Boston University Fitness & Recreation Center

Dance Faculty

Full-Time Faculty

Micki Taylor-Pinney, Director of Dance, Instructor of Modern Dance, Dance History, and Dance Aesthetics. Adjunct Faculty in the College of Fine Arts. Advisor for dance minors and coordinator of the summer outreach program for teens. BS with honors in Physical Education with Dance Concentration, University of Massachusetts, Amherst; MFA in Dance, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Joined Dance Collective in 1986 and was artistic director from 1998-2006. Her work has been commissioned by the musical ensembles Alea III and the Brookline Chorus. She is co-author of a how-to manual for teaching dance to children, a product of teacher-training grant in the Boston Public Schools. Served as officer and board member of Boston Dance Alliance for eight years. She is now artistic director of Mass Movement, Inc., bringing dance education to schools and after-school programs through Young Audiences of Massachusetts. mtaypin@bu.edu

Ann Brown Allen, Full-Time Instructor of Afro-Jazz, Ballet and Pilates. Pilates Manager. BA in Education and Psychology, Simmons College. For the past two decades, she has performed with all of Boston's major modern and jazz dance companies including Peter DiMuro and Associates, Back Porch Dancers and Dance Collective of Boston, touring New England, New York and Europe. She has also been a guest artist with several ballet companies.

Lynda Rieman, Theatre Manager/Assistant Coordinator of Dance, has over 25 years experience as a production manager and lighting designer in the dance and theater fields having worked primarily with San Francisco companies, including ODC, CONTRABAND, Theater Artaud and Joe Goode Dance Company. She is graduate of Bard College.

Part-time Faculty

Julie Blume, Part-time instructor of Dance Body Conditioning. Julie graduated from the University of Michigan in 2004. Upon graduating, she danced professionally in New York City for seven years, working with the Parsons Dance Company from 2005-2010, and for the Metropolitan Opera through 2011. Throughout her years of touring and training, Julie was introduced to many forms of movement and healing arts, including yoga, Pilates, the Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, Gyrotonics and Gyrokinesis. In 2010, Julie completed a Level 1 Teacher Training in power vinyasa with Baron Baptiste, and in 2012 she completed a 200 hour teacher training with the Open Hearts Yoga School in Boston.

Helena Chang, Part-time Instructor of Pilates Apparatus, Pilates Apparatus, Adv. Beg. and Pilates Personal Training. STOTT-certified Pilates instructor, Neuromuscular Massage Therapy Training, Certificate of Massage Therapy from the Muscular Therapy Institute, BA in Dance, University of Maryland.

Jossie Coleman, Part-time Instructor of Cardio-Jazz Funk and Hip-Hop Dance. Coursework in Dance, Boston Conservatory of the Arts. She teaches children and adults in the Greater Boston area and has an annual performance in Roxbury. She is the Director of the Dance Program at the Creative Arts at Park, a summer program for children.

Christin Collins, Part-time Instructor of Hip Hop. BS in Elementary Education and minor in dance from Boston University. Christin is a company member of Luminarium Dance Company and the Adagio Dancers. She is currently a jazz and hiphop teacher at Boston University and in studios of the greater boston area, including the Lexington School of Ballet, the American Chinese Art Society, and the Dancer’s Workshop in Sudbury.Christin also teaches hiphop for MIT’s Physical Education Program.

Sean Fielder, Part-time Instructor of Tap, grew up in Boston, MA and has been tapping since the age on 3. He is the Founder & Artistic Director of the Boston Tap Company and held the lead role on the first national tour of the Tony award-winning Broadway show "Bringin Da Noise, Bringin Da Funk." He has performed for the First Lady Hillary Clinton, the American Heart Association Tour with Debbie Allen and Dick Clark, has been an opening act for the Radio City Rocketts at the Wang Center, and danced in Missey Elliot's award winning video "Da Rain." His company, founded in 2007, has performed at Jacob's Pillow 2008 & 2010, MASS Moca, Gillette Stadium, Fenway Park, The Duke Ellington Theatre, Washington DC, and Broadway.

Amanda Goble, Part-time Instructor Aerial Silks. An interdisciplinary performer - aerialist, dancer, actor - and educator who relocated to Boston following 10 months touring with Peter Pan. She has performed in solo, duo and ensemble work throughout the U.S. and was a founding member of MOTH Aerial Dance. She has worked as a visiting and staff instructor for numerous schools and groups including the New England Center for Circus Arts, and SHOW Circus Studio, and now teaches at Aircraft Aerial Arts. She is committed to creating and coaching aerial work which thoroughly merges both the highly technical and deeply creative aspects of aerial movement. Amanda's circus training has spanned 15+ years and multiple skill-sets, following childhood dance and gymnastics training. A certified Pilates instructor since 2001, she is currently enrolled at the Laban Institute of Movement Studies, pursuing certification as a movement analyst. Additionally, she is a student of the Meisner and Chekhov techniques at the Michael Chekhov Actor's Studio Boston. (www.amandagoble.com)

Henry Kasdon, Part-time Instructor for Hip-Hop. Tufts University. Mr. Kasdon began his dance career in 1998 at Tufts University. While there, he was president of TURBO, Tufts' break dancing crew, as well as a dancer/choreographer for the hip-hop/jazz dance troupe Spirit of Color (SoC). He currently instructs D.A.R.E.® Dance at the James M. Curley Elementary School in Jamaica Plain, and break dancing at The Brookline Academy of Dance and Harvard Business School. Mr. Kasdon has been a member of the Rainbow Tribe since 2002, and was featured on an episode of MTV’s My Super Sweet 16 in the fall of 2007.

Denise LaCarubba, Part-time Instructor of Belly Dance. Performs with Boston-based belly dance troupe, Goddess Dancing. She was certified by Goddess Dancing as an instructor in 2010. She is a DJ. Since 1990, she has been a DJ with entertainment agencies & event planners in the metropolitan Boston area, in New England and Miami.

Marin Orlosky-Randow, Part-time instructor of Aerial Silks. Marin graduated from Harvard University with an BA in English and a Secondary Field in Dramatic Arts. Her dance training includes the Joffrey Ballet School, The Ailey School, Trapeze School New York, and New York Circus Arts Academy. At Harvard, she performed with and choreographed for the Harvard Ballet Company, Harvard-Radcliffe Modern Dance Company, Harvard Contemporary Dance Ensemble and Dancers' Viewpointe. A former member of FireFly Aerial Acrobatics and instructor at New York Circus Arts Academy, she has performed and taught aerial silks, partner acrobatics, flexibility training and contortion since 2006. She currently teaches for the A.R.T./MXAT Institute for Advanced Theater Training.

Margot Parsons, Part-time Instructor of Ballet. BA in Dance, University of Wisconsin, Madison; MS with honors in Dance, University of Utah. Produces dance shows in Boston for the Boston Ballet and the Robsham Theatre at Boston College. She also has performed successfully in New York on Broadway and was invited to join the American Ballet Theatre. She teaches ballet technique, dance history, and dance kinesiology at Boston College.

Anne Marie Paul, Part-time Instructor of Ballroom Dance, owner and Co-Director of DanceSport Boston in Weymouth, MA. Anne Marie was the Founding Coach of the BU Ballroom Dance Club. Education: Earned a BFA in Fashion Design from Massachusetts College of Art. Additional Study: Paris American Academy (Paris), Vesper George School of Art (Boston).

John Paul, Part-time Instructor of International & American Style Ballroom Dance classes, owner and Co-Director of DanceSport Boston in Weymouth. Current Standard & Smooth coach for the Boston University Ballroom Club DanceSport Team. John is a Certified Associate & Licentiate Ballroom Dance Instructor in the American Style Ballroom & Rhythm via AMI & FADS.

DeAnna Pellecchia, Part-time Instructor of Jazz Funk, Dance Body Conditioning, Jazz Work, and Aerial Dance. BA in Dance/Performance with a dual minor in Business Management & Latin from Roger Williams University, 1999. DeAnna is a dancer/aerialist, educator and choreographer committed to creating compelling, inter-disciplinary dance performances via collaborative process. She has performed and taught dance throughout the US with internationally acclaimed Paula Josa-Jones/ Performance Works, Kinodance Company and Bennett Dance Company, of which she is a founding member and for which she is Rehearsal Director & Assistant Choreographer. Ms. Pellecchia makes dances with Ingrid Schatz as co-founder/choreographer of Kairos Dance Theater. She is also a practicing ACE-certified Personal Trainer. www.deannapellecchia.com

Rachel Prabhakar, Part-time Instructor of Pilates, BA in Government and Near Eastern Studies, Cornell University, MA in History, University of Chicago. Racheldiscovered Pilates while struggling with a repetitive stress injury developed during hours spent hunched over the computer, working as a software engineer. She quickly found Pilates to be beneficial in helping her recover from her injury, and loved the way that she floated out of class, feeling two inches taller. Rachel trained in Australia,receiving her Pilates certification through the Australian Pilates Method Association (APMA), and then undertaking a further 6 months of advanced instructor training at the renowned Melbourne studio Balance & Control. She is currently in her third and final year of teacher training in the Alexander Technique with the Alexander Technique Training Center at Cambridge.

Colleen Roddy, Part-time instructor of Ballet Workout. Colleen is a BS degree candidate for Sargent College's Physical Therapy program and a dance minor. She is a choreographer and performing member of Dance Theatre Group. Colleen was a member of the USA Dance Team and competed in several world events throughout the United States and Germany. She continues to teach and choreograph at her home studio in North Haven, CT and has been a guest teacher/choreographer at other studios in Connecticut.

Ann Roe, Part-time Instructor of Ballet. University of Pennsylvania, B.A. English Literature. Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary, J. D. Performed with the Washington Ballet. Her early training was with the School of American Ballet and the Finis Jhung Ballet in New York. She returned to ballet after years as a lawyer and now teaches at the Cambridge School of Weston and Boston Sports Club.

Liz Roncka, Part-time Instructor of Movement Improvisation. Boston University, BS Health Sciences and MS Physical Therapy. Liz teaches improvisation at Green Street Studios and has been a guest teacher at Bridgewater State College, Boston College, Boston University and Canaldanse in Paris. She has performed original work at venues including the Dance Theater Workshop, Center for Performance Research, Five Myles, and Spoke the Hub in New York City, Canaldanse and Galerie G in Paris, the Ludwig Museum and MU Szinhaz in Budapest, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston University, the Boston Center for the Arts, and the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Hillary Ross, Part-time Instructor of Argentine Tango. BA in Dance/English, Wesleyan University. Hillary has danced professionally with Partners: Martynuk/McAdams Dance, Laura Knott Dance Company and Glendance; and her choreography was commissioned by First Night Boston. She also has taught dance at the JP Firehouse Arts Center, Wellesley College, and at the Boston Tango Festival. She has been on the faculty of the Cambridge Center for Adult Education and Springstep.

Ingrid Schatz, Part-time Instructor of Modern. BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts. Ingrid has studied Authentic Movement, Action Theater, stilt walking, low flying trapeze, and horse handling; and has performed in theaters, in gardens and on the screen. She has collaborated with many artists including choreographers Jin Wen Yu and Paula Josa-Jones (1997 – present), visual artists Michael Dowling and Bo Lembo, and performance artist Ernesto Pujol. She makes dances with Boston based Kairos Dance Theater and creates interdisciplinary collaborations with Kinodance Company.

Adeilton Silva Santos, (Mestre Cabeça) Part-time Instructor of Capoeira. He has been training since 1980 and ten years later began his teaching career in Brasil. In 1994 he established Grupo Capoeira Brasil. He received his black cord, the cord of Formado, in 2000, and in 2008, received the official title of “Mestre.” After 29 years of practicing capoeira, Mestre Cabeça continues to train and to study capoeira with the same enthusiasm he had on his first day of training. He currently has groups in numerous cities and states within Brasil and countries abroad, including France, Guiana-Francesa, Moçambique, and the USA.

Jim Spellman, Part-time Instructor of Irish Dance and Ballroom Dance. BA from University of Massachusetts, Boston, with concentration in Dance Education. Jim is a Boston-based dancer and choreographer and has been teaching since 1993, his forte and passion being teaching adult education classes.

Karen Uminski, Part-time Instructor of Belly Dancing and Belly Dancing, Continuing. BFA in Writing/Literature/Publishing, with minor in History, Emerson College, currently enrolled in MA program at Harvard University. She joined The Goddess Dancing TM in 1995, and has written scholarly articles on dance , including Isadora Duncan (2007).