Lee Gibaldi(Contemporary Lyrical, Modern, Musical Theatre Choreography) Ms. Lee holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology at Virginia Tech and is currently working toward her Master's in Education at Old Dominion University. During her undergraduate years, she was a member of the Contemporary Dance Ensemble at Virginia tech and served as their technical director, choreographer and member. This past season she returned to work at EVSPA and choreographed the "Roar of the Greasepaint" with the American Youth Players. Ms. Lee has also choreographed the "Sound of Music" and a "Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum". Her foundational training was received at the Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts under the tutelage of Sandra Balestracci. She has performed in the American Youth Ballet Company's production of "Nutcracker" in the title role as Clara and also performed in the American Youth Players in the "King and I" as Topsy Turvy.
Emily Hill (Creative Dance)
owner of the Arts Ballet Academy in Newport News, Ms. Hill's early training in her hometown of Steamboat Springs, CO was at Ballet Northwest, a ballet school that focused on pre-professional ballet training and the education and enrichment of dancers. She spent eleven years as a member of the school and company learning classical ballet based primarily on Vaganova technique with exposure to contemporary ballet, modern, jazz, Pilates, stretching, flamenco, and others. She attended the 2007 Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet's Teacher Training Workshop and in 2008 she began studying the Leap N' Learn early childhood dance syllabus created by Beverly Spell.
Chris Hull (Acting)holds a B.A. in Theater Arts from California State University, Fullerton. Mr. Hull made his debut with the American Youth Players in last spring’s production of “Roar of the Greasepaint,” lending his professional talents to the cause. He is currently performing with Colonial Williamsburg in Revolutionary City, and has performed in their Emmy winning production of A More Perfect Union. He has performed for HBO special, Deadwood; Season One and Rosie Rumpe’s Regal Dumpe. Mr. Hull’s musical theater credits include, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom and Cabaret. His drama credits include Polly Honeycomb, Cry Witch!, Ghost Among Us, Christmas Tide at Home, Under the Redcoat, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Arsenic and old lace, The Philadelphia Story, Death on the Nile, My Husband’s Wild Desires, Edmond, 24-Hour Theatre Project, As You Like It, The Crucible, The Nerd. He is also a director and production designer.
Jennifer Lent (Broadway Jazz/Tap and Choreography)Ms. Lent is a Professor of Dance and Musical Theater at Christopher Newport University and previously at Western Carolina University. Ms. Lent holds a B.A. in Theater from The College of William & Mary in Virginia and an M.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from Florida State University. She performed for six years with Busch Gardens Entertainment Williamsburg and Tampa Bay, Florida. Outside the university setting, Jennifer has taught dance in VA, NC, NJ, and FL. Her work, "Oklahoma City," based on the bombing, was accepted into "Take a Chance Choreographer's Showcase" at New Dance Group Arts in NYC. Ms. Lent has performed two seasons with The Lost Colony, and has performed as a vocalist/dancer for Legends in Concert. She has also worked with Gwen Verdon, Ben Vereen, and Ann Reinking with The Broadway Theater Project.
Lois Nichols (Early Childhood, Ballet) received her dance training as an undergraduate at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. After obtaining a Masters in Dance Therapy from Boston University, she was a science teacher in New York City for several years and remained active in the arts by teaching modern dance and movement therapy classes and by choreographing for community musicals. Upon returning to Virginia, she volunteered in the primary and secondary Newport News school systems for twenty years, while raising her family of six. With a lifelong passion for dance, Lois continues to take and teach classes in classical ballet. Ms. Nichols attends a yearly dance workshop aimed at teaching ballet technique to students of all levels. This is her fifth year teaching at EVSPA.
Denise Ridley(Ballet, Modern) Ms. Ridley holds a Pilates Mat Level I certification. Her performing credits included various roles in Capa Fund's productions such as the Nutcracker from 2000-2008 with the American Youth Ballet Company and the King and I with the American Youth Players. Ms. Ridley began her dance studies at Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts in 1994 and apprenticed under Sandra Balestracci. Ms. Ridley has been part of the EVSPA staff since 1999.
Elisabeth Tarodi(Dance Sport, Ballroom) originally from Hungary, is a professional Dance champion with more than 36 years experience in International Ballroom Dance, Standard and Latin. She has been coaching for Rising Star children foundation in Philadelphia since 2006, Dance Masters Dance Studio in Richmond, Hollandale Millennium Ballroom in Florida, Probitas TSE, Hungary. She is the former Vice-President of the Hungarian Adjudicator Association. Ms. Tarodi is not only certified as an IDSF Adjudicator, she is also the Vice President of the Adjudicator Committee of the Hungarian Dance Sport Association. She is also licensed as a World Dance & Dance Sport Competitor Professional.
