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See the Fall 2008 Class Schedule
Current Faculty Bios
Christina
Bolden (Mediterranean Fusion Dance - Belly Dance & Flamenco) See an example of Christina's dance style.
Christina
Bolden is a locally based dance instructor and choreographer. She graduated
Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University. Her dance
background includes extensive training in ballet and Middle Eastern dancing, as
well as training in modern and flamenco. As the creator of the Mediterranean
Fusion class, Ms. Bolden has combined her love of ethnic dance with modern
dance theories to form a unique blend of movement. Her postmodern approach to
dance challenges students to redefine their ideas of dance and movement art,
while encouraging them to merge styles that generally remain independent of
each other. Ms. Bolden recently premiered her choreographic work, Limitations,
at the May 2007 Performance Time Artist Series. She has also performed with the
Yalla Raqs Dance Troupe led by Donna Blakley. She considers dancers and artists
such as Merche Esmeralda, Nacho Duato, Agnes de Mille and Oliver Theyskens to
be inspirations. She has also worked in arts administration, writing grants and
securing sponsorships. Her interests outside of dance include travel, art and
French culture. She also serves as the Director of Entertainment on the
Cincinnati Art Museum One World Wednesday Advisory Board. Anita Eshleman (Core Yoga)
Anita has been practicing yoga and pilates for 7 years, studying both Anusara and Ashtanga Yoga. Anita began practicing yoga as a way to destress and maintain fitness after a long day of teaching eighth graders. She introduced yoga to her students and saw the peace this brought to the classroom. She wanted to share this love of yoga - its physical and mental healing - with others. After building a strong daily practice, she received her Registered Yoga Teaching certification with an emphasis in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga at Yoga Ah Studio in Cincinnati, studying with Amber Espelage.
Diana
Ford (Just Dance)
Find out more about Diana at her web page.
Diana L.
Ford (Choreographer/Dancer) is a graduate of the School for the Creative and
Performing Arts. She has a bachelor’s degree in Communications –
Radio/Television from Northern Kentucky University. She has worked at N.K.U. in
the I.T. – Media Production and Distribution Division, as a Media Coordinator,
and was responsible for daily cable television operations on Northern Cable
Television/Channel 18, satellite downlinking and recordings, and assisting with
video and audio production and distribution. Diana has a wide range of Theater
and Media experience, both onstage or offstage, including 2 years as a
Production Assistant with Channel 12/WKRC, and performing in shows with the
Cincinnati Children’s Theater. She also choreographed one version of the
musical “100 Years of Divas in American Music…” and performed in the show in
various capacities. She has performed in multiple Rhythm & Motion
demonstrations throughout Cincinnati under the direction of Heather Britt from
the Cincinnati Ballet. Ms. Ford choreographed the thought provoking 20 minute
piece called “FREE AT LAST” which included audio, video and dancers. It was
premiered at the Performance and Time Arts Series at the Contemporary Dance
Theater (CDT) in March 2006. She also teaches her "Just Dance" class
at CDT. In addition, she recently put together a fairly large dance, poetry and
music production called *The Woman Within (Letting Go…)*, which she
choreographed as well. Diana has a very broad singing and acting background,
and she writes as well.
Kasib Hasan (Kids & Teens Hip Hop)
Kasib
Hasan is a dancer with over 20 years of experience. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio
where he is cofounder and director of phantasee entertainment. He started
dancing with his cousins as a hobby, to nurture his skill he performed and
competed in neighborhood competitions and showcases. This is how he developed
his techniques and was educated in the craft of hip-hop dance. Later in his
career he added ballet, tap and cultural African dance to his repertoire.
Kasib laid the foundation
for his career as a dancer and choreographer in 1983 at age 12. At that time he
attended the School for the Creative and Performing Arts. In the first two of
his three years there he held a double major of art and instrumental music as
well as a double minor of creative writing and vocal music. Kasib Hasan left
SCPA after being selected as a pilot student for Burton Elementary School,
Computers in Education program. He returned his seventh grade year and majored
in drama and dance and minors of vocal and instrumental music. He graduated
from the Hughes Center School of Computer Professions as Junior Achievement VP
of Marketing, Jobs for Cincinnati Graduates Vice President as well as Senior
Class Vice President.
He
has served as Activities Coordinator for the Substance Abuse Awareness &
Prevention Strategies Program. Currently he is in his Twentieth Year as
Executive/Artistic Director of phantasee
entertainment. Using his skills he plans to work with area youth in the PEACE-YARD project.
Steve
Irwin (Musical Theatre Dance I/II and Hip Hop I/ II)
Steve
Irwin 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, the Governor’s School of the Arts, and
currently on staff at Cincinnati Ballet. He is pleased to be teaching at CDT.
Rachel
James (Modern Dance I and II)
Rachel
has been dancing for the joy of it all her life. Along with several years at
CDT with an eclectic and generous faculty, she has studied dance at Vassar
College and The Dance Place in Washington, DC. As a performer, Rachel has
worked with many local choreographers including Christina DiGiovanni, Jeri
Gatch, Tricia Gelmini, Diane Germaine, Judith Mikita, Susan Moser, Linda Reiff,
Fanchon Shur, and Cheryl Wallace. She also was a member of Mam-Luft&Co.
Dance, Cincinnati's newest modern dance company, for their 2007-2008 season.
Rachel’s choreography has been presented by Louisville’s Moving Collective,
CDT’s Performance and Time Arts Series, and has twice been chosen for the
annual Choreographers Without Companies Concert. She also holds an M.A. from
Gallaudet University in Interpretation and works as a nationally certified sign
language interpreter.
Jaron Joiner (Hip Hop Workshop - Freestyle and Breaking)
Cincinnatian Jaron Joiner is a
professional b-boy performer, instructor, and choreographer. He's the president
of a b-boying crew called b-boy Unlimited and also models acts, raps and sings.
Jaron has been in local magazines
as a model and won Top 10 Body and Best
Dancer Awards in Millie Lewis Talent Competition. Jaron studied biomechanics,
anatomy, and physiology as a personal trainer. Jaron has performed in China,
California and Florida, judges the Jamfest Dance Competitions and has done
workshops for dance teams, belly dancers, lyrical, tap, salsa and freestyle
dancers. Jaron explains, "My unique style of teaching embraces individuality,
personality and character." He also currently is working on his own commercials
and dance TV network to continue to bring positivity and spread the love through
hip-hop, dance and life.
Emily
Kettula (Jazz I/II)
Emily
received her BA in German Literature at the University of Cincinnati as well as
a scholarship to study for a year at the University of Essen in Germany. She
then returned to Cincinnati after a year of studying and dancing in Germany.
Emily has been dancing throughout her childhood and adult life, mainly focusing
on classical ballet but also training in jazz, tap, and modern. She has taught
dance for over 10 years. Her choreography has won top awards at competitions,
as well as at the Annual Young Choreographers Showcase at Burklyn Ballet
Theatre. She spent 8 summers dancing with Burklyn Ballet Theatre in Vermont.
Emily has performed many roles there, including soloist parts in LaBayadere and
Don Quixote, as well as acting as counselor and Choreographer in Residence.
Emily danced with Northern Ballet Theatre in Nashua, New Hampshire in 2004.
Emily is currently completing her Masters in German literature and will begin
work on her doctorate this fall at UC. She also teaches and choreographs at the
Mason Dance Center. Emily is thrilled to join CDT this season.
Dolores
Lagdameo (Modern III)
Dolores
graduated from Ohio State University with a B.F.A. in Modern Dance. In 1997,
Dolores moved to New York City to perform in Bridget Moore’s evening length
project, Unspoken Changes. From 2002 to 2005, Dolores worked with Ms. Moore in
a number of projects including This Woman’s Work, an annual dance festival
celebrating choreography by women of color. From 2002 to 2004, Dolores worked with
Nathan Trice, performing in works such as Mothers in a number of New York
venues including Aaron Davis Hall and Alvin Ailey Theater. In 2006, Dolores
joined Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn under the direction of Jamel
Gaines. With Creative Outlet, Dolores has performed a majority of the company’s
repetoire in a variety of NYC venues, in Spoletto, Italy, and most recently in
the National Black Arts Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.
Flora
Leptak-Moreau (Creative Dance for Children)
Flora
Leptak-Moreau is from the Caribbean Island of Dominica. She has danced all her
life and directs both Kai Kweol Caribbean Music & Dance and Ballet
Caraibes. She has been teaching dance to children and adults for many, many
years.
Adriana Martinez (Zumba)
Adriana
Martinez is originally from Mexico and has been a dancer since she was
5 years old, with many years in formal training in a variety of dance
styles such as classic ballet, Mexican folkloric, and belly dance.
Dancing is Adriana's passion and her classes are full of joy and
rhythms like salsa, cumbia, merengue, reggeaton, flamenco, samba and
belly dance. Her Zumba class is a high energy aerobic workout set to
Latin rhythms with a goal to help you burn calories and have fun while
you dance. For more information about Zumba and Adriana's schedule,
visit www.zumba.com.
Judith
Mikita (Modern Dance - Advanced)
Judith
Mikita, whose energy and theatricality surround her work, focuses on blending
virtuosity of performance with imaginative human dynamic. As a dance educator, Judith has served on
the faculties of the University of Chicago, Columbia College, Indiana
University, Antioch College, Northern Kentucky University, and Interlochen Center
for the Arts, and has been invited as guest artist to several other schools and
colleges, including Miami University and the University of Utah. She currently
serves as adjunct faculty to the University of Cincinnati's College
Conservatory of Music. Judith holds an MFA in Dance from the University of
Michigan and a BA in Theater and Dance from Indiana University. She has taught
modern dance technique, ballet, jazz, children's movement, improvisation,
composition,and dance history and appreciation.
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