EDE Center for Dance
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Mary Devitt, EDE Center for Dance Director, from Sterling Heights, Michigan began teaching at local dance schools at the age of 16. Mary attended Oakland University on a dance scholarship where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and was the recipient of the Jacob S. Decker Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance. Mary has had extensive training in Dance Kinesiology, Creative Dance for Children and Dance Pedagogy. In addition to teaching dance, Mary has performed with The Eisenhower Dance Ensemble as well as in roles in Aida at the Detroit Opera House and in Motor City Lyric Opera’s Amahl and the Night Visitors. Mary has taught master classes at colleges and universities across the United States and has been on Faculty at Oakland University since 2006.
Barbara Schoen, EDE Center for Dance Assistant Director,
Barbara Schoen was raised in Macomb, MI where she began her early training with Renee Wood, Stephanie Pizzo and Christina Tasco. After graduating from high school, Barbara attended the trainee program at the Conservatory of Fort Wayne Ballet under the direction of Karen Gibbons-Brown. In 2008, she entered Fort Wayne Ballet as a Corps de Ballet member and later became a Soloist. Ms. Schoen has performed in many ballets including, Cinderella, Giselle, A Midsummer Nights Dream, La Sylphide and the Nutcracker. While at Fort Wayne Ballet, Barbara also studied Dance Pedagogy, Kinesiology, Choreography Composition and Music Theory. In 2010, Barbara moved back home to Michigan to apprentice with Eisenhower Dance Ensemble for two seasons. As she celebrates her third year of teaching at EDE Center for Dance, Barbara is also the Assistant Director for the dance centers and director of the Center Dance Ensemble (CDE), the senior student company.
Alicia Cutaia, originally from Rochester NY, earned her BFA with honors from Point Park University with a double major in Ballet and Jazz. Her previous training includes Lou Conte Dance Studio’s scholarship program, North Carolina Dance Theater, and River North Dance Company. She has worked with and performed pieces by many renowned choreographers, including Lou Conte, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Daniel Ezralow, Choo-San Goh, Alan Hineline, Harrison McEldowney, Kevin O’Day, Frances Patrelle, David Storey, Margo Sappington, and Christian Holder. Ms. Cutaia previously danced with Hubbard Street 2 and Giordano 2. She has choreographed for Revolve Dance Theater in Pittsburgh and for Oakland University. Her choreography was selected to be presented at Karen Peterson’s 5th “Emerging Choreographers Showcase” in Miami, as a finalist in the Jazz Dance World Congress “Leo’s Choreography Competitive Event,” and as a part of Three10 Moment’s “Art of Movement” in Pittsburgh. Ms. Cutaia currently teaches at the EDE Center for Dance and has previously taught at the Lou Conte Dance Studio and Oakland University. She conducts Master Classes and Intensives around the country. She has also designed costumes for Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Thodos Dance Chicago and the EDE Center for Dance.
Brynn Fehir is currently studying dance at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. She is working towards graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree this spring. Prior to attending OU, Brynn was a competitive gymnast for eight years and danced at the Fenton School of Dance & The Dance Extension for ten years. There she studied ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, and hip-hop. Brynn has competed and attended many conventions and workshops both regionally and nationally around the country, including River North Dance Company’s summer workshop in Chicago and LA Contemporary Dance Company’s summer intensive in Los Angeles, CA. She has performed during the half- time shows of Detroit Pistons, Detroit Shock, and Detroit Lions games. Ms. Fehir has also performed and choreographed for Motor City Movement and the Young Choreographers’ Forum for Oakland University. She is a dance instructor and choreographer at both the Fenton School of Dance as well as the EDE Center for Dance. She coaches Fenton High School’s Adrenaline Dance Team and she is also a licensed Zumba instructor. Ms. Fehir is currently a member of Oakland University’s Repertory Dance Company, and she continues to strive towards her goals in performance and choreography.
Meghann Hazelton is a graduate of Oakland University with a B.A. in Dance. She has danced with Oakland Dance Theatre, and the OU Repertory Dance Company; performing in works by Laurie Eisenhower, Thayer Jonutz, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, among others. In 2010, Meghann was honored with the Distinguished Dance Student “Matilda” Award. Meghann has taken classes in choreography, creative dance for children, dance pedagogy, and kinesiology. She has studied the Cecchetti Method of ballet and successfully passed student examinations 1-6. Ms. Hazelton plans to earn her Cecchetti Teachers Certificate. Meghann has been teaching for 12 years and is excited to be starting her 4th year at the EDE Center for Dance.
Molly McMullenbegan her dance training at South Dayton School of Dance in Dayton, Ohio. She was a ten-year member of South Dayton Dance Theatre, where she danced frequently with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company members.
Molly has attended various summer intensive programs including Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Chicago, DCDC, Parsons Dance, Paul Taylor and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She also danced for Pittsburgh’s Attack Theater in the 2011 Dirty Ball. She has performed in several RDA ballet festivals and in 2006 received the Jeraldyne Blunden Award, which allowed her to attend the national Craft of Choreography Conference at Utah Valley State College with a full scholarship. Ms. McMullen graduated from Point Park University magna cum laude in 2012 with a BFA in dance. She has had the great opportunities of performing works by Daniel Marshall, Jonathan Phelps, Doug Varone, George Balanchine, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Kiesha Lalama and Alan Hineline.
Kathaleen Moylan attended Oakland University on a dance scholarship where she graduated cum laude with her B.A. in Dance/Performing Arts and a Minor in Exercise Science. While attending OU, she danced with the Oakland Dance Theatre and the OU Repertory Dance Company. She received the Jacob Decker Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance and participated in American College Dance Festivals. Kathaleen has performed in ballet intensives at the Ede Center for Dance where she played the roles of Odette and Aurora, and later apprenticed with the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble for the 2007-2008 season. Growing up, Kathaleen trained locally as well as at Marygrove College where she was given the opportunity to perform in the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s production of the Nutcracker. She has taken classes at Broadway Dance Center in New York and participated in intensives at the Dayton Ballet School. Kathaleen taught level two hundred ballet for two years at Oakland University and is excited for another year at the Ede Center for Dance.
Janet O’Rourke received her early training from Renee Wood in Mt Clemens, Michigan, and is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a BFA in dance. She was both an academic and dance scholarship recipient, as well as a member of the department’s student company, Western Dance Project. She had the priviledge of performing in several Balanchine ballets staged at WMU, including Serenade and also a soloist role in Stars and Stripes. She has also choreographed several musicals for Hopkins Public Schools, including the King and I, Guys and Dolls, and Grease.
Katy Ploch graduated from Oakland University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts. She has trained in dance for over 20 years in various styles. While at OU, she trained with Laurie Eisenhower, Mariah Malec, Christine Naughton Shawl, Kristen Berger, and Greg Patterson. Katy received the Matilda award for Outstanding Student Service through the Music, Theatre, and Dance program at Oakland. She has also choreographed several pieces for Oakland’s dance company, Oakland Dance Theatre. Miss Ploch is a CAPA (Creative and Performing Arts) dance alum and since graduation in 2003 has choreographed many pieces for the dance program at Churchill High School. This will be Katy’s fifth year teaching at the EDE Center for Dance.
Emily Zatursky was raised in Killingworth, Connecticut where she received her early dance training with Starship Dance Theatre, Eastern Connecticut Ballet and New Haven Ballet. After graduating high school in 2007, Emily attended The Hartt School at the University of Hartford where she graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Dance Pedagogy. Emily has studied Ballet and Dance Pedagogy, Kinesiology, Choreography Composition and Music Theory. Emily has spent summers dancing with American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet School and Alonzo King Lines Ballet School and has danced works by Antony Tudor, Jose Limon, Emery LeCrone and Maurya Kerr. Emily danced with Full Force Dance Theatre during their 2010-2011 season. Emily is in her second season with Eisenhower Dance Ensemble and is in her second year as an instructor for the EDE Center for Dance.
Katharine Larson, originally from Kingwood, TX, grew up dancing under the direction of Sheryl Rowland. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Chemistry. At U of A, she was the recipient of the Costume Manager Triple Threat Award and the Gertrude Shurr Modern Dance Award. Katharine has worked with and performed pieces by Ann Reinking, Mia Michaels, Bella Lewitsky, James Clouser, Michael Williams, Sam Watson, Amy Ernst, Elizabeth George, Susan Quinn, and Ronn Stewart. She has previously trained at the Juilliard School, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, and Thodos Dance Chicago. Katharine also has a love for choreographing and has had several works selected to perform at Conder Dance’s Breaking Ground, UA Dance Student Spotlight, and RDA’s Southwest Festival.
Matthew Schmitz graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from Webster University where he received departmental and general academic honors. He was a scholarship recipient at The Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet (Chicago), Kansas City Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. He has performed choreography by Antony Tudor, Alvin Ailey, Iyun Harrison, Eddy Ocampo, Michael Uthoff, Antonio Douthit, Kirven Boyd, Maggi Dueker and Christine Kardell. Matthew’s professional credits include Dawn Karlovsky and Dancers, Ashani Dances (Seattle, WA) and the Municipal Theatre Association of St. Louis (MUNY).
