Faculty

Lorraine Neal

Deborah New

Tracy Martin

Rosemary Leach

Allison Mann

Brandy Ofciarcik-Perez

Katie Flindall

Justin Hover

Isadora Snapp

Geneviève Pellman

Mary Jo Cahilly-Bretzin

Kiera Sauter

Pat Pritchett

Lorraine Neal is the founder, owner, and director of CD&FS. She has studied and continues to study with some of the great legends in modern and jazz, and has been teaching various styles of dance to students of all ages and levels throughout Vermont and New Hampshire since 1972. She was on the dance faculty of Goddard College, and was a master teacher for the Burklyn Ballet Theatre Summer Program for 10 years. Lorraine has choreographed, directed, produced, and performed in numerous dance and theater productions, and is the artistic director of Teen Jazz, a company of talented dancers from several Central Vermont area high schools. Founded in 1973 with a handful of students, CD&FS has now become a thriving hub for dance education and exercise in Central Vermont.

Lorraine teaches Jazz and Modern.
Deborah New received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College where she gained extensive experience in the Graham, Horton, Humphrey, and Luigi techniques of modern and jazz. Two masters degrees, one in Education from Harvard and the other in Anthropology from Indiana State, didn't slow down her pursuit of jazz, modern, lyrical, ballet, and musical theater training. She has been dancing and teaching at CD&FS since 2000, and has been on the dance faculty at Harwood Union and Montpelier High Schools. Debbie has choreographed numerous musical theater productions and is a member of the CD&FS faculty based performance group "Soup" which includes Tracy Martin, Abby Swan Pepin, Rosemary Leach, and Katie Flindall. Debbie's teaching, dancing, and performing skills are inspirational and all of us at CD&FS have come to love and appreciate the musicality and "pizzazz" of her original choreography.

Debbie teaches Jazz, Musical Theater, Lyrical Blues, and choreographs for Teen Jazz.
Tracy Martin graduated from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts Dance Department. She performed in several theater dance productions and, after moving to Vermont, has become artistic director of the Phantom Theater in Warren. She has been teaching modern, creative movement for children, and NIA throughout Vermont and has been on the CD&FS faculty for eight years. Tracy believes there is a dancer in everyone. She approaches all of her classes with unbridled enthusiasm and infuses all of her students with creativity and the joy of dancing.

Tracy's CD&FS classes are NIA, Dance for Kids, and Thoroughly Modern Tracy.
Rosemary Leach studied at CD&FS during her teen years and performed in Vermont and New Hampshire with the first Teen Jazz group under the direction of Lorraine Neal. That experience culminated with a tour of the Soviet Union in 1987. Rosemary went on to receive her B.A. in Dance and Cultural Studies at Hampshire College. After graduating, she performed with the Orts Theater of Dance in Tuscon, Arizona, and as a member of the Montana Transport Company in Missoula. She has taught dance to children, teens, college students, and adults in Vermont, Maine, Washington, Montana, and California. For the past 14 years, Rosemary has been on the faculty of the Bates Dance Festival Youth Arts Program, a dance, music, and theater project designed to reach and teach children of central Maine who would not otherwise have the opportunity or exposure to the performing arts. In 2006, Rosemary also became certified in the Power Pilates Mat technique. Rose is a member of the CD&FS faculty based performance group called "Soup." Her teaching, dancing, and performing skills are surpassed only by her infectious energy and warm, generous nature.

Rosemary currently teaches Modern, Junior Hip Hop, and Hip Hop for Teens and Adults.
Allison Mann has been studying African-Caribbean dance since 1987 with teachers from Cuba, NYC, West Africa, and Vermont. Allison holds a Vermont teachers license in dance and an M.A. in body-oriented psychotherapy. Seventeen years of teaching dance, music, and traditional academics, including mythology and cultural anthropology, have allowed her to cultivate an informed, sensitive, focused, and fun approach to teaching and learning. Allison became certified to teach Yoga in 2006, and is also a professional folk and jazz singer.

Allison teaches African Dance Workout and Full Body Conditioning.
Brandy Ofciarcik-Perez recieved her Bachelor of Arts in dance at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA where her studies included the Dunham technique, African, folk, and historical dance. She spent four years choreographing and performing at Frontier Western Theme Park in Ocean City, Maryland, and was a member of the Chartiers Valley Arts Council Dance Company where she became well-known for her "Sugar Plum Fairy." Since moving to Vermont, she has been a member of the Vermont Dance Collective under the direction of Maris Wolff, taught at Johnson State College, and founded the Ballet Wolcott. She has been teaching at CD&FS since 2003. Brandy says the highlight of her experience is, "Having the opportunity to share dance with so many people."

Brandy currently teaches Ballet at CD&FS.
Katie Flindall started taking dance classes at the age of 5 from Studio 3100 (now ArtisTree). She continued her professional ballet training at The National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada, and at the Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg, VA. Katie has been teaching classical ballet and modern-lyrical for 9 years. Her classes emphasize technical strength and agility. She believes that each student can achieve strength through movement and that finding that strength can be an uplifting experience. She is devoted to the arts, offering quality teaching in a fun, supportive, and creative environment to all ages. Katie is also a professional visual artist and is the owner of Moon House Art (www.moonhouseart.com). She and her husband, Sandy, live in Waterbury, VT. Katie is also a member of "Soup."

Katie teaches Ballet for children, teens and adults, Junior Jazz, Modern, and Junior Dance.
One of the newest members of our faculty.
One of the newest members of our faculty.