Kimberly Lawver-Artistic
Director
(Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Strength & Flexibility, Competition Team Director)
This will mark Miss Kimberly's second year as Artistic Director for Theatre Dance Centre& Theatre 8:15 and her third year as an instructor. Kimberly received her Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Akron in 1991 and has been an adjunct faculty member teaching tap and jazz classes there since 2001. Collectively, Kimberly has been teaching for 20 years to students ages 3 to adult. She has taught classes in jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, lyrical, musical theatre, stretch and flexibility, baton and tumbling.
Currently, Kimberly is an instructor at the Dance Institute, a pre-professional dance program at the University of Akron. She is also the director and choreographer for her performance/competition team, Theatre Dance Company. Her students have won national titles and scholarships to such places as Broadway Dance Center, Debbie Reynolds Studio, Joffrey School of Ballet and the Edge Performing Arts Center and have performed internationally in Italy and Spain. She currently has a student dancing at Juilliard, who started her formal training at Theatre Dance Centre. Her public school experiences consist primarily of workshops, choreography and presentations to the general student population on dance. She also works with former members of the Ohio Ballet for the Children’s Concert Society to promote dance education in the schools. One of her favorite experiences was teaching jazz classes in the Dominican Republic for a Cuban dance company.
For over fifteen years, Kimberly has been a judge for dance competitions on a regional level and was also the regional director for the Dance USA Performing Arts Championships under the direction of Mark Marino. She has been the assistant coach and choreographer for the University of Akron Dance Team and the assistant director/choreographer for the University of Akron’s musical, Dames at Sea. Kimberly has also choreographed for the University of Akron Dance Company. Throughout her years as a dance instructor, Kimberly has received teacher’s awards for “excellence” and “choreography”. At this time, Kimberly is finishing her Masters in Arts Administration at the University of Akron.
Ashley Cohen (Ballet & Pointe)
Lindsay Fox
(Little Feet, Jazz, Lyrical)
This is Lindsay’s first year as an instructor at Theatre Dance Centre, but she is not new to the studio as she started dancing there when she was four. She currently attends the University of Akron pursuing a degree in Child Development and a K-12 Licensure in Dance Education.
Lindsay studies under Kimberly Lawver, Shannon Smith, Dimitri Tuboltsev, and Dee Hillier – along with her professors at the University. Lindsay has performed all around the U.S., dancing competitively for regional and national titles. She has also participated in countless conventions such as Urban Jamm, Impact Dance, and P.D.T.A. receiving numerous scholarships to such places as the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC and the Debbie Reynolds Dance Studio in LA. She takes her annual trip to New York to study at the Broadway Dance Center and has also studied in Chicago at Youth Dance Chicago with Gus Giordano. Lindsay was honored to receive the achievement of becoming a member of the Jr. American Dance Team in 2004 for "Grand Prix de Italia" under the direction of the late Mark Marino.
Lindsay has taught at several studios and has choreographed for places like Northwest High School, St. Vincent's St. Mary's, Theatre 8:15, and Starmaker Performing Arts Center. In addition to dance, Lindsay loves to sing and has been an active member of community theatre, making her debut at Theatre 8:15 at the young age of six. She loves teaching at Theatre Dance Centre and wishes all of her classes the best of luck!
Chari Gardner (Tumble)
Erica Haynes (Ballet, Pointe & Ballroom)
A graduate of the Dance Institute, Erica is currently pursuing her BFA in dance at the University of Akron. She has studied a wide variety of styles including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and ballroom. Erica competes with the University’s Ballroom Dance Club in American Smooth and Rhythm, and International Latin categories at competitions such as the Irish Dancesport Gala at Notre Dame and the Ohio Star Ball in Columbus. Erica is also involved in musical theater, having performed in productions at the University of Akron, Dynamics Community Theatre in Tallmadge, and Aurora Community Theatre. She has also choreographed shows for Dynamics and the Hudson Players.
Katie Hazard (Tap & Hip Hop)
This is Katie's first year teaching dance at Theatre Dance Centre. She is currently a junior at Chippewa High School. Katie has studied various dance disciplines for six years under multiple teachers including, Kimberly Lawver, Shannon Smith, Sarah Savelli, Ayodele Casel & Jason Janas. Prior to dance, Katie was involved in competitive gymnastics for eight years. Katie has performed all around the U.S., dancing competitively for regional & national titles. She has also participated in countless conventions such as Urban Jamm, Hollywood Vibe, LA-Dance Force, & Hollywood Connection receiving numerous scholarships to such places as the Millenium Dance Complex, The Edge Performing Arts Studio in LA & Broadway Dance Center in NYC. She currently is an assistant to Nick Gonzalez (Hollywood Vibe) & Jessica Starr (Muse Dance Co.). Katie also enjoys choreographing for Theatre 8:15 & Theatre Dance Company.
Kristin
Knapp (Ballet & Pointe)
This is Miss Kristin's first year at Theatre Dance Centre. Kristin is a graduate of the Akron Dance Institute. She has had the opportunity of appearing with The University of Akron Dance Company in many roles including Odette in Swan Lake. She has spent past summers training with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, the Jennifer Muller Works program, and the School of Cleveland-San Jose Ballet.
Ms. Knapp has had the privilege of dancing with the Ohio Ballet for the last five years. She has danced in ballets by José Limón, Stephen Mills, Lynne Taylor-Corbett,Cynthia Gregory and Jeffery Graham Hughes. Kristin was featured in Bengt Jörgen's Coppelia as Klara, Jean Pierre Bonnefoux's Etudes and Folkine's Dying Swan among others. Ms. Knapp has been an instructor at the Akron Dance Institute and has taught master classes in various NorthEast Ohio schools.
Marissa McLaughlin (Ballet & Tap)
Morgan
Molenaur (Ballet, Jazz, Jumps Leaps & Turns)
Shannon Salisbury (Tap & Jazz)
This is Shannon Salisbury's second year on staff at Theatre Dance Centre, and her face should be familiar due to performing at Theatre 8:15 since 1992. She has appeared in such shows as Cabaret, Jingle Bell Follies, and The Rocky Halloween Show, to name a few. Miss Shannon began her training at the age of three at Shirley's School of Dance in Canton, Ohio. She grew up at Shirley's School of Dance taking classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acro and Baton. For the past thirteen years Shannon has been an instructor teaching all dance styles at Shirley's School of Dance.
Miss Shannon pursued dance training at The University of Akron for two years. She has polished her choreography skills by directing the dance team at Fairless High School for eleven years. Theatre 8:15 has welcomed her choreography for the past five years in many of their shows. Miss Shannon has the day job of sales clerk at The Dance Warehouse, the local dance shop in Canton. She has been employed by The Dance Warehouse for nine years, and truly enjoys every aspect of the dance world. Working in a dance store gives us no doubt that shopping is Miss Shannon's favorite hobby! Theatre Dance Centre enjoys Miss Shannon as one of our Tap and Jazz instructors.
April Templeton (Hip Hop)