Faculty

Kathy Martin-Palmo, Studio Director and Instructor

Contact by email at director@institutefordance.org

Ms. Kathy is a native of Long Island, New York. Through the years Ms. Kathy has trained in tap and jazz with The June Claire Dance Center with Lynda Gache', Broadway Dance Center with Frank Hatchett and Steps. She has eighteen years of teaching experience at The June Claire Dance Center in Long Island specializing in tap, jazz, and children's work. From 1991-1993, Ms. Kathy taught dance at the Port Jefferson Elementary School Dance Program. Ms. Kathy has had students go on to both teaching and professional dance careers such as “The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular,” “Tap Dogs” and “The Spirit of Dance.” This will be Ms. Kathy's seventh year here teaching her New York style tap, jazz, and hip-hop dance.

Kristine Antis, Instructor and Director, The Williamsburg Ballet Theatre

Ms. Kristine has an extensive background as a professional dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Professionally, she has been a Principal with Columbia Classical Ballet as well as The National Ballet of Crofton, performing leads in Carmen, Giselle, Madame Butterfly, Grand Pas from The Nutcracker, and Snow Pas. She was a soloist with the Richmond Ballet as well as Eugene Ballet, performing in Swan Lake, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Chopiniana, and many repertoire ballets. She has both taught and choreographed for Spoleto. Ms. Antis received most of her schooling in California with The Berkeley Ballet, Solano Civic Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and then Richmond Ballet summer program. While dancing in South Carolina, she became certified in Mat Pilates, and has been teaching it ever since. While living in Maryland, she taught for three years at The Washington School of Ballet, at Olney, Crofton, and also at The Body College, where she received training on apparatus for Pilates, and was later certified in New York. Ms. Antis lives with her husband, six cats and one dog in Prince George, Virginia.

Taryn Paskewich, Instructor

Ms. Taryn, originally from New Jersey, moved to Williamsburg over two years ago. She graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in 2004 with a Bachelors Degree in Exercise Science and Sports Studies. She studied dance at her local studio and received much of her experience dancing competively all over the country. Ms. Taryn also performed in The Shore Ballet Company's "Coppelia" and as Clara in "The Nutcracker", along with other leading roles. After graduating college, Ms. Taryn danced professionally for the NBA as Captain of the New Jersey Nets Dance Team where she choreographed and performed for two seasons. Since living in Virginia, Ms. Taryn has volunteered in coaching for the William & Mary Tribal Dancers and is moving into her third year in teaching at The Institute for Dance.

Elizabeth Pierce, Instructor

Ms. Elizabeth is a student at The College of William and Mary, planning on majoring in Business and English. She has been dancing for 17 years and has been on an award-winning competitive dance team for 10 of those years.

Lisa Hunt, Instructor

Ms. Lisa has been studying Irish dance for the past ten years under the tutelage of Heather Mailey-Esposito, TCRG, director of An Cor Rud (The Reel Thing) of Virginia Beach. She has also studied at the Boston College Gaelic Roots program with renowned teachers from the United States, Canada, and Europe. Lisa dances at the Open Championship level of competition and competed in the 2004-2005 World Championships as well as the 2004-2005 North American Championships. She has performed on stage with the Eileen Ivers  Band and The Chieftains among others. She hosts and calls Ceilis in her hometown and strongly supports Irish figure dancing in both its social and competitive forms. Lisa is presently working on completing her TCRG certification.

Sarah E. Ross, Instructor

Sarah began her dance training at the age of three in Lexington, Virginia. She became a member/soloist in the Rockbridge Ballet in 1997. While earning her undergraduate degree at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), she took class with guest artists Donald McKayle, Charles Scott, Gerri Houlihan, Robert Battle, Maria Bauman and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar of Urban Bush Women, Monica Bill Barnes, and faculty Scott Putman, Melanie Richards, Jill Brammer Ware and Judith Steel. She studied ballet under the instruction of Susan Massey, Arnott Mader, and Julie Job of the Richmond Ballet,as well as ballroom dance under John Massey, and African-Caribbean dance under Faye Walker. Ross has also had the privilege of dancing in works by VCU faculty member Jill Brammer-Ware and guest artists Gerri Houlihan and Robert Battle. Ross has presented her own work in the VCU Dance Spring Informal, Salon, and Spring 2007 Senior Projects. Ross earned a B.F.A in Dance and Choreography in May 2007. She is currently a member of Starr Foster Dance Project in Richmond, Virginia. She plans to pursue a M.F.A in dance. This is her first year teaching at the Institute for Dance.

Susan Talebi, Instructor

Susan started classical ballet training at five years old. She studied at Jane Bittner's Dance Studio in Olney, Maryland where she participated in an intensive program where she studied technique, pointe, modern, jazz & character. She was cast as the lead in Cinderella, and performed as soloist in Hansel and Gretel. For the Nutcracker she performed as the Snow Queen, Spanish and Lead Flower in Waltz of the Flowers, soloist in Les Sylphides, and also performed traditional Chinese folk dancing with the East West Ballet Company. She was accepted in the dance department at Mercyhurst College and while there joined The Lake Erie Ballet Theater. Most recently she graduated from The College of William and Mary where she continued her dance education. We welcome her to the I-Dance family.

Lindsey Kravitz, Instructor

Lindsey started dancing in 1993 with the Institute for Dance. At the age of eleven, she began student teaching under Miss Sharon. Six years later, Lindsey has moved up to one of the faculty members at The Institute for Dance. She is currently teaching 5 classes: Junior Hip Hop, Tap 1A, Ballet 1, Tap 1 and Jazz 1. Lindsey is a Senior at Jamestown High School and recently received her acceptance letter to The College of William and Mary, where she plans on studying Elementary Education.