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| PBS Faculty |
Barbara Pontecorvo, Director, danced
professionally for twenty years and has taught
ballet for most of her career. She was principal
dancer with five ballet companies, including
Dayton Ballet, where she was also Director of
Dayton Ballet II and Associate Director of the
Dayton Ballet School. In addition to her primary
focus at PBS, Barbara is also Director of Gem City
Ballet, and sets the ballets of Stuart Sebastian on
companies internationally.
professionally for twenty years and has taught
ballet for most of her career. She was principal
dancer with five ballet companies, including
Dayton Ballet, where she was also Director of
Dayton Ballet II and Associate Director of the
Dayton Ballet School. In addition to her primary
focus at PBS, Barbara is also Director of Gem City
Ballet, and sets the ballets of Stuart Sebastian on
companies internationally.
Estelle Bean joined PBS after a long career of teaching at the Eugene Loring School, the
Schwarz School of Dance, Dayton Ballet School and her own Oxford Dance Center, among
others. Miss Estelle trained under such renowned teachers as Eugene Loring, William and
Harold Christensen, Vladamir Oboukov, Muriel Stuart, Anthony Tudor, Edward Caton,
Leon Danieleon and Robert Joffrey.
Jeri Dickey received her BFA in Dance from Wright State University and has danced
professionally with Los Angeles Ballet and other dance companies in the Ohio Valley Area.
She has received an Emmy award for her choreography for WHIO TV's Summer Nights. Jeri
is now a dance professor at Wright State University. Jeri also semi-annually produces a dance
concert to promote awareness and receive funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Michelle Goodman is PBS's wonder teacher with our little ones. She is also an adjunct
faculty member at WSU and Resident Choreographer of the Sorg and White Water Opera
Company.
Cindy Kaney has danced her entire life and has studied with Ruth Vernon, Irine Fokine,
Alexi Yudenish, and more recently with Jon Rodriguez, Bess Imber and Barbara Pontecorvo.
She has performed in most of the classic repertory, and she was a member of Bess Imber's
Chamber Dance Ensemble.
Celeste Mackenzie South African born Celeste has danced for most of her life. She passed all
the Royal Academy Ballet exams and then trained in London on a scholarship at the Royal
Ballet school. She danced professionally for thirteen years with five years as a principal dancer
before an injury cut short her career. Since retirement, Celeste has studied Pilates and various
other forms of exercise and has been teaching for twelve years. She is the director of Pilates at
the Xcel Sports Medicine Center in Vandalia, Ohio.
Jon Rodriguez is Professor Emeritus of Dance at Wright State University. He has danced
professionally with Ballets de Espana, Detroit Ballet Theatre, the Cincinnati Opera Company
and Dayton Ballet, where he was Co-associate Director and Artistic Director of the Dayton
Ballet Touring Company. He is one of the most requested guest teachers in the United States
and much beloved in the Dayton area.
Rodney Veal graduated from Eastern Michigan University and trained under Barbara
Pontecorvo. He was a principal dancer with Gem City Ballet from 1991 to 2005, has danced
lead roles for both GCB and PBS, has danced for the Dayton Opera and the Sorg and
Whitewater Opera Companies and has choreographed for GCB and PBS. His growing
expertise in choreography has awarded him with an Associate Fellowship Award from
MCACD in 2004.
Erin Kathleen Walsh, a native of Dayton, began her ballet career at the age of five. Walsh
was a member of Gem City Ballet, until 1998. She is a 2002 graduate of Ball State University
with a degree in Dance Performance, and a minor in Dance Education. In California, she was
a principal dancer with Metropolis Dance Theatre, a professional contemporary dance
company based in Los Angeles.
` Pianists: John Rippin, Cris Sidell
School Administrator: Sue Hanes
Schwarz School of Dance, Dayton Ballet School and her own Oxford Dance Center, among
others. Miss Estelle trained under such renowned teachers as Eugene Loring, William and
Harold Christensen, Vladamir Oboukov, Muriel Stuart, Anthony Tudor, Edward Caton,
Leon Danieleon and Robert Joffrey.
Jeri Dickey received her BFA in Dance from Wright State University and has danced
professionally with Los Angeles Ballet and other dance companies in the Ohio Valley Area.
She has received an Emmy award for her choreography for WHIO TV's Summer Nights. Jeri
is now a dance professor at Wright State University. Jeri also semi-annually produces a dance
concert to promote awareness and receive funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Michelle Goodman is PBS's wonder teacher with our little ones. She is also an adjunct
faculty member at WSU and Resident Choreographer of the Sorg and White Water Opera
Company.
Cindy Kaney has danced her entire life and has studied with Ruth Vernon, Irine Fokine,
Alexi Yudenish, and more recently with Jon Rodriguez, Bess Imber and Barbara Pontecorvo.
She has performed in most of the classic repertory, and she was a member of Bess Imber's
Chamber Dance Ensemble.
Celeste Mackenzie South African born Celeste has danced for most of her life. She passed all
the Royal Academy Ballet exams and then trained in London on a scholarship at the Royal
Ballet school. She danced professionally for thirteen years with five years as a principal dancer
before an injury cut short her career. Since retirement, Celeste has studied Pilates and various
other forms of exercise and has been teaching for twelve years. She is the director of Pilates at
the Xcel Sports Medicine Center in Vandalia, Ohio.
Jon Rodriguez is Professor Emeritus of Dance at Wright State University. He has danced
professionally with Ballets de Espana, Detroit Ballet Theatre, the Cincinnati Opera Company
and Dayton Ballet, where he was Co-associate Director and Artistic Director of the Dayton
Ballet Touring Company. He is one of the most requested guest teachers in the United States
and much beloved in the Dayton area.
Rodney Veal graduated from Eastern Michigan University and trained under Barbara
Pontecorvo. He was a principal dancer with Gem City Ballet from 1991 to 2005, has danced
lead roles for both GCB and PBS, has danced for the Dayton Opera and the Sorg and
Whitewater Opera Companies and has choreographed for GCB and PBS. His growing
expertise in choreography has awarded him with an Associate Fellowship Award from
MCACD in 2004.
Erin Kathleen Walsh, a native of Dayton, began her ballet career at the age of five. Walsh
was a member of Gem City Ballet, until 1998. She is a 2002 graduate of Ball State University
with a degree in Dance Performance, and a minor in Dance Education. In California, she was
a principal dancer with Metropolis Dance Theatre, a professional contemporary dance
company based in Los Angeles.
` Pianists: John Rippin, Cris Sidell
School Administrator: Sue Hanes
Photos: Jeff Sabo