ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, DENISE GULA
On Stage, in the Studio and in your Community
2011-2012 PERFORMANCES
About Ohio Dance Theatre

Ohio Dance Theatre is a professional ballet based contemporary dance company that presents works with a strong theatrical element.

Since its inception the company has stretched the limits of dance by including actors, musicians and singers in many of its productions. The critically acclaimed ODT repertoire features a wide range of style from powerful, thought provoking pieces to lighter works, which combine athleticism and lyricism.

Under the direction of it's founder, Artistic Director Denise Gula, Ohio Dance Theatre has provided artistic excellence in the field of dance to Northeastern Ohio since the spring of 1992 when it received a generous seed grant from the Nord Family Foundation.

MEGAN CAIN, GENERAL MANAGER, Megan has ten years of experience in management and retail. She has been a store Manager for retail companies including the GAP, Limited, and Rave stores and served as Book Keeper for The Diamond Store in Cleveland. In 1996, she became a Flight Attendant for Continental Airlines where she also worked in Customer Service. Ms. Cain is has an AA degree in Universal Arts and is certified in Access, Excel and Microsoft Office.  Ms. Cain is responsible for the day to day operations of the ODT office and the ODT School.


 
NEWS & NOTES
AUDITIONS for Fall 2011
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All content herein Ó2011 Ohio Dance Theatre
FACULTY & STAFF
OHIO DANCE THEATRE FACULTY
COURTNEY JANKOVIC
CAROL HAGEMAN
JESSICA MONNERAT
KYLE PRIMOUS
ANNA TRUMBO
About Ohio Dance Theatre: Vision & Mission

Mission:
To inspire hope and joy in our community through the power and passionof dance and provide young people of diverse backgrounds and economic means, positive role models, instruction and introduction to the arts.

Core Principles:

  • Ohio Dance Theatre maintains a classically-based, resident professional  contemporary dance company that presents works featuring a range of  styles from classical ballets to powerful, thought-provoking contemporary works of athleticism and lyricism. The ensemble of dancers is distinguished by the dancers' versatility, artistic expressiveness and  uique style.

  • Ohio Dance Theatre, its employees and Board of Trustees, conduct business in an ethical manner providing a positive and respectful environment for both internal and external constituents.

  • Ohio Dance Theatre celebrates and advances diversity in all areas of the organization.

  • Ohio Dance Theatre serves the community by presenting, as often as possible and in as many different venues as possible, well crafted dance and dance theatre works that meet the highest technical and aesthetic  standards in both conception and execution as well as meaningful and accessible arts education and outreach programs.

  • Ohio Dance Theatre commits to a distinctive and diverse performance repertoire that reaches out to and engages a broad range of audiences.

  • The School of Ohio Dance Theatre provides a comprehensive curriculum  of quality instruction within a healthy and supportive nurturing environment for students of all ages.

  • Ohio Dance Theatre ensures fiscal stability by maintaining a strong governance and stimulating community support.


NANCY BRENSTUHL, Faculty Coordinator and Director of ODT 10-day Summer Intensive program. Ms. Brenstuhl received her B.S. from Ohio University and her M.A. from the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati. Early training was under the direction of Alex Martin. As a
scholarship student at Cleveland Dance Institute she also performed with the Cleveland Ballet Center in both contemporary and classical works. In addition to owning and operating her own dance school, Ms.Brenstuhl has choreographed numerous musicals, including productions at Huntington Playhouse. She has been on the faculty of ODT since 1995. In addition to serving as Rehearsal Assistant for The Nutcracker Ms.Brenstuhl also, in her capacity as ODT’s Out Reach Coordinator, works closely with the SODT Student Ensemble, accompanying them on outreach programs within the community and area schools.

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Ohio Dance Theatre
39 South Main Street
Oberlin, Ohio 44074
phone: (440)774-6077                  
E-mail: odt@oberlin.net
FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTER, DENISE GULA, the principal choreographer of Ohio Dance Theatre, also serves as Director of the School of ODT. She has over 35 years experience, teaching in colleges, universities and dance schools throughout the U.S.  From 1987 to 1992, prior to founding ODT, she served as Director of Dance at Lorain County Community College and has taught Ballet as Adjunct Faculty member at Oberlin College. 
  Her early training encompassed all forms of ballet, including acting and directing, musical theatre productions at Karamu theatre, and other professional and community theatre companies; also with Alex Martin
and Ruth Pryor, both former principle dancers with the Royal Ballet.  While continuing her ballet training, she performed in many musical theatre, summer stock productions.  She has performed extensively in musical, as well as ballet and contemporary dance companies.  Prior to becoming a member of Louisville Ballet, she performed extensively in musical theatre, including the Kenley Players and the Danny Sloan Dance Company.

CONTEMPORARYCLASSICALDANCETHEATRE
  Her numerous choreographic credits include both concert dance and musical theatre choreography, with more than thirty ballets for Ohio Dance Theatre. Her academic studies were continued as time permitted, attending Oberlin College, Baldwin Wallace, Butler University in Indiana and Dean College in Boston. Her published texts include “Dance in Gymnastics, a Guide for Coaches and Gymnasts,” Allan and Bacon Publishers, and “Choreography for the Competitive Gymnast,” Human Kinetics Publishers. Ms. Gula is a certified Pilates instructor and conducts Teacher Training workshops and seminars.


KASHA HILTON
KASSANDRA LEE
KAT SIKORA HILTON, an art teacher in Oberlin schools, is the resident “jack-of-all-trades,” doing all types of art related needs for Ohio Dance Theatre.  She has designed and created props and costumes for the ODT children’s ballets and the professional ballet company. Using her talent as a graphic designer, she creates many of the company's current brochures and advertising items, helping to maintain the ODT website and social networking links. 
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