Jennifer McNamara, Mark Santillano, & Solveig Santillano, co-directors
Andrew Ferguson, technical director
Bob Steineck, lighting designer
In observance of federal copyright laws, the taking of photographs and/or recording of any kind is strictly prohibited Program is subject to change
Latecomers will be seated only during intervals
Please turn off all cell phones, watches, and pagers during the performance
Chromatic Echoes
Choreography | Hannah Baumgarten & Diego Salterini
Music | “G Song” composed by Terry Riley; performed by the Kronos Quartet; Courtesy of Nonesuch Records
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing
Costume Design & Construction | Matthew Christensen & Jennifer McNamara
Rehearsal Director | Jennifer McNamara
Friday, Nov 8
7pm
Ainsley Dunning
Isabelle Garvey
Jakquelyn Gauker
Kathryn Gianforcaro
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Colton Swiger
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
Saturday, Nov 9
2pm
Elodie DeVos
Ainsley Dunning
Jakquelyn Gauker
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
Mia Semieraro
Moira Sullivan
Colton Swiger
Madison Wanamaker
Saturday, Nov 9
7pm
Ainsley Dunning
Isabelle Garvey
Jakquelyn Gauker
Kathryn Gianforcaro
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Colton Swiger
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
Sunday, Nov 10
2pm
Elodie DeVos
Ainsley Dunning
Jakquelyn Gauker
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
Mia Semieraro
Moira Sullivan
Colton Swiger
Madison Wanamaker
Friday, Nov 8
7pm
Emma Berkheiser
Jakquelyn Gauker
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Julia Lassetter
Abigail Lipa
Montana Pastore
Olivia Showers
Nadia Stronkowsky
Moira Sullivan
Annabel Vetock
Lauren Zwirecki
Borderlanders
Choreography | Scott Putnam
Music | “Forte and Possible” by Zoë Keating
Rehearsal Director | Solveig Santillano
Saturday, Nov 9
2pm
Emma Berkheiser
Jakquelyn Gauker
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Julia Lassetter
Abigail Lipa
Montana Pastore
Olivia Showers
Nadia Stronkowsky
Moira Sullivan
Annabel Vetock
Lauren Zwirecki
Saturday, Nov 9
7pm
Emma Berkheiser
Jakquelyn Gauker
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Julia Lassetter
Abigail Lipa
Montana Pastore
Olivia Showers
Nadia Stronkowsky
Moira Sullivan
Annabel Vetock
Lauren Zwirecki
Understudies | Ava Khoury, Erin McKenna
INTERMISSION
Sunday, Nov 10
2pm
Emma Berkheiser
Jakquelyn Gauker
Gabrielle Harris
Isabella Johnson
Julia Lassetter
Abigail Lipa
Montana Pastore
Olivia Showers
Nadia Stronkowsky
Moira Sullivan
Annabel Vetock
Lauren Zwirecki
Crayola
Choreography | Dennis Spaight
“Crayola” is presented in arrangement with the Dennis Spaight Trust
Costume Design & Construction | Matthew Christensen & Jennifer McNamara
Re-Staging & Rehearsal Direction | C Noelle Partusch
Friday, Nov 8
7pm
Yellow:
Sophia Harwig
Orange:
Abigail Lipa
Red:
Annabel Vetock
Purple:
Nadia Stronkowsky
Blue:
Madeleine Sipos
Green: Mia Semieraro
Saturday, Nov 9
2pm
Yellow:
Isabelle Garvey
Orange: Natalie Cecil
Red: Lauren Zwirecki
Purple: Sophia Du Jat
Blue:
Abigail Chrin
Green: Nicole Hirsch
Saturday, Nov 9
7pm
Yellow:
Sophia Harwig
Orange: Abigail Lipa
Red:
Annabel Vetock
Purple: Nadia Stronkowsky
Blue: Madeleine Sipos
Green: Mia Semieraro
“I am my [color]”
Sunday, Nov 10
2pm
Yellow:
Isabelle Garvey
Orange: Amelia Bachman
Red: Lauren Zwirecki
Purple: Kenzie Krommes
Blue:
Abigail Chrin
Green: Nicole Hirsch
“The rhythm of my dance is the same as the beat of my heart.”
Jazzin’
Choreography | Mark Santillano (in collaboration with the cast)
Music | “All of Me” by Gerald Marks & Seymour Simons; “Avalon” by Al Jolson; “Echoes of Harlem” by Duke Ellington; “Java Jive” by Milton Drake and Ben Oakland; “Hey Pachuco!” by James Achor, Mando Dorame, & Eddie Nichols
Friday, Nov 8
7pm
Emma Berkheiser
Sophia Du Jat
Ainsley Dunning
Nicole Hirsch
Mia Orduno
Montana Pastore
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
MiKayla Sharp
Olivia Showers
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
Costumes | Mark Santillano & Cast
Alto Saxophone | Dr Scott Meier & Mark Santillano
Saturday, Nov 9
2pm
Emma Berkheiser
Sophia Du Jat
Ainsley Dunning
Nicole Hirsch
Mia Orduno
Montana Pastore
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
MiKayla Sharp
Olivia Showers
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
Saturday, Nov 9
7pm
Emma Berkheiser
Sophia Du Jat
Ainsley Dunning
Nicole Hirsch
Mia Orduno
Montana Pastore
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
MiKayla Sharp
Olivia Showers
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
For Cheryl Love Miller:
Sunday, Nov 10
2pm
Emma Berkheiser
Sophia Du Jat
Ainsley Dunning
Nicole Hirsch
Mia Orduno
Montana Pastore
Jillian Pohl
Emily Rini
MiKayla Sharp
Olivia Showers
Nicole Walters
Madison Wanamaker
Long ago, you welcomed me to the dance world.
As my teacher, you instructed me, corrected me, pushed me, and encouraged me.
As my friend, you cheered me on, and inspired me. With endless gratitude, Jazzin’ (named after our first show together) is lovingly dedicated to you.
GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
Hannah Baumgarten
“Chromatic
Echoes”
Hannah grew up between Santa Cruz, California, and Jerusalem, Israel where she began her dance training. Hannah received a B.F.A. from the Juilliard School in 1993 under the mentorship of Benjamin Harkarvy after attending the University of Utah Ballet Department under Conrad Ludlow, Bene Arnold and Janek Schergen. While at Juilliard, Hannah danced lead roles in the works of Master Choreographers such as Graham, Limon, Taylor, Sokolow, Harkarvy and Nikolais and had her choreography presented at Alice Tully Hall, the Peter J. Sharp theater and other venues in Lincoln Center. Hannah danced with Utah Ballet, Michael Uthoff DanceTheatre, Labyrinth Dance Theatre, William Adair and Dancers, Karen Peterson & Dancers, Momentum Dance Company, Giovanni Luquini & Dancers and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. She is a Florida Choreographic Fellow; her work has been presented internationally on three continents and in 15 states and Baumgarten has taught throughout the US and abroad at institutions including Teatro Colon, Joffrey Ballet School, Mercyhurst University, Cincinnati Conservatory and Interlochen Center for the Arts. She founded Dance NOW! Miami with Salterini in 2000, and with DNM has toured the US, Mexico, Central, South America and Europe. Hannah was Director of Dance at Dillard Center for the Arts in Ft. Lauderdale for 10 years and on part time faculty at Miami Arts Charter and New World School of the Arts. Baumgarten is certified in Pilates through Core Dynamics and served as a grant panelist for State of Florida and Miami-Dade County. Baumgarten taught at the Interlochen Summer Camp for 15 years and the Joffrey Ballet School NY Summer Program since 2012 serving as master teacher and recruiter Nationally and Internationally.
Diego Salterini, the founder and artistic director of Dance NOW! Miami, hails from Rome, Italy. In 1997 he moved to the United States after a highly successful career as a lead dancer and assistant choreographer for popular Italian television and theater productions. In the US, he has performed with esteemed companies such as Michael Uthoff Dance Theater, Dance Through Time, Momentum Dance Company, and Karen Peterson & Dancers. Diego's training was under the guidance of Maestro Roberto Salaorni, whom he considers his mentor, as well as renowned artists and master teachers including Flavio Bennati, Michelle Ellis, Mamy Raomeria, Daniel Lewis, Ranko Yokoyama, Luc Bouy, Max Stone, Susie Taylor, Roger Dillhaunty, and Michelle Kadison. As a choreographer, Diego has created more than fifty original works, including collaborations with choreographers such as Hannah Baumgarten (USA), Fernando Duarte (Portugal), and Emiliano Candiago (Italy). His team of collaborators includes Bruce F. Brown (scenic designer), Davidson Jaconello (composer), Federico Bonacossa (composer), Haydee and Maria Morales (costume designers). Diego's diverse body of work has been presented in nine states as well as in Europe, Central, and South America. As the artistic director of Dance NOW! Miami, Diego has produced and presented original and repertory works by esteemed artists such as Tandy Beal, Colleen Farnum, Roberto Salaorni, Chris Rudd, Anthony Velasquez, Jon Lehrer, and has also reconstructed historic works like Isadora Duncan's Harp Solo, Ave Maria, Dubinushka, and Varshavianka, as well as José Limón's La Malinche, Waldstein Sonata, A Choreographic Offering (excerpt), There is a Time (excerpt), and Gerald Arpino's Light Rain Pas De Deux, Touch Me, and The Relativity of Icarus. For over 30 years, Diego has dedicated himself to teaching and has worked with prestigious organizations such as New World School of the Arts, FIU, Miami City Ballet School, Cincinnati conservatory of Music, Atlanta Ballet School, Mercyhurst College, Ballet Stagium, Mostra Dança, Molinari Art Center, I.A.L.S., and Conchita Espinosa Academy. He has also served as a jazz dance adjudicator for Young Arts and was a faculty member at the Interlochen Summer Camp for 15 years. Since 2012, Diego has been a faculty member at the Joffrey Ballet School NY Summer Programs and currently serves as a master teacher, recruiter, and, since 2024, the artistic director of the Joffrey Italy program. In 2021, Diego was elected to the board of the Florida Dance Education Association.
Dennis Spaight (1954-1993)
“Crayola”
Dennis Spaight performed as a dancer with San Francisco Ballet, Maurice Béjart’s Ballet of the 20th Century, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. He began his career as a choreographer in 1979 at PNB when he created Crayola. His subsequent work has appeared in the repertoire of Richmond Ballet (Gloria), Ballet Arizona (Tryptich), Ballet Oregon (Rhapsody in Blue and Schubert Songs) and The Eugene Ballet. Appointed Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer for Oregon Ballet Theatre in 1989 he created the ballets Scheherazade, Ellington Suite, Frauenliebe und Leben, and Danses Sacrée et Profane.
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Jennifer McNamara
Assistant Professor, is delighted to be a part of the Mercyhurst University dance faculty Raised in Syracuse, NY, she spent two seasons with Richmond Ballet; among her most notable performance opportunities with the company were Kurt Joos’s The Green Table and Balanchine’s Serenade She spent the next eleven years with Eugene Ballet, where she toured the United States, Canada, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Syria, Jordan, and Tunisia She was grateful to grow as an artist in narrative ballets including as Lucy in Charles Bennett’s Dracula She also created leading roles in many of artistic director Toni Pimble’s contemporary works, as well as being sought by guest choreographers After performing in Paul Vasterling’s Seasons, Jennifer was invited to become a principal dancer with Nashville Ballet; in her six years there, she was especially noted for dramatic portrayals such as the Chosen One in Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring and the title roles in Dennis Spaight’s Scheherazade and Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet and Lizzie She was coached by the late Elaine Thomas of the Royal Ballet for performances as Myrtha in Giselle, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, among others in the classical canon
After retiring, Jennifer worked to combine her love for teaching, words, and making things; she was an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University and the rehearsal director for the Centennial Youth Ballet, she taught contemporary ballet for New Dialect’s daily company class, and she was on the faculty of the School of Nashville Ballet Jennifer has designed and built costumes for her own choreographic works as well as on commission for others; several of these creations have been in gallery exhibitions
As a Pilates educator and an intuitive dancer-teacher, Jennifer’s thoughtful inquiry into the intertwined science and art of movement informs her work in and out of the studio; she is also an advocate for creating equitable opportunities in dance She is a past recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship (Dance) from the Tennessee Arts Commission Recent publications include an article in Arts Education Policy Review and the chapter “Afterword(s)” in Masculinity, Intersectionality & Identity: Why Boys (Don’t) Dance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) She is the co-editor of the book Dancing Mind, Minding Dance: Socially Relevant and Personally Resonant Dance Education (Routledge, 2023) and has co-authored a chapter on mixed methods research for the forthcoming book, The Handbook of Dance Education Research (Intellect Books, 2024) Jennifer earned her MFA in Dance from Hollins University in 2018
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Professor, Dance Department Chair, and Artistic Director of the Mercyhurst Liturgical Dance Ensemble, specializes in Labanotation and Liturgical Dance She earned her BFA from the State University of New York College at Purchase in 1988, a Labanotation Teacher’s Certificate from the Dance Notation Bureau in New York City in 1989, and her MFA from The Ohio State University in 1992 Ms Partusch teaches ballet, pointe, dance conditioning, dance appreciation, kinesiology, Labanotation, and has taught a special interdisciplinary course called “The Sacred and the Beautiful ” In 2015, she developed a new academic course called “Liturgical Dance: Concepts and Perceptions” that is offered as a selection of courses within the Catholic Studies Minor at Mercyhurst University She choreographs for concert dance, opera, and dance in worship Noelle served as the associate artistic director of Alaska Dance Theatre for 11 years and danced professionally with Atlanta Ballet II, Buffalo Ballet Theatre, Buffalo Inner-City Ballet, Empire State Ballet, Alaska Dance Theatre, and the Anchorage Opera In addition, she was adjunct faculty for the University of Alaska Anchorage Department of Theatre and Dance and Alaska Regional Director of the Sacred Dance Guild She is currently the Co-Vice President and Coordinator of Sacred Dance in Higher Education for the Sacred Dance Guild She is also a member of the International Council of Kinetography Laban, and CORPs de Ballet, International Ms Partusch was invited to give presentations on Liturgical Dance at the conference “Performing Arts Training Today” in Bovec, Slovenia and at the National Church Musician’s Conference at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa In addition, she was invited to be one of three keynote speakers at the 2016 Northwest PA Synod Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America For over 20 years Ms Partusch has danced in many churches and worship settings and acts as artistic director to the Mercyhurst University Liturgical Dance Ensemble where she mentors the next generation of leaders in Liturgical Dance With this ensemble, she has traveled to New York City, NY; Atlanta, GA; Sydney, Australia; and Jerusalem, Israel to attend “Project Dance” and present her choreography Most recently Ms Partusch traveled with 14 members of the Liturgical Dance Ensemble to Norwich, United Kingdom, where they led a sacred dance workshop and performed an entire concert of Liturgical Dance at Westacre Theatre
Noelle Partusch is married to Tony Partusch, a licensed journeyman plumber who is currently the purchasing agent for V P Plumbing Supply in Erie, PA Tony is an avid fisherman and a fantastic cook! Tony and Noelle are the very proud parents of twins Krista & Anton and their younger sister, Kara Noelle attributes her success to a lot of hard work, a great amount of faith enabling her to take many leaps, and the ongoing and amazing support of her family
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Assistant Professor, has had a multifaceted career in the arts His work as a dancer, choreographer, educator, photographer, videographer, editor, musician, composer, writer, and actor, culminates in dance works that are pan-genre, multi-media, and interdisciplinary that range from the poignant to the preposterous Mark earned a BFA in Dance and B S in Communications from Southwest Missouri State University, and his master’s from Wesleyan University Mark toured the world with Pilobolus Dance Theatre and was a company member of Indianapolis’ Dance Kaleidoscope As a member of Actor Equity Association his credits include international tours of The King and I, West Side Story, and A Chorus Line Mark has had his choreography presented in Sweden, Korea, Austria, Regional Dance America; Beef & Boards Dinner Theater, Firehouse Dinner Theater, the San Diego Civic Dance Company, and numerous colleges across the country
Along with Solveig Santillano, Mark is co-founder/co-director of SoMar Dance Works Established in 1999, SoMar is in-residence at Mercyhurst and has received numerous grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Mark served as an Artist-in-Residence at his alma mater, SMSU prior to coming to Mercyhurst in 2000 He teaches Modern, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theatre Dance, Contemporary Partnering, Choreography, and is resident photographer, videographer, and media archivist for the Dance Department Mark is also recipient of an Erie Arts & Culture Artist Fellowship and has served on the board of directors for the Erie Dance Consortium and the American College Dance Association
Mark Santillano
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Associate Professor, teaches choreography, modern, dance appreciation, dance conditioning, dance history, senior seminar, and yoga studies Holding an MFA (Hollins), MALS (Wesleyan), and BFA (Julliard), Santillano is a CLMA (Integrated Movement Studies) and ISMETA registered Dance Therapist and specializes in somatic disciplines A recipient of Wesleyan’s Rulewater prize for her research on yoga and dance, Santillano is aregistered yoga teacher (RYT @ 500 hours) with Essential, Advanced (Open Sky Yoga), and Restorative Yoga (Judith Hanson Lasater) certifications Currently studying with Douglas Brooks, Judith Hanson Lasater, Francois Raoult, Ernesta Corvino, and Bill Evans, she is a certified Bill Evans teacher, is trained/taught Stott Pilates
Her rich performance career includes Anna Sokolow’s Players Project, Ruby Shang and Dancers, Prometheus Dance Theatre, Boston Arts Group, Spencer/Colton, Nancy Compton, Neta Pulvermacher, and six years of international touring with MOMIX Dance Company as a soloist, choreographic collaborator, with whom she appeared in Italian television specials and an IMAX film for the Korean Film Festival Her work as a choreographer/director/performer/collaborator has culminated in the co-founding and co-directing (with partner Mark Santillano) SoMar Dance Works, the contemporary in-residence dance company at Mercyhurst University Their work has been presented internationally (Sweden, Austria), nationally and regionally (AZ, CA, CT, ME, MI, NY, NC, PA, SD) and locally Long time Pennsylvania Partners of the Arts grant recipients (2007-present), the duo was awarded Erie Arts and Culture’s first Established Artist Fellowship (2016), and celebrated their company’s 20th anniversary in 2019
Santillano dedicates her life to teaching, coaching and direction inspired by ongoing somatic, dance, and yoga research, the intersection of arts, advocacy, and community service Her teaching credits include overseeing/directing the dance department and student company at Salem State College (MA), teaching national and international master classes, and serving on the faculty at Erie Dance Conservatory, Lake Erie Ballet, Springfield Ballet, Lexington School of Ballet, H T Chen & Dancers (NYC), the Missouri Fine Arts Academy, health/wellness facilities including Manhattan Body (NYC), YMCA, Manchester Health Club, Success Naturally Yoga Center, and Inner Balance Pilates She serves as faculty advisor for the National Honor Society for Dance Arts (NHSDA) and the Yoga Club, attends, teaches, and presents at regional to international workshops and conferences, and is dedicated to building/serving community as an artist and educator, supporting young artists in their holistic pursuit of excellence, optimal human movement potential, meaning making, and cultivation of their personal “voice”
Solveig Santillano
DANCE STAFF
Matthew Christensen
Adjunct Professor, is from Salt Lake City, UT He began training at age 17 and continued at the Ballet West Conservatory and the University of Utah, where he received the prestigious Willam F Christensen scholarship He attended summer programs on full scholarship at Ballet West, LA Classical Ballet, and Boston Ballet Two of his most influential teachers were NYCB principal dancer Conrad Ludlow and the late Willam F Christensen While at the University of Utah, he performed the lead in Paquita; Michael Smuin’s Romeo and Juliet, balcony pas de deux and Eternal Idol, pas de deux; and Violette Verdy’s Divermento
Matthew’s first professional contract was with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, where he toured Alberto Alonso’s Carmen throughout the United States and Taiwan, and performed in the world premiere of artistic director Eldar Aliev’s 1001 Nights After joining Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho, Matthew was promoted to principal dancer in his second season He danced principal roles in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as originated roles in contemporary repertoire by artistic director Toni Pimble, among others
Matthew and his wife, Jennifer McNamara, joined Nashville Ballet in 2001, where they often danced together He has been noted for his exquisite partnering skills and effortless male technique in performances of Prince Désire in The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, the Sugar Plum Cavalier in The Nutcracker, The Golden Slave in Dennis Spaight’s Scheherazade, the Warrior in Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring, and the title role in Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet
In 2005, he received the Tennessee Arts Commission’s Fellowship in Dance Prior to joining Mercyhurst University’s Department of Dance, Matthew was the ballet master for Centennial Youth Ballet and the primary upper division teacher for Metro Nashville Parks’ Dance Division, where he staged The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake, Paquita, Act III; and the dream scene from Don Quixote, and choreographed original works He is passionate about providing a high-quality classical ballet education to all students Matthew graduated summa cum laude from Mercyhurst with a BFA in Dance in 2023
DANCE STAFF
Music Director and Principal Pianist, holds a master's degree from the University of Florida in piano performance Richard has been in high demand as a dance accompanist for many years and taught at Florida State University as a visiting professor in the School of Dance before coming to Mercyhurst In addition to his duties here, he has played for many summer dance programs and intensives including American Dance Festival, American College Dance Association, Chautauqua Institute, and Perry-Mansfield Summer Dance Intensive Richard is also an accomplished collaborative pianist and has accompanied many recitals, both instrumental and vocal, and is active as a vocal coach for singers In addition to playing for both ballet and modern classes, Richard teaches music for dancers at Mercyhurst University
Andrew Ferguson
Technical Director, is from Ocala, Florida, and began working in technical theatre 14 years ago Andrew graduated from Mercyhurst University in 2010 with a Bachelor of Music Education Technical theatre continues to be a passion of his that has led him to work with artists from all around the world on productions varying from ballet to vaudeville, and everything in between During his career, in various capacities, he has worked with Moscow Ballet, Dorrance Dance, Ballet Hispánico, Troupe Vertigo, Cirque Zephyr, Pilobolus, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Lewis Black, Bernadette Petters, Vanessa Williams, Aaron Tveit, David Sedaris, Dave Brubeck, Branford Marsalis, Chris Botti, Leslie Odom Jr , our beloved Erie Philharmonic, and many more Andrew has led technical artistry for ballet productions such as Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Little Match Girl, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and more Operas include Madame Butterfly, The Magic Flute, Dido and Aeneas, Amahl and the Night Visitors, Tosca, L’Elisir d’Amore, The Tales of Hoffman, Nabucco, La Boheme, Faust, and more than can be listed When rarely not in a theatre, Andrew can be found spending time with his lovely wife Emily, their three dogs, and enjoying the simple things in life ”
Assistant Technical Director, has been working in technical theater for 22 years Harold is a native of Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the University of Buffalo He completed his MFA in theatre design from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign During Harold’s time in theater he has worked with many educational institutions such as Mercyhurst University, Penn State Behrend, Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, California, University of Buffalo, and more Currently he divides his time working as an assistant technical director in Erie, Pennsylvania, and production manager/technical director in Hayward, California Outside of the theater Harold enjoys working in the garden with his wife, Gillian
Richard DiFiore
Harold Hotchkiss
DANCE STAFF
Administrative Assistant, Adjunct Faculty, Dance Club Advisor, Dance Team Coach, is a native of both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania She holds her B A in Dance and B A in Secondary Education Mathematics from Mercyhurst University as well as her MFA in Choreography from Jacksonville University Danielle has been the recipient of the Mercyhurst Egan Scholarship from 2006 to 2010 as well as the Etoile Leadership award in 2010 She was also honored with the Howard Gilman Fellowship Award through Jacksonville University’s MFA program, acting as the cohort and faculty liaison from 2017 to 2019 Having trained with Tauna Hunter, Michael Gleason, Christina Hay, C Noelle Partusch, Mark and Solveig Santillano, Nathaniel Johnson, Christina Teague-Mann, Ana Sanchez-Colberg, and Cari Frieberger, she has had opportunities to work closely with artists such as Lily Baldwin, Marianela Boán, Alonzo King, Elena Estanol, Bill Evans, Erin Tisdale, Momix Dance Company, Pilobulus, and Valerie Valentine She has previously appeared as company member with SoMar Danceworks, the Mercyhurst University Dance Team (captain), and the Erie Bayhawks AAA NBA dance team (captain)
Danielle has appeared onstage both nationally and internationally with PGT Entertainment and Princess Cruises, Ltd on board the Dawn, Emerald, and Grand Princess vessels, performing as an aerialist, ballet soloist, and assistant company performance manager Her choreography has been presented aboard the Dawn Princess with Princess Cruises Ltd as well as with the Mercyhurst University Department of Dance, Cleveland Ballet Conservatory, Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre, Jacksonville University’s MFA program, Erie Dance Theatre, NYCDA, and RDA Northeast Danielle’s choreography presented at the Northeast Regional Dance America was nominated for the prestigious Monticello Choreography Award in 2015 and the National Choreographic Award in 2019 Danielle currently serves as adjunct faculty and administrative assistant to the chair of the Dance Department at Mercyhurst, where she is also the advisor to the Dance Club and head coach of the Dance Team She is a freelance teacher and choreographer in the northeast region Danielle is the Artistic Director and Founding Board Member for Seiche Dance Collective; Erie’s newest not-for-profit professional dance company Her passion resides in preserving the integrity of dance education by using her knowledge in both the education and dance fields to facilitate the future generation of dancers, choreographers, and dance educators She cherishes her time with her 2 5 year old son Caden, her husband Nick, and their new daughter Lila, born in November 2023
Danielle Kaiser
DANCE STAFF
John Prior
Assistant Technical Director, is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, having graduated from Central High School John has extensive experience working on the technical elements of production He continues his 18-year run working as a stagehand for Erie’s Warner Theatre and the Erie Insurance Arena John has also worked for Grisé Audio Visual for the last 10 years This is John’s fifth year working for the Mercyhurst University, where he continues to contribute his help and expertise to the Dance Department When John is not offering his technical expertise here and around the Erie area, he enjoys his passions of golf and music
Patrick Skelly
Stagehand / crew not only for Mercyhurst University but also for the IATSE union, local 113 Besides doing theater stage work he also dig graves, picks grapes and is the owner operator of Little Shop of Donuts located in North East, PA When Pat isn’t working you can find him enjoying the company of his wife, kids, and pets!
Matthew Tolbert
Theatre Technician, has worked as a technical assistant with Mercyhurst for 8 years under the tutelage of Greg Clepper, Michael Gleason, and Andrew Ferguson As a Mercyhurst Alum with a BA in Music and a BA in Arts Management, Matt had the privilege of being on stage as well as behind the scenes Beyond Mercyhurst, he has also had an illustrious career in sales and business development across various industries earning him multiple sales awards Matt is also the Chair of the Development Committee for Erie Arts and Culture and is a Board member of the Crawford Central Community Foundation Matt is very thankful for the opportunities and connections that have been made possible thanks to Mercyhurst and loves having the opportunity to give back and support the arts
Bob Steineck
Lighting designer, is currently resident lighting designer for Texture Contemporary Ballet, Mercyhurst University Department of Dance, Rennie Harris Puremovement, and New Horizon Theatre Mr Steineck has toured throughout the US and abroad with such companies as Rennie Harris Puremovement and RHAW, Reed Dance, Squonk Opera, Maria Del Rey, the Lyon Opera Ballet, Sankai Juku, Phoenix Dance Company, Kirov Ballet Academy and the "America Tour" for Stars on Ice Television/Video/DVD credits include the DIZZY GILLESPIE Allstar Big Band for A/E Cable, the SPYRO GYRA concert for PBS, Lindy and Loon for Maria Del Rey, JOHNNY A TRIO by Warner Bros Publications, and A Gathering of Sons for Pittsburgh Festival Opera He has designed for several corporate events including Mon Valley Sizzles Recent lighting designs include: Not My Revolution by actor and playwright, Elizabeth Huffmann Other designs include Rennie Harris’ Funkedified, Caravan: A Revolution on the Road featuring Terence Blanchard E-Collective, Rennie Harris Puremovement & Andrew Scott, American College Dance Association’s 2023 Festival, a futuristic adaption of Felix Mendelssohn’s ballet A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Mercyhurst University’s Department of Dance, and Texture Contemporary Ballet’s Transformations
Mercyhurst University Department of Dance Faculty and Staff
