Main Faculty

ALICIA KILLELA (Director)

is a graduate of the University of Hartford, Hartt School of Dance, class of 2005 with a B.F.A. in Ballet Pedagogy. While in college she has had the opportunity to work with instructors and choreographers such as Peggy Lyman, Adam Miller, Katie Stevinson-Nollet, Susan Brooker, Hilda Morales, Alla Nikitina, Amy Marshall, Peter O'Brien, Ralph Perkins, Pascal Benichou, and Rebecca Anderson Darling. She has performed in various works by Martha Graham, Jean Grand-Maitre, Marius Petipa, and Joanne Whitehill. Additionally, she has performed with Albany Berkshire Ballet in their annual Nutcracker from 1990-1997. Alicia has also attended Burklyn Ballet Theater for two summer programs. She is now entering her fourth year as the Director of Dance Arts, which she performed under the directorships of Deborah Wright Haskins and Lisa Baldyga Harty, prior to attending the Hartt School of Dance. Additionally, she studied acro, tap, jazz, lyrical and modern at Dancer's Image up until her graduation from Westfield High School.

Guest/Master Teachers

LISA BALDYGA HARTY

is a 1988 graduate of the Juilliard School with a B.F.A. Degree in Dance. She has also studied at the Boston Conservatory, Jacob's Pillow, Jose Limon Institute, Skidmore College, and at various studios in New York City. She has had the opportunity to study with world-renowned instructors and choreographers including Anna Sokolow, Martha Hill, Genia Melikova, Hector Zaraspe, Michael Maule, Ethel Winter, Daniel Lewis, Kazuko Hirabayshi, Peggy Lyman, Lynn Simonson. In addition, she has performed various works of Anna Sokolow, Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Jose Limon. Her performing credits include the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Lincoln Center Institute, Jacob's Pillow, Boston Dance Theatre, Riverside (New York) Arts Festival, Fieldston Performing Arts Institute, New England Dance Theatre, Olga Dunn Dance and Dunaeff Dance Company. Now entering her twentith year on the faculty of Dance Arts, she has also served as Director for 12 years and as the Director of Dance at Suffield Academy, taught classes in ballet, modern and teaching methods at Hartford Conservatory and was local Rehearsal Mistress for Berkshire Ballet.

Lisa has also instructed summer dance staff classes at Jacob's Pillow and was invited to assist Mikhail Baryshnikov in his premiere of "Unspoken Territory" at the Pillow. Also, she attended the Florida Dance Festival which featured intensive study in Russian/Vaganova Pedagogy. In the summer of 1998, she served as the guest artist for ballet and ballet repertory at California State University in Carmel, California. In the summer of 1999, Lisa was granted a full scholarship to attend the Ballet Academy East's pedagogy workshop in New York City, under the direction of renowned teacher and coach, David Howard. In the summers of 2000, 2003 and 2004 she attended the White Mountain Dance Festival. Additionally, Lisa is a contributing writer/dance critic for Bravo Newspaper, has served as Co-chair of West Springfield Arts Lottery Council, and has earned a Certification in Human Services from Holyoke Community College.

LINDSAY RESTAINO

Lindsay is an alumni of 2003 at Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter High School. From high school she ventured off to college at The University of the Arts, graduated with honors in 2007 and holds a BFA in Jazz Performance Dance/ Theater. At the University of the Arts, Lindsay had the privilege to perform works by Ronen Koresh, Molly Misgalla, Wayne ST. David, LaVaughn Robinson, Curt Haworth and Brain Sanders. She was also chosen to work with soloist Rachel Berman from The Paul Taylor Company and also perform a solo choreographed by Kimberly Bears-Bailey. Also at college, Lindsay was a receipt of the Dean's List every semester and won several scholarships. Lindsay has taught modern dance last year at Dance Arts and is glad to be back again this year. Lindsay also teaches jazz, modern and hip hop at The Dance Center in Chicopee, MA. This summer she signed on with Summer Performing Art Programs to teach Broadway Jazz and Acting classes for 5-14yrs all over the New England area. When Lindsay is not teaching she is performing with the Eclipse Modern Dance Company and is a "tada" magic girl that performs with Krista Brueno for the magician David Garrity. She is a part of the Six Flags entertainment team and is a performer in the new, "Glow in the Park Parade."

APRIL LEICHTNAM

received her early training from Eileen Juric of the Joffrey Ballet and then continued with the Vermont Chamber Ballet Theater. She has a Bachelors Degree in Dance, Concetration in Dance Education, and Minor in Arts Management from Marymount Manhattan College. While in college April had the opportunity to teach ballet to students in the New York City Public School System. Upon graduating, April worked full time at Ballet Academy East in New York City as a Ballet Teacher and Assistant Director of the Children's Summer Program. She taught and choreographed at a number of dance schools in New York City, New Jersey, and Vermont. April is very excited to be part of the faculy of Dance Arts.

IDY CODINGTON

has taught ballet for almost thirty years. A former member of the Ohio Ballet company, Idy owned and operated her own school Ballet Etc. from 1979-2002. With her dance partner Bob Thomas, she perfomed across the US and Asia as the Kamakaze Jitterbugs. Their show "The Roots of American Dance" performed from 1994-2006 was seen by over 100,000 Massachusettes school children. Idy is now an Ada Comstock Scholar at Smith College pursuing a dream of an eventual MFA in Dance.

KATHARINE HAND (originally from Westfield, MA)

received her ballet training at Dance Arts. Katharine began her studies in 1988 and was a student of Deborah Wright Haskins and Lisa Baldyga Harty. While a student at Dance Arts, she attended prestigious summer dance programs (on scholarship) at the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet. Katharine also performed in the Albany Berkshire Ballet's Nutcracker from 1991-1999. Katharine has been on the faculty of Dance Arts since 2003 teaching ballet and modern during summer session. Katharine is a 2006 graduate of Manhattanvile College receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree is Psychology and Elementary Education. Katharine is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Elementary Education at Westfield State College.

CHRISTINE DAVIDSON

began her ballet training in a Cecchetti program at the age of four. At the age of fifteen, she was accepted into the Pittsburg Ballet Theatre School. Christine had the opportunity to perform many Balanchine pieces such as, Concertto Barocco, Serenade, and The Four Temperments. Following her time at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, she was accepted to the School of Cleveland San Jose Ballet on a full scholarship and continued to study there for one full year. Christine also attended Point Park College to expand her knowledge in many other areas of dance such as, jazz, modern, and flamenco. Over the past few years Christine has been a preschool teacher at Make Way for Ducklings and now Sunnyside Child Care Center in Northampton and has been teaching dance classes in the Northampton area over the past year. She has now been accepted to work at UMASS with their pre-school program, which is why she unfortunately will no longer be part of our main faculty.

CATHERINE SMITH

Catherine Smith: Catie started her ballet studies at the age of five at Dance Arts under the direction of Deborah Wright Haskins and Lisa Baldyga Harty. As a Dance Arts student, she also appeared in Albany Berkshire Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” in a variety of roles from 1991-1997. She has also appeared as a featured dancer in productions such as “A Christmas Carol” and “The Littlest Angel” with the Westfield Theater Group and “Songs for a New World” and “Broadway Comes to Westfield: RENT” at Westfield State College. A 2008 graduate of Westfield State College, Catie received her BA in Theater Arts and was most recently found working backstage at the Majestic Children’s Theater in West Springfield, MA.