Studio for the Dance Arts
The Dance Annex
Audrey Eastman began her dance training when she was young at Holly Jane Dance Center with Holly Jane Johnson. In high school, she pursued more advanced training at Great Bay Academy of Dance with Elisa Gerasin and Kristen Samson in Kittery, ME. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of New Hampshire in 2020 with a BS in Biomedical Science (Medical/Veterinary Sciences) and a BA in Dance. In December of 2023 she graduated as a Doctor of Physical Therapy from Tufts University School of Medicine. Audrey is currently a licensed physical therapist in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts. While at UNH she trained with Assaf Benchetrit and Susan Endrizzi and performed with the UNH Dance Company. She has attended summer programs with the American Ballet Theatre and the University of Utah. In January of 2019, she traveled to Buenos Aires with DanceAbroad Argentina and trained in ballet and contemporary with various Argentinian teachers. She has had the privilege to perform Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in GBAD's "An 1836 Portsmouth Nutcracker," Cinderella with the UNH Dance Company, original choreographed works at Lila Dance Festival, and in City Ballet of Boston’s “Urban Nutcracker.” She is currently performing with Annex Contemporary Dance Company directed by Julie Hebb, as well as various local schools.
Angela Grassie has been dancing since the age of two at Corinne’s School of Dance in Rochester, NH. She also studied ballet, pointe, and modern at Ballet New England in Portsmouth, NH. Angela has also studied many forms of dance at Steps On Broadway and Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She received a full scholarship for the Rockette Summer Intensive in New York City and performed at Radio City Music Hall. Angela was a Rockette Teacher Assistant for the weekend Rockette Experiences and the Rockette Summer Intensives for over two years. She has traveled to New Jersey to choreograph for the Sophisticated Productions Performance Team in Atlantic City. Angela was the dance choreographer for Noble High School's performance of The Music Man in 2013. Angela has professionally performed in Ballet New England, The Dance Annex, Great Bay Academy of Dance and Sole City Dance's The Nutcracker as the Snow Queen, Dew Drop Fairy, Rat Queen, Lead Spanish Soloist, Demi-Soloist Flower, Peppermint Lead, and Snow Corps. She performed in Cabaret as a Kit Kat Dancer at the Rochester Opera House. She has danced professionally with Ballet New England, The Dance Annex and Great Bay Academy of Dance's modern and jazz companies. Angela has also had the opportunity to be the choreographer for Pippin, Dog Fight and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Player's Ring in Portsmouth, NH. Angela has recently studied under Rhonda Malkin in NYC for precision dance. Angela is the proud co-owner of Corinne's School of Dance in Rochester, NH and loves teaching all styles of dance. In 2017, Angela founded CSD Ballet Company and directed her first ballet, The Sleeping Beauty. She has since directed Alice In Wonderland and The Wizard of OZ.
Adam Tardif says his dance story is short and still very much in the making. He arrived on a trip to move to music 8 years ago. “When I was 30, I saw the video of Sergei Polunin dancing to Hozier's "Take Me to Church". I wanted to be him immediately. I started working on my physical fitness, and body awareness but it wasn't until 300 views of the video and 3 years after the first one that I seized an opportunity, along with my 7 year old son, to take part in a ballet production of the Nutcracker. The experience was exhilarating, challenging, humbling, and most importantly fun. My son hated it, but I've been hooked since.”
ACDC COMPANY ARTISTS
Nathan Moyer was born in Concord, New Hampshire. He began his dance training at Colby-Sawyer College at the age of 18. In his sophomore year, Nathan went to Paris with Wells College for the Arts. He lived in Paris, and trained in modern dance with Thierry Verger. In 2003 Nathan enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. While at UNH, Nathan studied ballet with Larry Robertson and Ballet New England director David Drummond. Nathan graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2005 with a bachelor degree in theater and dance. Nathan performed with Ballet New England as a company member in 2005 and 2006. In the summer of 2006, Nathan furthered his training at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. In late 2006, Nathan moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to widen his understanding and expand his training in dance. While living in Buenos Aires, Nathan studied with Maria Chichi Diaz, and he was accepted into the Teatro Colon's Men's ballet program. In April 2007, Nathan founded DanceAbroad Argentina, a groundbreaking study abroad program designed to provide dancers with immersive experiences in Argentine culture and dance. Today, Nathan dedicates his time to performing and teaching as a guest artist in New Hampshire, the New England region, and Argentina, sharing his passion for dance and nurturing the next generation of dancers. He is a company member of Annex Contemporary Dance Company, and is the co-founder of the Lila Dance Festival and LILA Productions, an organization that is dedicated to bringing quality professional dance and engaging new audiences in New Hampshire and the region.
Rhianwen Watkins is very excited to be dancing in her second season with the Annex Contemporary Dance Company. Growing up, Rhianwen trained in ballet with Julie Hebb and contemporary with Janelle Abbott Staley at The Dance Annex. She received her degrees in dance and journalism from the University of New Hampshire last year where she trained with Assaf Benchetrit and Susan Endrizzi and was a member of the UNH Dance Company. Upon graduating, Rhianwen attended the four-month professional semester at Broadway Dance Center in New York City. In addition to ACDC, Rhianwen is also in season 25 of Danceworks Boston. Outside of dancing, Rhianwen is an investigative reporter with the Granite State News Collaborative writing for newspapers across NH.
Meghan McCoy Seedner received her early training at the Portsmouth School of Ballet, and spent summers at the Joffrey Ballet in NYC and Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, MA. She received her BA in Theatre and Dance from the University of New Hampshire. Meghan joined the Portland Ballet Company as an apprentice for their 2010-11 season, and was promoted to company dancer in 2011. During her time with Portland Ballet, she performed in many classical and contemporary works. In 2013, she joined the Teatrul de Balet Sibiu, in Romania. Upon returning to the States, Meghan began her teaching career and continued dancing as a guest artist with Portland Ballet and other companies and schools across the Seacoast. As a teacher now for 10 years, she enjoys training dancers of all ages in both classical and contemporary ballet.
Emily Lutts began dancing at the age of 3, taking classes from Hollie Lowery at the York Dance Academy. She continued her dance training at Ballet New England, the Boston Ballet School, and The HARID Conservatory. She has danced professionally with The Albano Ballet, Portland Ballet, Safe Haven Ballet, and as a supernumerary with the Bolshoi Ballet in their production of The Pharaoh's Daughter.
Elyssa Moyer started her training at the age of six at The Robertson's School of Classical Ballet with Larry and Colleen Robertson. She continued her training at various schools in the seacoast area with teachers such as Susan Duffy, Christine Simes, Elisa Gerasin, Edra Toth, and John Ling. She has attended summer intensive programs at Festival Ballet Providence, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, and Burklyn Ballet Theatre where she was one of few chosen to perform in Aladdin at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She has danced professionally with companies; Northeastern Ballet Theatre, Boston Dance Company, Carolina Ballet Theatre, SundanceX, and is a current company member with Annex Contemporary Dance Company. Elyssa continues to perform as a guest artist with companies and schools across New England. She is assistant director of DanceAbroad Argentina,a study abroad program that allows dancers to immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of Argentina, studying Spanish, mastering the art of tango, and delving into the country's rich history. Elyssa co-founded the LILA Dance Festival which has since blossomed into LILA Productions a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to foster genuine appreciation for dance in New Hampshire.
Janelle Abbott Staley is a dancer, educator, and certified Pilates instructor based in southern Maine. She has performed on stages nationally and internationally with dance companies, in theater and in film. In New York City, Janelle danced with Salim “Slam” Gauwloos (assistant), Terra Firma Dance Theatre, Andrew Palermo and Taye Diggs’ dre.dance, Adam Cates, John Byrne, and Ballet for Young Audiences, among others. Janelle was featured in Elton John's Las Vegas concert The Red Piano (soloist on-screen in "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me”) and in Norah Jones' "Those Sweet Words" music video, both directed by David LaChapelle. She has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and on Broadway stages in Broadway Cares’ Red Bucket Follies (award-winner with Aida cast) and Easter Bonnet. Her regional credits include Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Twelfth Night directed by Tony Award-winner Rebecca Taichman and choreographed by Seán Curran (Dance Captain), Peter Pan at the Sondheim Center (Tiger Lily/Dance Captain), A Chorus Line, and Cabaret. Most recently, Janelle has worked with Boston-based artists Peter DiMuro/Public Displays of Motion, Lorraine Chapman, and Kat Nasti Dance. Janelle is a member of Annex Contemporary Dance Company and performs with Articine, a New England-based touring company that integrates performance and arts education with healthcare.
Janelle began her early career as a company member of the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan, and went on to receive a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah. She has taught at Broadway Dance Center, Steps on Broadway, at major fitness studios in NYC and Boston, and has led dance and Pilates master classes around the country, recently for Amazon and Audible in Seattle. Janelle serves on the board of LILA Dance Festival, an annual summer dance event dedicated to engaging New England dance artists and audiences. She has been a faculty member of The Dance Annex since 2016, where she has had the great fortune of working closely with Julie Hebb. Janelle’s favorite role of all time is Mama to her daughters Willoughby and Penelope.
Emily Pleadwell grew up in Buffalo, NY where she trained with the American Academy of Ballet under director Maris Battaglia. She attended ballet summer intensive programs including Chautauqua Institution, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She danced with the UNH Ballet Company for 5 years while completing degrees in nutrition and dance. Emily has had the pleasure of guest performing roles including Snow Queen, Arabian, and Spanish in "The Nutcracker" for Sole City Dance (2021), Northeastern Ballet Theatre (2021), and Peoria Ballet Academy (2022). She is excited to be dancing with Annex Contemporary Dance Company and working as a Registered Dietitian.
Ian Rodgers began his dance training when he took his first ballet class at the University of New Hampshire at the age of 19. What started as a way to meet the general education requirement for Arts quickly transformed into a passion for artistic expression through movement. Ian credits his ability to start dancing later in life to the years spent training and teaching gymnastics, which helped to develop instincts for body control and spatial awareness.
Over the last two decades Ian's love of dance has grown into a diverse professional career in which he has collaborated with many studios and dancers throughout the Seacoast area. Though ballet is the foundation of his training, Ian has also studied contemporary ballet, modern, Ballroom, Latin, jazz, lyrical, and traditional folklore dance styles. He is a company member of the Annex Contemporary Dance Company.
When he’s not dancing, Ian enjoys spending his free time being active outdoors and is a serious nature enthusiast. He graduated UNH with a degree in Zoology and works for a federal land conservation agency helping to protect important farmlands, wetlands, and forests across the country.
Naomi Sawyer received her early training in ballet, tap and jazz under Kay Welch in Lyndonville, Vermont, with summer intensives at Broadway Dance Center, the Joffrey ballet in NYC and the Boston Ballet School. As a student in Boston Ballet’s training program, she performed in Boston ballet’s Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, and went on to perform with the Orchesis Dance troupe while attending her physical therapy studies at the University of Vermont. Naomi has been performing with the Northeastern Ballet Theatre since 2013 under the direction of Edra Toth with soloist roles in Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker, and several lead roles including Wilhelmina in Dracula, Anna in The Snow Queen, Katrina in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Sugar Plum Fairy, Maria in The Sound of Music, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake. She had made guest appearances as Sugar Plum Fairy, including with Dance Annex.
Naomi is a homeschooling mother of two, and works as a licensed physical therapist providing neuro and vestibular rehab, as well as physical therapy specialized for the needs of dancers, including per diem for the Boston Ballet company. Naomi is passionate about injury prevention, bringing together her knowledge as a therapist with her experience as a dancer to help other dancers fulfill their potential and “dance longer, dance stronger!”
Olivia Robbins is a professional dancer and Pilates instructor on the Seacoast of NH. She began her training with Peterborough Dance Theatre at the age of 13. At 16, she continued here on the Seacoast at Great Bay Academy of Dance. Before becoming a professional ballet dancer with Safe Haven Ballet for two seasons in 2021, she expanded her education at various companies including: Northeastern Ballet Theatre, University of New Hampshire’s Ballet Company and Safe Haven Ballet.
To become a more diverse dancer and artist, Olivia has attended various workshops and intensives at The Block Collaborative, NSquared, STYX The Company, Ballet RI and more. In Spring 2022, she dipped her toes into the theater world working and choreographing with New World Theatre, playing the lead of “The Unborn” in David Beardsley’s world premiere of “Holy and Unruly.”
Olivia has the experience of teaching Ballet and strengthening/conditioning to all levels, first co-teaching Pre Ballet at GBAD and most recently teaching Mommy and Me and Creative Movement at SHB. She currently dances with Julie Hebb’s Annex Contemporary Dance Company. Olivia loves storytelling and her passion is to bring joy and beauty for art to audiences and people of all ages.