Pom Connection Junior Coach

Joshua Blake Carter (Atlanta, GA) Joshua received his early dance training from the Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts in Mableton, GA. He continued his studies at the University of Arizona under the direction of Jory Hancock, where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Cum Laude as well as the Outstanding Senior Award from the School of Dance. While at the University Joshua had the opportunity to premiere works by James Clouser, Amy Ernst, Doug Nielsen and Sam Watson as well as perform revived works by Frank Chaves, Susan Quinn, Mia Michaels and Michael Williams. For his senior capstone project, Joshua founded dance in the RED – an evening of dance, music and art to benefit the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation. At a young age Joshua took an interest in choreography, and in 2008 his work was accepted as a finalist in the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA. The following year he was selected as a finalist and won Ballet Nouveau Colorado’s national choreography competition, dancemakers2.0. Since then Joshua has been commissioned to choreograph a second ballet for BNC as well as Tucson’s Art.if.Act Dance Project. Ever interested in arts management, Joshua co-founded JBC/JON Productions, LLC – bringing dance education workshops with leading instructors to the Chicagoland area. After spending two summers on scholarship at the Giordano Dance School, Joshua was offered a position in the Giordano II company and was featured in DanceSpirit Magazine’s September 2009 article “From Graduation to Giordano.” Joshua is on faculty on Giordano Dance School, as well as several other Chicagoland dance schools. This is his first season with the Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago main company. We welcome Joshua back at Trilogy for his second teaching season.

Lizzie Davis (U.K.) is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dance in London and holds a Master of Arts Degree in Ballet Studies from Surrey University U.K. For eight years she performed as principal and soloist with the Chelsea Ballet London where her roles included the title role in Act II Pas de Deux from Giselle, Dawn in Coppelia and the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake, as well as many roles in Nutcraker. She also had the role of Marie Taglioni recreated on her by the director and former soloist of Rambert Ballet when Chelsea Ballet restaged the romantic ballet, Pas de Quatre. Lizzie has danced with groups in Europe and Africa and has taught in Africa, the US and Europe, the Education Department of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Barat Conservatory of Dance and College of Lake County amongst other North Shore schools. As well as ballet, Lizzie lectures on dance history. She considers teaching a great way to give back to the profession she loves and is excited to join the Trilogy Faculty as Ballet Mistress. Lizzie holds her Grade IV Teaching Certificate from the Cecchetti Council of America.

Hanan Hafez-Mendez (Egypt) brings to Trilogy this traditional and ancient form of dance, which she grew up with in her native country of Egypt. The origin of the name 'belly dance' comes from the French Dance du ventre, which translates as "dance of the stomach". Belly dance is also often referred to as "oriental dance" and also sometimes raks sharqi. This is Arabic for "Dance of the east". The type and style of dancing which we now call belly dance, can be traced back over 6000 plus years. The early pagan communities often worshipped a matriarchal deity and extolled the magic and fascination of the ability of women to create life. The dances spread from Mesopotamia to North Africa, Rome, Spain and India. It is thought gypsies traveled and spread belly dance. This blending can be seen in the use of the neck slides introduced from India and the transformation of hip shimmy to foot stamping in flamenco dance. Belly dance become a form of mainstream public entertainment care of the gipsy tribes who first danced out on the streets and who performed in the theatres. Originally coming from India, the gypsies first traveled west into Afghanistan and Persia. Then some of them migrated North to Turkey and then onto Europe. Others went South until they reached Egypt and other parts of Northern Africa. One of the ways that gypsies supported themselves during their journeys was by providing entertainment for the people of the communities in which they stopped: Belly dancing is especially popular in Turkey and Egypt.

Carrie Nicastro, a Chicago native, graduated with honors from the University of Iowa in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in both Dance and Psychology. Upon graduation, she returned to Chicago to train on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio in addition to accepting a company position with Same Planet Different World Dance Theatre. Carrie has also had the privilege of performing as a guest artist with Hedwig Dances, in Dance for Life and was most recently a company trainee with Thodos Dance Chicago. She is also a passionate and enthusiastic teacher throughout the Chicagoland area and is currently on faculty at Trilogy School of Performing Arts in Lake Zurich, IL. Carrie is enjoying her first season with Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago’s second company, Giordano II.

Sayiga Eugene Peabody – Trilogy Artistic Director
Sayiga Eugene Peabody (Stevensville, MI) began dancing at age 13 with Nancy Myers Gitlin, a protégé of Frank Hatchett. He was trained in Cecchetti ballet technique with Rhoda Rabbers, and Taylor and Graham techniques with Theresa Graziano. A recipient of the Giordano Merit Scholarship, he moved to Chicago to dance with Giordano II and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. Eugene has since performed with DanceWorks Chicago, LaJAZ DANZ, Black Box Dance Theatre, Dance for Life, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has been with Trilogy from the day it opened its door and continues directing the artistic curriculum with dedication and passion, being an exemplary role model for all the Trilogy students.

Cassandra Porter (Aurora, IL) began her dance training at Bonnie Ardelean’s Dance Studio in Aurora, IL. After graduating, she continued her training in Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago’s second company. Her professional credits include three contracts with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, where she traveled the world performing the choreography of Frank Chaves, Harrison, McEldowney, Jeremy Plummer, and Sherry Zunker, as well as being a featured aerialist in the first grand scale illusion show at sea. Since 2003, she has danced in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s annual Christmas show, Welcome Yule. In the Summer of 2007, Cassandra was one of twelve girls to appear on the CW network TV show “The Pussycat Dolls Presents: Girlicious,” working with celebrity talents such as musical director Dave Audé, vocal coach Kenn Hicks, co-choreographer Mikey Minden, and creator of the Pussycat Dolls, Robin Antin. In addition, Cassandra continues to teach around the Chicagoland area as well as future casts for Royal Caribbean. After a year of apprenticing, Cassandra is delighted and honored to begin her second season with River North and would like to thank her friends and family for their never-ending support.

Ricky Ruiz (Miami, FL) received his initial dance training in South Florida and was a graduate of Miami’s Coral Reef Senior High Magnet Dance. He attended the University of South Florida on academic and talent scholarships and graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance. While in college, he was an apprentice at Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theatre Project for two consecutive summers. Ricky has worked with such choreographers as Dan Karaty and Melissa Thodos and has performed repertory by José Limón and Bob Fosse. Ricky is also a teacher and choreographer. Among the many teams and schools he choreographs for are FSU, GSU, and OU. He is a guest teacher throughout the US, works at Focal Point Dance Studios in Miami and has recently joined the Trilogy Faculty for the Fall 2010 session. Ricky is thrilled to be in his third session with River North Chicago and would like to thank his family, friends, and dance teachers for their love and inspiration.

From Ontario, Canada, Pam Zeidman is a dancer, teacher and choreographer. With over 25 years of teaching experience, Pam continues to study with top dance masters teachers in Chicago and New York, and also studies acting and voice. Her students can be seen dancing professionally in Las Vegas, Chicago and Denver, on dance teams (NFL, NBA, college and high school), in theatre productions, and teaching dance classes. Pam has also conducted dance workshop for the International Thespian Festival and the Illinois High School Theatre Festival. Since 1994 Pam has worked with national talent competitions as an event judge and master class instructor. She specializes in jazz, lyrical, musical theatre, and liturgical. Pam is thrilled to join the talented Trilogy Faculty.