Maria Torrence(Co-Owner/Director)
Maria draws on her experience as a dancer, teacher and professional choreographer. Through Dance Masters of America she is certified by test and has taught for almost 50 years all genres and levels of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, tap and musical theatre. Maria danced professionally as a performer, lead dancer, dance captain, and choreographer for 20 years in New York and Pittsburgh for many productions of the Civic Light Opera. Maria was also one of a small group of professionals who founded the Pittsburgh CLO Academny and choreographed the CLO Mini Stars for sixteen years. For 35 years she has owned and operated Maria’s School of Dance. Her dance companies and individual students have won 1st place and numerous choreography and overall awards in competitions regionally and nationally. Several of her students have gone on to Broadway, formed dance companies and opened their own studios. Maria served as Director of Dance for the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Midland, Pa. for 8 years in which she built and wrote curriculum for grades 9 through 12. As Director of Dance at Lincoln Park she wrote an associate degree program with CCBC for high school graduates. Maria was also the founder/director of Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center’s Mancini Academy and the goodwill ambassadors, Mancini All-Stars. She has served as choreographer/producer for productions at Lincoln Park which include original works and ballets. Maria has judged the Pittsburgh Kelly Awards, Dance Masters of Pennsylvania dance competitions, Butler County Jr. Miss, Lawrence County Jr. Miss and Young Women of the Year. At the university level, Maria has taught all forms of dance at Point Park University, Carnegie Mellon University and Allegheny College. She received her professional training in New York City and across the country from nationally-acclaimed artists. Liza Torrence(Co-Owner/Manager)
Liza Torrence teaches students ages 6 & up a variety of genres including Contemporary, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap and Ballet. She is the MSDX Company Director. As Company Director she manages the competition team for ages 7 & up, and choreographs the majority of their routines. Since Liza has taken on this role, the team has achieved countless overall and special awards, and a choreography award at almost every competition. Liza loves teaching with energy and creativity, and provides agency to her students in becoming artists. Liza was a member of the Dance Theatre Company at Miami University. During her time there she performed in over 20 shows and held positions on the executive board as President and Treasurer. Liza has choreographed many pieces as a guest artist and student. Three of her pieces were chosen to be adjudicated at the American College Dance Association Conferences. Liza has danced all of her life, and specializes in jazz and contemporary. She was a featured dancer, teacher, guest teacher and choreographer at Maria's School of Dance and Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center in PA for 10 years prior to moving to New York City in 2017. She was also an artist-in-residence teacher and choreographer for The Academy of Dance Arts in Middletown, Ohio. Liza has a B.S. in Art Education from Miami University and an M.A. in Art Education from New York University. Her diverse teaching background, in both formal and informal settings, has collected a myriad of skills, creating a dynamic and informed arts educator. Liza worked at the Children's Museum of Manhattan overseeing arts educators and programs for 3 years. She also taught visual art for 1 year at an international baccalaureate elementary and middle school in downtown Manhattan. |
Staff
Stacie Young-Aland |
Stacie has been dancing since the age of 3 and a dance instructor for 25 years, of which 17 years has been at Maria’s School of Dance. Stacie has also taught at Laura Lynn School of Dance, Mancini Arts Academy, Gold Medal Gym and Cheer, Building Blocks Learning Center, Harmony Christian Co-op, and Perfect 10 Gymnastics. Stacie is the choreographer for Freedom High School Drill Team and in the past has choreographed for Freedom’s majorette squad, Freedom’s Middle school musicals, Pine Richland’s Dance and Cheer competitive team, Midland Elementary School and Comtra Theater in Cranberry. Stacie's love and talent for finding creative ways to teach overflows, whether she is teaching dance, baton, puppetry, Sunday school, creative movement, acting or musical theater. Stacie has a degree in Early Childhood Education and has completed training in NCAC Protecting Children from Abuse. In addition to the countless hours Stacie spends volunteering at Freedom Elementary and St. John’s “Burry’s” church, she now enjoys being the church secretary. Her pride and joy are truly her four children in which God blessed her and her husband Kevin; Evan, Jacob, Kara and Sara.
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Angela Lansberry |
has been dancing since the age of three. She studied tap, jazz and ballet under Maria Torrence for 18 years, where she also competed. Upon graduating high school, Angela attended Westminster College where she performed and choreographed for their Dance Theater program. She has attended various dance conventions and workshops including MusicWorks. She has choreographed several musicals for Lincoln High School in Ellwood City, including Cats and Beauty and the Beast. She was hired as a dance instructor at Maria’s School of Dance in 2002 and has since been teaching all age levels and genres of dance including pre-school, Tap, Ballet and Jazz and adult classes. She has also taught at Arcadia, Gold Medal Gym and the Mancini Arts Academy. In 2013, Angela was asked to return to Westminster College to perform as an alumnus in the Dance Theater’s spring showcase. She has 2 children, Grant and Lacey and hopes that they will find a passion in life that gives them great joy as much as dancing has for her.
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Erin Brown |
Erin has had 15 years of coaching and is certified with USA Gymnastics in safety and fundamentals (KAT and MSLD.) She has specialization in preschool and elementary age students. Erin was program director for Tumbleweeds and was trained in many levels ranging from preschool age to intermediate/advanced levels while building curriculum for levels ranging from infant to 16 year old’s.
She attended 3 USA Gymnastics Congress training sessions sitting under the best in the sport. While at Tumbleweeds she taught private lessons, ran birthday parties, facilitated back handspring and cheer clinics and ran classes with special needs children. Erin is a wife and mother of four, one of whom (Kallie) has attended Maria’s School of Dance for 8 years. She is excited to meet the Acro students and looks forward to hard work and having fun along the way! We welcome her to our staff family of Maria’s School of Dance! |