S Funk Salemi (Director)

Shannon Salemi has 35 years of dance experience and 20 years of teaching and choreography experience. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance with a Visual and Performing Arts Emphasis from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Shannon spent most of her training at Towson University, Point Park College (rated #1 dance conservatory on the east coast for jazz) , University of MD (recently ranked in top ten America's best colleges), and Broadway Dance Center-New York City in Manhattan, NY. Shannon trained in the styles of ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip hop, lyrical, dunham and folk dance with famous teachers such as A.C. Cuilla, Tony Stevens, Bev B, Jose (Broadway Dance Center NYC), Karla Wolfangle (Paul Taylor), Douglas Hamby (UMBC, Hamby and dancers, Phoenix, Martha Graham Dance Co.), Karen Muciolli and Gloria Lang (Towson University). Her Jazz training includes Funk, Luigi, Broadway, Modern: Cunninham, Graham, and Taylor, and Ballet: Royal Academy of Dancing, Vaganova and Cechetti.

A native of Baltimore, Shannon has taught for numerous private academies with her specialties being jazz and hip hop. She served as the jazz director and choreographer for three nationally renowned award winning competitive dance companies at Karen Sachs Academy of Dance. Shannon's Choreography has received perfect scores and has been recognized for "high scores," "best concept," "high energy," and "special effects." Performance, Choreography and Training Credits include Lil Mo, Paula Campbell, Marc Clarke (92.3), Porkchop (92.3), along with working with Sonjay and Rob Base (92.3) on the Baltimore Dancing with The Stars produced by 92.3 Jams, airing on on Fox 45. Here Funk and the Danceattack aired live on 92.3. Choreography for Mayor Martin O'Malley, Sheila Dixon with the BALTIMORE BELIEVE, Soac Entertainment, "Meyerhoff" Events, The Baltimore Entertainment Connection, Energy Entertainment, March of Dimes Citywalk and Charm City's 5K Shamrock Race in Baltimore attracting 22,000 spectators. Shannon was featured in Devon Howard's music video that aired on MTV Europe. More Performance/Choreography credits include Six Flags America, Closing Ceremonies for Johns Hopkins Culture Fest, Baltimore Sun Travel Expo, Club One, numerous fashion shows, Travis Nealy National Health Fair at the Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore Tremont Hotel Events, Baltimore Greek Independence Day.

Furthermore Shannon has performed with Motion Mania (professional dance company D.C.), Harford Dance Theatre, Dimensional Dance Media, The Baltimore Entertainment Connection, Energy Entertainment and University of Maryland Showcases. She has instructed master classes for the University of Maryland, Greater York Center for Dance Education (PA), and Gold's Gym at the Power Plant (Baltimore Inner Harbor) where she founded, choreographed and directed the "Gold's Gym Danceforce" promotional dance team. As a professional adjudicator Shannon is able to share her dance experience with other aspiring dancers across the country serving on a panel with American Ballet Theatre and Tony award winning Fosse dancers adjudicating for national dance competitions Dance Explosion, Rainbow Connection, Road to Broadway, Ticket to Broadway, The Washington Chiefs Dance Team, Headliners, and Thunderstruck Dance Convention (Las Vegas). Shannon's students have gone on to pursue college dance degrees, perform on Broadway (Annie), So You Think You Can Dance, Step up 2, music videos, commercials, pro dance companies in France, New Orleans Saints Dance Team, backup dancing for Bossman, Genuine, CR, Raheem Devan and have been featured on MTV and Showtime at the Apollo.

Before founding the Baltimore Dance Center, Shannon founded and directed the "Daycare Dance Institute" for seven years, a dance education built into childcare facilities. Most recently, Shannon founded and has been the owner/director of the Baltimore Dance Center for the last ten years. Here she choreographed and led both Baltimore Heat competition teams and the BALTIMORE DANCEATTACK professional dance team (10 years). Baltimore Heat received elite gold, 1st place and perfect scores in choreography. Shannon was given the opportunity to choreograph the Promo Justin Timberlake Launch Party for "Play" at Macy's. Shannon funk also choreographed the opening act for Baltimore's Got Talent produced by Brown Entertainment and Epic Center held at the Senator Theatre along with "Hunt for Haiti" fundraised held at the "Clarence Du Burns Arena" (performed by BALTIMORE DANCEATTACK). It was from this opportunity that Shannon was fortunate enough to start a second a BDC location at the arena. Finally, Shannon led BDC through contracting with the Baltimore City Recreation and Parks, Mayor's office, for whom she and her team provided summer dance training camps to multiple city sites for the summer dance camps 2010 and 2011! This past season Shannon could be found teaching dance at BDC Essex, Du Burns Arena and for "Higher Achievement Organization" after school program. She choreographed and coached many of her dancers and instructors in a music video for international artist, Gbenga Adenuga from Nigeria the song "I See You in Me". She choreographed for the US military base and Baltimore Salsa's performance "Salsaliscious". Shannon was thrilled to choreograph for amazing hip hop youth dancer "Devan Patel" who performed his Indian hip hop dance in Chicago. This past summer, Shannon and her team completed teaching for the city of Baltimore Recreation and Parks Mayor's Office for their summer dance camps. Next week, she will be teaching for Sharp Leadenhall in Baltimore and E-Dance in Pennsylvannia. Also, she will be at Johns Hopkins Kennedy Krieger Institute, Children's Center, helping kids through dance therapy.

This September, Shannon and her fleet will be teaching for a national wellness company supplying dance nationwide, instructing for the City of Baltimore, Mayor's Office, helping kids through dance therapy at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, instructing BDC multiple locations, Towson University, workshops and working/traveling as a dance adjudicator for national talent competition "That's Entertainment." Shannon plans to travel to India and Africa on dance projects and is working on grants for funding for dance projects in Baltimore and around the World. She plans to start BDC youth crews to make a positive outlet for the amazingly talented kids in Baltimore City and a BDC street team to spread the Baltimore dance word even more.

"Her Mission": "Youth Outreach!"

LAUREN KNUDSEN

has been dancing for 17 years and teaching dance for 3 years. She began her dance training at Mid-Atlantic center for Performing Arts (MCPA) under the instruction of Shannon Torres, Deborah Engerman, Ashley Canterna, and Adrienne Canterna. At the age of 7 she joined their competition team Hot Shots National Dance Team. Lauren competed with Hot Shots when they won two national championships. At the age of 11, Lauren began intensive ballet training with MCPA’s Pre-Professional Ballet Program. She performed in The Nutcrakcer for two years with the studio’s program. At the age of 12, Lauren entered the Youth American Grand Prix, a national ballet competition, where she performed a classical variation of Don Quixote’s Cupid and a contemporary piece entitled “Amazing Grace” which was choreographed by Ashley Canterna. That same year, Lauren was accepted into American Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive Program and Virginia School for the Arts Ballet Summer Intensive. In 2004, Lauren was accepted into the Baltimore School for the Arts Dance Program but attended Eastern Technical High School instead studying Communications Multimedia. Lauren came to BDC and danced under the instruction of Shannon Salemi and Sarah Cincotta. At BDC she choreographed her first dance piece which she performed in the summer recital of 2008. She currently attends the University of Maryland, College Park where she is a double major in Dance and Communication. Her first year at Maryland she was accepted into Ballet Company M: an on-campus ballet performance group and was asked by dance graduate student April Gruber to perform her thesis piece; a modern dance entitled “Nestling.” Lauren continues to teach at BDC while attending the University of Maryland, College Park.

IAN Anderson

is very excited to be back dancing with Baltimore Dance Center. Ian is a Senior BFA Dance Performance major at Towson University and is currently dancing with the Towson University Dance Company in this season's rendition of Swan Lake as the Prince, choreographed by Runqiao Du. Ian is a professional dancer and choreographer from Baltimore, MD and was just recently seen in the "Men of Dance" performance at ArtScape, sponsored by Dance Baltimore. He has won numerous awards for his performances and choreography at competitions and continues to push the limits of his dancers in his own dance company, Indie. Dance Co. He has also starred as the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, Dr. Jack Seward in Dracula, and was also featured in the movie Step Up 2.

Victory Mohamed

is a 22 year-old graduate student at the Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC. Victory is also the creator and director of an Indian dance academy (Davi Dance Academy) in Baltimore, Maryland where she serves two age groups – 9 to 13 years of age and 14-22 years of age. With her dance academy, Victory has traveled to and performed around the United States, receiving recognition and praise for her unique style and choreography, fusing Indian classical dance styles with modern Bollywood and Western styles of dance. She herself has been formally trained in the Indian classical dance style of Bharatanatyam at the Natya Kala Mandir and in the Western styles of ballet, tap, jazz, swing, and Latin dance, mostly at the Baltimore Dance Center in Essex. Most recently, Victory was a featured instructor at the 38th Annual Maryland Dance Festival, hosted by the Maryland Council for Dance. In addition to her passion for dance, Victory has competed in pageantry for over 8 years and has held major titles in various pageant systems, including National American Miss, American Coed Pageants, and most recently, she placed in the top ten at the Miss Maryland America pageant as Miss Urbana 2010.Victory has also started her own pageant coaching company in Baltimore called "Be Victorious" and all of her clients have placed in their various pageants or won state titles. In addition, having won various dance and talent competitions, Victory was chosen for a role in the motion picture, Step Up, filmed in Baltimore in 2006.

 

Brandon ambrosino

Theatre

Behold the Lamb James Sight and Sound Theatres, PA Jeff Bender
Miracle of Christmas Shepherd Sight and Sound Theatres, PA Earl Grove
Crazy for You Dance Captain/Mingo Patapsco Center for the Arts, MD Bev Bruning
Oklahoma Will Parker Patapsco Center for the Arts, MD Bev Bruning
42nd Street Billy Lawlor Brown Bag Productions, MD Trish Watkins
West Side Story Dance Captain/Action Toby's Dinner Theatre, MD Mark Minnick
Joseph… Benjamin Toby's Dinner Theatre, MD Toby Ornstein
Grease Doody Toby's Dinner Theatre, MD Mark Minnick

Dance

"The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" The Clerk Synetic Physical Theatre, DC Paata Tsikurishvili
"Come, Celebrate America" Headliner The Governor's Palace Theatre, TN Rebecca Simms
2007 Season Aerial Performer Daydreams and Nightmares, MD Kel Millionie

Tour

I Believe Featured Soloist Living Proof, CA David Stewart
Choices Count! Performer Primary Focus, CA/TN Randy Rebold

Choreography

[Clever Holiday Title] Chabod Academy of the Arts, PA
Choreographer in Residence COBALT, PA
The Nutcracker Contemporary Ballet Theatre of Pennsylvania, PA
4 Seasons Contemporary Ballet Theatre of Pennsylvania, PA
Choreographer in Residence Great Expectations Showchoir, MD

Film/TV

"Series of Shorts" Self LaVon Studios, PA Derek Dienner
"Fight Scene" Victim LaVon Studios, PA Derek Dienner
"The Electric Boys" Dancer Baltimore Gas & Electric, MD Larry Lipka
"Sports Authority" Customer J. Productions, MD Frank Ambrosino
"Crystal Fog" Jordan Patterson Park Productions, MD Steve Yeager

Education

Tap (Musical Theatre) Trish Watkins, Heidi Schultz
Tap (Rhythm) Savion Glover, Kelley Isaacs, LeeAnet Hairston
Jazz/Musical Theatre Irina Tsurkishvili, Heather Bare, Kristen Pontz
Modern Liz Walton, Doug Hamby
Ballet Shari Vegso-Wilson
Tumbling Alex Molinari, Derek Martin
Shakespeare Dr. Michelle Osherow
College Liberty University (English Major, Music Minor)
University of Maryland (Continuing Education, Dance)

Special Skills

Stage Flight, Aerial Stunts, Hip Hop (Pop and Lock, Footwork, Breakdancing), Russian Movement, Contact Improv, Mime, Puppetry, Trick Roping, Rollerblading, Stage Combat/Weaponry, Trained Stage Flying, Martial Arts (Tai Chi, Kung Fu), Yoga, Keyboard, Saxophone, Horseback Riding, Magician's Assistant, Basketball (Point Guard), Great Sight-Reader, Music Composer, Dramaturgy, Script Writing, Language Proficiency (Latin, Ancient Hebrew), Licensed Driver

TRESA PETRECCA

is our adajio specialist who toured performing, competing, and choreographing professionally in Theatre/Cabaret Arts with NAADA. With over forty years of dance experience and over 20 years of teaching experience, she was an assistant instructor to Marie Frank and “The Marie Frank Dancers.” Tresa was also the President of the “Dimensional Dance Media” dance company at Essex Community College in 1989. She has worked with great choreographers such a Stephanie Powell, Leslie Tinios, Peter Madden, and Carol Drake. She was and instructor for “Act II” students at Dundalk Community College and co-director for “TNT Dancers” in Middle River. Tresa trained Eastern Tech, Mt. Carmel, Chesapeake High School, and Middle River Cheerleading dance teams, along with several other dance programs in the Chase/Middle River and Bear Creek areas. Tresa also set choreography for Harford Dance Team 2003 in Canvases. Since 2002, she has been dancing and teaching at the Baltimore Dance Center and is now a member of the BALTIMORE DANCEATTACK.