Dance Alumni
We are proud of the accomplishments of our W&M Dance alumni and wish to continue updating our "brag" sheet. Please submit additions here.
Many dance alums have completed graduate programs in dance or movement arts through the California Institute of the Arts, Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre, Florida State University, Goucher College, NYU-Tisch School of the Arts, Ohio State University, Roehampton University London, Sarah Lawrence College, University of California - Los Angles, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, and University of Utah. Other alums have pursued careers in such diverse disciplines as medicine, environmental testing, law, journalism, psychiatry, social work, teaching K-12, university, special programs, physical therapy, museum education, business, counseling, professional singing, acting, and university admissions.
Katherine McGinnis '63 received her Ph.D. in history from UNC-Chapel Hill. She taught dance history and Renaissance and Baroque dance at North Carolina School of the Arts and has taught history at Guilford College.
Gail Conway '68 dances with a sacred dance company and is on the board of the Sacred Dance Guild in Fredericksburg.
Linda Foster '74 received her degree in dance from Cal Arts and was a member of Donald Byrd's original company, The Group. She is currently active as a choreographer and Pilates teacher in Italy and has created a new website, lindafostermoves.com.
Porter Anderson '75 is a highly regarded dance critic who has interviewed Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines and Alvin Ailey. He has been a journalist for 24 years and is an 11-year veteran of CNN.
Catherine Mapp '75 has presented choreography at Carnegie Recital Hall, Joseph Papp's Public Theatre, Portland Performing Arts Center and Downtown Dance/NYC. She is Chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department at Iona College where she founded the Dance Program in 1992.
Nancy Nasworthy '75 performed for many years in the Kenneth Rinker Company.
Carrie Lukeman Wilcox '77 performs and teaches in Washington, D.C. She is an adjunct faculty member at Towson University, a Wolf Trap teaching artist, and an artist in residence in schools throughout the D.C. area. She is also a long time member of the Kathy Harty Gray Dance Theatre, dedicated to preserving classic American modern dance styles.
Mark Stanley '78, lighting designer for the NYC Ballet, first honed his skills designing lighting for Orchesis concerts at the College.
Sheryl Bass '78 serves as the President of the Manassas Ballet Theatre Board of Directors and performs with the company.
Lisa Jo Sagolla, Ed.D. '80 is the Dance and Movement columnist for
Rodney Williams '80 is a member of the dance faculty at Longwood University and is an active choreographer in the Richmond area.
John Taylor '82 is teaching, performing and choreographing in Amsterdam. He is currently working with choreographers, Beppie Blankert and Bianca van Dillen.
Olenna Truskett '82 performed and choreographed for Lee Harper & Dancers in Georgia and The Fairfax Ballet in Virginia; appeared with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera, and Young Audiences; and produced Bach Festival 2000 in Baltimore. She helped organize a nonprofit group for teenagers, Prelude Ballet Ensemble, and serves on the Board of Directors and as a choreographer.
Keith Ferrone '83 is artistic director of Florence Dance Company in Italy.
Lynne Balliette '85 teaches Pilates privately and at STEPS.
Kathryn Westwater '85 has presented her choreography at Dance Theatre Workshop, Movement Research at Judson Church, 92nd St Y Harkness Center, Freshkills Park, and Dancspace Project at St. Mark's Church. She is a guest faculty member at Sarah Lawrence College.
Desiree DiMauro '85 has performed with the Adrian Bolton Dancers and the Center Dance Company in the D.C. area. She has taught jazz, ballet, and modern in several schools including Arlington Center for Dance and Joy of Motion.
Karla Finger-Coghill '87 directs Sidelong Dance Company in North Carolina.
Cheronne Wong ’89 is choreographing and dancing professionally in Seattle with Pat Graney.
Emily Crews '91 is the Financial Manager at Dance Place in Washington, D.C., a performer with Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble, and a choreographer whose works blend modern dance and humor.
Jane Kotapish '93 has danced in New York City with various choreographers and has published a novel entitled Salvage.
Staci Armao '93 danced professionally in musicals and pursues an acting career in California. She is a long-time member of Actors Co-op, a theater company in Hollywood and continues to perform and write. She currently has a short film showing in festivals and a feature film in post-production.
Elizabeth Correia Borromeo '95 is the Director of the Children's and Modern Divisions at Columbia Dance Company and School in Vancouver, Washington. Transitioning from working with Columbia Dance, she opened her own dance studio, Liz Borromeo Dance, in 2015, and started a children’s dance company called MOTUS IN 2016. Both groups are members of NDEO (National Dance Education Organization) as well as daCi (Dance and the Child International). She is also a teaching artist and choreographer in several Southwest Washington public schools.
Kristine Sorensen '95 hosts Pittsburgh Today Live, covering everything from arts and culture to cooking to lifestyle topics on KDKA-TV. She is on the board of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and performed cameo roles in several shows.
Stacy Williamson Sumpman '95 performed in the Cunningham Repertory Group, taught at the Cunningham Studio, and worked with the Cunningham archives.
Kathryn Van Meter '97 is an actor/choreographer with the Village Theatre, Seattle, WA and a Teaching Artist with the Seattle Children's Theatre.
Camille Fontanella '98 is performing with Lisa Leizman Dance Company in Northampton, MA.
Melinda Hagaman '99 choreographs for Stage Lights, a children's theatre company in Williamsburg and performs with Gravity Optional Dance Company.
Jennifer Lent '99 is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Christopher Newport University. She started her own Performing Arts Company called J&M Productions, which teaches voice, dance, and acting to adults and youth. The group frequently performs in Williamsburg and hosts several intensive camps throughout the year.
Erin Camp '00 is performing with Jane Franklin Dance
Emily Bonham Owens '01 performs with Equinox Dance Company in Frederick, MD.
Ann Chaplin ’02 performs with Queen City Mambo, a salsa/mambo performance group in Charlotte, NC. In New York City,
Briana Yacavone '02 joined the Broadway company of Wicked.
Drew Stark '02 has been performing with Dance New Amsterdam as well as in musical theatre productions touring throughout the country.
Katherine Frattini '04 is performing with Synetic Theater in Washington, D.C.
Cara Smith '04 performs with Ground Zero in Richmond.
Renata Sheppard '04 received a Fulbright to go to Italy for a year and work on new choreography.
Lisa Junkin '04 is the Interim Director at Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, Chicago.
Stephanie Oakes ’05 is dancing with Gina Gibney.
Jacquelyn Potts '05 opened a dance studio in Salt Lake City, tours with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and teaches at Utah Valley University.
Jessica Hayden '05 is the owner of Shockra Studios in Manhattan and Virginia Beach.
Allyson Ross '06 completed her masters in Arts in Education at Harvard University and is performing with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Rachel Berryman '07 worked with the Peace Corps before settling down in Albania and opening her own Yoga studio, Tirana Yoga.
Micah Barks '07 is the Director of the Dance Ministry at a 7000-member church in Norfolk, VA.
Kelsey Meiklejohn '09 is performing with Synetic Family Theatre in D.C. and performing with Maryland Shakespeare Festival's Shakespeare Alive! educational tour.
Jordan Gehley '09 is performing in NYC with 277DanceProject and Maya Kite and Dancers.
Morgan Simms '09 works as a Coastal Geologist and teaches modern at Dance Designs in Cape Cod.
Hannah Goldberg '10 is performing with Karen Reedy Dance.
Jane Rabinovitz '13 is working at the Kennedy Center.
Jenny Fornoff '11 is an Executive Assistant and Office Manager at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC.
