The Call Board - Tennessee Association of Dance

The 

Call Board 

Vol. 22, No. 1 • The Newsletter of the Tennessee Association of Dance • August 2010 

Conference ‘10 returns to Austin Peay State 

University in Clarksville, October 16-17 

TAD’s 41st Annual 

Statewide Conference 

Exciting master faculty and class line-up includes: 

• ballet • pointe • modern • jazz • tap • hip-hop 

• African • yoga • contact improvisation • choreography 

• Pilates • Fosse Technique • and more • including panel 

sessions on various topics 

Ann Burton Avery 

Master Faculty: 

Ann Burton Avery 

Fabrice Calmals 

Anne Curran 

Casey Hill 

Jennifer Kintner 

Andrea Markus 

Amelia Byrd 

Margi Cole 

Keith Fitzpatrick 

Christine Johnson 

Nicole Koenig 

Bruce Stegmann 

Andrea Markus 

Online registration begins August 20 

Detailed faculty bios, more photos, hotel info, and class descriptions available on TAD website.

TAD Award Winners for 2009-10 

Kathy Callaghan of Nashville named 

Outstanding Dance Educator 

TENNESSEE 

ASSOCIATION OF DANCE 

2010 -2011 OFFICERS AND 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

President 

Jessica Laliberte-Bowman 

General Vice-President 

Marcus Hayes 

Secretary 

Morgan Fleming 

Treasurer 

Janet Clough 

Vice-President East 

Cinnamon Halbert-Smith 

Vice-President Middle 

Sarah Englert 

Directors 

Marsha Barsky 

Debbie Belue 

Cara Harker 

Jennifer Harwell 

Jennifer Kintner 

Sharon Perry 

Cathy Pettway 

Anne Willet-Curran 

Laurel Zahrobsky 

TAD Executive Director 

Karen Wilson 

The Call Board is published by 

The Tennessee Association of Dance 

P.O. Box 4368 

Chattanooga, TN 37405 

(423) 855-7890 

e-mail: info@tennessee.org 

Kathy has taught Ballet for the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation 

in Nashville, TN for several years and is currently the Artistic Director for 

the Centennial Youth Ballet. CYB offers students 

performance opportunities in classic and contemporary 

ballets to prepare them for the professional 

world if the choose to go into the field of dance. 

Kathy is in charge of all 

aspects of these productions from choreography 

to lights and music. She is able to do all of this 

and still nurture authentic artistry in each 

dancer. For thirty years her ballet classes have 

offered a stable and positive environment geared 

toward higher standards in learning. Hundreds 

of students in the Nashville area have benefitted 

from Kathy’s instruction to go on to pursue dance 

as a career or college dance major. Kathy attends 

teacher summer workshops always looking for 

new and exciting 

Kathy Callaghan 

ways to communicate solid technique to her students. She never stops 

learning because she loves teaching. Nashville is very lucky to have her. 

By Sarah Englert 

Hal Baker of Chattanooga is 

Dance Advocate of the Year 

Under the leadership of Hal Baker, Orange Grove Center added a dance 

program to its curriculum almost 22 years ago as a result of Tennessee Arts 

Commission grant. Under the direction of Ann Shea, movement exploration 

classes were given so that all clients could participate. Some of these clients 

would go on to become performers and the Orange Grove Dancers began to 

perform for audiences. 

Mr. Baker was the dance group’s biggest fan, calling them, “one of the 

jewels in the crown that is Orange Grove.” He was a constant advocate for the 

value of the arts, and dance in particular, in the lives of people-both able bodied 

and disabled. He came to every performance he could and made sure that each 

year there was money available to continue this program. Not only does this 

program enrich the lives of the participants at Orange Grove but it enriches the 

lives of all those who get to perform with them from Nebraska to Florida. Hal 

Baker created an incredible experience when he began this in 1987. 

By Ann Shea 

Remember, the deadline for TAD Outstanding Dance 

Educator, Dance Advocate and the Margaret Martin 

Award is August 20. 

Download nomination forms from website. 

The Call Board August 2010

Conference ‘10 at Austin Peay State University 

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE INFORMATION 

PLEASE read before you visit our website to begin your Conference Registration: 

• All conference attendees must be TAD members. Please make sure your membership is current AT THE TIME 

OF THE CONFERENCE. PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIPS EARLY TO AVOID REGISTRATION PROBLEMS. 

Any non-member will automatically become a member when they register in the non-member category. There is 

a significant discount for registration prior to Sept. 20. No refunds for Conference Fees. Any emergency request 

must be submitted in writing to the Board of Directors. 

All Conference registrations must be done online using a credit card. No individual paper registrations will be 

accepted. Teachers: For information on GROUP registrations contact the TAD office. All registrations MUST BE 

COMPLETE BY OCTOBER 13. On site registration is on a space available basis. 

Hotel Information available on the website. Reserve your room early. Hotel cut-off date is SEPTEMBER 15.. 

Conference Fees: Lunch is included in all registrations. 

Before Sept. 20 

TAD Member Student $95 Non-Member Student $145 

TAD Member Adult $120 Non-Member Adult $180 

TAD Member one-day $85 Non-Member one day $110 

After Sept. 20 

TAD Member Student $125 Non Member Student $175 

TAD Member Adult $155 Non-Member Adult $215 

TAD Member one day $115 Non-Member one day $140 

THERE IS A $20 

REGISTRATION FEE 

FOR ALL ATTENDEES 

Observer Packages are available as follows: 

TAD Member $75 Non-Member $135 

Observers with a Conference name tag will be allowed in classes on a space available basis. (NO observation allowed 

of Scholarship Audition class.) Lunch is included in observer registration. 

Students must be at least 12 years old by 10/16/10 in order to attend the conference. All attendees must be working 

at an intermediate or higher technique level. 

• All attendees must turn in the Medical Release/Liability form to TAD prior to taking class. The form is located on 

the TAD website. Students who do not return the release form WILL NOT RECEIVE CLASS TICKETS AND MAY 

NOT ATTEND CLASSES! Do not mail form after October 10. TAD is not responsible for forms not received. 

• Scholarship applications are available on the website. All Scholarship forms must be returned to Scholarship 

Chairman by deadline in order to register for the Scholarship Audition class. 

Performances: 

Cathie Kasch Student Choreography Project: The concert will be Saturday after lunch with a class designed specifically 

to give feedback immediately following. Any TAD student member attendee is eligible to submit a work 

for adjudication. Guidelines/Applications are available on the website or form your TAD member dance teacher. 

Send completed application materials to Laurel Zahrobsky. 

The Saturday Evening Concert: Middle Tennessee Regional Gala. The concert will feature professional companies 

and university dance ensembles in the middle Tennessee Region. Tickets $10.00 for TAD Members. 

Purchase tickets with your registration. 

Class Schedule is available on the website. Attendees will receive class tickets in your Registration packet. There 

will be a ticket trade table where you can exchange tickets on site. 

Registered Conference attendees will NOT receive class tickets if membership lapses prior to Oct. 17. PLEASE 

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIPS EARLY TO AVOID REGISTRATION PROBLEMS. 

Over -- More Conference information on next page... 


Conference ‘10 info continued: 

In addition to technique classes offered we have panel discussions open to observer and students. These are 

ideal sessions for parents, chaperones, and teachers in addition to students. This year’s panel line-up includes: 

Dance Licensure and Teacher Evaluation in Tennessee Update: 

Get the latest information on dance certification and licensure in Tennessee. Find out what Tennessee colleges offer this program and 

how to start work on your certification to be able to teach dance in Tennessee’s public schools. Also addressed will be the new evaluation 

requirements for Tennessee public school teachers. 

College Dance Programs: 

Are you interested in majoring in dance in college: Hear what current professors of dance have to say about it. Both Tennessee and 

out-of-state dance programs will be addressed. 

NDEO Info Panel: 

Tennessee Association of Dance is now a State Affiliate of the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO). NDEO memberships 

give you a discounted TAD memberships. During this session you will learn about NDEO and have any specific questions addressed. 

The session will also address the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. NHSDA is now available to Tennessee middle and high 

schools, private dance studios, non-profit dance schools. Come find out how to get a student chapter started. 

Anatomy of a Professional Dance Shoot 

Dance photographer Martin O’Connor will reprise his popular seminar from last year and continue the discussion and demonstration of 

how to achieve a professional looking image for your studio or company. 

STEPS TO REGISTER: 

1. Log on to: www.tennesseedance.org 

2. Join TAD by clicking on the “Join Now” link if you are not already a member or to renew your 

membership. (Membership must be current at the time of the Conference.) Registered 

Conference attendees will NOT receive class tickets if membership lapses prior to Oct. 17. 

PLEASE RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIPS EARLY TO AVOID REGISTRATION PROBLEMS. 

3. Click on the Events page. 

4. Download and print the class schedule for your convenience-along with any other 

needed forms. 

5. Follow the links to the Conference registration pages. 

6. Begin the process by filling in the necessary personal information and email. 

7. Select your classes. Choose one class for each time slot. When the class limits have been 

reached, the class will be removed from the selections. (If you do not see a class that is listed 

on the schedule that means it is full and no longer available.) Those registering as “Observers” 

should NOT choose specific classes-choose only the Observer registration option. You will be 

admitted with your badge/name tag on a observer space available basis. 

8. Complete your registration by selecting tickets for the evening performance of the Middle Tennessee 

Gala or proceeding to the Checkout page. Enter your payment information. 

9. You will receive a confirmation email and can print out your class schedule. 

10. Complete and mail (no later than Oct. 10) Medical Release form. Please mail prior to Conference 

to avoid packet pick-up problems. 

Remember: You must pick up a Registration packet either at the Main Stay Suites or on-site 

with your class tickets and other information. Feel free to call or email TAD if you have any 

questions or experience any problems in completing your registration. 


Kitty Sharp Summer Scholarship: 

Ara Vito, Franklin 

Home Studio: Franklin School of 

Performing Arts 

Attended Rockettle Summer Institute 

Summer Scholarship Awards 

Mary Willie Summer Scholarship: 

Allison Storrow, Brentwood 

Home Studio: Franklin School of 

Performing Arts 

Attended Ballet Met Summer Institute 

Van R. Ault Summer Scholarship: 

Shannon Brooks, Franklin 

Home Studio: Centennial Youth Ballet 

Attended Magnus Midwest 

Dance Intensive 

Alternates/Honorable Mention: 

Grace Dengler, Brentwood 

Alison Blanchard, Franklin 

Mary Elizabeth Pellett, Nashville 

Summer Scholarship Winners and Alternates: 

Allison Storrow, Alison Blanchard, Grace Dengler, Ara Vito, 

Mary Elizabeth Pellett, Shannon Brooks 

Auditions for 2011 Summer Scholarships will 

be held at Conference ‘10 at Austin Peay 

State University. 

Applications available on the TAD website. 

Application deadline is 

September 20. 

Cathie Kasch Student Choreography Project 

1st place: Emily Rice, Laurel 

Zahrobsky, Emily McCall, Sarah 

Douglas McCall, Sarah Evatt, 

Eller Mallchok 

2nd place: Claire 

Phillips of Center 

for Creative Arts 

in Chattanooga 

3rd place: Alaina Runions of 

Austin Peay State University 

in Clarksville 

Honorable Mention: Jeremiah 

Welch of Austin East High School 

in Knoxville 

Visit the TAD website for Guidelines and Application 

for this years CKSC Project. 

The deadline for submissions is 

September 25. 

All photos on this page by Martin O’Connor. 


A Rockin’ Summer for Ara Vito, Kitty Sharp Scholarship Winner 

by Ara Vito 

8:45 a.m. in New York City is a beautiful sight to 

behold. The city’s traffic and noise are in full swing as tourists 

pound the sidewalk, businessmen and women plough forward 

with a purpose, and the commonplace pedestrians step lightly 

around each other in a seemingly choreographed street ballet. 

The smell of exhaust, smoke, and 

shish- kebabs from the ever-present 

street vendors instantly jolts me 

awake as I feel the rumble of the 

subway far below my feet. I am in 

the very center of it all, in downtown 

Manhattan, on my way to Radio City 

Music Hall. 

The Radio City Rockette 

Summer Intensive is a dance 

education program taking place in 

Radio City Music Hall that teaches 

students all about the Rockette 

precision dance technique and 

how to perfect it. Going into the 

experience, I knew that I loved and 

admired the Rockette style, but it Ara at the Stage Door of Radio City 

was a style that I had not had much 

experience with. I also knew, however, that being a 

Rockette would be a dream job for me in the future and that this 

intensive could help me become more familiar with the Rockette 

technique. 

By the end of the very first day of the program, I had 

learned so much, including the fact that I had so much yet to 

learn. The strenuous, highly precise style was something I had 

never tried before. Having had solid training in ballet, tap, and 

jazz, I knew I was not incapable, but the Rockette repertoire and 

fast-paced learning was a challenge. This made me even more 

determined to improve my technique and hopefully become 

one step closer 

to achieving my 

goal. My teachers, 

Rockettes Kristin 

Altfather and Melinda 

Farrell, had been with 

the dance troupe for 

many seasons and 

continue to perform 

with the troupe. 

Eileen Grace, the 

program director and 

an instructor for the 

Rockette Summer 

Intensive, had been 

a Rockette for eight 

years. She has 

countless television 

and Broadway 

credits, including 

appearances on 

Ara and the Rockettes 

television shows such as the Late Show with David Letterman, 

the Today Show, and Oprah. She has also choreographed 

for the Rockettes and Broadway, and teaches in several 

prestigious dance schools in Manhattan. I was excited to 

learn as much as I could from these talented women who had 

instantly become my role models. 

We spent most of the week 

learning and rehearsing three 

pieces of Rockette choreography 

that would be performed at the 

end of the week in the theater 

at Madison Square Garden. In 

addition to learning Rockette tap, 

jazz, and choreography during 

the intensive, we were given the 

opportunity to have a Q and A with 

the Rockettes, discuss the audition 

process and receive audition tips, 

rehearse on the Radio City stage, 

have a mock Rockettes audition, 

receive individual feedback and 

constructive criticism about our 

dance technique, and tour Radio 

City Music Hall. We were also given a look inside the dazzling 

costume and dressing rooms and told all about life as a 

Rockette. 

As the final day of the intensive approached, I felt so 

grateful for the experience. I loved dancing from 9 a.m. to 6 

p.m. every day, learning firsthand from the Rockettes everything 

I could about the job that I hope to have in the future. Even 

though my time in New York was short, I feel more prepared 

and more capable to take on any dance challenges to come. 

I learned to think on my feet, work harder, push myself more 

than ever before, and smile brightly while doing it. Because I 

have danced on the stage at Madison Square Garden in New 

York City, performing timeless choreography and beaming into 

the darkness of the audience while beginning a set of eye-high 

kicks, I now know what heaven feels like. 

Buy a specialty license plate and invest in 

Tennessee’s arts community.. These plates 

help fund the arts throughout Tennessee. 


Two area colleges close dance departments 

TAD is sad to report the closure of two Departments of Dance at two of the region’s colleges. Both University of Tennessee 

at Knoxville and Virginia Intermont College are no longer offering students the opportunity to major in dance. Both of these 

programs have a long history in the Tennessee arts community and were under the direction of notable dance educators. Dr. Gene 

McCutchon of UTK, and Constance Hardinge and Dr. Harolyn Gaudette of VIC, guided their programs for many years and were 

instrumental in the growth of dance in higher education in Tennessee. 

For a look at the curcumstances and timeline of the closure of the UTK dance program follow the link to a story in the university 

paper: http://tnjn.com/2010/feb/18/ut-dance-program-approaches-it/ 

The following article is written by Bonny Copenhaver who credits the VIC program with cultivating her love of dance. Bonny is a 

past president of TAD and curently Provost & Vice President for Student Affairs for Motlow State Community College. She is an 

arts advocate who firmly believes in the value of a dance education in training students for the 21st century. 

A look back at VIC Dance 

by Bonny Copenaver 

The dance department at Virginia Intermont College, located in 

Bristol, Virginia, was founded by Constance Hardinge in 1972. 

Hardinge had been teaching dance in Bristol since 1942 when 

she started teaching at Sullins College. When she was asked to 

create the department at VIC, Hardinge was given the freedom 

to create an exemplary program. The college administration 

allowed her flexibility with class meeting times, and she developed 

a nationally recognized teacher-training and performing program 

which was designed to take the college-age dancer and prepare 

him or her for a future dance career. In addition to technique 

classes in ballet and later in modern and jazz, students took four 

semesters of dance history, two semesters of practice teaching, 

plus courses in dance notation, kinesiology, choreography, 

costume construction, and music for ballet. The program 

supported several branch studios throughout rural southwest 

Virginia that served not only as a teach preparatory schools but 

also brought dance to many areas that would have otherwise not 

been exposed to the art form. The dancers also performed with 

Bristol Ballet Company, a thriving regional company that Hardinge 

founded in 1959. Hardinge brought in guest choreographers and 

instructors from nationally recognized programs to supplement the 

student’s educational experience. 

Hardinge retired from VIC in 1985, and the Bristol Ballet Company 

left the auspices of the VIC in 1986 to return to its original home 

at the school of dance that Hardinge founded. The department 

was briefly headed by Sidney Warren before Harolyn Gaudette 

assumed the director’s position in 1987. Under her leadership, 

the program continued to bring in guest choreographers and 

teachers and focused on performing classical, contemporary, 

modern, and theatre dance pieces as well as training dance 

educators. Gaudette held the position until the department closed 

at the end of the 2009 school year. 

Since its creation, the dance department at Virginia Intermont 

College produced hundreds of performers, teachers, and 

choreographers. To operate a department like this is truly a labor 

of love, and while the legacy of the program will live on in the lives 

of those who were a part of the program, the dance community 

has lost something precious. TAD applauds the vision of the 

women who created and sustained this program, and we regret 

deeply the closing of this program. 

Be an arts advocate! 

This article highlights the importance of active 

arts advocacy. During this time of economic issues 

and budget crisis, it is even more important 

to voice your support of the arts, and dance in 

particular. Develop a habit of contacting your 

local, state and national officials to let them know 

how important the art of dance is to a civilized 

society. Your voice matters. Let them know why 

Dance is important and what it does. 

Dance develops the following: 

• self-discipline 

• focus 

• concentration 

• creativity 

• problem-solving skills 

• self-assessment skills 

• the desire to do well 

• physical fitness 

Why are these things important? These are all 

skills that transfer into other areas of learning 

and achievement. Students who study dance 

score an average 36 and 15 points higher on 

verbal and math SATS (Source: College Entrance 

Examination Board, Student Descriptive Questionnaire). 

Employers are increasingly looking for 

employees who are creative and adaptable. 

Be an active member of TAD and Tennesseans 

for the Arts. Help to spread the message about 

dance and the arts. 


P.O. Box 4368 

Chattanooga, TN 37405 

Attention: 

This issue of The Call 

Board is the official 

Statewide Conference 

issue. 

Important information 

concerning the 

registration process 

is inside. 

All registration for the 

Conference MUST be 

done online. 

Please check your email regularly for TAD communications. As a result of 

our member’s wishes we are conducting much of our business and 

information services through email. 

Please contact the TAD office if you are not receiving TAD member emails. 

E-mail: info@tennesseedance.org 

www.tennesseedance.org 

Tennessee Association of Dance is a State Affiliate 

of National Dance Education Organization 

The Call Board August 2010 

The Tennessee Association of Dance receives funding through an agreement with the 

Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Association 

also gratefully acknowledges support from the Capezio/Ballet Makers Foundation

The Call Board - Tennessee Association of Dance

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