Instructors

MICHELLE AUMAN (STUDIO DIRECTOR, TAP CLASSES, FOOTWORK/Jr. FOOTWORK)

Miss Michelle is from Baltimore, MD. She has been teaching tap dance and choreographing for over 20 years. She began her dance training at the age of 9, at the Jean Kettell Studio of Dance in Baltimore, MD. There she studied ballet, tap and jazz under the direction of former Rockette, Jean Kettell Gable. Michelle has attended the Towson State University Summer Dance Program, and Dundalk Community College's Act I program in Baltimore where she has had training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, musical theatre and choreography. Michelle has taken numerous dance workshops at SUNY Brockport; studying ballet, tap, jazz, modern, Irish, African, hip hop and Brazilian dance forms; as well as dance classes at 171 Cedar Arts Center in NY, Steps and the Broadway Dance Center in NYC, and ballet, pilates and hip hop at BCC in Binghamton. Michelle has continued her dance instruction from DMA (Dance Masters of America); NADAA (National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts, Inc.) and NTE (National Tap Ensemble); as well as at various dance teacher summer conferences and master classes. Choreography credits include recital dance performances and regionals, nationals and worlds competition dances; Disney's Magic Music Day performances; the tap choreography in Hamilton Gibson's Anything Goes and the dance choreography in HG's George M. Michelle has received a number of choreographer awards through the years at various dance competitions and has lead the studio’s competition teams to many first place and high score overall placements.

JASON AUMAN (VOICE LESSONS, MUSICAL THEATRE VOICE)

Mr. Auman is from Wellsboro, PA. Jason has been teaching voice for the past twenty years. Jason received his Bachelor of Music degree from Mansfield University where he was awarded the Associated Male Choruses of America scholarship. Jason performed the roles of Dr. Blind and Frosch in Die Fledermaus, Nanki Poo in The Mikado, Nathanael in Les Contes d'Hoffmann, Kaspar in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Don Curzio in La Nozze di Figaro; performances with Tri-Cities Opera's Broadway Beginners Program, and scenes from the Magic Flute with the Singing Actor's Studio. Jason has also performed in The Messiah at Carnegie Hall in NYC with John Rutter and in The Messiah at Mansfield University as the tenor soloist. In addition to the operatic stage, Jason has received acclaim in his stage roles of John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Willum Cubbert in The Nerd and Brilliant in Walk Right Up. Jason has been instructed in voice from very prominent teachers including:  Mary Lou Muratori (Binghamton), Jake Gardner (NYCO/Chicago Lyric Opera), Jill Gardner (Glimmerglass Opera/Chicago Lyric Opera), William Hicks (Metropolitan Opera/NYCO), Peyton Hibbitt (TCO), Soto Papoulkas (Vienna State Opera/Dusseldorf Opera), and Youngsuk Kim (MU).

THERESA BYERS (BALLET, POINTE, HIP HOP, MUSICAL THEATRE AND JAZZ INTENSIVES)

Miss Theresa is from Baltimore, MD and has been teaching dance for over 20 years. In addition to teaching dance intensives with RAOD, she also teaches at the Jean Kettell Studio of Dance in Baltimore, MD. Theresa has taught pointe, ballet, jazz, hip hop, musical theatre and tap dance and she is currently a company member with Jean Kettell's Studio of Dance. Theresa began her training at the age of 11 in ballet, tap and jazz at the Baltimore studio and has taken numerous dance workshops at SUNY Brockport in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, Irish, African, hip hop and Brazilian; as well as ballet and tap at Steps in NYC, tap at BDC, modern and tap at Essex Community College in MD, and tap with the NTE in Baltimore, MD. She has continued her dance training with JKSOD as well as various dance teacher summer conferences and master classes. Theresa has performed in various venues including Downtown Disney, Hershey Park; performances with Steve Stravino; "Dundalk Dances" showcases; Ironbirds pregame performance; Dundalk Community College's Christmas Program, and benefit performances for the Children’s Cancer Foundation throughout the Baltimore area.

MAIA MAHOSKY (BALLET II, BALLET III/IV, MODERN AND AFRICAN CLASSES)

Miss Maia is a graduate of Goucher College, where she majored in dance with concentrations in choreography and dance administration. While at Goucher, Maia performed in numerous student, faculty, and guest artist works, including works by Andrea Miller of Gallim Dance, Darrel Grand Moultrie, and former Pilobolus dancer Trebien Pollard. In addition, Maia choreographed and staged several of her own works, served as the president of Goucher’s improvisation club, and was awarded numerous scholarships and awards for dance, service, and academic performance. In 2014, Maia was awarded a Gilman Grant to study abroad in Ghana, where she wrote, “The New African,” a study of the effect of American dance composition techniques on Ghanaian dance performance. Subsequently, Maia was invited to present her research at the Wellsboro Fringe Festival, Goucher International Studies Day, and the American College Dance Festival, and was awarded the Brooke Pierce Phi Beta Kappa Award for outstanding research in the arts. Since then, Maia has worked with dance companies including LehrerDance, ClancyWorks Dance Company, and Deep Vision Dance Company. Maia has been teaching dance for the past eight years at RAOD and started this summer a dance teacher podcast.

AMELIA SHERWOOD SMITH (PREBALLET, BALLET I, JAZZ I/II, JAZZ III/IV, Jazz FOOTWORK)

Miss Amelia is from Wellsboro, PA.  She is a graduate of Cedar Crest College, where she majored in education and minored in dance.  While at Cedar Crest, Amelia performed in many dance productions and choreographed pieces for Cedar Crest's dance concerts.  Amelia has been teaching dance for the past six years at RAOD. She has choreographed Troy High School's productions of "How to Succeed in Business" ; “The Addams Family” and “Fiddler on the Roof”.  Amelia is an RAOD, formerly MSOT, alum. Amelia, in addition to choreographing recital dances and this upcoming season, Jazz FOOTWORK dances, has also choreographed for performances in Williamsport, PA.