Ballet
Guest Faculty Spring 2024
Michaela Mcgowan
Michaela McGowan, a Virginia native, received her early dance training at The Loudoun School of Ballet, and went on to receive her BFA with honors from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, class of 2012. She is currently on faculty at Broadway Dance Center in New York City, and actively teaches and sets work in and around the tri-state area and nationwide. As part of DanceLab New York, Michaela has worked with Josh Prince (DLNY Artistic Director), Robbie Fairchild, Loni Landon, Ray Mercer, Kristen Carcone, John Carrafa, and Helen Simoneau. Additionally, she’s worked with Mia Michaels (Mia Michaels LIVE), Kristen Carcone (Dinner is Served, 2019 Governor’s Island Residency), Josh Bergasse (Tisch Gala 2010, Jazz at Lincoln Center), Greg Graham (Tisch Gala 2012), Lisa Shriver (PHISH at MSG, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade), Katarzyna Skarpetowska (Jacob’s Pillow with Periapsis Music and Dance), Ray Mercer (Hudson Valley Dance Festival), Aszure Barton (NYU SADC ’12), and Larry Keigwin (If/Then). Michaela is represented by CESD for Dance and Commercial Print and is also a NASM-certified personal trainer, teaching group fitness formats at Equinox locations throughout New York City.
Jazz
Chryssie whitehead
Chryssie Whitehead was born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina. She grew up dancing with the Columbia City Ballet and Southern Strutt dance studio competing nationally. Her love for musical theatre and the performing arts began at the age of 10 years old when she got cast as an orphan in ANNIE. Her training continued during the summers in Los Angeles and in New York at the Edge dance studio and Broadway Dance Center. During adolescence she also performed in A Chorus Line at Workshop Theatre. She pursued more theatre in her high school drama program at Richland Northeast, as well as modeled with Millie Lewis Modeling & Talent agency. She became a Rockette straight out of high school. She got her first start in film as a dance double in Save the Last Dance with Julia Stiles. Chryssie then went on to schooling in New York at The American Musical Dramatic Academy (AMDA) where she majored in musical theatre. After the Rockettes, Chryssie began her first touring job in the first National tour of Fosse, followed by an international tour as one of Paul McCartney’s dancers. Chryssie can be seen in the hit documentary, Every Little Step, where she was featured landing her Broadway Debut in the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line as Kristine. She can also be heard on the cast album in "Sing" with Tony nominated actor, Tony Yazbeck.
Tap
Modern
Ryan Maw
Ryan Maw is a professional dancer/choreographer that has been a part of choreography teams on movies for Netflix, Paramount Plus, and Disney Plus. Since the age of 13, Ryan has performed on “The Ellen Show,” and was a contestant on both “So You Think You Can Dance” and NBC’s “World of Dance.” Ryan's versatility led to sponsorships and many industry dance jobs, including High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Julie and The Phantoms, Descendant’s Remix Dance Party, and Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist. For three months, he toured across America with the live jazz band Postmodern Jukebox as their solo tap dance artist. Some of Ryan’s recent work includes: Bring It On: Cheer or Die, assistant choreography for Honor Society on Paramount Plus, assistant choreography for Prom Pact on Disney Plus, and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies on Paramount Plus. In between Ryan’s work in the film industry, he enjoys teaching and choreographing internationally and looks forward to sharing his passion for dance with the world.
Nicole Powell
Nicole Powell was born and raised in Carpinteria, CA is a dancer, choreographer, and studio owner/director. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance and a BA in philosophy from SMU (2013). She also holds a high school diploma from Idyllwild Arts Academy with a dance performance major, where she received Senior Class Scholar and the Bella Lewitzky Dance Award. She experienced additional training at San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Martha Graham School, Czech Republic Ballet, NW Dance Project, and Rubberband Dance. Since graduation, Nicole has danced professionally and taught all over the world. She has been dancing with Santa Barbara Dance Theatre for 7 seasons along with a flourishing freelance career. She recently guest performed with the Limon Dance Company. Nicole is excited to continue finding her own choreographic voice with upcoming choreographic commissions, as well as building and directing her school CSD School of Performing Arts in Carpinteria.
Local Faculty Spring 2024
Ballet I
Elizabeth Arrigali started taking dance classes at the age of two in Dallas, Texas. It was not until she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area as a teenager that she began to pursue ballet more seriously. Ms. Arrigali participated in several ballet summer intensives as well as ballet competitions. She began teaching in high school, and continued teaching during the summers of college at local studios in the Bay Area. Elizabeth took a step away from ballet to attend Baylor University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Russian. She moved to Missoula in 2018 for graduate school and completed her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Drug Design at the University of Montana in 2023. It was during this time that she began taking ballet classes and teaching at Ballet Arts Academy.
Tap I
Kylie Lupoch began her dance training at the age of four in Missoula, MT. Since then, she has trained in tap, jazz, musical theatre, hip hop, contemporary, lyrical, modern, ballet, and pointe. She is currently attending the University of Montana for Business Management and Dance. She is also teaching and assistant directing at Studio M and is the Head Coach of Hellgate High School Dance Team. Growing up attending MDAA and traveling on MDAA summer scholarships, most recently to the Orange County Tap Fest the past few summers, she is so excited to be back to teach this Spring!
Jazz I
Tara McFarland is originally from Salmon, ID. She studied dance at Mills College, Arizona State University, and holds a BSc Dance from the University of Idaho and an MSc Dance Science from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance (City University of London). She dances professionally in her 7th season with Bare Bait Dance in Missoula, having previously performed with Relay Dance Collective, Converge Dance Festival, Evolving Doors Dance, Louder than Words Dancetheatre, & guested with 3rd Law Dance/Theatre. Strongly invested in the Montana dance scene, Tara is currently on faculty at the University of Montana, Studio M, & Ballet Arts Academy. In the greater community, she has been faculty/choreographer/adjudicator for University of MT, UM Dance Days, Roots, Garden City Ballet, Dance the Divide, MT Dance Arts Association, On Center Performing Arts, & BAA’s Studio Company. Tara spent five years as a Teaching Artist in BBD's Model Dance Educator Program. Her choreographic work has been featured in BBD’s Springboard 2018 & 2022 choreographic showcases & UM’s 2023 Dance In Concert. As a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science she strives to bring dance science into the classroom and onto the stage.
Modern I
Tiki Preston came from the Black Hills of South Dakota to study choreography and performance at the University of Montana in 2016. With a BFA in Dance and a minor in Studio Art, Tiki has been a company member of Bare Bait Dance for four years. From modern/contemporary dance to ballroom, Tiki has trained in and danced many different movement styles, teaching, and choreographing. She received an Award of Excellence through the University’s Theatre and Dance Program in 2017-18 and the Talent Scholarship in 2019. She was recently in a musical/drama film, shot in Butte, Montana, directed by Amanda Kramer and distributed by Music Box Films. Staying invested in Missoula’s community, Tiki will continue to teach at On Center Performing Arts and at the Westside Theater.
Mat Pilates
Kirsten Cherubini grew up in Missoula and graduated from the University of MT with a BFA in Dance with a teaching and choreography/performance emphasis. Upon graduating she moved to Chicago to explore the professional dance world. Suffering a knee injury and surgery led her to Pilates for strengthening and rehab. Kirsten fell in love with the Pilates movement system and completed her first certification in Chicago in 2002 through the Physicalmind Institute and a 2nd through Peak Pilates in 2007. She opened Main Street Pilates in downtown Missoula in 2004. In 2017 Kirsten was invited to attend a yearlong study with 2nd generation Pilates instructor Chris Robinson. As a lover of movement, she continues to be inspired by the Pilates system through her own practice and teaching.
Brazilian Dance
Julia Duarte is a Brazilian dancer/choreographer based in Missoula, Montana. Julia’s main dance styles are Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Contemporary, and Contemporary, although she has also been professionally trained in classical Ballet within the Vaganova method by Studio de Ballet Inpulso. She is a dancer at Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre and the Ballet Beyond Borders organization. She has won awards for her choreography in the Ballet Beyond Borders cultural exchange festival and the Cultural Diplomacy Award and Essay Contest Awards. Julia is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts at the University of MT where she focuses on Dance with an emphasis on performance and choreography, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts and Media with an emphasis on drawing and painting. Julia focuses on spreading her cultural heritage throughout her career. This passion for combining her formal dance training with her cultural movement vocabulary led her to perform and choreograph in countries such as Brazil, the United States, Italy, Cuba, and Pakistan. She has been invited to speak at the Tea Party of Pakistan’s President and First Lady, and to perform at Islamabad’s Art Festival 2019, where she won the prize of Revelation Artist of the year.
New Visions Dance
Heidi Jones Eggert, Heidi is a Professor and Head of Dance at the University of Montana and earned her MFA from Arizona State University and BFA from Stephens College. While Heidi’s passion is rooted in teaching, creating and performing modern dance, she is most enthusiastic about making dance accessible to every body; honing in on creativity as well as technique; encouraging an expressive artist and a mindful audience.
Musical Theater
Colleen Rosbarsky teaches at Ballet Arts Academy and Showtyme Dance Academy in Missoula, MT. She choreographs regularly for Garden City Ballet’s The Nutcracker and directed the production in 2012. She has a B.F.A. in Ballet from the University of Utah. Earlier in her dance career, she performed with Utah Ballet and Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. In addition to teaching dance, Colleen loves musical theater. Currently she is choreographing Bright Star for the UM Department of Theater and Dance. Later this year she is slated to choreograph Clue, the musical for Arizona Broadway Theater. Past choreography credits include works with Bigfork Summer Playhouse Missoula Community Theater. Colleen has performed lead roles in plays at the University of Montana, Fort Peck Summer Theater, Missoula Community Theatre and Montana Repertory Theatre. Colleen is a licensed esthetician at Skin Chic and she enjoys working with clients on their skin as another creative outlet.