Summer Dance Workshops
We are super excited to offer 6 amazing weeks of summer workshops designed to help improve technique, strengthen, expand your knowledge and grow as a dancer! These workshops will be instructed by professionals focused on helping dancers build a strong foundation in order to hone your craft as a dancer.
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These workshops are open to all Tampa Bay area dancers!
Let's all dance, move and grow together as we share a common love for the art of dance!
Meet our Summer Workshop Instructors
Helen Hansen French received her BFA from The Julliard School and her MFA from Hollins University. Helen joined Buglisi Dance Theatre (NYC) in 2001 where she rose to principal dancer and served as rehearsal director. She has toured nationally and internationally, and been instrumental in staging BDT's works throughout the world including at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Pieve International School in Italy.
As as creative she focuses on collaborations and in support of her work has been awarded a 2015, 2016 and 2017 Individual Artist Grant from the City of St. Petersburg, she was also a 2016 and 2021 Creative Pinellas Artist Fellow as well as the 2021 Creative Pinellas Artist Laureate.
Since 2015 Helen has been co-producer and curator of BEACON: as dance series for St. Pete in partnership with The Palladium Theater where she is currently an artist in residence. In her work as an educator and arts advocate she has served on numerous dance faculties including George Mason University and The Julliard School. She is a founding member of the St. Petersburg Dance Alliance and the Board Chair of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance.
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June 14-16 workshop - Graham Based workshop, focusing on the fundamental principles of the Graham Technique (Breath, Contraction, Spiral and Shift of Weight) in warm-up, center work and repertoire.
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July 26-28 workshop - Dynamic Movement Workshop - focus on somatic movement practices that build strength, coordination and awareness. Students can expect to warm-up/condition using various body and mind approaches, learn basic anatomy concepts and explore elements of improvisation.
KatharineKunz Originally from Virginia, Katharine began her dance training at the respected Loudoun School of Ballet under Shelia Hoffman-Robertson, Maureen Miller and Lisa Startsman. Her studies continued at the Joffrey Ballet (NYC), Orlando Ballet, BalletMet Columbus and STEPS on Broadway. She holds a BFA in Dance Performance from Towson University under the director of Dennis Price, Catharine Horta-Hayden and Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell among others.
Her performance highlights include: Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Raymonda in Raymonda, Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, Girl in the Red Dress in Frame by Frame (Pikieris), and Wendy in Peter Pan (Mills). In addition, she had the pleasure of performing Brandenburg Concerto (Miller) at the Tanzsommer Dance Festival in Austria. Katharine has performed with the Loudoun Ballet Company, Towson Dance Company, Nancy Romita and the Moving Company, Connecticut Ballet, Dance Cat-aylst (NYC), The Next Stage Project Choreography Workshop (NYC), OneLight Dance and Tampa Ballet Theatre.
As a seasoned dance teacher, Katharine teaches ballet pointe and modern/contemporary to all ages and received her Pilates Certification from Power Pilates (NYC). In addition, she is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT), an innovative body-conditioning and strengthening program. Ms. Katharine has taught at Tampa Bay Ballet (FL), Loudon School of Ballet (VA), B. Funk Dance Company (MD), Dramazone (NYC), STEPS on Broadway (NYC), and Ballet Academy East (NYC) among others.
Ms. Katharine is excited to once again be teaching with Premier Dance Academy's Summer Dance Workshop Series.
Cathy Scavelli was born in Connecticut and holds and Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education. She began her dance training at an incredibly young age, and trained in ballet, tap and jazz. She trained for 15 years with Lorraine Judd-White, who was mentored by Henry LeTang and Leon Collins. She knew that tap was the dance style she was most passionate about, and where she wanted to focus her training.
From that point on, Cathy trained vigorously, taking every class with many teachers as she could to learn as much about this art form as possible. She attended the Big Apple Tap Festival, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Southeastern Tap Explosion, Soul to Sole, and a variety of master classes and week-long intensives. She has trained with Master Tap teachers to include Dianne (Lady Di) Walker, Prof. Robert Reed, Lane Alexander, Avi Miller, Ofer Ben, Acia Gray, Gene Medler, Germaine Salsberg, Sam Webber, Bob Audy, Jay Fagan, Nicole Hockenberry and Jason Samuels-Smith. Her most memorable tap experience was when she had an opportunity to dance on stage with late, great Gregory Hines.
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For the past 30 years, Cathy has taught all tap levels from beginner to pre-professional. She has also mentored many students who went on to become tap instructors. Cathy teaches tap technique and tap rudiments regularly in class, and her students experience all styles of tap from rhythm tap and jazz-tap, to broadway style and funk. She also likes to teach historical choreography from the great tap masters, which is still relevant in metropolitan areas today.
In 2017, her choreography was one of three solo pieces to be chosen from the United States to compete at the IDO World Tap Dance Championships in Riesa Germany. Her choreography has also won top awards at local and national dance competitions. Cathy is also the choreographer for the Awesome Original Second Time Arounders dance group which has marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade (twice) in NYC, the Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, DC, and numerous other national and international events. However, her biggest passion will always be to help tap students of all ages to achieve their goals whether they are recreational tap dancers or pre-professional tap dancers. She loves to share her passion of this art form with all her students!
Kylie Fowler, is a native of Clearwater, Florida, and is currently a candidate for graduation from Florida State University with a Bachelor's in Fine Arts in Dance. Kylie began her focused training at Premier Dance Academy under the direction of Tonya Guldenpfennig. While at FSU, Kylie trained under Anjali Austin, Tim Glenn, Llana Goldman, Kehinde Ishangi, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Caleb Mitchell, Donna Uchizono, Tiffany Rhynard and Gwen Welliver, achieving the highest level in technique and both contemporary and ballet. She has attended summer intensives hosted by Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Sarasota Ballet and Next Generation Ballet. She is currently an intern with the Jose Limon Dance Foundation. Upon graduation Kylie hopes to continue her dance training and development as a professional artist.
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June 21-23 Workshop - Grounded in strong ballet technique and influences from modern dance, classes will explore the dynamic ranges that are possible in the body using the elements of time, space and energy. Classes will move through a warm-up, center combinations, across the floor and a cumulative combination. Emphasis will be on building and maintaining strong technique, while making artistic decisions about how to communicate an array of ideas through movement. Dancers are encouraged to make their own decisions in class to explore their individual artistry.
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