Faculty - Staff

Photo Credit: Ron Williams	Gwendolyn Bye, Artistic Director has spent 35 years in the performing arts and has worked and danced with legendary artists Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Anna Sokolow, Mary Anthony and Pauline Koner. She received her early training at the Philadelphia Dance Academy’s Performing Arts School, directed by Nadia Chilkovsky Nahumck, where she was graduated with honors. She also studied and performed in the junior company at the School of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Ms. Bye joined the Mary Anthony Dance Theater in New York City in 1971. As a principal dancer, she performed in seasonal concerts and toured nationally for over fourteen years. Two dances were created for her: Tides by Ross Parkes and Lady from the Sea by Mary Anthony. She danced in Rooms and Dreams choreographed by Anna Sokolow and partnered Charles Weidman in Fables of Our Times. Ms. Bye studied and taught at the Mary Anthony Dance Studio, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center as well as at the Martha Graham School, where she was awarded a Helena Rubenstein Scholarship. Her first choreographic work was commissioned with Juilliard composer Michael White and was presented in Philadelphia at the Walnut Street Theater in 1976. Ms. Bye studied acting in New York City at the Michael Howard Acting School with Peter Thompson and singing with Marcy Jellison. She performed and sang in New York City night clubs and appeared in several independent movies including The Alter Boy, which was presented in the New York University Film Festival. She was recording artist on NutriSystems Nutricize Exercise Albumin 1982 and appeared in TV commercials and promotional performances. In 1984 Ms. Bye returned to Philadelphia and opened the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center and became Artistic Director of Penn Dance at the University of Pennsylvania. She was named Movement Specialist and rostered artists for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Partners in Arts Education Program. In 1991 she worked as director/choreographer with Jacques d’Amboise in a four-school residency and performance of The Celebration of an American Dream. Ms. Bye formed Dancefusion in 1987, where she directs, choreographs and performs up to the present. She has danced in, and reconstructed historic works by Mary Anthony, Pauline Koner, Jose Limon, and Anna Sokolow. Ms. Bye’s choreographic works include: Between Worlds, Ur Mutter, Christina’s World, Solstice, The Rose, Rites, At the Turning Point, ‘Twas the Night before Christmas, and The Twelve Days of Christmas. In 1996 and 1998, Ms. Bye was invited to dance the lead rolls in Mary Anthony Dance Theater’s 40th Anniversary season in New York City. In 2000, she danced with Jeanne Ruddy Dance in a work by Igal Perry. Ms. Bye is very active as a teacher and administrator, directing programs at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center. She received the 2001 Award of Recognition from the City of Philadelphia and was nominated for the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2006 Citizen of the Year. In 2007 Ms. Bye received the “Rocky Award” for her contribution to the Philadelphia Dance Community.

Photo Credit: Leeway Foundation	Jaye Allison MFA, is Founding Director/Choreographer of New LEJA Dances the co., Jaye Allison's Philly TAP Challenge "ON FIRE!"' and has celebrated her 28th year in the performing arts world and is honored to be a selected member of the 2nd Generation Silver Belles (continuing the legacy of the Silver Belles, the original Harlem Showgirls of the Cotton Club and Apollo Theaters). Jaye has danced professionally with Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company (also Program Director), Power 99 FM, TapTeam II & Co., Philadanco and Dancefusion. Ms. Allison ministers in dance at New Covenant Church of Philadelphia. She is a graduate of Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, University of the Arts, Community College of Philadelphia, and received an Arts Management Certificate from University of MA Amherst also her BFA AND MFA from Ashwood University. Recipient of grants from: PA. Council on the Arts, 5-County Arts, and the Leeway Foundation, to name a few. She also appeared in movies, Beloved, Rocky III, and several music videos. Jaye currently trains students in Modern, Tap, Jazz and Ballet at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, Motion-N-Dance, Progressive Center for Dance, Miss Sandy's Dance Steps and 1st Position Dance Center. Miss Allison also judges Faces of the Future Competition in King of Prussia, PA.



	Sun-Mi Cho received a full scholarship to study dance at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She graduated with a B.A in Advertising and a B.F.A in Dance. A highlight in her dance training was receiving two fellowships to study at Alvin Ailey Dance School and being invited to train in dance as a Governor's School Scholar. Most recently Sun-Mi was on Comcast on Demand teaching ballet on a segment called "get up and dance". In addition to having performed at Apollo Theatre in Harlem, Sun-Mi performs with Jeanne Ruddy Dance Company, Meredith Rainey, Opera Company of Philadelphia and with Kip Martin's Namja/Yoja. Sun-Mi has also been a judge for several national dance competitions. She teaches ballet at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center.


Photo Credit: Randl Bye	Assata Hazell started her dance career at the Wharton Settlement Center under the watchful eye of Eugene Harris. With his recommendation Ms. Hazell was accepted with scholarship, into the Philadelphia Dance Academy of Performing Arts, directed by Nadia Chilkovsky. While attending the Academy she became an honor student and began performing with Civic Ballet. Assata received a scholarship to the Pennsylvania Governors School of Performing Arts, which allowed her to work closely with Alexei Yudenich & Barbara Sandonato. In Philadelphia, Assata taught & danced with so many extraordinary teachers, & dancers and landed her with Philadanco. While on Scholarship at The Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and, dancing with Philadanco, she began working with Mr Talley Beatty. Assata was assistant choreographer, with the broadway, production of, “Your Arms to Short To Box With God” under the direction of Vennette Caroll. Ms. Hazell went on and continued receiving scholarships (New York Conservatory of Dance & more), and performing as a featured dancer with musicals, Mahalia, Louis, Stompin At the Savoy to name a few). She has worked with so many extraordinary musical directors costume and set designers, dancers, actors, choreographers, recording artist (Chaka Khan), & all those folks that make it happen. I am so blessed to be back in Philadelphia teaching at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, dancing with the New LEJA Dances the Company. Assata is looking forward in impacting lives through the Arts. Assata is the Scholarship Director at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center where she also teaches African.


Photo Credit: Rose Echembaum	Maya Johnson originally from Los Angeles California, Maya Johnson has trained with the Bolshoi Ballet's Yuri Grigoriev, at LA County High School for the Arts, Alvin Ailey American Dance School, and Alonzo King's Lines Ballet School, San Francisco, on full scholarship. A dancer, actress, and singer, Ms. Johnson has made appearances in numerous commercials, music videos, movies, and productions including The 63rd Academy Awards, Debbie Allen's The Bayou Legend, and the national tour of My Brother Marvin, and as Janet Jackson in the Jackson American Dream. Mentored by, KaRon Brown-Lehman and Karen McDonald. As a graduate of Philadelphia's University of the Arts, Maya has choreographed, performed, and taught nationally and internationally. Currently, Maya is a member of Zane Booker's Smoke Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative, Dancefusion, Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company. Maya teaches Ballet and Pointe at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center.


Photo Credit: Jaye Allison	Nikki Johnson is currently perusing her master’s degree in education and enjoys making math more fun for children (YAY MATH!) She began her dance training in ballet at the age of 4 with Chalfont Dancers and later continued to expand her dance vocabulary at Dance For You. Currently, she trains at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center in modern, ballet and tap where she also teaches Creative Dance to young children and assists with modern, tap and jazz. Nikki is also Development Officer for New LEJA Dances, the company and assistant producer of Philly Tap Challenge – ON FIRE! A jack of all trades, you can also find her behind a video camera, still camera, video editing, researching, doing general computer work and support or writing.


Photo Credit: Ron Williams	Nancy Berman Kantra is Associate Professor and Head of Dance/Movement in the School of Theater Arts at the University of the Arts where she has been training actors and dancers since 1983. A Philadelphia native, Ms. Kantra first studied with Thomas Cannon of the Littlefield Ballet Company, The Pennsylvania Ballet, Philadelphia Dance Academy, Harkness Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Nancy’s performing and training experience includes collaborations with master teachers and choreographers Louis Johnson, Pearl Primus, Rudolph Nureyev and Twyla Tharp. Nancy was soloist with Philadanco from 1978 to 1985 and continues her association with “Danco” in Anniversary and Fundraising Concerts. Ms. Kantra is the Artistic Director of Penn Dance at the University of Pennsylvania and choreographer and teacher for fusion2 and the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center. Ms. Kantra has been cited for choreographic excellence by The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, recognized by the Barrymore Awards Committee for her dance contribution, honored by The Girl Scouts of America her for commitment to the instruction of young women of Philadelphia and student nominated multiple times for her excellent teaching. Ms. Kantra appears in the 2002, 2004 and 2005 editions of Who's Who in America's Teachers. Ms. Kantra holds degrees from the University of Colorado and the University of the Arts. Recent choreographic credits include Into The Woods, The Cradle Will Rock. Nancy teaches Ballet, Pointe, Jazz and Labanotation at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center.


Photo Credit: Billy Bustamante	Rachel Kantra, a Philadelphia native, is a member of the Dancefusion Company, an alumnus of the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center and was a founding member of Dancefusion’s junior company, fusion2, at its inception in 1995. Continuing her long-time relationship with the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, Rachel will take on the Artistic Directorship of fusion2 as of September 2008. Rachel has also trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the University of the Arts, Koresh School of Dance, and the Laban School for Contemporary Dance in London. Currently, Rachel is on the faculty at The University of the Arts and the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center. Rachel also teaches and choreographs for Penn Dance at the University of Pennsylvania. Recent choreographic works include: Self-Portrait in Shoulder Stand, Origami of the Brain, and Facing East. Rachel has also performed with Enchantment Theatre Company, appearing in productions of Cinderella, Pinocchio, and The Firebird. Rachel is the recipient of a National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts award in Writing/Poetry as well as the Sylvia Caplan Memorial Award for Poetry from The University of the Arts. Rachel holds a BFA in Acting from The University of the Arts.




Photo Credit: Randl Bye	David Lodge holds an MA in music. He has extensive experience in teaching and directing children, staging his original productions at Settlement Music School, Allen’s Lane Art Center, and the University City Arts League. Mr. Lodge was the first faculty member when the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center was founded in 1985. He currently teaches private piano lessons and co-directs the musical theater classes at the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center.


Photo Credit: Brett Thomas	Tara Keating began her training at the age of seven at the Pioneer Valley Ballet in Northampton, Massachusetts. She then attended the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, from which she received a BFA in dance. While there, she was awarded the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship and the Most Outstanding Dance Major award from the National Dance Association. She began her professional career with the American Repertory Ballet and then joined Twyla Tharp's company, "THARP!", where she performed both internationally and at City Center in New York. Ms. Keating joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1998, and was promoted to soloist in 2003. During her ten year career there, she danced leading roles in numerous classical and contemporary works such as Emilia in Jose Limon's The Moor's Pavane, Hippolyta, Hermia, and Helena in George Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, principal roles in Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free and The Concert, Paul Taylor's Company B and Arden Court , and in several premieres by Matthew Neenan. In addition, throughout her career she has originated roles in world premieres by such renowned choreographers as Val Caniparoli, Jorma Elo, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntyre, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2005, she became an original member of BalletX, and has danced in virtually every performance since their inception. Ms. Keating was the Producing Director in 2006 and 2007 for Shut Up and Dance, an annual benefit for MANNA, created by the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. She was also the recipient of a 2002 City Paper Choice Award. She is on faculty at various schools in the region, and has taught master classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and at NADAA dance conventions throughout the country. She recently performed with BalletX in Seoul, Korea at the Ballet Expo Seoul and in St. Louis at the Spring to Dance Festival.


Photo Credit: Michael Slobodian	Meredith Rainey former soloist with Pennsylvania Ballet began dancing at 15 in his hometown of Fort Lauderdale. In 1985 he joined the Milwaukee Ballet. In 1987, he was asked to join the newly formed Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, remaining with the Pennsylvania Ballet when the collaboration ended. He was also a demi-soloist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem for a short time in 1997. Meredith has performed throughout Europe and the United States. His repertoire includes many principal and soloist roles in the works of George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, José Limón, John Butler, John Cranko, and William Forsythe. He has premiered original works by Kevin O’Day, Christopher D’Amboise, David Parsons, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Robert Weiss, Richard Tanner, Jean Grand-Maitre, Dwight Rhoden, Ib Anderson, and Matthew Neenan. The recipient of the 1995 & 2002 PA Council on the Arts Fellowship Grant for Choreography, the 2001 Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Artist as Catalyst Grant, the 2002 Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts and, a 2003 Pew Fellowship in the Arts Finalist. Meredith has been commissioned to create work for Pennsylvania Ballet, Delaware Ballet, Hubbard Street 2, Phrenic New Ballet, BalletX, Philadanco for their 25th Anniversary celebration, and has had his work performed at many festivals throughout North and South America including Jacob’s Pillow, Miami International Ballet Festival and the International Ballet Festival of Ecuador.


Photo Credit: Deborah Boardman	Andrea Soelter has trained in classical Ballet from a young age. She expanded her training to include jazz, tap, African, improvisation and modern at the age of 18. She received her B.A. in Dance Performance and a B.A. in Speech Communications from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Andrea moved to Philadelphia, from Minneapolis, in 1996. She then received her M.F.A. in Dance Choreography and Performance from Temple University in 1999. Andrea has enjoyed many years of dancing, choreographing and teaching in Philadelphia. She has enjoyed dancing with choreographers such as Jeanne Ruddy, Christopher Fleming and Jaye Allison's New LEJA Dances the company. She has also enjoyed working in musical theater both as a performer and choreographer. Andrea has taught ballet, modern and jazz at St. Olaf College, Temple University and Independence Charter School. Andrea ran a young professional musical theater company, The Rainbow Company, with Ricardo Martin and Will Brock. The Rainbow Company was an educational outreach program that went into Philadelphia public schools. The students wrote original one act musicals (music, lyrics and script) and then performed the musical on the main stage at Prince Music Theater. Andrea currently teaches creative ballet and ballet at Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center on Saturdays. During the week, she is the Dean of Students (K-4) at Independence Charter School. She enjoys watching children grow and experience life through dance.


Photo Credit: Stuart Watson	Charles Tyson is artistic director and founder of Underground DanceWorks (UDW), an Eclectifunk-based dance company in Philadelphia. He is also the artistic director of the ETC. Performance Series at the Community Education Center (CEC) in West Philadelphia. Charles received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance from Temple University in the summer of 2000. His work has been performed, viewed and loved all over Philadelphia as well as Atlantic City, San Diego, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York City and Wuhan, China. In 2003, Charles and UDW were awarded the "Incubator for Talented Youth Award" by the Atlantic City Dance Theatre. His creative and performance credits include: Persona Zenobia Dance Ensemble, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Paule Turner, Tania Isaac, Sean Curran, Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Michael Roberts, A.D.D. Dance Company, New LEJA Dances, the Company, Dancefusion, International Ballet Theatre, The Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company, The Brooks-Lytle Jazz Ensemble, Anne-Marie Mulgrew & Dancers Company, ETC. Performance Series and Stephen Welsh/SWERVE. Charles and UDW are also members of Indigenous Pitch Dance Collective (IPDC). He is currently on faculty at the First Position Dance Arts where he teaches jazz funk, modern jazz and EclectiFunk and the Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center where he teaches improvisation and choreography.