Penny Leto - Choreographer/Instructor - Owner/Director of CoffeeMill Dance Studio.
Born
and raised in the Bronx, Penny relocated to Key West in 1977 with a
B.A. in Dance Education from Herbert H. Lehman College. Penny purchased
the CoffeeMill property (known for it's El Brazo Fuerte coffee) in the
mid-eighties, co-founded the Key West Dance Theatre and became an
original member of the Fabulous Spectrelles (Toni). Penny
choreographs for all the theaters in Key West, and does many projects
with Keys Kids theatre program, Sol Fest Performing Arts Summer Camp
with the Key West Symphony Orchestra, and produces DanceWorks each year
with the Coffeemill Dance Collective (teachers, students and visiting
artists of the studio). Penny is also interested in promoting dance in
our schools through the CoffeeMillDance Outreach Program bringing dance
to children who can not get to the studio.
Carolyn Cooper , BFA,
MA - Ballet, Jazz, Tap - Carolyn is originally from PA where she
not only danced, but also earned her degree in mechanical
engineering. Her most recent Key West performances include last
year’s Brazen Hussies “Fuze,” Danceworks IV, “Most Happy Fella,” “Rocky
Horror Show,” and “All of Me.” She is currently working for a
local surveyor, teaching at the Coffeemill and choreographing for Keys
Kids and various other projects
Kyla Piscopink (Jazz, Creative Movement) Kyla began studying dance at the College Performing
Arts Center, Fredonia, NY. She went on to study and earn her B.A. at
The State University of New York. During college, Kyla briefly joined
the dance line of the Buffalo Jills NFL Cheerleaders as well as the
University's modern dance ensemble, Orchesis. In NYC, she danced with
Angela Harriell's The Love Show,
earned her pilates mat certification and continued her studies. Upon
moving to Key West, Kyla teamed up with The Brazen Hussies and began to
work locally in the theatres, as an actor, dancer and choreographer.
This past summer, Kyla taught a jazz dance intensive for KWSO's Young
Artist Opera Program. Kyla currently teaches at the CoffeeMill Dance Studio and is the Artistic Director of Key West Contemporary Dance Co. (who made their debut last spring at The Waterfront Playhouse as Ganesha Dance Theatre). Most recently, Kyla has been cast in Paradise Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker Key West and
has been commissioned by the Key's Chorale to create a new work
(Bernstein's Chichester Psalms) for their upcoming production in March
2009. She is also a recipient of the Florida Key's Council of the Arts' Special Projects Grant and ArtReach Grant, both for dance production in Key West.
Kimberly Byant (Ballet,Jazz) Kimberly's training
and teaching experience spans nearly 3 decades. While still in grade
school she was chosen to perform, The Nutcracker Suite with the Joffrey
Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. At the end of middle
school she began participating in the University of Iowa¢s collegiate
program under the tutelage of, Francoise Martinet and Alicia Brown. At
age 15 she earned a merit scholarship to attend Virginia School of the
Arts; there she performed the role of Swanhilda from Coppelia. In
college she was invited to become a member of the George Mason
University Dance Company and performed several years in their annual
Dance Gala. Graduating with a B.A. in Psychology she also earned a
minor in dance.Ms. Bryant has been teaching classical &
contemporary ballet, creative movement, jazz, tap and lyrical dance for
over 12 years. She has instructed at Arlington Center for Dance,
The Russell School of Ballet and the Center for Ballet Arts. Ms.
Bryant is currently enjoying her third year of teaching at the
CoffeeMill Dance Studio.
Denis Hyland (Jazz, Ballet) Denis began
studying dance in NYC at the infamous JoJo's Dance Factory with JoJo
Smith himself. Then at Steps Dance Studio he studied with owner and
Artistic Director Patrice Soriero, and was dubbed by her 'My Diamond in
the Rough' Becoming more involved in ballet, Denis received a
scholarship to the David Howard Ballet Center. There he studied with
the full faculty and was influenced by all, but it became obvious that
Denis is definitely a disciple of the great Broadway teacher Michael
Owens. Ballet companies such as Ohio Ballet, Metropolitan Topeka
Ballet, Boca Ballet and others soon took Hyland away from the Theatre.
Key West Contemporary Dance Company brings all of his training together.
Andre Harper (Hip-Hop) was brought into the world on April 8, 1985, thanks to his wonderful
mother, Beverly. Although hecan't remember a time when he wasn't
dancing, his formal training didn't begin until age 18. Currently,
Andre teaches all-levels adult, as well as, child-level Hip Hop classes
at the CoffeeMill Dance Studio. Last season he appeared in All of Me at the Waterfront Playhouse and The Exonerated at The Red Barn. Andre is excited to be a founding member of Key West Contemporary Dance Co.
Mary Kay Lee(Ballet/Pointe) Mary Kay began her professional career with the Long Beach Ballet, performing in the Rite of Spring, Song of Norway and The Nutcracker. She then moved to Chicago to join the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet as a soloist in Aida, LaSonnambula, and Faust.
MK has also danced with the Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet West,
Tau Dance Theatre, Ballet Hawaii, Corpus Christi Ballet and Ballet
Florida. She has danced major roles including Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew
Drop, Autumn, Giselle, Bluebird & La Bayadere Pas de Deux, Les
Sylphides, Paquita, and L'Histoire du Soldat. Now happy to be in Key
West teaching, choreographing and dancing.
Maurizio Nardi (Modern Dance Master)|
Maurizio Nardi is a Principal Dancer with the Martha Graham
Dance Company and he is native of Florence, Italy. In his home country
Maurizio studied and begin his professional career with choreographer
Deanna Losi. He has danced in produc
tions by Beppe Menegatti, Micha Van Hoecke and Roberto Guicciardini,
dancing with artist like Alessandro Molin, Marco Pierin, Paul Chalmer,
and Carla Fracci. In 1998 Maurizio came to New York with a full
scholarship from the Martha Graham School where he graduated in the
spring 2000. In February `99 Maurizio joined the Martha Graham Dance
Ensemble. In the US Maurizio has been dancing also for others company
such as Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Coyote Dancers, Mary Anthony Dance
Theater and Battery Dance Com
pany. Maurizio has being dancing with the Graham Company since 2002 .
He has danced in roles such as The Revivalist in Appalachian Spring,
The Chief Celebrant in Acts Of Light, the leading role in Maple Leaf
Rag, The Goat in Circe, and the man in the Red Couple in Diversion Of
Angels. Maurizio has being teaching, demonstrating and leading
lecture-demonstrations since he joined the Company, and for the past
two years has been a proud homeowner in Big Pine Key. |
Jenni Gerstle (Zumba, Kripalu
Yoga)Jenni started in the fitness industry in 1982. She owned her
own studio, Body In Motion in Acton from 1986 to 1996. She then
managed Focus on Fitness in Ashland Ma. and The Concord Fitness club in
Concord Ma. She brings years of experience in the industry in
many areas, and holds several certifications as well as being a
Kripalu yoga instructor. She was a leader in bringing low impact
aerobics and step to her local area and is now excited to bring Zumba
to Key West.
Joanie Agosti - Joanie Agosti is a STOTT PILATES Certified Instructor, an AFAA Certified Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Fitness Trainer. She has been active in the fitness industry for over 25 years. In that time she has taught just about every time of fitness class, both in English and Spanish, in the US and in Europe. At
the present time her focus is core fitness, and it is evident in the
Pilates classes she teaches and incorporates into the private training
sessions she conducts. Joanie has studied Pilates for 6 years, and completed her STOTT PILATES certification through Pilates South Beach in Miami Beach.
Allison Mayer Polyak -
Ballet- Raised in Key West, has been teaching at the Coffee Mill since
it's inception. Allison made her Key West stage debut at age 8 in the
Nigodolf Ballet Company in Sleeping Beauty. At 14 she received a full
scholarship with the Joffrey Ballet's school of American Ballet in NYC.
At 17 she became Assistant Director, Choreographer and principal dancer
for the ‘Royal Ballet Of Santa Barbara’ California where she staged
lavish productions of Les Sylphides and Swan Lake. In 1980 Allison
became Co-Director of the Key West Dance Theater and used professional
dancers from New York to California to perform with the company in Key
West. In 1981 she created and staged “The Reef” a premise for her
ballet “The Conchcracker” (A Key West Nutcracker) to educate children
about the reef,
and in1995 staged a small scale version of the “Conchcracker” in
conjunction with Montessori school at San Carlos Theater. There she
combined professional dancers with the children who also designed and
created the sets and program.
Allison has performed and choreographed for all the Key West theaters.
She is also Baby Tracy of The Fabulous Spectrelles, who have a No. 1.
international dance Hit with Almighty records. Also known as Baby T,
she sings weekly at the Bull and Croissants De France. She is honored
to work with these artists who maintain their skills and passion as
they struggle to survive on this island. Allison is the proud daughter
of Betty Saint and Capt'n Bob Tradup. Proud wife of Peter Polyak, proud
mom of Cole Mayer and proud grandma of Lily Mayer.
Jackie Beckham -Zumba Gold-Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, AFAA Certified, Raised in Key West
Bruce Moore - Tap
Ashley Kamen - Yoga
Mike Mulligan - Stretch/Meditation, Aerobic Dance- "At the Gym"
Sheila Bellefleur - Jazz
Gretchen Mills - Yoga
Jan Czerny - Capoeira
