David Gallagher, Director
In addition to teaching, David Gallagher has served as Artistic Director /Resident Choreographer of BalletNJ since 1987.
A native of California, Mr. Gallagher had his initial training with Valerie Huston and Tamara Usher. He first came to the East Coast in 1976 to study with the Pennsylvania Ballet and teachers Lupe Serrano, Benjamin Harkarvey, Robert Rodham, and Barbara Weisberger. His dance training was further augmented by studies with David Howard, Stanley Holden and Finis Jhung in New York.
After a professional dance career performing with the Santa Barbara Ballet, with Valerie Huston Dance Theatre and the San Diego Ballet, Mr. Gallagher served as Ballet Master for the Santa Barbara Ballet. Moving back to the East Coast in 1982, he joined the teaching staff of the New Jersey Ballet In 1984 he accepted a full-time faculty position at the school of the Pennsylvania Ballet, serving through August 1990. In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. Gallagher served as the Outreach Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Ballet.
In January, 1991, he became director of the Academy of Ballet.
Valerie Amiss, Soloist, Pennsylvania Ballet
A native of Mullica Hill, New Jersey, Valerie Amiss began her dance training at the age of eight under the direction of Sue Millington at the Regency Ballet. She continued her training with Victor Moreno and Alexei Yudenich from 1985 to 1987, and at the age of 12, she began studying at the Pennsylvania Ballet School. Ms. Amiss received an apprenticeship with Pennsylvania Ballet in 1992, and became a full member of the Corps de Ballet in 1993. In 1994, she was nominated for the prestigious dance accolade, the Princess Grace Award. In 1995, she performed at the Algur H. Meadows Award ceremony honoring choreographer Paul Taylor. She also performed at the St. Bart’s Music Festival in 1997. Ms. Amiss was promoted to Soloist in August 1999, and also during that summer, she represented Pennsylvania Ballet at the Sintra Festival in Portugal. In 2005, she performed at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, dancing Pas de Trois, Pas de Quatre, and Lead Czardas in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake. That same year, Ms. Amiss performed at New York’s City Center, dancing in Matthew Neenan’s 11:11 and Carmina Burana.
Ms. Amiss has had the pleasure of performing many principal roles in George Balanchine ballets including Marzipan lead, Dew Drop and Sugarplum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Titania and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Odette in Swan Lake, Act II. She has also performed featured roles in such works as Carmina Burana, Paquita, Giselle, Lilac Fairy, Blue Bird, and Pas de Trois in Janek Schergen’s The Sleeping Beauty, Paul Taylor’s Company B, Bomb Squad Girl in Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum and Swan Lake, Alvin Ailey’s The River, Jerome Robbins’ In the Night and The Concert, and Balanchine’s Bugaku, Rubies, The Four Temperaments, Scotch Symphony, Valse Fantasie, Western Symphony, Pas de Trois in Agon, and the Waltz Girl in Serenade.
Ms. Amiss retired from the Pennsylvania Ballet in June 2006 and resides in Mantua, New Jersey, with her husband, former Pennsylvania Ballet Soloist Edward Cieslak and their son, Adam, and daughter, Lily.
Patty Palese, Hip-Hop
Tracey Martin, Jazz
Jennifer Tedesco, Ballet
Jennifer performed for four years with International Ballet Theater of the Performing Arts, artistic director Vladimir Choumeinkine. Starting as an apprentice, she was dancing soloist roles when the company finally dissolved in 1998, touring with them for three consecutive years in the Nutcracker.
She then continued her education at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and with her coach, Leslie Browne, formerly of ABT. There, she danced with the Rock School of Ballet performing group and with Pennsylvania Corps de Ballet in, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Dracula.
Hired by Roxey Ballet Company in May 2000, Jennifer danced soloist and principal roles under artistic director, Mark Roxey, and later with Gulfshore Ballet, in Ft. Myers, Florida through 2002.
Kelly Rosado, Ballet, Hip-hop
Guest teachers from the Pennsylvania Ballet
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