Preparatory Dance
Faculty
Kathleen McCormick, Program Director
Ballet, Pointe
Trained in California at the Marin Civic Ballet; continued her studies at ABT and American Ballet Center at the Banff School of the Arts. As a student she was honored with scholarships from the S.F Ballet and N.C. School of the Arts. Danced professionally with Nevada Dance Theatre, Joffrey II, Joffrey City Center Ballet, the Banff touring Co., Korean Theatre Ensemble, Horn in the West and Morag dancers. Kathi has taught at The Dance Studio, Washington Dance Forum, WAPA, Dance Fremont and the University of Washington. She directed the American Ballet Conservatory and the Seattle Youth Ballet.
Steve Casteel
Ballet
Received his early training from Jan Column School of Classic Ballet in Tacoma, WA. At the age of 16 trained and performed with Boston Ballet II. Danced with Houston Ballet from 1987 to 1997 where he became a soloist. Received a BFA in Dance from Cornish in 2002, and a MFA in theater with a dance emphasis from the University of Arizona in 2004. He has taught at Spectrum Dance Theater (Seattle), Dance Fremont (Seattle), Cornish (Seattle), and Berkeley Ballet Theater (Berkeley, CA).
Leigh-Ann Cohen-Hafford
Ballet, Pointe
Artistic Director of Conservatory Ballet of Washington and the Ballet Department at WAPA for several years. Dance faculty member at Oakland University, MI and assistant coach with Ballet B.C. Performed and toured internationally with companies in North America including Ballet B.C., Ballet Jurgen, Metropolitan Ballet Theater and Pennsylvania Ballet. Choreography performed by numerous companies in Canada and the United States. She holds diploma in dance training and Spanish dance.
Colleen Dishy – ARAD
Ballet, Character
Registered teacher and associate of the Royal Academy of Dance; founded and directed her own ballet school in Johannesburg, South Africa. Has taught extensively in the Seattle area for the past 18 years and has taught in the Preparatory Dance Program for over 15 years.
Pat Hon
Ballet, Pointe, Modern
Began studying ballet at the age of 10 in her native Singapore and continued her studies at Rosella Hightower’s Centre de Danse Classique in France. She also studied Flamenco and Classical Spanish dance in Madrid, Spain, and performed with the foremost Spanish dance company, Antonio and his Ballets of Madrid, before coming to New York to attend the Joffrey School and the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. She has choreographed for the Atlanta Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Summer Inventions, Singapore Ballet, Ballet Concerto of Miami, Goh Ballet in Canada, Federal Ballet Company of Malaysia, Ballet Petit, and for dancers competing in the International Ballet Competitions in Jackson, Mississippi. She also teaches in the Cornish BFA dance program.
Christine Juarez
Creative Dance, Pre-Ballet, Ballet
BS in Ballet and MS in Modern Dance, Indiana University; performed extensively throughout the Midwest. Artist-in-residence in Seattle Public Schools, freelance choreographer, Artistic Director of Vashon Dance Theater and program coordinator for summer dance at Cornish.
Shelagh Regan
Ballet, Pointe
Trained with the Royal Ballet School, London, England. She danced professionally with Houston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Virginia Beach Ballet and Los Angeles Ballet. Toured throughout the U.S. as a Visiting Artist performing master workshops and lecture-demonstrations. Outreach/Education Assistant for Oregon Ballet Theatre. Cornish faculty member and choreographer for over 15 years. Directed Preparatory Dance Program for five years.
Christine Weh
Creative Dance, Ballet
Studied and performed with Cynthia Tosh at Portland Community Ballet. Performs locally in the Northwest. Earned a BFA in Dance from Cornish. Currently the Administrative Assistant for Preparatory Dance.