Playing till the work emerges . . . . dedicated to the process
Instructors
All Contents Copyright 2011 - Halestone Dance Studio :: Web Design by Mary Lane :: Photography by Angie Rachels
NANCY SAYLOR (Halestone Owner/Director since 1996, Teaches: Baby & Me, Yoga Babies & Tots, Creative Movement, Dance Lab, Advanced Dance Seminar, Mime, Tap, Yoga, Dance Conditioning) As an active dancer in continuous training, choreographer, theatre director, and teaching professional, Nancy depends on her experience with a broad range of contemporary somatic studies—Alexander Technique, Bartenieff Fundamentals, Body Mind Centering, Developmental Technique, Experiential Anatomy, Yoga, and Contact Improvisation—to support her artistic process and to inform her instructional methodology. Her unique teaching methods combine the use of applied dance theory and improvisational technique to foster an inventive atmosphere of creative freedom that provides an underlying support for the disciplined study of dance. Her teaching and choreographic experience ranges from programs for preschool and school age children to dancers and productions on the university level.
Nancy holds an AA in dance from Pensacola Jr. College in Pensacola, FL; a BFA in theatre from Auburn University, Auburn, AL; and a MALS with a concentration in visual and performing arts from Hollins University, Roanoke, VA.
In addition to her university work, Nancy has studied extensively over the years with private instructors, through independent research, and in group seminars and professional workshops. Highlights of her continuing educational pursuits include attending The American Dance Festival’s six-week school in Durham, NC in both 1998 and 2001; The Zen Monkey Project Summer Intensive in Charlottesville, VA in 2000; and a 200-hour, yoga teachers certification program completed through Lighten Up Yoga in Asheville, NC in 2002. She participated in the June, 2004 Contact Improvisation Teacher’s Exchange (CITE) at Earthdance in Plainfield, MA with Nancy Stark Smith and Martin Keogh, and in the summer of 2008 she attended CI36—a ten-day, international gathering of dancers held at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA to celebrate the 36th anniversary of Contact Improvisation as an art form.
From 1996-2004 Nancy Saylor served as the Director of the Rockbridge Modern Dance Ensemble for Fine Arts in Rockbridge (FAIR). She is the founder (2003) and Artistic Director of The Community Dance Connection Theatre (The CDCT), an independently incorporated non-profit, 501(c)(3) performing arts organization. Central to the mission of The CDCT is a desire to form vibrant links between the community and the performing arts and to unite individuals in cross-generational and interdisciplinary collaborations of purposeful artistic expression.
Nancy also teaches Halestone’s Dance Conditioning class—a combination of originally choreographed aerobic dance, Pilates, and yoga—for the Physical Education Department of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, VA.
YOGA
BRITTANY LAUREN ATKINS (Tap, Acrobatics, SYTYCD) Brittany is a 2011, Dean's List, graduating senior receiving her BA in theatre and dance from James Madison University (JMU). While at JMU, Brittany was a member of the university’s Associate Dance Ensemble and Contemporary Dance Ensemble. Additionally, she was a member of the Madison Dance Club serving as the head of its lyrical department, leading auditions, practices, and also choreographing. While studying at JMU, she taught jazz, ballet, and modern dance at Dance & Co. in Harrisonburg, VA.
Prior to attending JMU, Brittany studied at Forest Dance Academy in Forest, VA where she was a member of the studio’s performance company and competition team. She danced in the Brookwell High School Dance Club from 2004-2007 serving as a choreographer and president for the club, winning the Pamela K. York Scholarship for Dance in 2007. Her master classes and conventions include studies with award winning Broadway instructor Ray Leeper and first season winner of So You Think You Can Dance, Nick Lazzarini.
SARA CUNNINGHAM (Pre-School, Ballet Prep) Sara holds a BA in biology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While in school there, she trained in modern dance and improvisational practice and it was through that work that her initial interest in dance therapy was sparked. She went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Creative Arts in Therapy, Movement Therapy from Hahnemann Medical College (now Hahnemann University) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sara arrived in Rockbridge County in 1981 and began applying her creative arts and movement therapy theories in her work with special education students in the Buena Vista School System. After seven years she joined the Rockbridge Area Community Services Board where she worked with adolescents and elementary and middle school students. Sara introduced creative movement and dance at local daycare and nursery schools through special classes and workshops over the years and performed with the Rockbridge Ballet prior to beginning her teaching career at Lexington School of Dance in 1994 where she offered the studio’s first classes for toddlers. Sara eventually expanded her ballet preparatory program at Lexington School of Dance to include classes for pre-school and kindergarten children. In the summer of 2001, she offered her first summer workshops for ages 4-6 featuring the study of story ballets through dance, reading and crafts. Sara’s continued work with young children over the past decade and a half has earned her a solid reputation in our community as a compassionate and innovative educator whose gentle influence is responsible for igniting an enthusiastic love of dance in the hearts of her students.
LARRY EVANS (Bookkeeper) has been active in community-based performing arts throughout his life. He grew up in Waynesboro, VA and helped to found the Shenandoah Valley Art Center there in 1985, serving as President before moving to Rockbridge County in 1987. A few years later he joined the Rockbridge Chorus (now the Rockbridge Choral Society) and works closely with its director, William McCorkle, in helping to plan and implement seasonal concerts as well as hiring a regional orchestra for their concerts. He is also a frequent soloist with this group.
Larry served on the board of Fine Arts in Rockbridge from 1999 through 2005. He was a past Vice-President and President of FAIR and during his tenure saw the organization grow substantially with the addition of several new programs, which included the Rockbridge Youth Chorale and the Rockbridge Symphony Orchestra.
As a trained classical singer, Larry as appeared in many different venues in the Rockbridge area including productions at Washington & Lee University, Roanoke Opera, the Shenandoah Valley Choral Society in Harrisonburg, the Virginia Consort and Ash Lawn Opera in Charlottesville and Virginia Tech.
Larry believes strongly that community-based, fine arts experiences are the life-blood that helps to sustain a vibrant community and is frequently seen either performing or otherwise advocating their presence in the community. At the invitation of The CDCT director, Nancy Saylor, he has performed in several of its productions participating as a dancer, singer, speaker as well as helping with backstage duties. He is currently the treasurer for The CDCT.
Larry resides in Rockbridge County and keeps busy with remodeling, bookkeeping, picture framing, gardening, and life in general.
STEPHANIE HODDE (Movement for Theatre) holds a BA in English and Drama from William Smith College, an MA in Humanities from University of Chicago, and a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois. While living in Chicago, IL, Stephanie studied modern dance, ballet, and jazz with Joel Hall Dancers and Hubbard Street and has over six years of experience as a physical theatre artist and puppeteer with professional companies such as Redmoon Theater and Lookinglass Theatre also of Chicago. Stephanie’s experience working collaboratively with children and other teachers extends to the development of literacy and art programs in Lexington VA, Chicago IL, New Jersey, and Roanoke VA.
MARY LANE (Director of Unevenlane, Assistant Director of The CDCT, Halestone’s Advertising/Marketing/Web-Design and Web-Master) Mary began her movement training early in life at both Halestone Dance Studio and Lexington School of Dance in Lexington, VA. She was a member of The Rockbridge Modern Dance Ensemble with Fine Arts in Rockbridge (FAIR) from 1999-2003 and was a founding member of The Community Dance Connection Theatre in 2003. As a two-time attendee of The American Dance Festival in Durham NC, Mary studied with Gerri Houlihan, Jeffery Bullock, James Sutton, and Theresa Ruth Howard. She discovered her aptitude and passion for choreography while still in high school and since then, her choreographic work has been presented throughout the Washington, DC area as well as in Lexington, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona.
Mary majored in dance at George Washington University in Washington DC where she had the opportunity to train and work with Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello (Troika Ranch), Nataly Kasporava (Kannon Dance), Dana Tai Soon Burgess (DTSB&Co), and Maida Withers (Dance Construction Company).
In 2010 she was awarded a choreography commission from The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Performing Arts for Everyone and the Millennium Stage.
MARLA PALMA (Classic Jazz, Hip Hop) is a native, northern Virginian who has studied dance since the age of 3. Growing up, she danced in both the junior and senior companies of The Russell School of Ballet until she graduated in 1989 from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia. With an intensive background in Ballet, Modern, Musical Theater, and Jazz, she went on to dance with the Students in Motion Dance Company at Old Dominion University and later with the George Mason University Dance Company. Palma’s unique choreographic style has been influenced by the broad range of styles she has studied on the university level with instructors from Wo Se African Dance Company, Dance Place, Illstyle and Peace Productions, and The Mark Morris Dance Company.
Locally, Palma has taught dance for Fine Arts in Rockbridge (FAIR) for their 2007 Summer FAIR program; choreographed Summer FAIR’s Godspell, Jr. in 2008; Lylburn Downing Middle School’s production of High School Musical in 2009; and assisted with choreography for Rockbridge County High School’s Broadway Revue in 2009. She began dancing at Halestone Dance Studio in 2007 and began teaching Hip Hop there in 2008 and Classic Jazz in 2009. Her choreography and original costume designs have been presented each year she has been a teacher for Halestone at all of the studio’s Theater at Lime Kiln productions and spring recitals.
Palma is also a professional singer. She has sung the National Anthem for the Washington Capitals Hockey Team and has shared the stage with such musical acts as Marshall Tucker Band, Flynnville Train, and Trisha Yearwood. Recently she has performed at The Theater at Lime Kiln, First Night Virginia, Mockingbird in Staunton, and Blues Festivals around the area with her band, Pure Blind Luck.
JENNIFER PALMER (Tumbling, Gymnastics) Jennifer began studying tumbling, ballet, and tap at the age of 4. At the age of seven, she began cheerleading for the Hauppauge Youth Organization in Hauppauge, NY and began attending Eastern Gymnastics and Artistic Gymnastics, two large-scale, professional gyms located on Long Island where she continued her training until the age of 15. As a middle school student at Hauppauge Middle School, Jennifer was Second All Around on her team and scored her highest scores on the uneven bars.
After moving to Lexington, VA, as a high school student, Jennifer attended gymnastics classes at Mary Baldwin's King Gym as well as studying at the Roanoke Gymnastics Academy. She was a member of the first graduating class at Rockbridge County High School.
Jennifer attended East Tennessee University where she studied gymnastics for two years before being called home due to her father's illness; she later completed her BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in communications and marketing from Mary Baldwin College. She currently serves as the Netcommunity Planner for the VMI Alumni Association and works as a docent at The Stonewall Jackson House. Jennifer has been a faculty member with Lexington School of Dance since 2005.
KATEN REYNOLDS (Modern Dance) A native of Rockbridge County and an alumnus of The Lexington School of Dance, Katen graduated from the University of Mary Washington in 2005 with a degree in environmental science. As a student at Mary Washington, she was an active member of the university’s dance troupe as a performer and choreographer. After graduation, Katen served a year in Americorps, teaching environmental education on the eastern shore of Maryland.
Dance is an important part of Katen’s life and she has remained connected to Lexington’s dance community over the years. She has been teaching at Lexington School of Dance since 2007 and has continued to perform with and choreograph for the Rockbridge Ballet as well.
CHANEL SMITH (Director of Ballet) Chanel attended her first ballet lesson at the age of 3 in Monterey, CA. Over the years, she continued her pre-professional training in classical ballet in Lindon, Utah where she performed classical and contemporary ballet repertory on a national and international level with Utah Regional Ballet under the direction of Jacqueline College. In 2010 Chanel received a BA in dance with a minor in molecular biology from Brigham Young University. While studying at BYU, she toured and performed as a soloist for the university’s ballet company, Theatre Ballet, under the direction of Shani Robison. As a dance company member and in workshop courses, Chanel studied with numerous teachers and professional choreographers, performing works by Anthony Tudor with Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner and studying ballet technique with Summer Lee Rhatigan and Finis Jhung.
Chanel’s “claim to fame” is her nationally televised, semi-finalist audition on the popular reality show So You Think You Can Dance where she performed for the show’s producer and judges Nigel Lithgoe, Mary Murphy and Adam Shankman. (To watch her "get cut," CLICK HERE.)
Chanel was certified as a Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analyst in 2010 through the Integrated Movement Studies (IMS) program held at University of Utah where she was mentored by world-renowned IMS core faculty members Peggy Hackney, Janice Meaden, Ed Groff, and Cadence Whittier. She is now in the process of becoming a registered somatic educator and movement therapist through ISMETA. In her current academic research, Chanel is integrating her knowledge as a Laban Movement Analyst with Bartenieff Fundamentals to develop a curriculum in ballet that is based on somatic principles and Laban theory.
In addition to serving as Halestone’s Ballet Director, Chanel is the Artist in Residence for The Community Dance Connection Theatre (The CDCT) under the direction of Nancy Saylor and is a member of Unevenlane, a dance performance company based in Washington DC and directed by Mary Lane.
IRENE TOWNSEND M.D. (Dance Conditioning) moved from Boston, MA to Lexington, VA in 1985 with a career in adolescent medicine. Before coming to Lexington, Irene had tried standard aerobics classes and running as forms of fitness training. However, exercises didn't become fun for her until the fall of 1985 when, as a newcomer to Lexington, she discovered Halestone's dance-exercise classes for adults, then being led by Halestone's founder, Carol Winder (then Kirgis). Irene continued exercising regularly at Halestone including during and immediately after pregnancy with her son William. In 1988 she was asked by Carol to begin teaching the class. Two decades later, Irene continues to teach this year round, conditioning course, still modeled on the original lesson plans established by Carol Winder but now designed and choreographed by the studio owner, Nancy Saylor. Irene says, "The Halestone program is variable enough and adaptable enough to continue for twenty years! And I'm not the only one who's been coming here so long."
BOOKKEEPING
PHOTOGRAPHY
