Ron Morgan

Performer's Edge Dance Theatre Faculty and Staff

Lorenda Carr (Dance, Competition, Hip Hop Team) Lorenda Carr has been a dancer since age three and a dance teacher and choreographer for twenty-two years. Not only was she a founding partner for Curtain Call Dance Academy, but she has also taught for studios such as LA Dance Indy, Carmel Performing Arts Center (tap director), Cole Academy, Jordan Academy of Dance and most recently, of course, Performers Edge. Lorenda teaches competitive and non-competitive classes to all ages, levels and styles with a particular love for tap. She currently is the coordinator for the award-winning PE competition teams. To help the studio branch out and offer even more opportunities, Lorenda started and continues to teach the recreational hip-hop team. (The junior team has earned Grand Champion/First Overall at several competitions since its debut in 2006.) She has also judged numerous competitions. As for higher education, she was a dance performance major at Ball State University where her achievements included Choreographer of the year, President of Ball State Dance Theatre, and multiple dance scholarship awards. Lorenda's choreography experience outside the dance studio includes various high school show choirs (competative and non-competative) as well as musicals such as "Grease", "Bye Bye Birdie", "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Damn Yankees". Lorenda continues her education by attending local workshops regularly, traveling to various conventions, and taking classes in New York whenever possible. Along with teaching, Lorenda has performed as well. Some of her experiences include “Anything Goes” at Footlight Musicals, dancer for Zymic Tanzen modern dance troupe, “Sound of Music”, "Bit of Broadway", "A Chorus Line", "Phantom of the Opera”, and “Camelot”.

Liberty Harris (Dance) Libby began her training in Indianapolis with Linda Reese and Ron Morgan at the Dance Magic Performing Arts Studio. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy on a dance scholarship for four years. While studying at Butler University, she was asked to join Dance Kaleidoscope for the 1997 production of Carmina Burana. Liberty then went on to dance with the Charleston Ballet Theater of South Carolina for two years. This is her ninth season with Dance Kaleidoscope.

Tim Kelly (Percussion/Drums) has been on staff with Beef & Boards Dinner Theater as House Percussionist for the past sixteen years. He has been part of over One-Hundred different productions and over Five-Thousand performances. His playing experiences have also taken him all over the U.S. and Canada Performing with The Ink Spots, Maxine Andrews, The Four Lads, Johnnie Ray and others. Tim also spent three years playing for The Wright Brothers. He received his degree in Applied Music from Butler University earning Outstanding Performance awards in Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and New Music Ensemble. Tim has been teaching privately for twenty-six years and taught area high school drum lines for eighteen years, being a versatile performer and a complete percussion teacher specializing in the drum set, Tim focuses equally on music reading, technique and proper style with his students. His teaching practice focuses on developing middle school and high school band
students, helping them to become total percussionists and excellent musicians.

Heather Lash (Dance)

Nataly North-Lowder (Artistic Director of the Ballet Theatre of Carmel, Ballet Program Director) a native of Indiana, began her dance training at Jordan Academy of Dance at Butler University. She was under the tutelage of Peggy Dorsey, Jack Copeland, and Colette Kaufman. Nataly also trained with San Francisco Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet. At the age of 15 she went on scholarship to the National Academy of Arts under the Artistic Direction of Petrus Bosman. Upon graduation Nataly danced 14 years as a professional ballet dancer, receiving national acclaim in such ballets as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, An American In Paris, Graduation Ball, and many more. She worked with many wonderful choreographers including, Paul Russell, Basil Thompson, Christine Hennessey, Tom Pazik, David and Anna Marie Holmes, and David Hochoy. Towards the end of her ballet career, Nataly decided to attend Butler University and receive her B.S. degree in Arts Administration where she graduated with high honors. She also started singing, dancing, and expanding her scope of performing into musical theatre. She received many rave reviews while at the American Cabaret Theatre for shows such as Cole and Nole, Broadway Now, Voices of a Generation, and Bernstein’s Broadway. Her most favorite singing moment was portraying Petra in Sondheim’s A Little Night Music. Since Nataly’s ballet retirement, she has been Co-Artistic Director for Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, Director of Admissions for Virginia School of the Arts, Teacher/Choreographer for Virginia School of the Arts, and Director of Development for American Cabaret Theatre; all the while guest teaching and choreographing for students ages 7 – 18. Life then took her to Taiwan R.O.C. for 2 years where she taught ballet and choreographed for Jubei High School, a performing arts school. She slso collaborated with local artists for a cultural event at the Hshinchu Cultural Center where she performed in a modern/classical Chinese piece. After leaving Taiwan, Nataly returned back to Indianapolis with her now husband, Jonathan Lowder. She joined the Jordan Academy of Dance in 2003 as a guest choreographer for the Jordan Dance Ensemble. In 2004, she was offered a full time teacher of ballet and classical jazz position, as well as choreographer for the Academy. Since joining Jordan Academy, Nataly started many new programs for the school. She was the Director of the Summer Intensive bringing in dancers and teachers from around the nation. She started the Jordan Dance Ensemble 2 geared for younger students to have a chance to perform sooner and work alongside the older dancers of JDE 1. She also began the Holiday Extravaganza, Jordan’s holiday concert performed annually at Zionsville Performing Arts Center. Nataly was awarded a Creative Renewal Fellowship in 2007 from the Indianapolis Arts Council where she traveled to New York to rejuvenate herself in her art, meeting terrific people such as Fredrick Franklin of the Ballet Russe and Georgina Parkinson of American Ballet Theatre. Currently, Nataly has students performing professionally in Houston Ballet, Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Joffery Ballet, Bejart, Cincinnati Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Georgia Ballet, and State Street Ballet. Nataly is looking forward to bringing her background, knowledge and talent to Ron Morgan and Performer’s Edge where she will develop and direct a ballet program and youth performing group. Beyond her resume, you will find she is passionate about her students and gains self-satisfaction and enjoyment from watching her students go on to fulfill their dreams as she did. She not only gets excited about the students who go on in the performing arts, but also the students who have chosen to go on in other areas they are passionate about. She believes the arts has the ability to teach children many things beyond the art form and hopes many people will see she is not only a director, artist, teacher, and choreographer, but a strong business person who has the ability to not only develop a top notch program, but maintain and grow such a program.

Ron Morgan (Owner & Director) Mr. Morgan was in the original Broadway Cast of “Starlight Express” and “Meet Me in St. Louis”. Ron began his performing career in the “All American College Singers” in Disneyland. He has performed and or choreographed in over 15 countries around the world. New York production work includes Off-Broadway Revues, Industrial Trade Shows & Cruise Ships. He resided in New York City for several years where he studied dance with numerous instructors including Luigi, David Howard, Charles Kelly & Joe Lanteri. Ron choreographed the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders for seven seasons producing many NFL Halftime Shows. Ron has choreographed for the Indiana Pacemates and continues to produce the “Pacers Holiday Half Time”. His work includes choreographing parade units for Disney and other events. He has choreographed for numerous theatres including the Indianapolis Civic theatre, Footlite Musicals, Theatre on the Square and the Edeveyan. He has worked as a Master Artist with the “Very Special Arts of Indiana" and continues to work promote programs in area schools. Ron is an adjudicator and master teacher for dance and show choir competitions around the country. Currently Mr. Morgan directs and choreographs for Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre, Carmel High School and other area schools.

Ron Nobles (Cello Instructor) Mr. Nobles is a native Hoosier, grew up in Indianapolis. He began playing the cello as a 6th grader in the Indianapolis Public Schools. Ron holds music education degrees from Indiana Central College (now the University of Indianapolis) and Butler University. He began his orchestra teaching career at Tech High School in Indianapolis in 1970 and moved to Carmel Junior High (now Middle School) in 1982. While at both schools, Ron’s orchestras received state-wide recognition and acclaim. Many of his former students have established careers as music teachers and performers. Ron’s performance experience has included solo recitals, chamber music ensembles, symphonic playing, opera orchestras and recording sessions. He has served as principal cellist for the Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra, the Carmel Symphony, the Whitewater Opera and the Kokomo Symphony Orchestra. Ron is a founding member and cellist for the d’Indy String Quartet which has performed for many weddings and other social events since 1979. Ron has retired from public school teaching after 35 years. He enthusiastically anticipates his continued involvement in music education through the development of cello students through private teaching.

Lisa Reynolds (Voice and Piano)

Tara Roberds (Dance, Musical Theatre) Miss Tara just graduated from Butler University with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education- Choral/General. At Butler, Tara was proud to be a member of the Butler Chorale and “Jordan Jazz”- a vocal jazz ensemble. Tara is a 2006 graduate of Franklin Central High School, where she was a 4 year member of the “FC Singers” Show Choir, and was involved in many other FC Choirs and in all 4 Musicals—including playing the role of “Marty” in “Grease” her senior year. Locally, Tara has performed in several shows at Footlite Musicals- “Annie Warbucks”, “Music Man”, “West Side Story”, “Jekyll and Hyde”, “The Wedding Singer”, and “All Shook Up”.

Trish Roberds (Director of the PE Musical Theatre Company) Miss Trish is currently the Director of the Musical Theatre Company (PEDT) for Performer’s Edge School of Dance and Theatre in Carmel, IN. Trish has been an instructor at Performer’s Edge for over 13 years, teaching everything from Pre-Dance through Intermediate/Advanced classes. Trish received her BA in Performing Arts from Butler University—Dance and Music major, Theatre minor. At Butler University, she was a member of the Butler Ballet, and the performing group “PIZAZZ”- which she also helped to choreograph. Trish has previously worked as a teacher for Indianapolis Public Schools. She was the Creative Movement teacher for IPS # 64—a magnet Performing Arts Elementary School where she taught classes in Music, Art, Dance, Drama and Physical Education. Trish choreographs the Junior Pacemates for the Indiana Pacers, and directs the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble’s “Youth Ensemble”, and helps with their yearly Holiday production of the “Nutcracker” and with their Spring Ballet and various concerts throughout the year. Outside choreography projects include various local High School and Middle School Choirs, Show Choirs and Musicals. Trish has performed locally at Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Footlite Musicals and at IRT. She has performed professionally as a Singer/ Dancer with Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. Trish has been married to her husband Mark for almost 22 years and is the proud mom of Tara, Amy and Danny!!

Denise Sherman (Voice and Piano) is a nationally recognized Vocalist, Educator, Composer, Actor and Music Director. She is a featured vocalist on award winning recordings and has co-produced and recorded her own compositions with Grammy award nominated and winning producers and musicians. Ms. Sherman has received national radio air-play and has been a featured vocalist with internationally known recording artists such as the “Queen of Blues” Koko Taylor, Keb Mo’, Broadway’s Timothy Shew and rock-n-roll’s Cheap Trick. She has performed all over the country in various venues and her voice has been featured in over a dozen radio and television commercials. Ms. Sherman graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education from Millikin University. She holds a degree in both Vocal and Instrumental Education and is a licensed Music Teacher in Indiana. She has done post graduate education work at both Ball State University and Indiana University. She has been teaching Voice and Performance to both young people and adults since 1992. Her ability to expand a student’s range, produce excellent tone, build confidence, increase repertoires, and create great vocal style makes Denise Sherman a popular Voice Teacher and Performance Coach. She teaches a range of vocal styles including Broadway, Classical, Pop, Jazz, Inspirational, and more. She is also Musical Director for Musical Theatre Camps, Praise Bands, Choirs, and teaches piano for student and adult beginners as well as college students whose majors include Vocal Performance, Musical Theatre, Music Education, and Music Therapy. Ms. Sherman inspires, motivates, and entertains groups throughout the United States. She is a sought after consultant, guest speaker and performer for professional conferences such as National Association of Education of Young Children, Spiritual Retreats, Music and Performance Workshops and inspires choral groups in schools. She is also an Adjudicator for music competitions and contests. Her student’s can be found performing all over the country in theatres, in ABC Television and Disney Productions, as well as various performance venues in New York, Chicago, Austin, Orlando, Los Angeles and more. Locally, her students are performing in Carmel Schools’ choirs including The Ambassadors and Accents, Center Groves’ Sound System and Debtones, and many others. Her student’s are soloist in choirs, cast in lead roles in musicals in High School Theatres as well as Professional and Community Theatres including The American Cabaret Theatre, Footlight, The Edyvien, The Belfry, The Artist Studio, Park Tudor Summer Stock and more. The Indianapolis Women’s Chorus, The Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, The Indianapolis Children’s Choir, The Indianapolis Symphony Chorus also feature those who study voice with Denise Sherman. Her protégés have been awarded scholarships to Universities all over the country such as Boston University, Cal-State, Baldwin Wallace, Parke Point, Millikin University, American Musical and Dramatic Arts Academy in New York (AMDAA), Ball State University, Anderson University and Indiana University.

Chris Schroeder (Piano)

Danielle Steele (Voice and Piano) Danielle Steele, a native of Alexandria, IN and resident of Indianapolis, received her bachelor's degree from Butler University and her master's degree from the prestigious Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Ms. Steele is an active musician with both a teaching and performing career. She is an adjunct music professor with IU Kokomo where she has taught show/jazz choir, jazz history, and voice. She maintains voice studios in Broad Ripple and Carmel, IN, where she teaches classical vocal technique. A minister of music at Shiloh United Methodist in Kokomo, Ms. Steele directs the mixed adult, young women's, men's barbershop, children and handbell choirs. Ms. Steele also travels and works as a clinician for both universities and high schools. Her most recent clinician travels took her to Atlanta, GA, where she worked with Georgia Perimeter and Shorter Colleges. There she presented her recital series, Mirror Images, a collaborative recital work showcasing modern musical theater and its operatic counterparts with tenor Matthew Dingels. Recent stage credits include her appearance as Echo in Indianapolis Opera's production of Ariadne auf Naxos. During this past summer, she was seen onstage with Des Moines Metro Opera in the roles of Manon (Manon), Baby Doe (The Ballade of Baby Doe), Emmie (Albert Herring), Adele (Die Fledermaus), and Iris (Semele). Ms. Steele is currently preparing to cover the role of Yum Yum in the upcoming production of The Mikado with Indianapolis Opera. She is also preparing the second installment of the Mirror Images recital series which will feature selections from Disney's Snow White, Donizetti's La fille du regiment, Puccini's La boheme, and J. Larson's Rent.

Joanna Stucky (Dance) Joanna began her dance training at the age of ten while living in the Philippines. After moving back to Indianapolis in 2001, she trained at The Dance Refinery and the Jordan College Academy of Dance. Joanna graduated Magna Cum Laude from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi, with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance. While at Belhaven she continued her training in ballet, pointe, classical variations, pas de deux, and modern. She also took classes in teaching creative movement and ballet, focusing on the Vaganova Method of ballet pedagogy. Joanna has performed excerpts from the classical ballets Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere,and Coppelia, and she has worked with such choreographers as Ballet Mississippi's David Keary, Neos Dance Theatre's Bobby Wesner, and former Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet principal dancer Ravenna Tucker-Wagnon.

Kelly Butler Smith (Associate Director) Ms. Smith is a freelance choreographer working with various schools and theatres. High Schools in which she has choreographed include Carmel High School, Park Tudor, Lawrence North, North Central and Warren Central. Kelly also has choreographed many musicals at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre, Edyvean Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, the Children’s Museum and Buck Creek Players. Kelly is one of the founders of Summer Stock Stage, a program which gives young people a chance to work on their musical theatre skills with a professional staff. She also began a similar program at the Indianapolis Civic Theatre and ran it for over ten years. She has appeared on stage in many leading roles and has done some commercials for television as well as voice work for area radio stations. She has been an Artist in Residence for the Indiana Arts Commission, a Master Artist with Very Special Arts of Indiana, and has served on many boards in the arts community in Indianapolis.

Jennifer Stephanidis (Studio Manager) As the studio manager Jen is responsible for all the accounts, scheduling, payroll and other business affairs. She has been involved in many businesses including mortgage loan processor, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and secretary for the Performing Arts Department at Carmel High School. One of Jen’s favorite job opportunities was working to help pass legislation that enacted the “Child Safety Seat Law” for Indiana at Riley Hospital in the 80’s. Jen is an accomplished seamstress and has had her own business designing window treatments and making alterations on clothing and costumes. She was a lead teacher with “Mothers Day Out Programs” in Little Rock, Arkansas. She is the proud mother of two adult children and lives in Carmel with her husband Jim.

Alison Thunberg (Dance): Alison has returned to Indiana after four years of teaching dance in the Los Angeles area. She is best known for her teaching skills with the studio’s youngest dancers, her patience, and her enthusiasm. While in California, she became the ‘Children’s Program Director’ for an up and coming studio, choreographed award winning competitive dance routines, and had the opportunity to study with outstanding mentors. Teaching and studying Tap Dancing has been a large part of Alison’s dance career. Her undergraduate thesis was on Tap Dance History. Alison is a graduate of Indiana University with a major in Dance Education and minor in Small Business Management. She choreographed for numerous productions in the Bloomington area, including the University Theater, performed with the African American Dance Company, and taught dance classes at a non-for-profit dance studio. Throughout her career, Alison has held management positions, developing dance programs for studios . She is excited to have the opportunity to continue to share her love of dance with many new students at Performer’s Edge

Chris Watson (Dance, Team Choreographer) Mr. Chris Watson has 20 years of experience in dance in technique classes and competitive choreography. Chris received formal training from Vincennes University, Butler University and The Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. As a performer Chris has worked with the Circle City Ballet Company, WNBA Fever Squad and more. His choreography credits include work with the Fever Squad, Indiana Pacemates, Vincennes University Cheer Squad and the Nike Culture Shock in San Francisco. Chris has worked with competitive dance teams including LA Dance Indy, Le Rose Dance Academy and Turning Pointe. He is a nationally known choreographer and has received numerous awards in national dance competitions.

Frank Weiner (Ballet, Associate Choreographer & Technical Director of the Ballet Theatre of Carmel) Born in Zimbabwe, Africa, Frank started dancing at the Studio School of Dance in Massachusetts under Dede Guercio-Renko. He then studied at the State University of New York at Purchase and New York School of Ballet. Frank performed with the Hartford Ballet in Romeo and Juliet, Copelia, and Carmina Burana, and Soloist roles in Hansel and Gretel, The Nutcracker and The Moor in Jose Limon’s The Moor’s Pavane. While in Hartford, Frank was also a member of Works Contemporary Dance Company. During the seven seasons Frank danced with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, he performed pieces choreographed by Choo San-Goh, Lambros Lambrou, Jill Bahr, George Balanchine and Jose Limon. Including solo and principal roles in Spartacus, Spring Waters, The Moor’s Pavane, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, the Snow King and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker and Hilarian in Giselle. Frank then joined Dance Kaleidoscope, under the direction of David Hochoy, where he was featured in such pieces as Puccini People, Love Lies Bleeding, Seasons, and Farewell. During his time with Dance Kaleidoscope, Frank also performed in Indianapolis Civic Theatre’s productions of A Chorus Line, Anything Goes and La Cage Aux Follies.

Jane Hachiya-Weiner (Ballet, Associate Director of the Ballet Theatre of Carmel) Jane comes to Indianapolis from Japan where she was one of the Principal Dancers of the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet company, in Tokyo, and danced under her given name of Jane Godsoe and later her stage name of Noriko Hachiya. She danced the leading roles in such ballets as Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle. She was given the role of Marie Taglioni in Sir Anton Dolin’s staging of Pas de Quatre on one of his visits to the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Company as guest choreographer. During her days in Tokyo, Jane was a frequent guest artist in both the touring and Tokyo performances of the Japan Ballet Association and also for the NHK’s (National Broadcasting Company of Japan) annual “Evening at the Ballet”. Her dance experiences as guest artist spanned contemporary and original works by local choreographers to Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. During her tenure at the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Company, she was partnered by such notable dancers as David Wall of the Royal Ballet, Michael Birkmeyer of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Cyril Atanasoff and Patrick Dupond of the Ballet de l’Opera de Paris. She was featured in André Prokovsky’s staging of Faust Divertimento and in Alfred Rodrigues’ staging of Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique. In l980, Jane was awarded the Akiko Tachibana National Dance Award for her interpretation of Giselle. She has studied in Tokyo, Paris and Toulouse France, New York and at the Boston Ballet. Her teachers include Nina Vyroubova, former Etoile of the Paris Opera who coached Jane for the roles of Aurora and Giselle. She has had extensive tutelage in the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus under Frank Freeman, Julia M. Cross and Nicola Wallis. who were resident RAD instructors for the HIrofumi Inoue Ballet Company. Her other teachers of note include Mr. Serge Peretti, Mr. AlfredRodrigues, Mr. Naoto Seki, Miss Nobuko Haruyama in Tokyo. During her career transition from the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Company to dancing in the USA Jane danced for a brief time at Boston Ballet, which was, then under the directorship of Ms. Violette Verdy. She also danced with Boston Ballet Ensemble under the directorship of Bruce Wells. Miss Elaine Bauers, Principal Dancer of the Boston Ballet at the time, recommended helped her make the connection with Mr. Verdak who was Artistic Director of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. She owes the success of her career in the U.S. to these three mentors to a great extent. Jane joined Indianapolis Ballet Theatre (later known as Ballet Internationale) in l985. She danced with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre under the direction of George Verdak, Dace Dindonis and finally Eldar Aliev. Since joining this company, she continued to dance lead roles in the standard classics as well being given the opportunity to gain experience in Balanchine ballets such as Night Shadow staged by John Taras and Allegro Brilliante staged by Victoria Simon. In modern dance she danced in Waldstein Sonata staged by Nancy Scattergood Jordan and as Emelia in Jose Limon’s The Moor’s Pavanne staged by Risa Steinberg of the Limon Foundation. After the arrival of Eldar Aliev, Jane was instructed in the Vaganova methodology under Irina Kolpakova a former Prima Ballerina of the Kirov Ballet. (She is currently a Ballet Mistress at the American Ballet Theatre and was Assistant Artistic Director of the company at the time. Of note, Mme Kolpakova coached Jane for the role of the young girl in Spectre de la Rose and Fanny Cerrito in Pas de Quatre .) Vladilen Semenov, Principal company teacher coached her for the Female lead in the Flower Festival at Genzano. Jane retired from full time dancing in l995. She spent a few additional years dancing with Hosanna Sacred Arts, a Christian Dance company under the artistic direction of Kenneth Tolle and served as Ballet Mistress during her time with them. Jane has served as rehearsal assistant and as one of the company teachers for the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre during the latter part of her dancing career with them. In the summer of l995, Jane served as the Interim Ballet Mistress for the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre during the Ballet Mistress’s maternity leave. Jane has experience teaching all levels of ballet. She began her teaching career as a faculty member of the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Gakuen Academy, during her years there as company member In Indianapolis, Jane became the founding director of the Academy of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre after Indianapolis Ballet Theatre moved to their new downtown location. She continued in the capacity of director, co director and finally principal of the Academy between the years of l989 - l996. She left this position upon the arrival of her first child. Most recently, Jane has been a Faculty Member at the Jordan Academy of Dance at Butler University - teaching levels 2 - 5 and pas de deux and variations. At the same time, Jane has also been an adjunct faculty member for the Butler University Dance Department Majors Program at the Jordan College of Fine Arts teaching pointe technique for the past several years.