Lou Antonini, Artistic Director

Lou Antonini’s career includes work as a profressional dancer, choreographer, teacher, and director. His work has been displayed at several cultural venues throughout the metro area for over two decades including the Adams Morgan Day Festival, Artomatic, Arts on Foot, Church Street Theater, Dance for Life, Dance is the Answer, Dance Project, DCAC, DC International Improvisation Festival, DIFFA, Georgetown University, Glen Echo Dance Festival, GW Marvin Center, Joe's Movement Emporium, JOM In Concert, Happennings at the Harmon, Monday Night at the National, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center, Space 7:10, The Dinner Party, The Warehouse Theater, and the Washington's Children Museum.

His performance experience includes the American Dance Ensemble, the Pennsylvania Opera Company, Michelle Ava & Co, and Public Television. Notable artists he worked with include Margaret Devaney, Susan Gillis, JoAnn Fregalette-Jansen, Kenneth Johnson, Duncan Nobel, Nikolas Petrov, Don Redlich, Douglas Risner, Judith Steele, Ronnald Tassone, Dan Wagoner and Joan Woodbury. Lou has choreographed for college dance programs, including Georgetown University and West Virginia University and was resident choreographer for the Fredericksburg Theater Company where his credits include Cabaret, Mame, Oklahoma, The Fantastiks, and The Music Man. His work has also been showcased by the WV Department of Culture and History. Additionally, he has adjudicated the Maryland Governors School of the Arts Scholarship Program, and through the National Dance Association, performed at national conventions for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. As a teacher, Lou worked with Allegheny College, Georgetown University, and the Joy of Motion Dance Center, where he has trained amatuer and professional dancers performing nationally and abroad for a span of fourteen years. Lou studied at the Point Park College Conservatory of the Performing Arts and received his BA in Dance from West Virginia University under a full performance scholarship.

Barb Blauhut, Operations

Barb has been working with Lou Antonini since 1998. She attended George Washington University on a Presidential Arts Scholarship in Dance and graduated with a BA in Dance and Psychology. She received her MA in Cultural Management from City University of London. She has performed and trained with many dance companies locally and around the world including Word Dance Theater, Artefacts, Mark Dendy Dance Theater, Latvian Folk Dance Group, The George Washington University Dance Company and Dance Expressions. Her training includes New York University's Summer Dance Intensive, Florida Dance Festival, American College Dance Festival, The Place in London, and Joy of Motion Dance Center in Washington DC. Barb is currently Director of Special Events for WETA.

Lillian Cho, Rehearsal Director

Lillian participated in an apprenticeship program while in high school with the modern dance company, Dance Alloy, in Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Rice University in Houston, TX in 1996 with a BA in Psychology and Sociology. As a member of Rice Dance Theater, she studied under Linda Phenix, Nita Lindley, and Christine Lidvall. Also at Rice University, she choreographed several pieces that were presented at Rice Dance Theater concerts, the American College Dance Festival, and the Rice University Women's Conference. Upon graduating from Rice, she began studying and performing with Lou Antonini in Washington DC. In addition to dancing and directing rehearsals, her choreography has been presented in DanceAntonini performances and is part of the company repertory. Lillian has worked with artists Summer Beasley, Tzveta Kassabova, Mary Szegda, and Ed Tyler and performed with edhead Productions. She also studies Pilates.

Lindsey Golden

Lindsey graduated from James Madison University in 2009 with a BA in Justice Studies and minor in Dance. She has performed with the Fairfax Ballet and James Madison University’s Associate Dance Ensemble, Contemporary Dance Ensemble. and the university's professional touring company, the Virginia Repertory Dance Company. Lindsey also performed at the American College Dance Festival in 2007 and was selected to perform in the ACDF Gala in 2008. She has worked with several well known choreographers on the east coast including: Jim Martin, Adrienne Clancy, Shane O’Hara, Todd Rosenlieb, Cythnthia Thompson, Miesha Bosma and Jim Lepore. In the summer of 2008, Lindsey studied dance in London through the JMU Contemporary Dance Study Abroad Program.  Lindsey currently teaches dance at The Dance Company, the Russell School of Ballet, and the Academy of Russian Ballet.

Anna Headen

Anna began her dance training at the Classical Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia, where she performed in Cinderella, Peter and the Wolf, and the Nutcracker. She received a BFA in dance from George Mason University in 2008. She is a recipient of the Town of Herndon Art Scholarship, the Bette Carter Dance Award, and a Higher Education Teacher Assistance Program Scholarship from George Mason University. As a student at GMU, Anna choreographed for and performed with the GMU Dance Company in works by students, faculty, and in guest artist Kevin Campbell’s Sirens. She studied technique with guest teachers Keith Thompson, Susan Shields, Karen Reddy, Jim Lepore, Karen Studd, Kukuwa Nuamah, and Adriane Fang, and with company members from th eLaura Dean Dancers, Susan Marshall & Company, Mark Morris Dance Group, and Rennie Harris Puremovement. Anna also performed in a production of The Wiz produced by the Expansion Dance Project at the Atlas Theater. Anna has attended Ronald K. Brown/Evidence and Philadanco workshops, Urban Bush Women’s Summer Institute and Technique Workshops, and Dance Theater of Harlem’s Winter Intensives. Currently, Anna teaches Ballet and Pointe in Northern Virginia. 

Lindsay Moore

Lindsay, originally from Maryland, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Point Park University in 2009 with a BA in Dance and a minor in Education. While attending Point Park, she studied under notable artists including Nicholas Petrov, Ronald Tassone, Doug Bentz, and Kenneth Johnson. As an Apprentice, she had the opportunity to perform works by faculty members, fellow students, and guest artist Kristina Fluty. Lindsay has also studied with the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, the Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive, the Chesapeake Ballet Company, and Point Park University's International Summer Dance. She recently moved to Washington, DC, and in addition to working with DanceAntonini, she is also a member of the Capitol Movement Project and a faculty member at a number of local dance studios.

Aleia Salvati

Aleia, originally from Massachusetts, has been passionate about dance since childhood.  Beginning her training in Jazz, Tap, and Ballet at a local studio, she then went on to the Boston Youth Moves program at the Jeanette Neil Dance Studio where she studied under Jim Viera and Michelle Chasse.  She also attended summer dance intensives at the Jose Mateo's Ballet Theater of Boston and the Boston Conservatory.  She graduated from Radford University with a BFA in Contemporary Dance.  At Radford, she studied under Danah Bella, Margaret Devaney, Kyle Shukis, Inessa Plekhanova, Dagmar Kessler, and Deborah McLaughlin.  Aleia currently teaches dance in Northern Virginia.

Mary Szegda

Mary has been a DC resident since 1999. She is a Registered Dance Movement Therapist with advanced standing (ADTR), a guild certified teacher of Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement, a licensed massage therapist, an infant massage instructor and a licensed professional counselor.  She holds a diploma in Dance Pedagogy from The Hartford Conservatory and a BA in Fine Arts Dance from Eastern Connecticut State University.  Her work has been shown at The Clarice Center for The Performing Arts, The Margaret Doubler Performance Space, Jack Guidone Theatre, and The Dinner Party. She has studied with many teachers but her work and artistic commitment has been shaped strongly by Ed Tyler, Mim Rosen and Lou Antonini. 

Avery VanPelt

Avery started dancing as a child with the Decatur School of Ballet, in Decatur, Georgia, before progressing on to study and perform with Decatur City Dance Company as a teenager. She began to study modern dance during college and graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with degrees in English Literature and Dance Performance in 2004. Under the direction of Pamela Risenhoover and through the Helen McGehee Visiting Artists Program at R-MWC, Avery studied numerous modern and jazz techniques and styles and learned repertoire from companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Pilobolus Dance Theatre,  and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, while also continuing her ballet training under Risenhoover, Delia Neil and Genia Melikova. During her junior year in college, Avery had the unique opportunity to work with Helen McGehee to reset and perform McGehee’s 1957 solo “I Am the Gate,” using original costume and stage set, a dance that portrays Cassandra’s final act in Greek mythology. She was later awarded the Helen McGehee Award for integrity and professionalism in dance. After graduation, Avery attended the Paul Taylor Summer Intensive in New York. In recent years, she worked in Atlanta with Bacchus Productions and also performed with Brooks and Company Dance during its second season.

Hilary White

Hilary, originally from Pennsylvania, is a local dance professional and arts administrator. Hilary began dancing as a child, and has a strong foundation in ballet, jazz and tap. She started studying modern dance at Dickinson College, under Amy Ginsburg. She received her MA in Dance at the American niversity where she studied under Ed Tyler, Peter DiMuro, Daniel Burkholder and Sherrie Barr. Hilary has taught at Dickinson College, Arlington Center for Dance, and the CityDance Center and co-founded an annual summer intensive dance camp.