Mercyhurst she had the opportunity to teach open ballet classes through the The Mercyhurst Center for Dance Education (MCDE), perform with the Lake Erie Ballet Company, and play Carmen in Sweet Charity. A versatile artist, Haley has also performed as an actress at the Off-Broadstreet Theatre in Black Tie (Elsie) and The Fantasticks (The Mute). Haley spent the last three years in Philadelphia teaching the members of Penn Ballet at the University of Pennsylvania, and within both the ballet and theatre departments at the Philadelphia Dance Academy. She has performed with Beyond Dance Company, Reverie Dance Theatre, and is a founding member of Esstant Dance Company. Haley has been the Programing Manager of the Koresh Dance Company since 2013, after managing the inaugural Come Together Dance Festival that has since become a staple program for emerging and established dance companies in Philadelphia. She is thrilled to now bring her expertise to Vermont and join the team at Green Mountain Performing Arts. |
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Rebeccah Brinton
Yoga/Hoop Dance Rebeccah is a certified yoga teacher specializing in meditative stress reduction technique. Rebeccah has been teaching and practicing yoga with all age groups for twenty years, and enjoys working with youth specifically to cultivate anxiety/street management skills. Rebeccah is also a teacher and performer of Hoop Dance, and enjoys weaving yoga into her artistic expression. Mindful movement, in conjunction with other healthy behavior, allows for the individual to tap into their own ability to create a balanced life. Sharing these ideas and skills with others is Rebeccah's life work. |
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DYLAN BRODERICK Irish Step Dylan began Irish dancing in Vermont under Alice McNeish, and later through dance schools in both Montreal and Massachusetts. She has performed and competed in events from the local to international level, and has also spent time teaching a range of ages and abilities in both solo and group dances. Dylan retired from competition in 2013 but is excited to be working with dancers again in Vermont and hopes to promote the sense of community, confidence, and focus that she found through dance. |
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GRACE BUTLER
Dr. Seuss Celtic Camp Grace has four years experience working with children ages 5-12 as a counselor at Our Community Cares Camp in Richmond, VT. As a counselor she has mentored children in a variety of activities, including arts and crafts, music, and dance. Additionally, she has worked with Chris Billis, a Huntington, VT based artist, as an assistant at Chris' children's summer arts camp. A lifelong Celtic dancer and Dr. Seuss enthusiast, Grace is excited to share her love of both in this fun summer camp. |
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JENNA COMPANION
Hip Hop/Modern/Troupe Jenna has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She started off in ballet and tap shoes for a few years, but realized although she loved dancing and performing these weren’t her passion. At the age of 7 she took her first hip hop class at One Studio where she instantly fell in love with the style and turned in her ballet and tap shoes for her hip hop sneakers. Jenna has taken many classes and camps at different studios throughout the state and attended many hip hop dance conventions like Urban Reach and Monsters of Hip Hop and continues to so she can advance her technique and style. She has been apart of every One Studio and GMPA performance, and still continues to be. Jenna performed the lead of Clara, for the studio’s first year of the Hip Hop Nutcracka. Jenna loves sharing her passion to dance with others. Her favorite style is Hip Hop but she also enjoys Freestyle and Modern. |
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CYNTHIA DAY
MakerCare/MakerKids/MakerCamp Cynthia has been a classroom teacher for grades kindergarten through high school for twenty years. She attended the University of Vermont from which she received both her undergraduate degree in Economics and Environmental Studies as well as her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics. She has taught in both New Hampshire and Vermont as well as in Miami Beach, Florida, Lima, Peru, and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. About to become a grandmother for the first time to twins in October, Ms. Day has been providing interactive booths at MiniMakerFaires in Vermont as well as providing Maker experiences for summer camps. Presently, she is preparing afterschool programs in Making at the Green Mountain Performing Arts. Her blog can be found at CynthiaEDay.com. |
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FIONA GARUFI
Ballet/Tap/Troupe Fiona started dancing when she was four years old. She has trained in many forms of dance including lyrical, hip hop, tap, jazz, and ballet. She has been working with young dancers for over five years and continues to love it. It is very important to her that the kids she teaches have fun while learning technique. Fiona has been a part of Green Mountain Performing Arts for a very long time and looks forward to passing on her love of ballet to future ballerinas. |
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KATHERINE LEVASSEUR
Scottish Highland Katherine (Katie) dabbled in ballet, jazz, tap, acting, and gymnastics before falling in love with Scottish Highland Dance at age ten. She began competing in her teens, advancing from beginner to premier in under two years. Throughout high school, Katherine traveled across the U.S., Canada, and Scotland performing and competing under the tutelage of Heather Morris. In 2006, she was selected to compete for the BATD Sadie Simpson Highland Dance Scholarships and in 2007 she earner her BATD Associate Teacher's certification. Katherine helped found the Celtic Cats during her undergraduate years at UVM and in 2011 she won the Miss Vermont competition with an original and contemporary Scottish Dance choreography as her talent. Katherine went on to represent Vermont at Miss America 2012, and was the first contestant to compete with Scottish Highland Dance as her talent. She continues to perform and teach, and is excited to have a regular presence at the GMPA studio! |
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HEATHER MORRIS
Celtic Dance Program Director (Irish Step/Scottish Highland/Cape Breton) Heather has been dedicated to teaching all aspects of Celtic Dance in Vermont since 2001. She received her training from Alice McNeish T.M.R.F. & Moira McMahon T.C.R.G. in Irish Step, Anne Donlan in Highland and Kolten MacDonell and Bob McCormick in Cape Breton Step. For more than a decade, Heather has been developing programs in Celtic dance across the state of Vermont, from Chittenden County to the Northeast Kingdom. She trains her students to participate in local performances, national and international competitions and examinations. Heather is a Certified Member and Fellow of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD), a Certified Member of the Scottish Dancer Teachers' Alliance (SDTA), and a Member of Rince Tuatha Nua. |
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STEVE MERMELSTEIN
Drones Steve is Vermont Drone’s Founder and Director of Photography, is a renowned photography workshop instructor and professional photographer with over 32 years of photography and model aircraft/drone flight experience. He was sponsored staff for several major camera manufacturers and even named a “Top 50 US Photographer” three years in a row by Samsung USA. |
TARYN NOELLE
Jazz/Ballet/Ballroom/Theatre/Vocals
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Taryn studied dance and gymnastics from an early age. After relocating to Vermont for high school, she included theater, theater dance and music in her repertoire. She spent two years studying in New York City at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, furthering her studies in dance, acting, music and movement. Taryn returned to Vermont in 2005; since then, she has been performing and choreographing for musicals, teaching Latin and ballroom dance, and teaching modern and lyrical dance. She also teaches private jazz/pop/Broadway style vocal lessons in the area. Taryn works throughout the state as a choreographer, actor and vocalist and is thrilled to be a part of the wonderful team and family here at GMPA!
Jazz/Ballet/Ballroom/Theatre/Vocals
Originally from Toronto, Canada, Taryn studied dance and gymnastics from an early age. After relocating to Vermont for high school, she included theater, theater dance and music in her repertoire. She spent two years studying in New York City at the Circle in the Square Theatre School, furthering her studies in dance, acting, music and movement. Taryn returned to Vermont in 2005; since then, she has been performing and choreographing for musicals, teaching Latin and ballroom dance, and teaching modern and lyrical dance. She also teaches private jazz/pop/Broadway style vocal lessons in the area. Taryn works throughout the state as a choreographer, actor and vocalist and is thrilled to be a part of the wonderful team and family here at GMPA!
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KATHLEEN SULVA
Irish Step/Tap An accomplished Champion level Irish dancer, Kathleen's true passion is with percussive style dance, whether it's in Irish hard shoes or in taps. She has studied Irish step dance with Heather Morris for the past several years and now also with Rachel Moser. She has received her tap training with Nikki Boutin at Fusion 802. Kathleen has also worked for many years at the Bird's Nest Dance Loft assisting with summer camps for the youngest of dancers. Kathleen is a driven dancer who understands the learning process and loves choreographing and otherwise sharing her love of dance. |
CALVIN WALKER
Breaking/Hip Hop
Calvin first became interested in dance at age 13, when a couple of friends invited him to perform as a breakdancer in a school talent show. He continued his dance education in high school, enrolling in classes taught by Cheri Skurdall. In 2005, Calvin and several other Vermont breakdancers based out of Newport and Lyndonville formally established the Rhythm Riderz Crew. In 2007, the Rhythm Riderz Crew became a sponsored street performing act on the Church Street Market Place. Calvin continues to pursue his dance education and teach classes at studios across Vermont.
Breaking/Hip Hop
Calvin first became interested in dance at age 13, when a couple of friends invited him to perform as a breakdancer in a school talent show. He continued his dance education in high school, enrolling in classes taught by Cheri Skurdall. In 2005, Calvin and several other Vermont breakdancers based out of Newport and Lyndonville formally established the Rhythm Riderz Crew. In 2007, the Rhythm Riderz Crew became a sponsored street performing act on the Church Street Market Place. Calvin continues to pursue his dance education and teach classes at studios across Vermont.
