Faculty
Cayla Allen received her Master of Arts degree in Theatre and Dance from the University of New York at Buffalo in addition to studying Choreography at Northwestern University. She was artistic director of the Dance Theatre Project and OASIS Tappers, as well as a performing member of the Kinecore Dance Circus and Best Foot Forward. Cayla's career as educator, choreographer, dancer, actor and adjudicator has spanned over thirty years.She moved to Atlanta in 2001 and currently teaches ballet, tap, and Svaroopa® at Smyrna School of Ballet, dance and musical theatre for the City of Roswell, Nia at Plum Tree Yoga Center and performs with Mezcolanaza, a Latin Dance Company.
Barbara Fortier begins her nineteenth year of teaching classical ballet, pointe and variations this season. Her early training was in the English RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) receiving honors in the children's examinations each year. She continued her studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Ballet and at the New York Conservatory of Ballet. In 1992, she received a Royal Academy Dance teaching certificate for Grades Pre-Ballet through Level Four. In 1994, she began the study of the Russian school with Stanislav Issaev of Moscow Classical Ballet. Currently Barbara performs with Kingsport Ballet, and studies Vaganova technique privately with Nataliea Shevchenko, former prima ballerina of Moldova Theatre.
Rebecca Geiger spent the first fourteen years of her life in Colombia, South America, where she was first introduced to the art of ballet. Upon returning to the United States, she moved to Pennsylvania, and began serious ballet training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Her love of dance led her to pursue an academic dance education after graduating form high school. Rebecca earned her B.A. in Dance from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2005. Since graduating, Rebecca has been teaching ballet, pointe, and conditioning to beginning through advanced students in Pennsylvania as well as teaching five year olds in a preschool setting. She plans ultimately to use her expertise in dance and the arts in a community development setting. She loves traveling (recent travels include India, Ireland and Australia), talking (!), learning, and doing anything artistic.
Becki Galatas began her dance training at the age of three under the direction of Dan and Ronda Youmans. At the age of eight, in addition to formal dance training, she was an active member of an award winning dance team. At the age of fifteen she was accepted as a member of the Atlanta jazz Theater where she received ballet instruction from Cynthia McCranie. She performed for many years in AJT and is currently Assistant Director.
She has studied with nationally renowned Disney choreographers Kenneth Greene and Robbie Mackey, who also began at Dan and Company.
Becki has worked extensively in the entertainment industry including the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Olympics, Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 1996 Paralympics, and 200 Superbowl half time show. She has recently returned to Atlanta after a fabulous run in Las Vegas performing in various shows and conventions along the famous Las Vegas strip.
Becki is a superb dance teacher as well as an accomplished choreographer. Her areas of expertise include ballet, tap, jazz, and hip-hop. Becki has a strong positive influence with her students and it is apparent working with students is her passion.
Donna Kalish's teaching career spans thirty years of experience instructing beginner through advanced levels of ballet, tap and jazz. She trained at United States International School of Performing Arts in San Diego, Terpsichore, Atlanta Ballet, The Hartford Conservatory and Georgia State University. She was owner/director of her own school for eleven years. Donna teaches Creative Movement, Combination Ballet/tap, Ballet and Tap classes at Smyrna School of Ballet.
Nina Pinkus Markman, Character Dance and ballet instructor joins the Smyrna School of Ballet beginning August 2008. Ms. Markman formerly performed sixteen years with the Belorussian State Philharmonic, touring within the Soviet Union and Europe. Her teaching experience spans fourteen years within the Belorussian State Philharmonic, Draper Studio of Dance in NY, and Rotaru International Ballet School, in Atlanta. She was trained in both classical ballet and character dance by Maria Mladinskaya, renowned Russian Prima Ballerina from St. Petersburg. Her accomplished teaching skills motivate and develop students from ages five through adults.
Eleanor McMahan began her early dance training as a young child in Washington D.C. The formative development of her classical ballet technique began under the direction of Balanchine-trained Sean Musselman at the Dance Theatre of Florida's school upon her family's relocation to St. Petersburg, Florida in 1988. In addition to Musselman's instruction, Eleanor trained under Madame Svetlana Osiyeva, of the Vaganova (Imperial) Ballet Academy, as well as artists from the New York City Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, among others.
As apprentice, company member, and soloist with the Dance Theatre of Florida, Eleanor has performed alongside some of the premier dancers in the world, including artists from the Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Chicago City Ballet and the New York City Ballet.
She taught in Dance Theatre of Florida's school for six years, instilling in her students the high technical ballet standards that received from her own dance education. Eleanor graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1998.
Lauren Tatum currently attends Kennesaw State University and is a member of the Kennesaw State University Dance Company, with whom she performed at the American college Dance Festival. A choreographer as well as instructor, she choreographed for the KSU production of 'As You Like It,' which received commendations from the American College Theatre Festival. She also performed at the Southern Order of Storytellers' Winter Storytelling Festival as a member of the KSU Tellers. She has been offered scholarships to New York's Broadway Dance Center and Los Angeles' Edge Dance Studio. She performed in several theatre productions including 'The Monkey King,' which toured China. Lauren taught the 'Prince and Princess Dance Camp' in June at Smyrna School of Ballet along with modern and jazz classes for the July Ballet Intensive 2007.
LaTonya Wyke is passionate about educating students about the love and dedication of dance.She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. LaTonya's training in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop and modern dance is quite extensive, spanning three decades.She danced professionally for several CBA dance teams, and for Disney at the Fabulous Fox Theatre.In addition, she has set her choreography on the cheer and dance teams of middle and high school students. LaTonya travels throughout the United States as an American Spirit Team Competition Judge, judging both State and National Competitions. She formerly taught eight years at Dancer's Workshop, and was Senior Company Director and instructor for two years with Daystar Dance Academy.
Guest Faculty Bio
Marina Levasheva trained under the direction of her father, Vladimir Levashev; world famous Ballet Master, rehearsal director, teacher and principal dancer with the world renowned Bolshoi Ballet, of which both her parents were soloists. Marina apprenticed with the Bolshoi Ballet and Moiseyev Dance Co. She earned her degree in Fine Arts and Dance at the studio of the USSR State Folk and Character Dance Academy under the artistic direction of Igor Moiseyev. She performed with the Beriozka State Academic Choreographic Ensemble over twenty years, touring over 30 countries. She is the former assistant director of the Georgia Ballet for which she staged several of the Bolshoi Ballet's works which included "Paquita", "Carmen", "Les Sylphides", "Giselle", "Swan Lake", and "Sleeping Beauty". Presently she divides her time between her homes in Russia and Spain, teaching and staging works around the world.