Laura Ward-Moran/Owner/Instructor/Choreographer:

Mrs. Ward-Moran received a B.A. in Dance from Goucher College in 1999 with a concentration in dance education and a Maryland Teaching Certificate for grades K-12 in dance. She also holds a Certificate in the Language of Dance Fundamentals, as developed by Ann Hutchinson Guest from the Notation Center in London, and is certified in the Authentic PilatesT method of body conditioning, New York.

While a student at Goucher, Mrs. Ward-Moran earned several scholarships, including the Friends of Goucher Dance, the Amy Goldstein Dance Scholarship, the Bond Dance Award, the Summer Studies in Dance scholarship, and a Phi Beta Kappa award for her choreography. Upon graduation, she served as a faculty member of the St. Paul's Schools, the Parkville High School- where she founded a dance program in 1999, and developed dance curriculum for the Harford County Public Schools. In July 2001 she opened the Maryland School of Ballet and Modern Dance, Inc in Harford County.

Mrs. Ward-Moran began her Pilates studies in 1996 at Goucher College. In February 2002, under the tutelage of master instructors Romana Kryzanowska, Sari Mejia Santo and June Hines, Mrs. Ward-Moran completed over 600hrs of training and certified as an instructor of Authentic PilatesT through Pilates, Inc.® of New York. Mrs. Ward-Moran taught Pilates at Goucher College from 2001-2006, where during her full time status she was assistant to the director, and has also taught academic classes in Pilates for the college dance department as well as modern technique, choreography and Pilates for their Summer Arts Institute. She has instructed several master workshops for Physical Therapists, dance studios, and athletic facilities. The American Whole Health Network recognizes Mrs. Ward-Moran as an individual certified to offer Pilates as an alternative health option as part of a discount program through many large insurance agencies.

In 2004 Mrs. Ward-Moran received her Level 5 IITP Pilates Teacher Certification from Romana's Pilates. She is a member of the Pilates Method Alliance and the Maryland Dance Council. She participates yearly in professional continuing education courses with Romana's Pilates- True Pilates NY- and is dedicated to teaching pure, authentic Pilates. In addition to her Pilates studies, she has been accredited through ACE to provide continuing education to ACE certified fitness professionals. In 2004 Mrs. Ward-Moran, and colleague Julia Clime created a Pilates fitness CD through their company, In ABSentia Productions, LLC. Most recently Mrs. Ward-Moran attended the 2007 Dance Teacher Conference in NYC. Mrs. Ward-Moran is dedicated to training young dancers' minds and bodies to prepare them for college dance programs and careers.

Email Mrs. Ward-Moran directly to set up a placement class at: mdschoolofballet@comcast.net

Amie Erline
Amie Erline- is a Baltimore native, a graduate of the Baltimore School for the Arts and Goucher College with a B.A. in dance. She has studied and worked with respected names such as Susan Jaffe, Zippora Karz, Robert Hill. She has interned with the Cincinnati Ballet and performed with the International Ballet Theatre, Common Ground modern company and the Howard County Ballet. Currently, Amie teaches and choreographs ballet and modern to all ages and levels for Maryland and Pennsylvania dance and theater schools.

Kim Pugh, Choreographer/Teacher
Kim Pugh has been a dance instructor in Harford and Baltimore counties for 25 years, teaching all levels of Ballet and Jazz, as well as, Pointe, Partnering, Variations, Stretch & Strengthen, and Preparation for Audition. She also taught ballet at the renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) where she was a soloist in their performing company. In addition to CPYB, Kim studied ballet at The Joffrey Ballet, Jacob’s Pillow, The Richmond Ballet and locally at the Maryland Ballet, The Baltimore Ballet, Ballet Academy of Baltimore and The Harford Ballet Studio.

Ms Pugh performed with The Richmond Ballet, CPYB, Ballet Concerto of Baltimore, Networks Dance Theatre and The Harford Dance Theatre. She directed The Nutcracker for Harford Dance Theatre (HDT) in 2001 & 2002.

Michelle White-Cummings - Dance Instructor
Ms. Michelle White-Cummings began her ballet training in Louisiana. She has studied at the school of American Ballet (the school of the New York City Ballet), the American Ballet Center (the school of the Joffrey Ballet), the National Ballet School in Washington D.C. and the American Ballet Theater School. Ms. White performed with the National Ballet Company of Washington, D.C., the Ballet West in Utah, and the National Ballet of Iran, rising to the rank of principal dancer over the course of her career. She has performed with Dame Margot Fonteyn, Edward Villella, and Violette Verdy. Ms. White has taught for the Maryland Youth Ballet, the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and the Peabody Preparatory. She has been teaching dance in Harford County since 1976.

Amber Zecker-Locke—Dance Instructor
Mrs. Locke has danced professionally with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company, Baltimore Opera Company, Tony Powell/Music & Movement and for six years as a soloist with Ballet Theatre of Maryland. She was the director and choreographer for the Susquehanna Youth Ballet creating ballets including Alice in Wonderland, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Sacagawea. Receiving a Master degree of Elementary and Special Education from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, Mrs. Locke currently teaches First Grade for Harford County Public Schools.

Wendy Colby - Dance Instructor
Wendy Colby is native to the Washington D.C. area where she received her early dance training in ballet and modern dance.  Dance teaching and performing opportunites centered around church and other volunteer organizations.  Always combining her love of dance, art, church, and children, Ms. Colby received her B.A.in Art with a teaching certificate from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and  subsequently earned a Master of Divinity Degree from Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusettes.  Ordained, Ms. Colby served in ministry until retiring in 2001 to Pennsylvania.  Now while also volunteering as a hospital chaplain, Ms. Colby continues to teach weaving, art, and dance in Pennsylvania and Maryland to children and adults. Most recently Ms. Colby completed the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher's Workshop as well as movement intensive in compositional improvisation through the Dance Department at Franklin and Marshall College.

Cullen Massenberg - Guest Faculty
CULLEN MASSENBERG, of Bloomfield, Connecticut, began his formal dance training at the Hartford Ballet School under the direction of Kirk Peterson and continued to train at the North Carolina School of the Arts where he completed his B.F.A. He has received additional training at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, the Juilliard School, and the American Dance Festival. Currently, he performs with the Washington Reflections Dance Company in Washington, DC. He thanks his family and friends for their continued love and support.

Amanda Pugh- Instructor
Amanda Pugh graduated Magna Cum Laude from Goucher College in 2008 with a B.A. in Dance and a minor in music. She began studying dance under the tutelage of Kim Pugh, ballet teacher and choreographer at the Maryland School of Ballet and Modern Dance; as well as Marcia Dale Weary of the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Amanda has performed principal roles with the Harford Ballet Company in The Nutcracker and Beauty and the Beast under the direction of Pamela Villeneuve.

At Goucher College in Baltimore, she has performed in several works by fellow students, faculty, and guest artists. Her most notable roles include soloist in Alan Hineline’s de l’innocence (2008), corps in William Whitener’s Anniversary Waltz (selected by adjudicators for the National American College Dance Festival in 2008), “Electra” in Doris Humphrey’s Libation Bearers (2006), soloist in Nilas Martins’ Shades of Vivaldi (2006), and the leading Nymph in Vaslav Nijinksy’s L’Apres Midi d’un Faune, restored by Ann Hutchinson Guest and Claudia Jeschke.

Amanda has received several scholarships and awards including the Rosenberg Scholarship in Dance, the Global Citizen Scholarship for academic merit, the Goucher Dance Department Friends Scholarship, Goucher Dance Department Gala Award, and was on the Academic Dean’s List all four years. Amanda also studies the cello and has performed with the Goucher College Symphony Orchestra, Goucher Chamber Music Ensemble, and in student recitals.
In addition to dance and music, Amanda is a strong enthusiast of Pilates, and has completed her Authentic PilatesTM certification in New York under master teachers Sari Mejia-Santo and Romana Kryzanowska in 2008. She currently teaches Pilates at Goucher College.

Alaina Williams - Instructor
Alaina Williams began her dance training at the White Marsh Ballet Academy, which led her to a focus in ballet and modern dance at the Baltimore School for the Arts. She holds a B.F.A. from The Juilliard School where she had the privilege of working with a world renowned faculty and numerous guest artists from around the globe. In 2007, Ms. Williams took part in creating the “Dogodogo Project” where she traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to teach dance and improvisation to underprivileged children at the Dogodogo Centre. She has also been a guest teacher throughout Maryland, teaching various styles at all levels, and is thrilled to be on faculty at MSBMD.