Classes + Programs

Megan is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a BA in Communication and Dance. While she attended University of Maryland, she taught fitness classes and was on the Maryland Dance Team. Megan has been part of the CityDance team since 2013. She also coordinates flash dance mobs throughout the area and teaches hip hop dance classes at CityDance POP! 

Born in Washington DC, Alice began her dance training with Jane Bittner and trained extensively with several other renown teachers including Dawei Zhang, Suzanne Farrell, Patricia McBride, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Violette Verdy, and Truman Finney. She attended Indiana University's prestigious School of Music where she received her Bachelor of Science in Ballet and French. Alice began her professional career as an apprentice with Ballet Austin. She went on to dance with Kim Robards Dance in Denver, with whom she later joined as a guest artist at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Alice danced for eight seasons with Washington DC’s CityDanceEnsemble, performing, touring, and teaching internationally throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South America, Russia, and Eurasia. She then served as Rehearsal Director for Christopher K. Morgan and Artists from 2012-2013. Alice is an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Currently, Alice teaches ballet at CityDance and she is an Adjunct Professor of Ballet at American University. She is also an E-RYT500 through Yoga Alliance and teaches yoga and pilates mat throughout the DC area.

About Nino
Originally from Baltimore, Nino started dancing in 2003. Labeled as a street dancer but not limited to, he trained in various styles of Hip-Hop. In 2006 he began his Dance career and had his first official battle at the Sky Lounge. By becoming a part of such a diverse dance community, this ignited his passion for dance and competition. In 2008 he began training in Krump and Break dancing. In 2010 he was inducted into DVC, formally known as The Deadly Venoms Crew. In 2011 he competed in numerous All-Styles and Top Rock battles and was also the featured dancer in a music video. In 2013 he was a showcase street performer in the production “Working America” and later that year went on to perform on his biggest stage yet, WDSF World games 2013 Kaohsiung (World Dance Sport Federation). He was a part of the US lead HipHop team. Most recently he performed for an audience made up of many of his peers along with onlookers that love the art for its raw form at the JoJo Diggs event Diggs Deeper. He is now a HipHop and Break dance instructor/ choreographer and leading the Allstyles division of his crew DVC known as “Venom Soul”. Looking for the next person young or old that wants to learn… or the next dancer that wants to battle…

Kyoko Ruch is a dancer/choreographer/dance educator in the DC area.  She is currently dancing with Company E and has performed with many other companies including Richmond Ballet, Helen Simoneau Danse, Company Danzante, Robert J. Priore and Gin Dance Company. Kyoko trained at the Classical Ballet Theatre in Virginia under the direction of Cynthia Donovan.  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 at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, and has toured to Yekaterinburg, Russia and Havana, Cuba with Company E on a mission of cultural diplomacy.  Kyoko began her choreographic endeavors upon graduation from VCU while still pursuing her performing career. She is happy to be a part of the CityDance team.  

Therese Gahl received the crux of her dance training from the Washington School of Ballet under the tutelage of Mary Day. When she was a young student, one of her many influential instructors in the program included Lorraine Spiegler. In 2007, she became a member of Ballet West II in Salt Lake City. She graduated with cum laude honors from George Mason University, where she received a Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology. In 2011 she started working at CityDance and has had many roles in the institution and has since expanded to teaching classes in ballet, pointe, modern and jazz. She has recently worked with a number of the Conservatory students in presenting her choreographic work at Sidney Harman Hall and the Atlas Performing Arts Center in Washington, DC. In 2017, she completed her diploma certification for Dance ICON Smart USA Method, International Consortium for Advancement in Choreography, founded by Vladimir Angelov. This fall she will be setting her own choreographic works at such institutions including Towson University and Georgetown University. In addition, she is a performing artist with Shu Chen Cuff’s Gin Dance Company and Stephanie Droycott’s Motion X Dance. She is looking forward to another great year as part of CityDance School & Conservatory.

Mackenzie Shimon began competing in dance competitions across Southern California at the age of six, in jazz and tap. In her teens, she trained with Emmy-nominated and American Choreography Award-nominatee Monie Adamson, known for her work with Warner Bros. programming Family Matters, Step by Step, and MAD TV. She worked with Tim Stevenson, known for his choreography of music videos and tours for Jennifer Lopez, Destiny’s Child, and Mandy Moore. While in high school, Shimon was asked to choreograph for her high school’s award-winning musicals and her former elementary school’s musicals, both of which both produced Broadway and Hollywood performers. Mackenzie was selected to serve as dance captain and main choreographer for her high school varsity dance team alongside Gigi Torres, who is now one of the industry’s leading hip hop teachers and choreographers. In college, Mackenzie began training and choreographing in contemporary and hip hop. After graduating from James Madison University with a Minor in Dance, Mackenzie began training solely in hip hop in Washington, DC. Since 2010, Mackenzie has performed at The Kennedy Center, The White House, The Verizon Center, and in concerts in NYC, NJ, and PA. Mackenzie has always felt passionate about dance and hopes to help her students of all ages and styles grow, both technically and in their love for dance.

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 the studio’s administrative assistant.   

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.

Molly Kate Dalton, originally from Oxford, Mississippi, is a recent graduate of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. There, she was an Artistic Merit Scholar and received her BFA in Dance Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts. She is also holds minors in Arts Management from Meadows School of the Arts and Applied Physiology and Enterprise from the Simmons School of Human Development and Education. While at SMU, Molly Kate had the opportunity to perform student works and master works by choreographers such as Brandi Coleman, Adam Hougland, Delfos Danza Contemoporánea and Robert Dekkers, Moncell Durden and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. She has also trained under a wide variety of highly trained and recognized faculty and staff. While at SMU, Molly Kate had the privilege to choreograph for the student choreography show, Brown Bag Dance Series, presenting her own work. Molly Kate has also trained with New Ballet Ensemble and School, in Memphis, TN. After graduating from New Ballet in 2013, she has served as a mentor for the current students of New Ballet through the SAMI organization and assisted as a rehearsal director and guest performer. In the summer of 2016, Molly Kate joined  Zion Dance Project in Dallas, Texas, which was directed by Vincent and Abigail Hardy. Molly Kate has a passion for serving others with her art and dedicating her time to the younger generation through Dance Education. She is currently living in Washington, DC pursuing a professional career in dance performance and dance teaching. 

Megan Lawrence is a graduate of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania with a degree in Business Administration and Dance, with concentrations in Choreography and Performance. Her performance credits include jazz, modern and tap works by Donald McKayle, Jeffrey Peterson, Shelley Oliver and various student choreographers. Megan began teaching ballet, hip-hop and tap to young students at the Mid-Maryland Performing Arts Center in Frederick, Maryland while she was in high school. Throughout college, she continued teaching and performing with the Muhlenberg Jazztap Ensemble, a touring group directed by Shelley Oliver.