Connecticut Dance School

Personnel

	Alan Woodard, Director Trained in London, England and danced with English National Ballet for six years. He was leading dancer and ballet Master with ballet Santiago, Chile, after two seasons as soloist with the National Chilean Ballet. He holds the Advanced Teacher’s Certificate (with honors) from the Royal Academy of Dance and has studied the pedagogical courses for teachers (6 year syllabus), Kirov method, in St. Petersburg. As teacher, director and choreographer he was formerly at Arts Educational Trust, Ltd in England; the University of Chile in Santiago and the Metropolitan Ballet company in Bethesda, Maryland. In Jackson, Mississippi, he was Artistic Director of the Company as well as choreographer and Director of Ballet Mississippi School. He became Director of CDS in June, 1993.
	Mel Curry Well known Fairfield County Jazz teacher, has performed throughout the USA and abroad with such celebrities as Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Charlie Pride and Henry Mancini. He joined the faculty in 1995.
	Jim Clark Has performed on Broadway in Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, West Side Story, Pippin, Cabaret, etc. Jim established a distinguished career in Japan where he taught at the Osaka College of Music, assisted Tommy Tune in the Japanese production of Grand Hotel and founded the Broadway Musical Theatre School. Since 1999, Jim has taught several jazz workshops for CDS while choreographing for summer programs, colleges and performing groups throughout Connecticut.
	Patrice Pudvah Logan Holds Teacher’s Certificate of the Hartford Ballet School. She has taught, danced and choreographed throughout the state and is especially known for her creative work with young children. She joined the faculty in 1987.
	Brenda-Jean Rider Looks forward to developing a custom-made program for adults at CDS. She holds a Pilates Instructor Certificate and has completed the prescribed course of study incorporating advanced knowledge and principles of Pilates exercise according to Joseph Pilates as taught by Power Pilates. Brenda's extensive teaching experience includes personal training and nutrition. She currently teaches Pilates with clients one-on-one and Pilates Mat classes at Bodywork in Westport.
	Patricia Robson Received early training with Dorothy Alexander in Atlanta, Georgia, at the School of American Ballet and with William Dollar in NYC. She has taught for the Atlanta Ballet School, Russell Fratto's Ballet Etudes in Norwalk, CT and the New England Dance Theater in New Canaan, CT. Miss Pat joined the faculty in 1995 and is also Wardrobe Mistress for all CDS productions.
	Caroline Lucy Smith Holds the certificate of Dance Education from the Royal Academy of Dance. Her extensive teaching and performance experience includes the Lar Lubovitch Company and the Ballet Met Academy, Ohio. Miss Caroline, who joined the faculty in 1996 teaches modern dance as well as ballet.
	Jeanne Wingate Studied at Broadway Dance and Steps in NYC and with Kim McIver in whose Greenwich based company, Zebra she performed. Miss Jeanne also studied and performed with D’Valda & Sirico Dance Center in Fairfield and trained for three summers in the Dance Masters Certification Program for teachers. She joined the faculty in 2004.
	Moira Murphy Wright Received her initial training in Buffalo, NY and as a scholarship awardee studied at Chatauqua and Saratoga Summer Schools. She danced with several civic ballet companies as well as Buffalo Ballet, NY, and Frankfurt Ballet, Germany. Miss Moira, who joined the faculty in 1992, is also rehearsal assistant to Mr. Woodard for The Nutcracker.

Administration

Valerie Pullman
General Manager
Is thrilled to be returning to Connecticut Dance School where she taught modern dance and studied under Mr. Woodard for eight years. For 20 years Val was the director of the Darien Dance Center in Darien, CT. She has a BA from Bennington College in Dance and her MA in Dance Education from Columbia University. Her professional background includes performing with Jeff Duncan, The Yard, Jody Oberfelder and her own company while in NYC and CT. Val’s teaching background includes Florida State, Yale, and Brant Lake Dance Centre. She currently teaches modern dance, choreography and dance education at Manhattanville College. Val has been the recipient of two individual artist grants from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.

Jean Gaynor
Administrative Assistant
Studied and performed classic hula in Hawaii. Jean has many years of experience in public relations and has been Administrative Assistant at CDS since 2000.

Board of Directors
Elizabeth Gaynor, President
Marguerite Rossi, Vice President
Henry Herbring, Treasurer
Gene Bayliss, Assistant Treasurer
Dorothy Straub Genualdi, Secretary

Therese Casey
Molly Ciardi
Elizabeth Belliveau Kirkpatrick Zaida McLoughlin
Dodie Pettit
Alan Woodard

Advisory Council
Patricia Barrie
David Berliner
Katherine Caulfield
Radley Daly
Eliza G. Minden
Elisabeth Morten
Melanie Smith
Stephen Stout
Josephine Tate
Barbara Webster

Elizabeth Gaynor
Founder and President

42 Halley Court | Fairfield, CT | 06825
Phone (203) 384-2492 | Fax (203) 384-2439