Teachers
| Sheila
Dollas, R.D.E.: Founder
and Executive Director |
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I
never thought the darkest time in my life would turn out to be
the beginning of one of the greatest journeys in my life, layered
with countless blessings.
In my sophomore year
at college, I sustained a traumatic back injury that literally
brought aspirations of a career in dance to a halt. Over the next
eight months, a series of visits to eight specialists consumed
my life (not to mention my family’s life). Results revealed
a herniated disc and a degenerative disc in my lower back, a broken
collarbone and a degenerative disc in my neck. I adorned a neck
brace, a sling to immobilize my arm, a corset with metal sties
around my torso and a two-inch lift in my left shoe.
Surgery was recommended
for my lower back, however,
surgery on my
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my neck
and collarbone was not medically feasible. My path to healing
would be arduous, to say the least. After a year of lying paralyzed
on our living room floor, in complete shock and disbelief, the
muscle spasms began to subside. I began finding myself waking
from dreams in which I danced to new choreography. I also found
myself needing not only to listen, but also to feel the music
again. Lying on my back under the sound system I could feel the
music resonate throughout my entire body. Visualization and imagery,
allowed me to send or hold the music anywhere from my head to
my toes. The power of pure authentic rhythm and visualization
of my body moving was the most important part of my recovery.
Shortly thereafter, my dance teacher asked me to coach students
in preparation for an upcoming competition. It was a bittersweet
experience leaving me empty.
I faced the inevitable
need to begin a new direction of college studies. As fate would
have it, I found myself in the library mesmerized with books illustrating
the dance world. It was then that I became spellbound with one
small section of books dedicated to dance therapy and dance with
special populations. I was alive again!
Along with my studies
in Psychology, I added a dual degree of course work in the Social
Sciences. All of my electives and internships surrounded synthesizing
the dance world and work with individuals who were at risk and/or
exceptionally challenged. Graduate studies at three different
schools allowed me to explore dance and movement with a strong
emphasis on the holistic virtue and philosophy of recovery and
harmonization of the mind and body.
In 1998, I was blessed
with an opportunity to take all that I had learned and put it
to use, opening a grass-roots dance program for children, adolescents
and adults who were exceptionally challenged mentally, physically
and/or emotionally. With my three-year-old daughter at my side,
we began working with four students to develop a dance program
designed and tailored to creatively meet the unique needs of each
individual. Over the next year, each student bestowed beautiful
gifts and many shared portfolios of medical miracles. We were
honored to share the same time, space and energy force and continually
amazed at the “dance” we had created together. These
were truly Moving Miracles.
It was immediately
obvious to us that in order to be successful in meeting individual
needs we needed to lay blue prints for an ambulatory and non-ambulatory
curriculum. Today, our dance curriculums present a non-traditional
therapeutic approach to learning; concentrating on a kinesthetic
and multi-sensory level. Each class emulates that of a traditional
dance class, referencing developmental milestones. We focus on
enhancing the quality of each individual’s life by providing
tools and empowering each person to gain mastery and control over
their body and environment.
Now, in our eighth
season, my daughter and I take our humble place at the community
table along with a highly trained teaching staff of 10 and more
than 40 volunteer “dance partners,” all working together
with more than 400 children, adolescents and adults to help each
and every one reach their full potential.
Who would have thought
during those dark days of diagnosis and therapy that we would
come through…following a new path to experience some of
the greatest miracles life has to offer.
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Jean Widlicka:
Artistic Director |
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Artistic Director, Jean
Widlicka waltzed into our dance studios just five short years ago
as a volunteer “dance partner”. Upon quick introduction
it was immediately obvious to all that “Miss Jean” was
a highly regarded Ballet Mistress and quite accomplished in the
performing arts world. She began formal dance training at a very
young age culminating in studies at the School of American Ballet
under the direction of George Balanchine. Miss Jean began performing
at the age of three with her mother and sister on the USO battleships
in World War II. Her performance resume stands in a class of it
own, including a tour as a Rockette at Radio City Music Hall and
appearances on The Ed Sullivan TV show. Miss Jean’s humble
and generous heart took her to orphanages where she orchestrated
improvisational groups empowering all of the children and adolescents
through the universal language of music and dance. She was the founder
of Ballet Theater Workshop in NYC, and has numerous professional
faculty appointments including C.W. Post College in NY, Virginia
Conservatory of Ballet and Lake Placid Olympic Training Center among
others. |
| After one
year as a volunteer, Miss Jean graciously accepted a position as
Artistic Director at Moving Miracles. As a dance historian her knowledge,
wisdom and theatrical flare brought a new life to our performances.
In the summer of 2004, under the direction of Miss Jean, Moving
Miracles formally established a touring dance company. “Without
Words Dance Ensemble” originated and was created to educate
society about the abilities, strengths, dreams and ambitions of
our gifted and talented dancers |
Jill Baker,
A.R.D.E.:
Managing Director |
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Jill
joined the Moving Miracles family as a volunteer in December 2004
and was promoted to the teaching staff in September 2005. She
became Managing Director in July 2007. Jill has studied all forms
of dance for over 24 years, beginning her training in 1983 at
Rhythmettes Dance Studio in North Tonawanda. In 1984, she moved to
Michele Merwin Dance Arts (now Tonawanda Dance Arts) where she
continued to study dance until June, 2003. Jill began teaching as
an assistant instructor at TDA in 1996, with a promotion to full
faculty coming in September, 2003. She has completed Levels 1-3 of
the Dance Masters of America Teacher Training School program and has
attended intensive programs in Musical Theatre and Hip Hop through
Dance Masters. In the summer of 2007, Jill spent six weeks
attending an intensive program in Modern dance with the Buffalo
Contemporary Dance Company and has attending continuing education
and Master classes in through several local dance schools. She is a
member of both the National Dance Education Organization and the New
York State Dance Education Association. Jill has co-presented
seminars and workshops at past NDEO conferences and in 2008 traveled
to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with dance educators from around
the country to lobby for increased spending on Arts education,
particularly dance education. In 2009, Jill was awarded the title
of Associate Registered Dance Educator by the National Registry of
Dance Educators, a distinction created for dance educators who are
in the early stages of their career. She is the first person in the
United States to hold the A.R.D.E. title. In addition to her dance
credentials, Jill is a 2003 graduate of the State University of New
York at Buffalo, where she earned a B.A. in Political Science with a
concentration in International Relations.
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Bethann
Cournan: Dance Instructor |
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Bethann spent five years as a volunteer
with Moving Miracles before being added to our teaching staff in
2006. She has an Associate’s Degree in Human Resources and has also
been pursuing a degree in Occupational Therapy through Erie
Community College. Trained as a gymnast by the Kathy Gleason School
of Gymnastics in Wheatfield, Bethann spent two years coaching
cheerleading at the junior varsity and varsity levels for the
Holland Central School District. She also has twenty years of
experience working with the special education departments of various
Western New York school systems as a Braille translator.
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Melody Semp: Dance Instructor |
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Melody joined the Moving
Miracles teaching staff in September, 2007.
Originally from Endicott, New York, she has been dancing for twelve
years, studying ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical and hip hop. In
addition to dancing, she also coached Pee-Wee cheerleading for the local
church Our Lady of Good Counsel. Melody is currently a student at
Buffalo State College majoring in Speech-Language Pathology with a
minor in Dance. She is thrilled to be a member of the Moving Miracles
family.
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Ashley Kasper:
Dance Instructor |
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Ashley has been volunteering
with Moving Miracles since January, 2008 and is thrilled to now be
teaching at the studio! Ashley began her formal dance education 16
years ago while in First Grade at Dance Dimensions in East Aurora,
under the direction of Janet Rush. She has never lost her love of
dance, performing several styles including tap, jazz, lyrical, and
even country line dancing. Ashley furthered her dance training
through summers spent dancing in musicals with the Lancaster Youth
Bureau and Lancaster Performing Arts Society. She is a 2008
graduate of Canisius College where she received a degree in
Finance. During her four years at Canisius, she was a part of the
Dance Griffs, a dance team which performed during selected sports
events. Ashley is currently employed at M&T Bank and is also
dancing with the Buffalo Stampede (PBL) Dance Team. |
Christine Ziemba: Dance
Instructor |
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Christine, or “Miss
Chris” as she is known to her students, is thrilled to be joining
the Moving Miracles staff for our 2008-2009 season. She holds a
Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from St. Bonaventure University and
a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University
of Buffalo. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. For her
Master's Thesis she created a Dance Therapy Program for children
recovering from the loss of a parent. She has attended many teacher
trainings including one of the last trainings from the late, great,
Al Gilbert. Christine has taught for area studios including; Sherry
Martin's & Circle of Dance. She was a member of Unique Dance Co. for
5 years, and has performed in and around Buffalo, including the Miss
Western New York Pageant. Dancing since the age of 4, she has always
dreamed of dancing her life away in her own studio. In addition to
teaching with Moving Miracles, Christine is also the owner and
Director of the METTS Dance program, which holds its classes at
Moving Miracles’ facility.
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Elaina Palko:
Dance Instructor |
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Elaina
joined Moving Miracles as a volunteer in 2006 and two and a half
years later is thrilled to be joining our teaching staff. Elaina has
been dancing at the Jill Squitieri Academy of Ballet for the past 10
years and has also worked as a teaching assistant there. She is
currently studying in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at
D'Youville College.
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