Faculty & Staff

Director: Lisa Shapiro
Studio owner since 1988. Previous teaching experience includes team-teaching the dance program three years at a public high school. Joined her childhood dance teacher to run the after school dance program at Ferndale High School in 1979; took over the program in 1981. Teaches: jazz, tap, ballet, and pointe

Asst. Studio Director, Director of Summer Camps, and Bookkeeper : Becky Hicks
Becky pursued a dance major at Western Michigan University . She has been teaching at Center Stage since 1989. Previous experience includes part owner of a dance studio in Keego Harbor , and teaching at Stage Door Dance Studio. Teaches: jazz, lyrical, and hip hop

FRONT OFFICE:

Manager: Jacki Drouillard; Asst. Manager: Darcy Mikels
Directs staff of six desk apprentices as well as daily bookkeeping, retail, and informational responsibilities.

SENIOR FACULTY:

Erin Bonser-Sattler - will student teach this fall on her way to completeing her BS in teaching with a dance major at Wayne State University.  Dancing at Center Stage since 1996.  Also teaches ballet and jazz during the primary season and is the assistant director of our Summer Dance Camps.

Samantha Drouillard – senior at Wayne State University ; will graduate in 2007 with a BS in education with a minor in dance education. Dancing at Center Stage since 1993, also works in the front office and as a counselor/instructor for Summer Dance Camps and Fantasy Camps. Teaches: jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, and hip hop

Erin Goldsworthy – graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a degree in communications; currently assisting in the youth program for Northville Schools and back at Eastern for teacher certification. Dancing at Center Stage since 1993. Teaches: jazz, ballet, pointe, and hip hop

Heather Rose – graduate of Eastern Michigan University with a degree in elementary education; dancing at Center Stage since 1989. Teaches: ballet and pointe.

Becky Slater - Will return to Oakland University in the fall as a senior where she will continue to work on her double major of dance and business.  Becky began dancing at Center Stage in 2000.  Her training includes ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, and hip hop.  Becky works as a counselor/instructor for Summer dance Camps.

Mary Flis – graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in inter-disciplinary social sciences and community relations. Substitute teaches at East Lansing/Okemos dance studios. Dancing at Center Stage since 1993. Also works as a counselor/instructor for Summer Dance Camps and Fantasy Camps.  Teaches: ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, pointe, and hip hop.

Katie Mues - Senior at University of Michigan majoring in Anthropology.  Member and director of RHythm, an intramural tap dance group on campus.  Dancing at Center Stage since 1999.  Will teach advanced tap, pre-school, hip hop, and jazz during the primary season.

Jessie Stadnika - Freshman at Eastern Michigan University.  Dancing at center Stage since 1993.  Will substitute teach during the primary season.  Trained in ballet, pointe, lyrical, jazz, tap, and hip hop.

Alex Kenny - Freshman at Eastern Michigan University.  Dancing at center Stage since 1994.  Will substitute teach during the primary season.  Studied ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop.

JUNIOR FACULTY:

Kathryn Pamula and Amanda Webster

All Junior Faculty are high school students who have come up through our Apprentice Program. Their own dance backgrounds are extensive in both experience and exposure to a wide variety of techniques. All Junior Faculty take weekly classes in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop, and lyrical. Our Junior teachers participate in intra-studio workshops for choreography, class management and people skills. Regular evaluations help them to improve their teaching and communication skills.

APPRENTICE PROGRAM
Apprentices:

Jenna Boyd, Jaclyn Conti, Hannah Coulter, Miranda Eliason, Kaitlin Gaule, Ava Hash, Kelsey Longe, Danielle Lutz, Meredith Njus, Ashley Ring, Marissa Skinner, Gretchen Seibel, Jessie Thoe,
Chelsea Turner, Alyssa Waineo, and Eliza Wood.

Apprentice Program Mission Statement

• To teach senior level dancers the art and mechanics of operating a dance studio business including: dance instruction, choreography, communication skills, systems management, building management, and time management.

• To demonstrate the skills necessary to instruct, nurture and develop young dancers in their pursuit of technique, self-esteem and FUN!

 • To enhance the instructional flow by providing each teacher with an assistant. In time, the apprentice will assume a co-teacher role. The effect of ‘team-teaching’ will be that of a better student-to-teacher ratio and in the absence of the primary instructor the apprentice will perpetuate the class routine.

Minimum age of an apprentice is 14, or a freshman in high school. As our program has grown, the most typical entry age for an apprentice is 15, or a sophomore in high school.

Apprentices are invited by the director to participate in the program. Considerations for invitation include: skill level, commitment, attitude, level of participation in studio activities, leadership qualities, and dependability.

Apprentices are compensated by the hour. They are required to document their hours on a monthly basis for reimbursement. If they cannot come to work as scheduled, they must arrange for a substitute apprentice to work with the primary instructor.

It is strongly impressed upon the apprentices that they represent our studio, its philosophy, and its reputation, but most importantly, that the younger dancers are always watching them. They must role model in the most positive of ways at all times.

We have regular contact with most of our Alumni. Over the years, many of them have told us that the time they spent as an Apprentice proved to be invaluable to them as they moved forward in higher education and careers.

The young people in the Apprentice Program are a wonder. They are incredibly talented, heart-warmingly loyal, and full of the desire to achieve. It is our distinct pleasure to have the chance to help them reach their greatest potential.