Robin sits down with long-time friend and dance educator, Jeffrey Gunshol, to discuss how his students have benefitted from performing arts training over the years, and tells tales about how a dance education builds character traits that carry young people confidently into the future.

JEFFREY GUNSHOL

Jeffrey Gunshol has danced with many different artists including, Liz Lerman, Mark Dendy, Melanie Stewart, and Kattie Duck and collaborated with Vincent Cacalano, Adrienne Clancy, Reggie Crump, Stephanie George, and Michaela Cannon. He began dancing at the Baltimore School for the Arts then headed to New York City and attended Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. He pursued his undergraduate degree at Virginia Commonwealth University and after graduation started dancing with Dendy Dance. Following his work with Mark Dendy, he began to teach, choreograph, and dance for Liz Lerman for five years. He moved to Amsterdam to work with Vincent Cacalano. While abroad he was a guest artist with Magpie Music and Dance, created his own work, did long term projects with Danish choreographer Eric Pold, and Dutch choreographer Martin Butler. He received his Masters in Dance from the University of Utah. After leaving Utah he taught at East Carolina University for a year before coming to Tulane. He is a 2004 recipient of the Weiss Presidential Fellowship for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching at Tulane University.

Listen to Jeffrey and Robin chat on the DSO Connect podcast: Preparing Our Students For College Dance Programs

House Keeping Segment Notes:

Our EMC housekeeping segment finishes at 17:05 and the episode with Robin and Jeffrey will begin then.

We talk about and New Year Energy at EMC, The Musical Experience changes, our upcoming Imagine That! Events, Open Gym, and the Big Reveal for our Spring Show.

Let’s Connect on Socials:

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Facebook

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Instagram

In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Facebook

Interested in Classes at EMC? Learn More About Us Here

Join us this week for a housekeeping segment where we chat:

• Show Recap: Stories (both highs and lows) of EMC Performing Arts' Holiday Celebration
• Sparkle Days: What they are and when they are running
• When Classes Resume

Let’s Connect on Socials:

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Facebook

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Instagram

In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Facebook

In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Instagram

Interested in Classes at EMC? Learn More About Us Here

In today’s episode, Robin chats with Deborah Engerman about how dance training has helped her students grow into the very best versions of themselves.

DEBORAH ENGERMAN

Returning to the United States after touring Europe as Ballet Mistress with "Rock The Ballet," Deborah Engerman took on the role of Director of Maryland Classical Dance Academy, along with teaching at Charm City Ballet, Dance Conservatory of Maryland, and Susquehanna Dance Center. She trained early in life with the Baltimore Ballet under Wendy Robinson in the RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) tradition, passing her graded exams. Her classical studies also include training with Petrus Bosman, David Keener, and Christine Hennessy. Later, while pursuing her BA in International Policy at Dickinson College, she continued her study of classical ballet with the teachers of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Her dance training also includes Vaganova Technique, French Methodology, and the Dance Education Program at Towson University. Mrs. Engerman has staged ballets to include the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, Act II. Dancers trained by Mrs. Engerman have earned professional contracts and danced with Universal Ballet, ABT, Complexions, The Washington Ballet, The Vienna Opera Ballet, the Boston Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Ballet Inc, Texture Ballet, Hubbard Street, and on Broadway. She has also been a coach to dancers succeeding at numerous international ballet competitions, such as The Prix de Lausanne, the Varna IBC, and The Youth America Grand Prix. Her student, Adrienne Canterna, took the Junior Gold Medal at the 1998 Jackson USA International Ballet Competition.

In August 2023, Mrs. Engerman published her first book, Let’s Talk About Fifth: Teaching Ballet in the Twenty-First Century. Find it Here.

She is currently happy to continue training dancers in MD and PA while living with her husband and two dogs in South Central PA.

House Keeping Segment Notes:

Our EMC housekeeping segment finishes at 118:50 and the episode with Robin and Deborah will begin then.

We talk about and recap the Rockette Masterclass, Production for our Holiday Celebration, the upcoming Photo Shoot, and good news for the Pullo (and EMC).

Let’s Connect on Socials:

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Facebook

EMC Performing Arts Studio on Instagram

In The Spotlight: Raising Leaders in the Performing Arts on Facebook

Interested in Classes at EMC? Learn More About Us Here