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Cristy Robtoy
Cristy Robtoy, the owner and director of Studio Thirty4, has been a part of the
Baltimore Dance community as a Hip Hop instructor for ten years. She grew up in
family-owned Electric Youth Dance Company and was trained by her aunt,
Cheryl-Ann Kelley. Cristy continued to take classes while at the University of
MA where she earned a BA in Social Thought and Political Economy. From there,
Cristy pursued a Masters Degree in Leadership In Teaching at The College of
Notre Dame in Baltimore and began teaching. Through out her teaching career in Baltimore City, she could never avoid using dance and theater
to bring home important academic content for her students. Eventually, she became
a dance and theater instructor for Edison Schools and went on to teach Hip Hop
Dance at ConneXions Community Leadership Academy where she was the Arts
Director. At ConneXions, Cristy
founded the ConneXions Performing Arts Travel Company. Affectionately known as the Travel
Squad, this youth company featuring Modern, African, and Hip Hop Dance, as well
as African Drumming, is well known through out the city. The company has traveled as far as Atlanta, GA and Boulder, CO to share their work. As of fall 2009, Cristy has moved on to
open Studio Thirty4, a dance studio offering a wide selection of dance and movement classes in Baltimore City. Her work with The ConneXions Performing Arts Travel Company has shifted into a new
adventure called Urban Troops, a Youth Hip Hop competition Team. Cristy is excited to open her doors to
the Baltimore community and bring together dancers of all ages and ambition to
MOVE together toward health, happiness and creative expression.
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Kutia Jawara
Kutia Jawara was born in New
Orleans, Louisiana where she began her training in West African technique. A graduate of the Baltimore School for
the Arts, she has trained extensively in ballet and modern. Upon graduation she received a
scholarship to help her continue her education and start her career. She also trained at the Ailey School
where she was a three time fellowship recipient.
Kutia has had the honor of working
with Debbie Allen, Mariah Carey, Dead Prez, Obediah Wright, Stephanie Powell,
Magi Ross, Princess Mhoon- Cooper and Camille Brown of This Woman’s Work,
Hinton Battle who choreographed Idlewilde, Creative Outlet Dance Theatre of Brooklyn, The National
Oriental Ballet, Dishibem Traditional Contemporary Group and Dunia Dance
Theatre in Brussels, Belgium to name a few. She completed four seasons with the Washington Reflections
in DC.
In 2003 Kutia had her choreographic
debut at the Ailey School. She has
set work on the Washington Reflections, Nsa West African Dance Group of Howard
University, and Shange Dance Productions which she founded in 2004. In 2005 and 2008 she received a
Baltimore Individual Artists Grant in choreography. In 2008 Rebecca R. Ritzel
of the Washington Post said her choreography “elegantly fused West-African
dance, balletic technique and gymnastic movement.”
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Katelyn Reber
Katelyn began dancing at Upper Falls Dance Academy under the direction of Judith Daniel when she was three years old. She studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical and the Royal Academy of Dancing Syllabus. She completed the Royal Academy of Dance examinations and received grades of merit and distinction. Katelyn was an original member of Mirage Dance Company. While dancing with Mirage Dance Company she performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City. Her high school studies included dance while attending Baltimore School for the Arts. Her sophomore year she transferred and graduated from Carver Center for Arts and Technology. Katelyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Criminology / Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland College Park. While attending University of Maryland, Katelyn worked with faculty and choreographers Karen Bradley, Daniel Burkholder, Silvia Druker, Carly Hamburger, Paul Jackson, Isiah Johnson, Gesel Mason, Alvin Mayes, Ryan Chrisman-Mooney, Lionel Popkin, Lisa Traiger, Ed Tyler, Anne Warren, Alcine Wiltz and Nejla Yatkin. Katelyn’s choreography, “Distorted Reflection” was selected and performed at the American College Dance Festival in 2008. She held the position as the Event Coordinator for the Student Dance Association and taught jazz classes at University of Maryland.
After graduating, Katelyn has continued her dance career by training and performing. Katelyn has attended the 2008 summer and winter :pushing progress intensives in New Jersey and New York. She was selected by Chris Hale and Calen Kurka to attend the 2009 :pushing progress contemporary dance training program in New York, NY. In June 2009 she co-founded Impulse Movement Project, an adult contemporary dance company. Impulse Movement Project explores the fusion of Ballet, Jazz, Lyrical and Modern techniques. Katelyn is currently working at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the Child Life Department and teaching Ballet at Studio Thirty4.
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Danielle Schultz
Danielle
began her dancing training at Dj’s Dance Studio in Baltimore, MD. She then
furthered her education with Mid-Atlantic Center for the Performing Arts as a
Hot Shot National Dancer. She then graduated from Carver Center for the Arts of
Technologies with a focus in dance. After high school she attended Hofstra
University in Hempstead, New York. In 2008 she completed her Bachelors Degree
with a minor in Community Health. While in attendance at Hofstra she had the
pleasure to perform with choreographers such as Robin Becker, Pascale Benichou,
Stormy Brandenberger, Martha Clark, Chris Elam, Jean Erdman (Set by Nancy
Allison), Tikola McCree, Amy Marshall, Roslyn Newman, Maxine Steinman, Nathan
Trice, Karla Wolfangle, and Lakai Worrell. She was selected as a student
choreographer for the 2008 American College Dance Festival, and also presided
over the Dance Department of Hofstra University as President. Upon graduation
Danielle began her career as a dance educator. Furthering her studies in
Pilates, she now holds a certification in Pilates from the Kane School of Core
Integration located in NY,NY. Throughout the past year she taught dance in New
York private and public schools as well as dance studios. She was in charge of
the Teen Company at a Queens, NY studio. She also ran the 2007-2008 Dance team
for Christ the King High school. While working on her teaching career she also
performed for Alaine Handa Dance Company in New York. She is returning to
Baltimore to receive her Masters Degree from Towson University in Teaching and
also continue her teaching and performing careers.
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Stephen Fleg
Stephen "Octopus" Fleg aka DJ Fleg was introduced to Hip hop at the age of 5 when his oldest brother Anthony bought a Young MC tape and began to play it and other groups like Naughty by Nature and KRS One nonstop around the house. Since then, he has been a fan of old school and 90's hip hop. During his freshman yeah of high school he got a set of turntables and started scratching and mixing records. An unintended result of this interest in Djing was the introduction of all different types of music. By 19, he was listening to and DJing Jazz, Funk, hip hop, as well as many other genres. He played these records on his radio show at WMUC 88.1 in college park MD. His main DJing gigs however did not come until a couple of years later when he became a major DJ in the Bboy (breakdancing) Scene, in addition to art shows and clubs. Currently he is very active in the area, doing a monthly show in Baltimore called 4 Hours of Funk and DJing most Bboy competitions in the Maryland area. His Djing style is greatly influenced by other Bboy DJ's such as Leacy, Basic, DP one and Forest getem gump.
Fleg is not only known in the area for his DJing, but for his breaking as well. He has been breaking for 9 years and is a member of AWR/4f crew in Maryland, which consistantly wins top prize at local and interstate bboy competitions. His bboy style is similar to his Djing in that he draws from the old school foundation and form, but then adds new components to create his own, unique style. His influences include local crews DVC, AWR and 703 as well as many other bboys from New York and Florida.
In Fleg's Breaking and Djing he trys to harness or be harnessed by the power of music and really get into the moment. This is something unique and beautiful about the world of music and dance; the fact that one can truly express oneself. In music and dance, not only is an incredible art produced, but the artist/DJ/Dancer is immersed in their art so much that it frees them. It is for this reason that Fleg continues dancing and Djing. |
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Tabitha Darby
President/CFO/Lead Instructor Baltimore Salsa Dance Company
Ms. Tabitha is a certified Salsa and Zumba instructor with over 8 years of dancing, instructing, and performing. She currently teaches private & group lessons in Latin Dance such as Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, and Cha-Cha, to name a few. Latin Dance is a creative and active form of mental and physical exercise. Whether you decide to participate in my dynamic interactive group class or my individually centered private class, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and a desire to learn and grow in your abilities.
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Chesan Yik
Vice President/CEO of BSDC/Lead Instructor Baltimore Salsa Dance Company
Ms. Chesan has over 15 years of experience dancing and instructing! Outside of Baltimore Salsa Dance Company, she is the owner of Paralegals Ink and is also co-owner with Tabitha for a non-profit organization for women called W.E. (Women Empowered). She holds a degree in Business Management.
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