Faculty & Leadership

Lori Garling Pergament, R.D.E., Artistic Director Lori is a certified member of the prestigious National Registry of Dance Educators and has taught in the South Central PA region for over 25 years. She serves National Dance Week as PA State Director. Lori studied dance at Towson University and has trained under many dance masters including Flora Mae Gillespie of the Littlefield School, Caroline Delone, Holly Mora and Margaret McCann. She is certified in the teaching of the Vaganova method of classical ballet and does free-lance choreography for area schools, health clubs, musical theatre organizations and commercials. She served as Membership Chairman of the Northeast Region of Regional Dance America while her company was an honor member. A former Miss York County, Lori Garling Pergament is trained extensively in ballet and her focus is in the development of pre-professional dancers. Her passion is to bring all people to share and experience the love of dance. Read more

Shana Garling, Founding Director Shana Garling founded Greater York Dance in 1971 as she began with a ballet school in a space the size of a one-car garage in Mount Wolf, PA. Since that time, she has worked to create a place of creativity in an atmosphere of love and kindness. "Miss Shana" has served for over 35 years. She is trained extensively in all forms of dance and her specialty is in teaching Pre-School Dance. She enjoys being a pageant coach and director of the Miss York County Scholarship Pageant preparing young women for Miss Pennsylvania and Miss America. Being a grandmother tops her list of "fun" and adds much joy to her life. She is a lifetime member of Dance Educators of America.  Read more

Melinda Fritz, Executive Director Melinda Fritz has been dancing since the age of three and was a member of the Greater York Youth Ballet for seven years. She began student assisting when she was 12 years old and by the age of 20 became an independent instructor at Greater York. Melinda is trained extensively in ballet and her focus is in the development of Greater York's Pre-professional Division as well as overseeing the many details of production such as wardrobe, volunteerism, and scenery builds. Community outreach has also become her passion and focus. She has worked on collaborations with Mr. Wayne Romer of the York Youth Symphony and York College of PA, and Henry Nixon of the York Symphony to showcase the talents of musicians and dancers in productions such as "Carmina Burana", "Peter & The Wolf", and "Carnival of the Animals". She is married to her high school sweetheart and has two beautiful dancing teenage girls. Read more

Steve Pergament, Business Manager Our Business Manager, Steve Pergament, comes to us with much experience. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a BS in Business Administration, Marketing. He completed numerous sales and motivational training and customer service courses including Dale Carnegie, Selling Retail INTL, Integrity Selling, Pathways to Professionalism, to name a few. He has brought unmatched customer service and human relations skills to Greater York Dance and throughout his professional career. His years of experience in management and the corporate world are very beneficial to the future growth of the dance center.  Read more

Trustees
Corissa Fetrow      
Beth Herbst
Michele Mills     
Linda Newport
Jennifer Rose
Jill Snell

Board of Committee Directors
Patrick Potter, President
Sue Smith, Vice President
Jill Snell, Secretary
Nan Taylor
Marsha Braucher
Christine Kates
Kari Miller
Karla Kay
Karen Wagner
Kimberly Lover
Wendy Mallorey
Mady Hue
Tony Gonzalez
 

A STAFF OF PROFESSIONALS FOR EVERY LEVEL Greater York Dance maintains a full time staff of recognized dance professionals who combine their experience and technical expertise with human relations skills to offer superior training and encouragement to dancers of all ages, levels and aspirations.

Viktor Yeliohin Ballet/Pointe Ballet Master, Choreographer, Teacher Viktor was born in Tashkent in the former Soviet Union. His ballet studies include training in character, folklore, drama, music and dance history. He spent a year in Samarkand with the Ballet Master from the Kirov Ballet. He was a soloist with the Donetsk Ballet. Viktor Yeliohin has studied the Vaganova Syllabus in Leningrad and at Gittis Conservatory. In May of 1995, he received a diploma of "Professor of Choreography" from the Academic Board of the Ukraine Academy of Dance in Kiev. He teaches at dance schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.   Read more

Holly Mora Ballet, Pointe Holly Mora, a native of Enola, PA, received her training in Harisburg, PA and New York NY. she has also studied at Shippensburg University and Western Kentucky College. Ms. Mora began her dedication to the teaching of dance in 1972 when she founded her school, Capital Area Dance School. Many of her students have gone on to professional careers in renowned dance companies throughout the United States include Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The Jamison Project, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and the Dayton Ballet. Ms. Mora contribued to the artistic atmosphere in her community as the Founding Director of Cumberland Dance Company, which she established in 1988. Additionally, she has volunteered her time to help with physically challenged youth and young adults. Through the Arts in Special Education Project of Pennsylvania and other programs, she incorporated dance into a class for special needs children. Her class members were later mainstreamed into regular dance classes. Ms. Mora's contributions to arts education in Pennsylvania have been recongnized by The Pennsylvania Alliance for Arts Education in 1993, and by her 1999 nomination by the the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Department of Education for "Best Practice in Teaching Arts in Education." In addition to continuing her work at the Capital Area Dance School, Ms. Mora is currently on the dance faculty at Harrisburg Area Community College and the faculty of Peabody Dance.   Read more

Anwar Barry Anwar (“A'SwiTCH “ ) Berry. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he has been dancing for approximately 20 years, since he was a kid. Born and raised to his early youth days in the island of Jamaica W.I. Berry came to the United States at the age of 12 in 1988. While in attendance at Hillcrest High School, Berry began taking up dance moves, which he went on to help form the dance group, “Brixton Front Line” in 1994. He obtained a talent agent earning Berry parts as a background dancer and an extra in movies and music videos. In 2003, Berry joined BLADE DANCE ENTERTAINMENT/ACADEMY. There he received in depth professional training in developing choreography, mainly in hip hop dance education. He studied the of movements, formations and technique in the history of dance and music theory. Berry describes his style as placing choreography to the vocals and other focal points within a song while telling a short story with a fusion of: hip hop, popping, breaking, reggae, R&B, martial arts, jazz and a dash of modern & ballet…mixed with character gestures. Through continued exposure, Berry hopes to change the hip-hop dance world. Dance is what keeps him focused, sharp and strapped in his shoes when life sends its tricks his way…dance means everything to him!   Read more

Jill Flemming Early Childhood & Dance Enrichment Program Jill Flemming grew up in Lancaster, PA and began dancing at the age of 3 where she performed in many shows including The Nutcracker and Snow White. Jill continued dancing at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania where she earned a BS in Psychology. Jill received her MEd in School Counseling from Millersville University in 2006. She works as a Middle School Counselor for the Elizabethtown Area School District. Read more

Michele Harper Early Childhood Program Michele Harper started dance and gymnastics training at the age of 9. Her dance training includes many years of Ballet/Pointe and Jazz. She is a former Miss York County, and she received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Shippensburg University. She is a full time teacher at Lincoln Charter Schools. She is the proud mother of two dancing daughters and a wonderful husband, Wendell.  Read more

Corissa Fetrow Trustee, Pre-School, Jazz, Hip Hop, GYYB Performing Arts Director Cori Fetrow began dancing with Greater York at the age of 2 ½. At the age of 6, she joined the Youth Ballet. Cori began teaching at Greater York Dance in 1999. After high school graduation Cori went on to West Chester University where she danced with their Dance Team and the student run organization, Dance Production Workshop. Cori then obtained her master's degree from Millersville University and is currently a school counselor at Dallastown Area Intermediate School. Along with teaching at Greater York, she coaches Dallastown High School's Dance Team. Cori is also a member of the board of trustees at GYCDE. Read more

Algernon Campbell Modern Algernon J. Campbell is originally from Savannah, Ga. He began his dance training in Atlanta, GA, while attending Morehouse College, at The Ballethnic Academy of Dance where he was an apprentice. He has been taught by Sarah Yarborough, Stephanie Dabney, Kenneth Green, and other well-respected teachers. After graduating, he was accepted to the Ailey School Certificate Program where he graduated with a Certificate in Dance. He has performed at the Metropolitan Opera House, the State Theatre in Lincoln Center, and traveled to Japan to perform in Osaka. He danced with the Dallas Black Dance Theatre for 4 seasons where he had the opportunity to dance the works of Donald McKayle, Donald Byrd, Yuriko, Fred Benjamin, David Parsons, and many others. He teaches, choreographs, and performs in the Baltimore Area with Full Circle Dance Company and Morton Street Dance Center. Read more

Erin Haslup Lyrical, Jazz, Tap, Contemporary, Conditioning, Ballet, Early Childhood Program, GYYB Performing Arts Director, "Believe Worship Company" Currently Erin Haslup works in the financial services department of Wellspan Health full time and is a part time student working towards her degree in business administration. She has experience teaching in Ballet/Pointe, Voice, Lyrical, Tap, Musical Theatre, and Jazz. Her training includes Millenium Dance Complex & EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood, CA, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, the Rock School, and others. She has performed in exciting places such as the Kennedy Center Christmas show, the Nutcracker Ballet and Broadway American Style. Read more

Megan Taylor Modern, Hip Hop, Early Childhood Program Megan Taylor has been dancing since the age of three. She was a member of the Greater York Youth Ballet for 10 years. She studied ballet/pointe, modern, tap, jazz, and hip hop. She has been trained under many dance masters including Nadine Revene, Holly Mora, Robert Steele, Finis Jung, Barclay Pease, Luis Bravo, Teena Deemer, Cindy Bernshausen, Alex Kaschock, Cherie Noble, Wallace Kelly, Laurie Jones, Davis Robertson, Richard Cook, Tim Rinko-Gay, and Erin Holmes. Her focus was mainly with the Youth Ballet although, she enjoys all types of dance. She still guest performs with the youth ballet. She began student assisting at the age of 12 under the direction of Shana Garling where she acquired her love of teaching and choreographing. She also attended summer intensives at American Academy of Ballet and Point Park University. Megan currently attends Harrisburg Area Community College. In addition to teaching at Greater York Dance, she also teaches at Capital Area Dance Theatre.   Read more

Christine Ingari Christine Ingari is new to York from Texas and previously Hawaii, where she studied Hawaiian Chant and Dance, more commonly known as hula dance, under a Kumu Hula (authentic teacher of hula techniques and traditions). She performed at weekly lu’au’s through the Hale Koa in Honolulu, on the island of O’ahu. She now teaches and performs at local events, from parties to weddings, and is excited to teach at the GYCDE! While living in Texas, she performed and traveled as part of a Spanish Flamenco Dance Troupe, and she has also trained in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Belly Dance, Swing Dance, Hip Hop, and Ballroom Dance. Christine received her Honors BA from the Univ. of Delaware, where she danced on the Delaware Kamaal Competition Indian Dance Team, a classical, bhangra, and Bollywood fusion team.  Read more

Tina Burd Tina serves as our pilates and conditioning instructor. She is a Cardiovascular Nurse for Wellspan and has been in the fitness industry since 1980. Tina works everyone out and keeps the dancers in top shape.  Read more

Heidi Thomas Heidi Thomas is New York City trained in the Leap 'n Learn syllabus and comes to us with much Early Childhood experience. She taught tap to disabled adults through a volunteer program in Maryland. Heidi worked as the choreographer for "The Sky is the Limit" performing arts camp and has been a Gymboree Play & Music teacher for the past several years. Currently, she is pursing a degree in Elementary Education. She enjoys working creatively with children and adapting her teaching style to fit the needs of each dancer in a fun and comfortable environment.  Read more

Niki Zengerle Niki Zengerle danced at GYDCE for 13 years, and was in youth ballet company for 10 of those years. Mrs. Zengerle was a cheerleader for 4 years on the Viper All Star Dance Team, coached cheerleading for 2 years and now is married with a family of dancing daughters.