Lisa Huneke and Adam Curry (Swing)
See Adam and Lisa dancing here on our Facebook Page
Lisa Huneke danced ballet, tap, and jazz growing up, and began swing dancing in 2003, starting with Ohio State University's Swing Dance Club. Since her first East Coast lesson, she has learned Lindy Hop, Charleston, Blues, Balboa, Shag, and occasionally dances West Coast Swing. She has traveled to many national events and workshops including All Balboa Weekend and The Boston Tea Party to have fun, dance, compete, and learn. Living in Cincinnati, she is a member of the Cincinnati SnapShots swing dance troupe, with whom she practices, performs, and competes. She is enjoying taking on more challenges in her dancing – including teaching, DJing, and leading.
Adam Curry has been swing dancing in the local scene of Cincinnati, OH since 2005. Since learning East Coast swing from the local instructors, he has learned Lindy Hop, Charleston, (some) Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. Adam has taught mostly regionally in Ohio and Kentucky, but he has taught as far away as Galway, Ireland in 2007. He has attended many national events such as The Boston Tea Party and Beantown where he has spent his vacation doing what he loves the most. Adam also attends many social dances throughout the U.S.A. and Canada. He is a member of the Cincinnati Snapshots dance troupe in which competes and performs in regional (and someday national) events. Adam continues to strive to build the swing community in Cincinnati, as well as eager to grow in his teaching abilities and dancing.
Adam & Lisa are both member of the Cincinnati Snapshots dance troupe. In 2008, the team took third place at the Dayton Swing Smackdown, and first place in the team competition at Swing, IN, where Lisa was also a finalist in the Jack and Jill contest. In June of 2009, Adam and Lisa placed first in the Swingin' On Main (Lexington) dance contest.
Amos Brown (Salsa I & II)
Amos Brown began his dance training with parents Amos Sr. and Alpha Omega Brown. He won his first dance contest with his baby sister Felicia under their parents tutelage. His dance interests include modern, jazz, hip hop, Latin, African, and occasionally some classical dance genres. The years of hard work and time learning these different dance styles have given him the opportunity to dance with the Shekinah Glory Dancers, opening up for gospel recording artist Darwin Hopps. Interested in expanding his horizons, Amos started learning Ballroom from former Champion Susie Lasko. It was through her urging that Amos regained his desire to compete. He won first in Cha, Cha, Cha, and Swing. It was soon after these successes that he began learning the salsa basics. Unaware that a fire from within was about to be unleashed, Amos practiced and trained sometimes up to 1:00am and was dancing up to three or four times per week. In addition to perfecting his salsa skills, he audition and won a part as an Actor/Cotton Club Swing Dancer in the play, This Joint is Jumping produced by Norbert Brown, the creature of A Good Man is Hard to Find. Amos' theater interests drew him to audition with Ballet Tech Cincinnati where he performed in Shall We Dance, The Conductors, Green Legs and Ham, Made in America, and Jazzy Sleeping Beauty. These productions had many diverse styles of dance which Amos enjoyed very much. Still as Amos' love for salsa grew and expanded he began competing and placing consistently in the top three. In 2009, Amos won the Salsa category in the So You Think You Can Dance Competition in Dayton, Ohio. He then learned Rueda and joined and performed with Cincinnati's first Rueda dance team Pan n Canela. As Amos continued learning and competing, he began earning a reputation for being a good salsa dancer and was asked to start teaching salsa. Amos is currently teaching LA, NY, and Casio/Miami style salsa. I would like to personally thank all of the individual's master instructors across the country, who helped me in my personal development in the art of salsa dancing and teaching." Thank you; Eddie Torres, Shaka Gonzalez Brown, Rogelio Moreno, Henry Herrera, Patricia Paz "Rueda."
Colleen Byrne (Modern Dance)
Colleen is a native of Cleveland and a current resident of Florence, Kentucky, received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from The University of Akron. She has studied modern, ballet, pointe, jazz and tap, and was the recipient of multiple scholarship awards. Ms. Byrne has performed stagings of David Parsons’ and Petipa's works, as well as work by Hernando Cortez of Verb Ballets. She has taught in Akron and Cleveland, Ohio. She is a first-year member of MamLuft&Co. Dance.
Nicole Hunter (Modern Dance)
Nicole has been dancing for 22 years and has taught a variety of dance forms throughout her career. Nicole spent four years as a executive member and dancer in Miami University's Dance Theater, where she set several works for the company. Nicole received her B.S. in Business from Miami University in 2002 and her J.D. from the University of Dayton School of Law in 2006. Most recently, Nicole worked with Judith Mikita in a piece performed in the Choreographer's Without Companies 35th Anniversary Choreographer's Festival.
Ka-Ron Brown Lehman (Modern - Intro to Lehman Technique)
Ms. Lehman's class for CDT is a LIMITED ENGAGEMENT EXCLUSIVE!
Ms. Lehman came to Ohio in June 2007 from home town Los Angeles, California. She trained intensely under Carolyn Skyers, J. Erglis Smaltzoff, George Zurich, Michael Panaieff, Karol Shook, Tanaquil LeClercq, Doug Rivera, Thelma Hill, James Truitte, Eunice Cane, and Jimmy Fields. An established, featured muse for well-known choreographers like Joseph Rickard, Claude Thompson, Donald McKayle, Jamie Rodgers, Andre Tremaine, Miguel Godreau and a host of others. Gained a rich legacy of credits and awards on concert stages, TV Variety Series, Award Specials, Broadway, Films and Commercials. A dedicated educator of forty-three years, throughout the US, Finland, Canada and Australia, known for spotting talent, motivating students, and helping them unlock their emotions through dance. Taught Contemporary Modern and Choreography at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts for 21 years, and provided Artistic Direction for the Dance Department 2001-2006. Earned a Distinguished Teacher Award by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, the American Choreography 2004 Educator Award, LACHSA Alumni Association's Outstanding Arts Educator Award in 2006, and nominations for Disney Teacher of the Year. Ms. Lehman produced and choreographed numerous dance concerts for the Lehman Dance Company, and in 1993, created the Annual Lehman Awards to honor members of the dance community, and to educate young dancers about the rich legacy of dance. Since moving to Ohio, Ms. Lehman has been an adjudicator for the '08 & '09 Overture Awards semifinals, participated in CDT 35th Choreographers Without Companies Festival at the Aronoff, guest instructed at, Ohio State, CDT, and the CBA 2008 Summer Dance Intensive. Presently Co-Director of Cincinnati Choreographers' Collective, Adjunct Dance Professor at UC College Conservatory of Music and teaches at the Cincinnati Ballet Academy.
Steve Irwin (Hip Hop beg. & inter.; Musical Theater Dance)
Steve has been dancing professionally for over twenty years. He has performed on cruise ships, at dinner theaters and theme parks. Steve's teaching credits include Northern Kentucky University's Governor's School of the Arts, and currently on staff at Cincinnati Ballet. He is pleased to be teaching at CDT.
Allison Jacobs (Wiggle, Giggle, Imagine; Introduction to Dance I & II)
Allison has been dancing and teaching in greater Cincinnati and New York City for the past twenty years. Her dance training is primarily focused on Ballet and Modern. However, Allison is also well versed in Tap, Jazz, Hip-hop, Musical Theater, Swing, and Contact Improvisation. Allison has worked with Tanze Performing Arts Studio, Hamilton Ballet Theater, Miami Valley Ballet Theater, Long Island University, Contemporary Dance Theater, Ballet Tech, and Fresh Air Fund. Most recently, Allison has taught dance for Contemporary Dance Theater, Cincinnati Waldorf School, and Cincinnati Public Schools. In addition to teaching dance Allison is currently a student at Northern Kentucky University working towards degrees in Psychology and Sociology.
Jeanne Mam-Luft, MFA (Modern Dance, Movement & Music Jam)
Jeanne is the director/choreographer of MamLuft&Co. Dance and has recently joined Contemporary Dance Theater as Assistant Director. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University, where she also studied drama, and a Master of Fine Arts from Texas Woman's University. As an interdisciplinary artist who dabbles in many fields, including photography and multiple forms of design, her goal as an artist is to bring together various disciplines and ways-of-thinking in order to create dance. She and MamLuft&Co. Dance are the recipients/co-recipients of grants from Fine Arts Fund, The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, The Merck Corporations, and Carnegie Mellon University/Jared Cohon. She is also a scholarship recipient of the American Dance Festival and the Bates Dance Festival. Visit www.mamluftcodance.com for more information.
Kori Martodam (Movement & Music Jam)
Kori began her dance training at Denison University and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Performance. She has choreographed a number of original works, including an evening-length theater/dance hybrid entitled "Swimming in the Dark." Kori continued to study performance through theater and dance workshops, movement jams, teaching, and improvisation. She is a faculty member at Contemporary Dance Theater and is choreographing a new work for Choreographers Without Companies this June. Kori is excited to re-engage in the creative process of making dances again after devoting several years to her career in nursing. She is currently a Registered Nurse in University Hospital's Surgical Intensive Care Unit.
Amy Minefee (Zumba)
Amy “discovered” Zumba fitness 5 years ago. She loves how Zumba fitness allows you to let go, dance, and lose yourself in the exotic “foreign” rhythms, all the while getting an amazing workout. She is certified to teach Zumba Basic classes.
Irene Mirci (Classic Arab Dance)
Irene was born in Italy and grew up in Australia. Throughout her youth she traveled around Europe, as far as Pakistan, India, Tunisia, Syria, and Yemen. During this time she had a great interest for their more sophisticated form of dance and some years later started seriously studying Raqs Sharki (Dance from the East) and Arabic Folklore. She enrolled in some of the best schools in Italy and attended regular classes with dedication for over six years learning the subtle art of Arab dance from some of the best teachers and dancers in Italy. Irene studied classic Arab dance and Folklore with dedication and followed the teachings of Egyptian dancer Amal Khalifa and the Egyptian dance instructor Saad Ismail of the M. Reda Dance Troupe. She studied and performed with American dancer and anthropologist, Mylitta. With Italian dancer and C.U.S. instructor Maria Luisa Sales, she studied a more contemporary style combining Dance Oriental with elements of Bharatnatyam, Creative Movement, and Flamenco. Irene was the acclaimed and talented primary dancer at the "Cleopatra" Club-Restaurant in Rome, Italy in 2004/2005, and she participated in various shows and live performances during cultural events, weddings, and parties around the world. She began teaching Arab Dance and Choreography classes in 2001. In October 2006, Irene relocated to the United States and is now residing here in Cincinnati. She says "I have a particular interest in languages and folklore and have always been irresistibly curious about other cultures. When I meet a language barrier, I find it is much easier to relate to people while dancing to their folk music. A step and a smile will bring you closer than a thousand words."
Michelle Morano (Yoga)
Michelle graduated with honors from Ohio University School of Dance. Since 2000, she has worked with such choreographers as Diane Germaine, Kelly Gottesman, Linda Reiff, Cheryl Wallace, and was a dancer, workshop leader, and co-collaborator in Fanchon Shur's FLIGHT, FIGHT, FREEZE! project. She is currently a guest artist with MamLuft&Co. Dance. Michelle has been involved as a dancer/choreographer with the Secret Commonwealth Folk Dance Opera projects funded by Dan Dutton. She has also worked with various other companies including Mind Collision Dance Company, Pilobolus, Shawn Womack Dance Company, Village Productions Contemporary Ballet Company, Mark Taylor Dance Company, and Liz Lerman. Her own work has been seen in Cincinnati's Fringe Festival, in collaborations with Moving Art Dance Company, and most recently in a collaboration with choreographer Diane Germaine (entitled "Monologue and Little Deaths"). Michelle is a certified Pilates instructor and has a studio in the Kenwood area where she works with private clients.
Mindy Nagel (Ballet)
Mindy is a locally based dancer and choreographer. She has been dancing for over 20 years and has been the Artistic Director of Rising Tide Dance Company, a Christian worship dance company, since 2006. Mindy's dance background includes training in ballet, modern, jazz, character, tap, ballroom, and other dance styles. She trained at the University of Akron Dance Institute, Wadsworth School of Ballet, Otterbein College, and various summer programs. Mindy has performed with Rising Tide Dance Company, Otterbein College Dance Company, Northeast Ohio Dance Ensemble, University of Akron Repertory Dance Company, and in Choreographers Without Companies. She has worked with the Cincinnati Ballet, Ohio Arts Council, and the Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Mindy has taught ballet, modern, jazz and tap for several studios in the Cincinnati and Columbus areas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein College and a Master of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Cincinnati. She is a licensed Physical Therapist at NovaCare in West Chester and an adjunct instructor of Dance Injury Prevention at the University of Cincinnati.
