Instructors

Jonhal Fernandez 

Jonhal attended the Escuela Nacional de Ballet (Cuba) and joined Ballet Nacional de Cuba in 2010. The same year he was promoted as Soloist with Ballet ProDanza (Cuba). In 2011, Jonhal started working as a Principal Guest Artist with Santo Domingo Ballet (Dominican Republic), Ballet Municipal de Lima (Peru), and others. Mr. Fernandez joined Ballet de Monterrey (Mexico) as Soloist in 2012, and the following two years he danced with Joburg Classical Ballet Company (South Africa). In 2015, he was promoted to Principal Dancer with Ballet de Monterrey. Mr. Fernandez was awarded a gold medal in the Cuban Ballet Contest (Pas de Deux category), a gold medal in Calabria (Italy), a gold medal in the South Africa International Contest, and a silver medal in the Dominican Republic. Jonhal was the Artistic Director of US International Ballet prior to joining Ballet Spartanburg. In 2024, Jonhal performed the Preacher in Martha Graham's, Suite from Appalachian Spring. This is Jonhal's second season with Ballet Spartanburg. 

Michelle Schultz

Michelle began dancing at the age of 3 at Niagara Dance Centre in Niagara Falls, NY under the direction of Amber Storr, where she studied tap, jazz and lyrical through her teenage years. Upon entering college, Michelle was a member of the Orchesis dance troupe at Grove City College in Grove City, PA. She also became a choreographer for the troupe and was selected to be both the Junior and Senior Director. She organized the spring performance, auditioned choreographers and choreographed. After graduating college, she moved back to the Western NY area to earn a Master's Degree in K-12 school counseling at the State University of NY.  While taking graduate classes, she became a teacher at Niagara Dance Centre.  She instructed students from the ages of 6 to 76 in tap, jazz and lyrical.  Upon moving to Spartanburg, Michelle joined the Tap Dames and Dudes in 2009 and has been dancing in the group ever since.  She began teaching jazz and tap for adults in 2015 and was thrilled to assist in choreographing a tap number for the Ballet Spartanburg Production of An American in Paris. Michelle has a tremendous passion for the art of dance and is honored to be a part of Ballet Spartanburg's Center for Dance Education. Michelle is also CPR trained and certified. 

Ronna Azana 

In 2020 Ronna moved to the United States and danced as a freelance guest artist at the international ballet festival in Miami, Reina de Nieves at school of classical ballet and dance in Des Moines, Nutcracker Pas de Deux at ballet concert in Puerto Rico. She dances as a principal dancer in the city of Wilmington North Carolina (USIB Company) and guest artist in Charlotte Youth Ballet and Greenville Ballet. Ronna is excited to be part of Ballet Spartanburg's Center for Dance Education! 

 

Amy Novak trained at Edna Lee Dance Studio in Linthicum, Maryland, for fifteen years. While there, she studied ballet, tap, jazz, and contemporary styles under Ashley Canterna-Hardy, Mary Moran, Alicia Canterna, and Brandon Perry-Russell, among others. She began teaching and choreographing at the age of seventeen. Amy attended the University of Utah and graduated with a BFA in Ballet and minors in Business Administration and Nutrition. While there, she taught ballet, jazz, contemporary, and character dance classes at local studios, as well as, choreographing several group and solo pieces for university performances and competitions. After graduation, she danced as a trainee with Ballet Idaho during their 2021/2022 season before joining Ballet Spartanburg as a company artist in 2022. Amy loves helping students improve their technique, while also encouraging them to find their unique artistic voice in the studio, and is excited to have the opportunity to work with CFDE students during her third season with the company! Amy is also CPR trained and certified.

 

Pamela Pierce McGuiness grew up in Dun Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland. She started dancing like most Irish children at the age of seven. Pam found her stride at age eleven after meeting and working with Kevin Massey. Kevin inspired Pam and helped her to develop her love of Irish Step Dancing. Pam is also CPR trained and certified. 

 

Carrie Preus

Carrie is originally from Augusta, GA and began her formal dance training under Ron and Kathleen Jones. She continued her training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts as a full-time high school ballet student. Upon graduation, Carrie became a trainee for Nashville Ballet, but found herself wanting to pursue a college education. In May of 2015, she graduated summa cum laude from Kennesaw State University with a B.A. degree in Dance with a concentration in Ballet. While at KSU, Carrie took several dance pedagogy courses. She began teaching at several Atlanta area dance schools and has been teaching since. Carrie also has earned her masters in Arts Education and Cultural Leadership from Colorado State University. She has been an instructor at Ballet Spartanburg's Center for Dance Education since 2018 and is also a dancer with the Professional Company. Carrie is CPR trained and certified. 

Analay Saiz - Center for Dance Education Principal 

Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Analay studied at the National School of Ballet in Havana, Cuba. She was part of the Ballet of Camaguey and the Pro-Dance Center of Cuba. In 2010, she arrived in Quito, Ecuador to join the National Ballet of Ecuador. In 2011, she participated in many different events including being a special guest judge at several ballet festivals in Brazil. She was also invited as a special guest to teach at the Ballet of Olinda Saul, Ballet Helly Batista and School of Ballet Blanche Torres (Brazil). In 2012, she joined the Ballet of Monterrey, Mexico and also became a ballet teacher at the Dalyris Studio De Danza. A year later, she arrived in Miami to join the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami as a ballet dancer and teacher. She is currently residing here in Spartanburg, SC. She was a Ballet Spartanburg Professional Company Member for 5 years and has been a Center for Dance Education Faculty Member for over 10 years. She became the Center for Dance Education Principal in 2023. Analay is also CPR trained and certified. 

Will Scott 

Will Scott began his dancing career in Woodstock Georgia at Dancentre South. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama and earned his Bachelors of Fine Arts in dance, performing lead roles in Swan Lake, Flames of Paris, La Bayadere as well as contemporary works choreographed by Sarah Barry, Cornelius Carter, Qianping Guo, and Rita Snyder. Will then joined Ballet Spartanburg as a company dancer and completed four seasons with them, performing lead roles in multiple classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and The Nutcracker, as well as many works choreographed by Carlos Agudelo, Nelson Reyes, Lona Gomez and many more. Will then began teaching and choreographing full time in Atlanta while also performing multiple performances a year. Will enjoys dancing as a Professional Company Dancer and teaching as a CFDE instructor. He is also CPR trained and certified.  

 

Susan Woodham served as Dance Specialist for Pine Street Elementary School for over 20 years. She is Outreach Coordinator and Instructor for Ballet Spartanburg. She earned her BA in psychology and her MEd in Elementary Education from Converse College. She is certified in elementary education and in dance. She served as facilitator for Curriculum Leadership Institute in the Arts for over 10 years and on the team to rewrite the SC Academic Standards for the Visual and Performing Arts twice. She served as president for the SC Dance Association twice along with a variety of roles within the organization. She currently serves on the Advocacy Committee. Ms. Woodham served on the advisory council for the SC Dance Education Organization. She is the developer and coordinator of Ballet Spartanburg’s City Dance, a dance program for inner city students. She was named SC Dance Association’s Dance Educator of the Year for 2000-2001 and Pine Street School’s Teacher of the Year in 2013. She has been honored with a Career Achievement award from Converse College and the Ray Doughty Arts Integration Award from Palmetto State Arts Education Organization. She is a member of SC Dance Association, Ballet Spartanburg, SC Arts Alliance, SC Alliance for Arts Education, and the National Dance Education Organization. In addition to dance, Ms. Woodham enjoys reading, being an advocate for arts education and contra dancing. She is also CPR trained and certified. 

 

Originally from Wisconsin, Abby grew up doing a wide variety of styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, and contemporary classes for 13 years in La Crosse. Quickly discovering her passion for ballet, she joined the pre-professional Ballet La Crosse where she studied with her late mentor and teacher, Kennet Oberly (Stuttgart Ballet) and his wife Larissa Oberly (Estonia National Ballet.) She became a rehearsal assistant for Ballet La Crosse, interned with Children’s Dance Theatre of Rochester, and began teaching when she was 17. Abby spent her summers dancing with the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, and the University of Utah, her alma mater. While studying at the University of Utah, Abby taught a wide variety of classes at Utah Dance Artists including ballet, pointe, variations, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, improv, and stretch/strengthening. She also choreographed several award winning solos for students in UDA’s Conservatory and Varsity competitive programs. In the spring of 2021, Abby graduated magna cum laude with her BFA in Ballet and minor in Disability Studies from the University of Utah, and she moved across the country to dance professionally with Ballet Spartanburg. Abby loves giving students the tools and knowledge to improve their technique, while helping them discover their personal artistry. She is thrilled to be working with the CFDE students during her fourth season with the company! Abby is also CPR trained and certified. 

 

Ying-Chi Lu began dancing at the age of three. Born in New Taipei City, Taiwan, Lu attended her first ballet competition at age 11 and won first place. At age 15, Lu joined the Taipei National University of Arts, a prestigious seven-year program for dance training. The following year, Lu performed a variation from Le Corsaire at the Taiwan National Ballet Competition. She was offered a scholarship to the ballet program at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. Throughout her four years in this collegiate ballet program, Lu performed numerous outstanding roles such as such as the Blue Variation from Joffrey’s Birthday Variations, Medora from Le Corsaire, the First Shade from La Bayadere and the lead role of Enigma Station, choreographed by Amy Seiwert. Lu joined Ballet Spartanburg since 2021. Along with the company, she has been cast in numerous roles such as the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz, Snow Queen and Dewdrop in The Nutcracker, and Autumn Fairy from Cinderella. Lu had the opportunity to teach musical theater majors ballet and in the College-Conservatory of Music preparatory program. During season 2021-2022, Lu taught with Ballet Spartanburg's outreach program. She is thrilled to be teaching again with the Center for Dance Education! Ying-Chi is CPR trained and certified. 

 

Maia Blake was born and raised in Andover, Massachusetts, and began dancing at Andover School of Ballet and New England Civic Ballet/Northeast Dance Center. Upon entering high school, continued her training at Bossov Ballet Theatre under the direction of Natalya Getman from 2016-2019. There, she had the opportunity to perform in many full-length ballets in soloist and corps roles. She attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and completed her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. In her time at CCM, she had the privilege of performing a wide range of repertoire such as Giselle, Paquita, La Bayadere, Napoli Pas de Six, and more. She has had the pleasure of working with professors Tricia Sundbeck, Isabele Elefson, Deirdre Carberry, Shauna Steele, Qi Jiang, as well as with guests Amy Seiwert and Jennie Creer-King. She has also had the opportunity to attend Cincinnati Ballet, Bossov Ballet, and Boston Ballet during their summer programs. In her first season with Ballet Spartanburg, Maia performed in Cinderella as an ugly stepsister, in Carlos Agudelo’s The Nutcracker, the Company’s production of Intertwine, and The Great Gatsby. She has had the opportunity to choreograph for the company’s performances of the Studio Series and The Great Gatsby as well. Maia is so excited for her third season with Ballet Spartanburg and to join the CFDE staff! She is also CPR trained and certified. 

 

Eliana Tolentino was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She began training with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s School at age five and over the course of eighteen years continued to progress through to the highest level being PBTS Graduate Program. Eliana has attended summer programs with Saratoga Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Kaatsbaan Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Eliana has had numerous performance opportunities. Some of her repertoire includes, Principal role in Graduation Ball choreographed by David Lichine, Principal role in excerpts from Paquita, Grand Pas De Duex from Terrance Orr’s production of The Nutcracker, and Waltz Girl from George Balanchine’s Serenade set by Jerri Kumery. As well as varying roles from, Beauty and The Beast, The Nutcracker, and Giselle with The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Eliana is very much looking forward to her third season with Ballet Spartanburg and continuing teaching. Eliana is CPR trained and certified. 

 

A native of Augusta, GA, Glenn Gordy has always had a love of music and dance. In 1986, he moved to Spartanburg, SC to work for Spartan Mills at their Corporate office as a Programmer/Analyst. Glen started taking Ballroom dance lessons at Dancers Ltd. in 1988, and eventually was asked to complete the teacher training. He was trained and taught under the direction of Peter Eanes who was the owner and operator of Dancers Ltd./Spartanburg Ballroom from 1990 to 2001.In 2006, Glen decided to continue his Ballroom Dancing education with The Ballroom Dance Center, and in 2019 began teaching with them. He has been active in competitions where he has done very well under intensive training with Emilie Tobias and Val Ganiev.

He is very active in the Spartanburg Ballroom Dance Community. Glen has been a member of several dance clubs and participated in Dancing with the Spartanburg Stars as professional from 2007-2019. He also has performed in Ballet Spartanburg’s production of The Nutcracker as a Party Parent since 1996.

Glenn currently divides his time between Spartanburg and Augusta. In 2017, he started assisting Marian Norman with her Monday night Ballroom Class at Ballet Spartanburg’s Center for Dance Education. He is looking forward to being on faculty this coming year.