Notable Dance Alumni

Moving to NYC after graduation, Alli Bollinger has been an apprentice and featured soloist in Synthesis Dance, a RWS Entertainment dancer and consistently trains with the top choreographers in the dance industry. Most recently, Alli completed her first season as a Radio City Rockette in the Christmas Spectacular.

Katie Tomney is a professional dancer, singer, teacher, and choreographer currently residing in the New York City area. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from UB.  Since graduation, Katie has had many performance-based contracts across the country. To date, her favorite contract has been serving as the Dance Captain and a Dancer/Singer onboard Carnival Cruise Lines in 2022. New to the New York City area, Katie is excited about new opportunities and experiences in the near future! Past credits include Carnival Cruise Lines, Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, RWS Entertainment, Kings Dominion Entertainment and Starring Buffalo Theatre Company.

After graduating from University at Buffalo with a BFA in Dance and BA in Psychology in 2016, Angel continued her studies training with Conteur Dance Company in Toronto, Canada and the Phoenix Ballet in Arizona. Her time with the Difference Between Dance company directed by Talia Favia brought her to her current residence in Los Angeles.

Ashley Rossi is a dancer/educator based in Buffalo, NY. She graduated from the University at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance in 2018. While at The University at Buffalo, she was in Zodiaque Dance Ensemble, Zodiaque Dance Company, and choreographed for Dancers Workshop. After college, Ashley performed with Balasole Dance Company as a featured soloist.

Brianna Jahn, Assistant Professor and Dance Program Coordinator at The University of Southern Mississippi, earned her B.F.A. in Dance from SUNY Buffalo (2011), M.F.A. in Dance and Certificate in College Teaching from the University of Arizona, and is a Professional Fletcher Pilates teacher.

Brittany Sprung is a professional dancer and aerialist originally from Upstate New York, now residing in Las Vegas. Holding a BFA in dance and a BA in math from the University at Buffalo, she specializes in jazz, contemporary, aerial arts and acrobatics but has trained in all areas, including ballet, tap, hip hop, and baton. Brittany has performed with Norwegian and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, on tour with Disney Live, in the Pro Bowl half time show, at several theme parks, with the Backstreet Boys, for iHeart Radio Music Festival and Samsung Mobile, and can be seen on truTV’s Fake Off. She has taught, choreographed, and directed across the nation and judged for Starquest, Spotlight, Starpower, and Dance Masters of America competitions. Currently, she is an E-commerce Lead for lululemon, an aerial rehearsal director for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, and a core member of the specialty act, Piano in the Sky.

EvanMatthew Stewart, originally from Buffalo, NY,  graduated from the University of Buffalo with his BFA in dance and minor in counseling in 2016. While in college, he attended the Joffrey School of Ballet New York City summer intensive to further his skills in ballet.

Heather Dorler graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2019 with her BFA in Dance Performance. At university, Heather was a member of the Zodiaque Dance Company and was thrilled to expand her dance vernacular by performing pieces in styles including Bharatanatyam, House Hip-Hop, Fosse inspired Jazz and so much more. Prior to her senior year, training brought her to Lucca, Italy for DanceItalia, a three-week intensive where she studied under NobleMotion, Kidd Pivott and Ohad Naharin Repertory. Heather also has a love for theatre and was the dance captain and ensemble member in the Kavinoky Theatre's production of "Rock of Ages" and played Gloria Upson in "Auntie Mame" for the TrueRep Theatre. Heather is currently living outside of Boston, MA where she is the apprentice for Pantos Project Dance, a contemporary based company that focuses on honing in on human experiences to create and perform technically driven and emotionally charged works. For the past 7 years, she has also been a head instructor for the Universal Dance Association where she travels the country to lead dance camps for competitive high school and college teams. Through UDA, Heather has helped lead Disney's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Citrus Bowl Halftime Show as well as the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. Along with her performance, she coaches the Hingham High Dance team who placed 3rd overall in the state of Massachusetts this past year. Always enthusiastic about helping her community through movement, Heather enjoys coaching at Orangetheory Fitness as a personal trainer. 

Dr. James D. Walters was born in Hilton, New York. In 2011, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University at Buffalo with a BFA, in Dance. Following his career as a dancer, Dr. Walters pursued an education in Chiropractic at New York Chiropractic College, where he graduated with honors in 2019.  

Following graduation from UB, Lisa Kaemmerlen was an apprentice for the dance company formally known as LehrerDance. and then went on to work as a dancer for Norwegian Cruise Lines and traveled to over 30 countries. Lisa then returned to school to earn her degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant from Villa Maria College. She earned a 4.0 GPA and began working at Buffalo Rehab Group immediately after graduation. Lisa enjoys working with patients of all ages, especially dancers, gymnasts, and other young athletes needing care. While working at the clinic, Lisa also teaches in local dance studios educating young dancers in the area utilizing the education she has gained as a Physical Therapist Assistant to make dancers stronger.

Mariangela Perrella graduated from the University at Buffalo in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Psychology. While at UB, Mari earned nominations for Fulbright and Marshall Scholarships, was named Outstanding Senior in Psychology, and participated in the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Currently, Mari attends Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, working towards her doctorate degree in school psychology. Mari continues to incorporate dance into her professional and personal life. Her dissertation will study the effects of a school-based dance therapy program on social-emotional outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. She has also shared her love for dance as an instructor at Lancaster Dance Center (NY), Orlando School of Dance (NY), and Valley Dance (PA).

Melissa J. Hunt is currently traveling the country with the 2nd national tour of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a swing. Regional credits include: Anybodys in West Side Story (Weston Playhouse, Wick Theatre, Engeman), Velma in West Side Story (Harbor Lights), Associate Choreographer/Dance Captain in Annie (Axelrod). NYC performance credits include: Hair to Hamilton Public Theater Gala with Baayork Lee, American Dance Spectacular (Northeast Tour - Al Blackstone), Born To Dance (Workshop - Al Blackstone), Boy in The Velveteen Rabbit (TYA) and Easter Bonnet Competition with the cast of King Kong Alive on Broadway. Melissa is a graduate of the University at Buffalo Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in dance and is represented by LDC Artist Representation.

Miranda Spada received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance from the University at Buffalo under the direction of Tom Ralabate. There she was a member of the prestigious Zodiaque Dance Company where she was able to work with numerous choreographers. She was honored with being named director of Dancers Workshop for two years. After graduation, Miranda stayed in the Buffalo area where teaching opportunities opened and she found her passion. She is currently the Competition Director at Tonawanda Dance Arts and also directs and runs her own Mentorship Program called LEAD.  This program facilities the growth of individuals who are looking to enhance their training and work towards pursuing a possible career in dance. She enjoys giving her students opportunities in and out of New York that enhance their dance journeys.

Nicole hails from a small orchard town east of Seattle, WA. Training and competing in piano, voice and dance from a young age gave way to a vision of pursing a life as a multi-hyphenate artist in musical theatre in New York City.

Sarah graduated in 2010 with a BFA in Dance. She moved to New York City and was hired as a Radio City Rockette in the Nashville production of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, performing at the Grand Ole Opry.

AJ Overton is a 2001 BFA graduate and former member of Zodiaque Dance Company. While attending UB she participated in numerous performances ranging from concert dance to musical productions. Throughout her college years she spent her summers as a dancer/singer for Six Flags and Busch Gardens.

Amy VanKirk, MFA is an Associate Professor of Dance at Radford University. She originally earned her BFA from UB in 2005. She has had original work showcased at the New York Jazz Choreography Project, American College Dance Association, Ferguson Center for the Arts, Alluvion Stage Company, and at various universities.

Arielle Cole is a choreographer, performer, and dance educator. She holds a BFA in Dance from University at Buffalo, and MFA in Dance and Masters of Management from Mills College. Some of her professional credits include Keshet Dance Company, World Dance Fusion, PERSpectives Dance Company, Aleño Dance Project, and Velocity Arts & Entertainment. In 2018, Arielle started her dance company, ArcTangent Dance, with a vision of creating a professional dance company that provides exhilarating work to both performers and audiences. Her choreographic interests revolve around democratizing both the creation process of a project, as well as the audience experience. Learn more by visiting ariellecole.com.

Brian Maciak earned his BA in dance from the University at Buffalo in 2006. For the last 17 years, Brian has been the owner and director of The Fuse Dance Center in Binghamton, NY. Most recently, he formed a new dance competition called “3Sixty The Tour,” and is also working on a new convention called “The 3Sixty Experience".

Danielle Lydia Sheather is a Canadian born dancer, choreographer, artist, and educator. Danielle received her MFA from the University of Arizona as a University Fellow and graduated from the University at Buffalo Honors College with a BFA in Dance and BA in Psychology in 2003.

Dance Educator and Entrepreneur Gina Pero has inspired audiences worldwide for the past 20 years. At a young age and with a fiery spirit, Gina was diagnosed with scoliosis and overcame her obstacles of becoming a professional dancer. In 2009, as a Radio City Rockette, Gina received a brain injury and her recovery transformed her soul purpose.

Jessica Wolfrum, originally from Buffalo, New York, currently resides in Chicago, IL. Most recently, she was the Assistant Director and Choreographer under Lynne Formato for Drury Lane Theatre's regional premiere of "An American in Paris".

Lauren Green is a certified virtual facilitator, certified coach, experienced visual note-taker and effective leadership development trainer. She believes in the power of visualization to support productive and dynamic group processes and knowledge management. Lauren has an extensive toolkit of modalities for designing inclusive, engaging and productive sessions, whether they are held in person, online or in a hybrid/blended format. Lauren is the owner and executive director of Dancing with Markers®, a team of visual practitioners who hold space for individuals, teams and organizations, as they work towards their vision and achieve their goals. Lauren launched the podcast This Meeting Sucks in 2022, with the goal of bringing meeting skills to the masses. Lauren holds a master’s degree in Organization Development and Knowledge Management from George Mason University. Lauren is an International Coach Federation certified coach and an MBTI® and EQi (emotional intelligence) Practitioner.

Meghen McKinley earned her BFA in Dance from the University at Buffalo in 2002. She is currently an Associate Professor in Dance at Western Kentucky University, where she teaches all levels of Modern, Choreography, Improvisation, Dance in Culture, and Visual Media for Dance. Choreography and performance work includes: Found Movement Group – Nashville, TN, Inaside Dance Chicago, Moving Collective- Louisville, KY, Champaign Arts Salon-Champaign, IL, Zodiaque Dance Company- SUNY Buffalo, Anderson University -IN, Motus Dance Company - Indianapolis, IN, and collaborative skype choreography with Teal Darkenwald at East Carolina University.

Cesar Salinas is a UB Theatre and Dance alumnus with a BFA in dance. Originally from Portland, Oregon, he is Artistic Programs Manager for Giordano Dance Chicago.

A Zodiaque Dance Company member from 1988-1991, Doug has been a choreographer, director, actor, writer or designer for over 300 productions throughout his career. He is a three-time Artie Award winner in the areas of direction and choreography and his work has been seen on nearly every stage in WNY and regionally.

Jaimie Selke graduated in 3 years with a BFA in Dance Performance (1997). She is a Director, Creative Director, Choreographer, and Producer. Jaimie recently made her debut on Broadway as the Associate Director for Melissa Etheridge's "My Window." She was also the Creative Assistant on "Aerosmiths Peace Out Farewell Tour."

Lakey earned her degree in dance from the University at Buffalo in 1997. She founded Lakey Wolff & Company after 14 years at CESD Talent Agency, New York, where she was a top agent and respected leader in her field.

Michael D. Jablonski earned his BA in Dance from the University at Buffalo in 1997. He has been a professional musical theatre artist for over 20 years. Jablonski has taken his experience on the stage and transitioned it into the classroom.

BFA (92), Michelle Spezio has been the Artistic Director of Spezio’s Dance Dynamics Inc. Since 1993. She is recognized for training versatile, well-rounded dancers with an artistic spirit. She teaches all ages and levels including expertise in Ballet/Pointe, Acrobatics, Jazz/Contemporary, Modern/Lyrical, Theater Dance, Commercial Heels, Tap and children’s classes.

Joyce Dara received her BA in Theater and Dance from UB in 1984. Immediately after graduation, she began her performing career in Henry La Tang and Maurice Hines’s production of Cotton Club on Parade and an off-Broadway production of Bingo, directed by Ossie Davis.

Maria was a member of the "World Dancers" ensemble with Disney and performed at Epcot Center, industrial shows in Hawaii, Korean shows, and dinner theaters in San Diego.

Salvatore Messina and Barbara Losardo (class of 1982) relocated to New York City after leaving SUNY at Buffalo, marrying shortly thereafter and merging their dance journeys.

Tony holds a B.A. in dance from S.U.N.Y. Buffalo and a M.A. from the Ohio State University in Dance Education and Composition. In addition to owning The Dance Extension studios for three decades, he has performed, taught, and choreographed in many national and international venues, including being the U. S. representative at the International Dance Festival in Florence, Italy.

Working with Linda Swiniuch and Tom Ralabate in the early days of Zodiaque Dance Company, Elise stage managed, did lighting design and recorded audio tracks of poetry and prose for Zodiaque performances.