Ashley Canterna began her dance training at the Susan Ina Dance Studio and the Edna Lee Dance Studio in Linthicum, Maryland. From the age of six, Ashley has been the recipient of numerous awards, scholarships and national titles. A week before her 15th birthday, she won the grand prize in the Junior division of the Youth America Grand Prix, a prestigious ballet and contemporary competition for young dancers. She was awarded the title Junior Miss Dance of America 1999 in New York City for Dance Masters of America, a nationally recognized teachers organization. In summer 2000 Ashley traveled to Varna, Bulgaria to represent the United States in the Junior Division of the XIX International Ballet Competition. She was awarded the silver medal with the highest score among the junior girls, no gold medal was awarded that year. Currently, Ashley teaches and choreographs for local students as she pursues her goal of a career in ballet. She is continuing her ballet training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, DC.
   
  Adrienne Canterna is the recipient of numerous national awards and titles, including the 1998 Women's Junior Gold Medal at the prestigious USA International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi, every four years. She was also the recipient of the 1998 Grishko Award of Excellence in Ballet that same year. Last year, she appeared internationally at the Baltic Ballet Festival in Riga, Latvia and three times in Japan and Korea. Adrienne celebrated her 17th birthday performing as a soloist with Universal Ballet Company in Seoul, Korea, where she dance the role of Gamzatti in the world premiere of La Bayadere. This year she was a guest artist at La Gala des Etoiles in Montreal, Canada, where she performed a contemporary duet with Rasta Thomas, and Le Corsaire pas deux with Carlos Acosta. She has just returned from Seoul, Korea, where she danced the role of Kitri in the full length ballet, Don Quixote to rave reviews.
   
  Joanna DeFelice is a student attending the Kirov Academy of Ballet where she is presently studying under Nikolai Morisov. Joanna began learning ballet with Abigal Francisco and Adrienne Dellas, modern with Vladimir Anguelov and jazz with Constance Walsh. Joanna has also studied with Dance Theatre of Harlem and American Ballet Theater. In Spring of 2000 Joanna performed in Debbie Allen's Dreams at the Kennedy Center and went on to New York City with this production. She has danced with Rasta Thomas & Friends, Dance Harrison Street and as Clara in the Chesapeake Ballet Company's Nutcracker.
   
  Kimberly Lynn Dyer nee Crowder, was raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. She trained with Betty Webster, Tatiana Akinfieva-Smith and Teresa Emmons. She performed with the Garden State Ballet Company for four years while she earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree (summa cum laude) at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. Mrs. Dyer also danced with the Chautauqua Ballet Company in New York for five summers. Her diverse repertoire includes roles created for her by Salvatore Aiello, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Mark Diamond and Alonzo King. A highlight of her career occurred while she was coached, first hand, by Patricia McBride for the "Fascinatin' Rhythm" solo in "Who Cares," a role that George Balanchine created for McBride. Most recently, Mrs. Dyer completed her ninth season as a Soloist with the North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte, North Carolina. She gladly returned to her home state to get married last October and joined the Ballet Theater of Maryland this season. She enjoys sailing the Chesapeake Bay with her husband Paul and is a ballet instructor throughout the region including Dance Harrison Street.
   
  Melissa Hough studied jazz, tap, and lyrical jazz at Dance Explosion in Glen Burnie, Maryland. For the past three years she has also been a student of Alla Sisova, on a full artistic scholarship, at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. Her credits include performing in New York City's Radio City Music Hall as Clara in the 1996 Christmas Spectacular and as a featured soloist for the Universal Ballet Gala in Seoul, Korea. She also performed in the National Symphony Orchestra's Music That Moves program. She was also a finalist in Marvin Hamlisch's "Search for a Star" with the Baltimore Symphony. In July of 2000, Melissa was named the National Teen Outstanding Dancer at the New York City Dance Alliance.
   
 

Janet Shibata began her dance training with Seda Sorvillo and later with Leon Danielian at the American Ballet Theatre School. As a soloist with the American Ballet Theatre, her repertoire consisted of principal and soloist soles in both the classical and contemporary ballets. She also appeared in the motion picture, The Turning Point, and Mikhail Baryshnikov's televised version of The Nutcracker. While a member of the Washington Ballet, Janet had several principal roles created for her, participated in guest performances, and conducted master classes throughout the United States.
   
  Peter Stark began his dance training with Andre Eglevsky and later with Stanley Williams at The School of American Ballet. His distinguished career has included solo and principal dancing roles with The The New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and The Washington Opera. He has had new works created for him by Jerone Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and Ralph Lemmon, and has worked with many international dance artists including Peter Martins, Suzanne Farrell and Fernando Bujones. Peter is currently the director of the Orlando Ballet School in Orlando, Florida. He was recently featured in an article in "DanceTeacher Magazine."
   
 

Rasta Thomas began his studies at the Kirov Academy, and was invited to become a scholarship student there the following year. At the Kirov Rasta's immersion in the world of Classical Ballet crystallized his understanding of the importance Motion, dance in particular, would have in his life. Rasta excels in and moves effortlessly between ballet, modern, jazz, folk and contemporary dance styles because of the diversity in his early studies. Rasta has also been successful choreographing some of his own works thanks to careful guidance from his friend and Choreographer, Vladimir Anguelov. Rasta's sensational debut at the 1999 televised Academy Awards gained him a new visibility in Hollywood. Soon he will be appearing in Patrick Swayze's new film, "Without A Word."
   
  Connor Walsh started his training with ClassWorks/Dance Harrison Street. He was recently honored with the Ben Stevenson Award from the Houston Ballet Academy. Connor, who is currently training at the highest level of dance with the Houston Ballet, started dancing at the age of 8 under the instruction of his mother, Constance Walsh, Artistic Director of Dance Harrison Street and founder of Dance Harrison Street Studio. Connor trained at the renowned Kirov Academy in Washington, DC and the Harid Conservatory in Florida. Last year he recieved the Rudolph Nureyev scholarship at the Houston Ballet. He has performed with the Houston Ballet Company in all of this year’s performances. In April, Connor returned to Easton to delight Dance Harrison Street audiences by dancing several pieces with his partner Carrie Judson in the Spring Performance.

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