Meet the Faculty

Kimberly Anderson, Modern/Contemporary

Kimberly Anderson is from Centerville, Ohio. She began her training at the South Dayton School of Dance and spent summers training at the Boston Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, The American Dance Festival and attended the Craft of Choreography Conference on scholarship. She went on to graduate with Honors (earning her BFA in dance) from Point Park University in 2009. During her time at Point Park, she danced works by Kiesha Lalama, Martha Graham, Douglas Bentz, Heidi Latski, Edgar Zendejas, and more. After spending one season with Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's second company, she was selected for the first company where she danced professionally for five seasons and had the honor of touring the world performing works by Ronen Koresh, Donald Byrd, Ulysses Dove, Talley Beatty, Ray Mercer and countless other renowned choreographers.  She also spent time as a guest artist and choreographer’s assistant for Robert Priore and his company, Priore Dance, in Washington, DC from 2012-2015.   She has taught at Point Park University for both their International Summer Dance Program and been on faculty year round. She’s been manager of the Pennsylvania Academy of Dance since 2015 where she enjoys teaching all styles to ages 16 months to adult. Kimberly has set many works on the advanced group and along with the owner, Samantha Melo, created a new staging of The Nutcracker in 2017 that has grown every year since. Most recently, she will be setting a new piece on Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre’s dancers to be adjudicated for Regional Dance America in 2025.  This is Ms. Anderson’s first year with EDC.

Kim Clear, Jazz

Kim Clear began dancing at the age of two, starting a life-long passion for dance and choreography. After studying ballet, tap, jazz, and acrobatics with Linda Crehan, Patricia Behan, and Lucy Casell, Kim continued to develop her technique with Maryanne Majer-Dombrowski as a member of the Mercyhurst Preparatory School Dance Company. While a member of the company, she performed and choreographed many pieces for various school and public productions. Kimberly attended Allegheny College, studying all forms of dance, with an emphasis in modern dance, under Jan Hyatt and James Reedy, serving as Vice-President and member of the Orchesis Dance Company. Graduating from Mercyhurst College with a degree in English and Political Science, she worked in advertising and sales before beginning her teaching career. Kim taught English for 18 years in the Millcreek School District and was awarded “Golden Apple Teacher of the Year” in 2014. In 2019, Kim was elected to Erie County Council, and most recently was elected in 2021 where she is currently serving as a Millcreek Township Supervisor. After a small hiatus instructing Jazz at Erie Dance Conservatory, Kimberly feels honored to share her love and passion for dance once again as a member of the EDC faculty. 

Lavone Heidelberg, Ballet

Grace Harrick, Acro

Grace Harrick studied dance for 15 years at Long’s School of Dance where she studied acrobatics, ballet, tap, jazz, Irish, contemporary, hip hop, and a few others. Grace also danced at her high school, Mercyhurst Preparatory School, and participated in many performances within her high school years. As well as being a dancer, Grace was also a Level 10 competitive gymnast at Lakettes Gymnastics Academy. Throughout her gymnastics career she was a state and regional qualifier numerous time, and a 2 time state champion. She has choreographed the opening, finale, and other dances in the Lakettes end of year show for 4 years now. After retiring from competing, she began coaching the competitive team for two years, and now currently teaches a class in aerial arts with silks and lyra. Grace is a Senior at Gannon University majoring in its Nursing Program. She is also a member of their acrobatics and tumbling team who took 1st place at nationals in 2024. Grace has taught Acro at Erie Dance Conservatory for 4 seasons.

Tauna Hunter, Ballet

Tauna Hunter is Professor Emeritus and retired Chair of Dance at Mercyhurst University (1994-2019).  She began her dance training with William F. Christensen and continued at the University of Utah where she earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in ballet performance and choreography.  She performed as a principal dancer with Ballet West and Dallas Ballet and appeared as a guest artist with Ballet Concerto, Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Northern Ballet Theatre (England), The Pavlova Celebration International Tour and numerous regional companies throughout the United States.  During her affiliation with Ballet West, she worked under the guidance of Bruce Marks and Toni Lander and received critical acclaim as one of the company’s leading ballerinas.  In 1982, she placed as a semi-finalist at the II International Competition in Jackson Mississippi.  In 1985, she co-founded DANSOURCE, a national networking and information service that connected dancers and companies for over ten years.  As its’ Managing Director, she was highlighted in “Megatrends 2000” and featured in “Success” Magazine as a trendsetter in the future of the arts.  Ms. Hunter has appeared in all the major roles of the classical repertoire and has taught for companies, universities and private schools throughout the United States and in England, Canada and China. She has staged numerous full-length classical ballets and choreographed over twenty-five contemporary works. For 10 years she was a Guest Artist in Residence for the Interlochen Arts Academy summer dance program. She has been honored with the Chautauqua Artist Teacher Award, Erie Arts and Culture Life Time Achievement Award, the University of Utah Legacy Award and was highlighted in the July 2017 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Erie Arts and Culture board, where she also acts as chair for the Fund Development Committee. In addition, she also serves on the Advisory Boards of Ballet Concerto (TX) and Dance Now Miami! (FL).  In the past she has served on the University of Utah Artistic Advisory Council, the National Association of Schools of Dance board and locally acted as artistic advisor to Lake Erie Ballet for eighteen years as well as serving as President and Chairman of the board for the Erie Dance Consortium (Erie, PA) from 2000-2010. Ms. Hunter has been married to Michael S. Gleason for 34 years and they have a 28-year-old daughter, Caitlin.  When she is not teaching, coaching or staging ballets, she enjoys traveling with her family, gardening, golfing and spending the cold months in their pied à terre in Florida. As a breast cancer survivor, she actively supports breast cancer awareness.  This is Ms. Hunter’s second year with Erie Dance Conservatory. 

Karen Kaye, Hip Hop

Karen Kaye started dancing at the Little Dance Studio under the direction of Sandra Little Barnett where she studied tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, and Bollywood. She continued at Mercyhurst Preparatory High School where she studied under Maryanne Majer-Dombrowski, and then attended Lake Erie College graduating with a BFA in dance under the guidance of Chris DiCello and Lisa DeCato. She also had the opportunity to work with many choreographers including Cha-Lee Chang of eDance Company NYC, Helanius Wilkins of EdgeWorks Dance Theater, Bill Wade of Inlet Dance Company, Habib Iddrisu, and Travis Gatling. Ms. Kaye also holds a Master of Science degree in Secondary English Education and a Master of Education degree in Reading Education. She currently works as a reading specialist for the Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit. She is also a teacher for the Achievement Center’s Reading Now program. Karen is excited to begin her fourth season with the Erie Dance Conservatory.

Ashley Lauria, Hip Hop & Tap

Ashley Lauria began her dance training at the age of 7 with the Little Dance Studio under the direction of Catherine Little and Sandra Little Barnett. While there, she trained in jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary, as well as Irish dance and belly dancing for 21 years. She was a member of the Jazz Kids Dance Company and attended Project Dance in New York City and performed in Times Square. Ashley was also part of their faculty for 15 years. In high school, Ashley was a part of Villa Maria Academy’s advanced dance program all four years, received a dance scholarship, and received instruction from Erie Dance Conservatory’s very own Sarah Purvis. In college, Ashley was a member of Gannon University’s dance team and competed locally in jazz and hip hop competitions. From 2002 to 2010, Ashley worked with the Footlight’s Summer Theatre Program as the assistant choreographer. Ashley has been on the faculty for Triple Threat Studio, Lake Erie Ballet, and the Varsity Cheerleading Coach at Blessed Sacrament School since 2011. Ashley also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from Gannon University and a Master of Arts degree in Health in Wellness from Union Institute and University. She currently works as a registered dietitian, maternity care coordinator, and lactation consultant at the Erie VA Medical Center and is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). This is Ashley’s 6th season with EDC and she is looking forward to it.

Jamie Perry, Tap

Jillian Pohl, Ballet & Jazz

Jillian is currently a Senior at Mercyhurst University. She is in the process of obtaining her BA in Dance and a BS in Pre-Health Sciences. She will then go on to Graduate school to get her master's in physical therapy. Jillian has also been a part of the Mercyhurst Dance Team for three years and will be returning as a captain for the second year. Jillian started dancing around the age of 3 in south Texas with the Victoria Ballet Theater and went to many different summer intensives in Texas, Utah, Vermont and others. She also participated in Regional Dance America Southwest and gained a lot of experience with different styles of dance and communities. She has mainly been trained in ballet but also has had training with jazz, modern, pointe, contemporary, hip hop and pom styles.

Lesley Scalise, Ballet

Lesley Bories-Scalise was the guest artist in residence with the Mercyhurst University Dance Department, a freelance teacher, and choreographer. She began her dance training in Flint, Michigan under the direction of Gayla Zukevich. At age twelve she was invited, under full scholarship, to attend the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto, Ontario Canada, and continued her various dance studies under scholarship with Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Interlochen Arts Academy and North Carolina School of the Arts. She was also one of only six dancers chosen from across the U.S. to attend a summer intensive trained by Suzanne Farrell and Paul Mejia in New York. Her professional career consisted of dancing with Chicago City Ballet under the direction of Maria Tallchief, Ballet Chicago under the direction of Daniel Duell and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre under the direction of Patricia Wilde and Terrence Orr. While dancing with Ballet Chicago, she was a soloist guest artist in Ruth Page of Chicago, The Nutcracker, directed by Larry Long. Mrs. Bories-Scalise has performed numerous principal roles, some of which include: George Balanchine’s Square Dance, Western Symphony, Jewels, Apollo, The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker, Daniel Duell’s Hansel and Gretal, Marius Petipa’s Sleeping Beauty, David Parson’s Hairy Night On Bald Mountain and Lisa de Ribere’s Amazing Grace. Mrs. Bories-Scalise has served on the teaching faculty of The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Point Park University, New Castle Regional Dance, and Greater York Center for Dance Education. Mrs. Bories-Scalise was formerly the Executive/Artistic Director of the Lake Erie Ballet School and Company where she choreographed an extensive repertoire of ballets and contemporary works including the full-length production of The Nutcracker. She continues teaching master classes locally and throughout the U.S. and is honored to be at Erie Dance Conservatory for a third year.

Kylie Snyder, Acro

Kylie Snyder began her training at Erie Dance Conservatory under the direction of School Director, Sarah Purvis, and later became a member of Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre. Participating in all genres of dance taught at EDC, Kylie has performed leading roles such as the Lead Grinchette in How the Grinch Stole Christmas; Spanish Chocolates, Chinese Tea, and Marzipan Ribbon Candy in The Nutcracker; and the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz.  She organized the first dance team at Fort LeBeouf High School and is a coach at Tumble 84.  Ms. Snyder completed a Leadership in Training Program at Camp Fitch and has participated in summer programs at Mercyhurst University, Erie Dance Conservatory, and RDA’s National Choreographic Intensives. This will be her 4th year teaching at Erie Dance Conservatory and could not be more thrilled to share her love of dance and choreography with her students.

Megan Trambley, Ballet

Megan Trambley trained at Lake Erie Ballet School under the direction of Sharon Filone and then went on to Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School for two years before joining the company as a Corps de Ballet member for six seasons where she performed such roles as the “Spring Fairy” in Ben Stevenson’s Cinderella and the “Sugar Plum Fairy” in The Nutcracker. She also enjoyed doing more contemporary works, such as The Rite of Spring and Kevin O’Day’s STING/ing Situations. She started her teaching career at Erie Dance Conservatory and then went on to teach for several years at New Castle Regional Ballet and Wexford Dance Academy. She has also spent nine summers teaching at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet for their 5 Week Intensive Program under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. Ms. Trambley returned to Erie with her husband, Matt, and their daughter, Amelia, while coming back to teach where it all started… Erie Dance Conservatory.

Megan Wade, Modern/Contemporary

Megan is a dedicated dance major at Mercyhurst University with a passion for exploring various styles, including ballet, jazz, modern, theater, and contemporary. With a background in leadership and hospitality, she excels both in performance and in creating collaborative, supportive environments. Megan thrives on new challenges, continuously pushing her artistic boundaries and inspiring others through her enthusiasm and work ethic.