Classes + Programs

Colleen Kerwin began her ballet training in her home state of Maryland. She attended local studios until she entered The Baltimore School for the Arts. She also participated in the Kennedy Center Master Class Series, taking master classes with esteemed teachers from visiting ballet companies. After high school Colleen attended Indiana University's Jacobs School of a Music where she received a Bachelor of Science in Ballet with an Outside Field in Arts Management. During her time at IU she studied with acclaimed dancer and teacher Violette Verdy and other various faculty members and guest teachers. She also was chosen to teach for the Pre-College department where she taught ballet for four years. After graduating college, Colleen joined the Sacramento Ballet and danced there for three seasons. In Fall 2016 she had the honor of being asked to perform with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at The Kennedy Center. She has had the opportunity to perform and be featured in George Balanchine's Donizetti's Variations, The Four Temperaments, Concerto Barocco, Western Symphony, Who Cares? and Stars and Stripes, as well as, Martha Graham's Appalachian Spring and Paul Taylor's Company B, and Cloven Kingdom. Colleen moved back to the DMV in 2017 where she worked at The Kennedy Center assisting the Dance Programming Department. She then joined CityDance POP! in January 2018 where she is currently the studio’s program manager.   

Kaitlin Madzelan is a Maryland native, where she grew up studying classical ballet at the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, DC. In 2007 Kaitlin graduated with Honors from Butler University in Indianapolis, IN with a BFA in Dance Performance. From 2009 to 2010 she danced with CityDance’s Second Company, CityDance2, performing in works by Eric Hawkins, Adrain Bolton and Leslie Scott as well as dancing in Paul Taylor’s Esplanade and Paul Gordon Emerson’s The Wishes of the Sailor with CityDance Ensemble. Kaitlin has also danced with Dancin' Unlimited Jazz Company with Marilyn York in Fairfax, VA, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's Second Company under the direction Shonna Hickman-Matlock in Dayton, OH and spent four seasons with Gin Dance Company under the direction of Shu-Chen Cuff in Reston, VA. In 2012, she auditioned for Ovation TV’s “A Chance to Dance” and was chosen as one of the top 24 dancers. She has trained overseas with the National Taiwan University of the Arts in Taipei, Taiwan and at the Catalina School for the Arts in St. Petersburg, Russia and traveled to Bahrain to perform with CityDance Ensemble. In 2017 Kaitlin joined I.C. Movement Project for the final rendition of Through the Glass Ceiling. After 11 years with CityDance School & Conservatory, Kaitlin is thrilled to be beginning her first full year as CityDance POP! Faculty.

Kelly Fisher, originally from Boston, is a dancer, choreographer and dance educator. She graduated from Brigham Young University Idaho with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Dance with a pedagogy emphasis. After graduating, Kelly taught at Brigham Young University Idaho in the dance department. Last year Kelly co-founded a dance company in Rexburg Idaho geared towards young artists wanting to perform, create and continue improving. Kelly has performed and toured with BYU-Idaho’s Dance Alliance company to Western Canada, Panama, Costa Rica and the western states in the US. Kelly is trained in Modern, Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet and Contemporary. Kelly is excited to be a part of the CityDancePOP faculty this year.

Kyoko Ruch is a choreographer and teacher in the DC area. Kyoko began her early dance training at the Classical Ballet Theatre in Herndon, Virginia under the direction of Cynthia Donavin. She pioneered in the Virginia Commonwealth University/Richmond Ballet trainee joint program and graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance and Choreography with a Concentration in Performance. She has performed with Richmond Ballet, Company E, Von Howard Project, Helen Simoneau Danse, Company Danzante, Priore Dance, Gin Dance, Company E and I.C. movement Project. Kyoko began her choreographic endeavors upon graduation from VCU while still pursuing her performing career. Her work has been performed in choreographic showcases and festivals in the DC/Virginia region. In her first international tour with KyokoDansu she performed her work, Alyce/Donna in the Dance Stages Shanghai contemporary Dance Festival 2016. She was a recipient of the 2016-2017 Dance Metro DC Choreographers' Commission as well as a recipient of the Kennedy Center’s Local Dance Commissioning Project in 2017. Her work has also been featured in the Habana Vieja Ciudad en Movimiento Festival in Havana, Cuba. Kyoko has been on CityDance faculty since 2013.

Mr. Johnson has served as the Associate Artistic Director of DC Contemporary Dance Theatre (DCCDT) / El Teatro De Danza Contemporarea (TDC) since 2012. He is a teacher, educator, choreographer and performing artist. He graduated with honors from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Public Relations. He started his professional dance career as a feature dancer in the opening / closing US Olympic ceremonies (Atlanta). He completed a six month national tour with two-time Grammy award-winning music group “Arrested Development”. Further credits include: Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Estefan (White House performance) as well as the production teams of Michael / Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul, to name a few.

Mr. Johnson started his teaching career in the Washington, DC area in 1999. His challenging and energy-charged classes have been defined as “unique”, “inspirational” and “motivating”. His classes serve as a tool to educate and further develop students’ technical and artistic proficiencies. Mr. Johnson is still very active as a professional student and performing artist. He has trained and performed with The Lexington Ballet, Alvin Ailey (school), Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Classical Repertoire Dance Theatre (CRDT) and DC Contemporary Dance Theater. Mr. Johnson's work has been presented and taught in China, Germany and the United States. He served as the Interim Artistic Director of Georgetown University Dance Company (GUDC) and former adjunct Professor at American University. Currently, Mr. Johnson is on faculty at Catholic University and the National Cathedral School (NCS). 

Lauren DeVera (RYT 200, CAPP) Lauren is a dance graduate of Old Dominion University and has made incredible strides in her career as a performer, choreographer and educator. A distinguished thought leader in the dance community with performing and teaching credits including the Kennedy Center, Howard Theatre, Dance Place DC, World of Dance, Carnival, BET, and CW Network. With a deep-rooted passion to bring people together, she has been a pioneer beginning as a leader of KODACHROME VA (Dance Workshop Series), later expanding her reach as the co-founder of the former Bahay Base (DMV Dance home) & previous Production Manager of DMV Diggs Deeper (Freestyle Dance Event). Lauren is also the owner & founder of The Lion’s Den, a community-driven and operated organization dedicated to inclusion and positive wellness through dance/movement/fitness programming and events. Lauren is currently adjunct faculty at George Washington University and a barre & yoga instructor at Xtend Barre Old Town, The St. James and Yoga Toka. She recently graduated in May 2019 from The Flourishing Center and is excited to integrate her work and art as a Positive Psychology Practitioner.  She is a lover of movement, mindfulness and helping others reach their fullest potential. Come catch a class/performance with her and experience it for yourself!

Sarah J. Ewing is an Australian born choreographer, a CityDance Ignite Artist, and the Director of S. J. Ewing & Dancers. She has been on faculty at CityDance for 10 years, often creating new works on our students which she presents alongside her company in performances throughout Washington, DC. In 2019 Ms. Ewing was one of the first artists commissioned by the Kennedy Center to create an original work for its newly expanded campus, the REACH. She also toured a new work, Analog OnSite, to New Zealand's premier alternative arts festival, The Arcade Festival, and toured twice to Detroit. She presented a new full-length work, Gallery, at FlashDC in May. The work was re-presented by CulturalDC and CityDance at Source Theater in September for Cultural DC's 20th anniversary season. Sarah was selected to choreograph for Maryland Lyric Opera's new production of Thais, which premiered at the Kay Theater at the Clarice Performing Arts Center in January 2020. Her Company, S. J. EWING & DANCERS, has presented throughout DC at The Kennedy Center, Dupont Underground, Dance Place, Atlas Performing Arts Center, and in site-specific installations at Bread for the City, 2M Apartment Building, Flash nightclub, and The Warehouse. The Company has toured across the US to Green Space (NYC), Boston Contemporary Dance Festival (MA), White Wave Dance Festival (NYC), Ailey Citigroup Theater (NYC), Your Move JC (NJ), Dance Gallery Festival (TX), CityDance Studio Theater at Strathmore (MD) and twice to the Detroit City Dance Festival (MI). In the 2018-2019 season, the Company had residencies in Michigan at Cranbrook School and Lightbox Theater.

Stephanie is a native of Syracuse, NY where she trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical from the ages of 3 through 18. She also participated in community theatre in high school and college. She was introduced to modern dance at SUNY Oswego where she received her B.A. in Human Communications. After moving to the DC area in 2007, she jumped into the dance scene, adding hip hop to the styles of dance she trains and performs in.

Over the years, Stephanie has been a member of multiple DC area dance companies of varying styles including Tappenstance, Afta Shock DC, Next Reflex Dance Collective, ARA Tap, and as a guest dancer with Glade Dance Collective. Other performance credits include: dancing for the Utz National Chip Day Celebration, dancing on the National Mall for Earth Day and the 100th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Festival, multiple DC Tap Fest All-Star Concerts, and National Tap Dance Day. Her most favorite performances were on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in a tap dance tribute to Fred Astaire, and dancing in the documentary titled, “James Brown: The Man, The Music, The Message” which aired on NBC.

Stephanie has taught multiple dance styles all over the DC area, but tap dance is where her heart is. In addition to CityDance POP!, she currently teaches at Perfect Pointe Dance Studio. She also directs a local youth tap company. When she is not dancing or teaching, you'll see her behind the lens of a camera. She is honored to have attended Jacob’s Pillow in August 2019 for the Art of Photographing Dance intensive to further her skills as a photographer. Her hope is to keep growing as a student and educator of dance and one day spread the love of dance throughout the U.S.

Roberto Pine is an emerging dance artist and choreographer born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Rockville, Maryland. At age 14, he began his formal dance training at The CityDance School and Conservatory, under the artistic direction of Lorraine Audeoud Spiegler. Roberto recently graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Business under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. At UArts, Roberto has had the opportunity to perform works and study under Ronald K Brown, Sidra Bell, Helen Simonaeu, Tommie-Waheed Evans, and Maleek Washington. He has received training in Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, and Balanchine dance styles that have all shaped the versatility in his own personal movement aesthetics. Roberto is interested in the body as a vessel for narrative, and how he can create a movement vocabulary that draws from the specificity of the physicality of personal storytelling.  This will be Roberto’s first season on faculty with CityDance Pop!