Today she is active in all parts of the business, especially aiding in the growth and development of The Thomas Dance Company. Jessica choreographs tap, jazz, lyrical, and gymnastics dances for fi ve levels of The Thomas Dance Company. She is a ten-time Best Choreography winner, with her work being recognized in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and New York. Damon graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in 1997, continuing on to pursue a performing career at Baldwin Wallace College in Ohio. There he received a B.A. in music, with a minor in business administration. After college, Damon remained in Cleveland working as production manager for the Lyric Opera of Cleveland. After that experience he returned to Pittsburgh to manage the family’s retail store Stayin’ Alive Dancewear. Since coming back to this area Damon has continued to be active in Pittsburgh’s performing community. He performed Catch Me If You Can with the St. Vincent Summer Theatre, as well as Grease, West Side Story, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Annie, and 42nd Street with StageRight! in Greensburg. Damon has also expanded his business knowledge through a real estate partnership, C.O.V. Properties. Staff member Patti Kikta also resides in Upper St. Clair, with her husband, Tom, and children, Matt, Ben, Tim, and Emily. The arts brought Patti and Tom together while in college at the North Carolina School for the Arts. Patti was pursuing her B.F.A. in dance and Tom his bachelor’s degree in music. They have been living in Upper St. Clair for the past 11 years. While at Upper St. Clair High School, Tom was active in musical theatre and performed in the school’s spring musicals. He played Curly in Oklahoma, Jesus Christ in Godspell, Professor Higgins in My Fair Lady, and Tony in West Side Story. Today, Tom is director of Classic Guitar and director of Recording Arts and Science at Duquesne University. Tom was inducted into the Upper St. Clair High
Damon, Linda, and Jessica Spencer
School Arts Hall of Fame in 2001, being recognized for the technical advice he gave during the reconstruction of the high school theatre. After graduating from North Carolina School for the Arts, Patti performed as an apprentice with the Boston Ballet and New York City Ballet, and as a principal with the Mid-Atlantic Ballet. During this time,
she studied with such notables as Mikhail Baryshnikov and Patrick Swayze. After moving to Pittsburgh, Patti taught ballet and pointe classes at The Thomas Studio. This year marks her 18th year on staff. She choreographs ballet and pointe for three levels of the dance company. Patti’s students have received numerous awards, and she has won Best Choreography awards at regional and national levels. Spreading her talents throughout the community, Patti teaches dance classes for the High School’s physical education program. Patti and Tom’s four children attend Upper St. Clair schools. Matt is a junior at the high school and active in varsity football. He also gives private guitar lessons out of his home to younger students. Ben, a freshman, participates in football, wrestling, and track. Their youngest son, Tim, is in seventh grade at Fort Couch Middle School and is active in football, wrestling, and track. Emily, a sixth grader at Boyce, has followed in her mother’s footsteps with her passion for dance. She began dancing at The Thomas Studio at age two and is now an award-winning member of The Thomas Dance Company. This past winter she auditioned for and was accepted (on scholarship) in Point Park University’s International Summer Dance program. She has also danced in the prestigious School of American Ballet’s summer program, and with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and North Carolina Dance Theatre.
For more information or to receive a summer brochure contact: The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts 1900 Painters Run Road Pittsburgh, PA 15241 412.257.2000 www.thomasdance.com Tom and Patti Kikta Summer 2005
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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