STOWE DANCE ACADEMY
Faculty
HELENA SULLIVAN
owner - director
Helena Sullivan is a native of Stockholm, Sweden, where she began her extensive ballet training at Statens Balettskola and Balettakademien in Stockholm. She was awarded numerous scholarships to prestigious summer intensive programs and received stipends to further her education and study abroad. During her training, Helena studied with renowned teachers and institutions, including Birger Bartholin in Copenhagen, Denmark; Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France; David Howard in New York City; and the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki, Finland. She also trained at the Irene Fokine School of Ballet and performed with Irene Fokine's Ballet company.
Helena continued her professional training in New York City on a full-time scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School, where she studied for two years. She toured throughout Scandinavia with Cramerbaletten and Riksteatern before joining Malmö Stadsteater, where she performed in classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Napoli, as well as contemporary works.
For more than 35 years, Helena has dedicated her career to teaching and mentoring young dancers, many of whom have gone on to achieve national recognition. Her students have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the Alvin Ailey School, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet School, and The Rock School for Dance Education. They have also continued their training at distinguished year-round institutions such as the Alabama School of Fine Arts, Canada's National Ballet School, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre (JKO School), and The Rock School. Many of Helena's former students have pursued professional careers in dance, musical theater, and on Broadway.
In 2000, Helena founded TRIP Dance Company, a nonprofit youth dance company that provides young dancers with additional performance and artistic opportunities while enriching the local community through dance.
In addition to directing her school, Helena served as Ballet Rehearsal Mistress for the Albany Berkshire Ballet's annual production of The Nutcracker in Burlington, Vermont for many years. She was also a founding member of the Vermont Dance Collective.
Helena founded Stowe Dance Academy more than 30 years ago and continues to provide exceptional ballet training and dance education to generations of students. Her commitment to technical excellence, artistry, and mentorship has made her one of Vermont's most respected dance educators.
MARIA SULLIVAN
assistant director - creative dance - ballet - contemporary - jazz - tap
Maria trained at Stowe Dance Academy for sixteen years and has been a faculty member for many years. She expanded her training by joining SDA’s TRIP Dance Company as a young teen, attending Broadway Dance Center intensives in NYC, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, in California. She attended the Ballet Academy of Stockholm, Sweden, training intensively in the Graham modern technique, ballet and jazz. She later expanded her learning by attending the “Rhee Gold Dance Life Teacher Convention,” focusing on business and technical aspects of teaching dance.
As Helena’s daughter, Maria learned the ins and outs of the studio and teaching worlds. In May 2012, Maria earned a double major in Early Childhood Education through Dance & Marketing Communications, with a focus in Public Relations from Columbia College for the Arts, in Chicago, Illinois. As a Dance Teaching major, she concentrated on ballet, modern, contemporary ballet, anatomy, dance history and creative movement.
Maria relocated to Vermont in 2012 and has been teaching since returning. In 2015, she joined SDA full-time and is very happy to be teaching the upcoming generation of young dancers.
Maria@stowedance.com
ALICIA CRUZADO
ballet
Alicia has spent her life as a professional in the field of dance. Alicia worked for 32 years with the “Ballet Estable de Tucumán”, Argentina fulfilling roles as Soloist, Principal Dancer, Choreographer, Ballet Mistress and Director.
Alicia’s teaching career began at age 18 at the Official School of Dance and ran concurrently with her dance career. She served as Associate Professor at the National University of Tucumán. Alicia founded and served as Principal at ESEA The High School of Performing Arts in Music and Dance of Tucumán, Argentina.
Alicia has toured the Americas, Europe and Asia with various Ballet, Flamenco and Argentine Tango dance companies, serving variously as Dance Captain, Ballet Mistress, Choreographer and Artistic Director.
Alicia is the proud recipient of various achievement awards – including in 1986; Medalho de Merito Artistico de Danca from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Brazil, in 1991; the Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance from the City of Tucumán and in 1998; the Lola Mora Award for Lifetime Achievement in Dance, Argentina.
Alicia is the Resident Tango Teacher at the Argentine Consulate for the Argentine Tango Society, where she also serves as Vice President. For this Society Alicia has produced and directed Benefit Tango Galas; at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel for the Argentine Tango Society, the Rainbow Room of Rockefeller Center for the Argentine - American Society of New York and at Studio 54 for The Mount Sinai Medical Center – plus many other events.
Since 1992 Alicia has lived and worked in New York City where she teaches ballet and tango, coaches professional dancers and choreographs and produces shows.
KAARIN SHIPITKO
ballet
Kaarin received her early training at the School of the Richmond Ballet. In 2008, she moved to New York to attend New York University and continue training at Steps on Broadway and Peridance Capezio Center. While in New York she began freelancing with a variety of companies and projects. In 2012 she moved to Florida to dance with Florida Dance Theatre, where she enjoyed performing principal roles in new contemporary ballet productions. Her career then took her to Russia to join The Omsk State Musical Theatre Ballet Company. There she had the opportunity to dance in many Russian classics including Swan Lake, Bakhchisarai Fountain, and Ruslan and Ludmilla and to perform divertissements in operas and theater productions. In 2015 she was excited to return to New York to resume freelancing work with ballet companies and finish her degree at New York University. Kaarin has a B.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study with a concentration in Ballet as a Reflection of Culture and the State.
VLAD ROJE
guest faculty - ballet
Vladimir Roje received his BS and MS from the State Academy of Music and Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. He has been a principal dancer at National companies in Bulgaria, Germany, and Austria, and with the Carolina Ballet of North Carolina as well as the New Jersey Ballet. Currently Mr. Roje is a guest principal dancer with the Westchester Ballet and guest principal dancer and teacher with the Albany Berkshire Ballet.
Mr. Roje is a decorated medalist of International Ballet competitions all over Europe. He is a teacher and choreographer at the Varna School of Ballet, the New Jersey Ballet School and of course, Stowe Dance Academy.
His repertoire includes the leading parts in most classical ballet, such as Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Cinderella, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Esmeralda, and many more.
During his career he has been coached and worked with world class ballet experts ,such as Yuri Grigorovich of the Bolshoi Ballet,Irina Kolpakova of Marinsky and ABT, Alexander Grant of the Royal Ballet, Eva Evdokimova of the International, and Dina Biorn of the Royal Danish Ballet.
Vlad has been teaching and choreographing with SDA for quite some time now. We are happy to have him as a guest teacher.
CAROLINE MALLON
jazz - contemporary
Caroline, originally from Stowe, VT, began her dance journey at the tender age of two. She was an integral part of the Stowe Dance Academy’s competition team, TRIP, from ages 7 to 14, training in lyrical, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop. During her high school years in Houston, Texas, Caroline excelled on both the dance team and the elite competition team, holding leadership and choreography positions. Her team focused on jazz, lyrical, pom, and kick, consistently placing in the top 10 at NDA Nationals in Florida.
At Providence College, Caroline was an active member of the Dance Company, where she not only choreographed multiple pieces for their bi-annual showcases but also held leadership roles, including vice president of the company. She attended the annual American College Dance Association conference yearly, where she performed and took classes from renowned choreographers. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in management, a minor in finance, and a concentration in dance.
Caroline continues to pursue her passion for dance by participating in Slow Shapes Dance Company, a professional company specializing in contemporary dance. Alongside her full-time career in human resources, she is thrilled to be returning for her third-year teaching at Stowe Dance Academy and her second year with TRIP.
ROSE BEDARD
hip hop
Rose Bedard is a dynamic figure in the dance community, embodying roles as a freelance artist, choreographer, and educator through her LLC, "2INSPIRE Dance." Her passion for dance is evident in her boundless energy and dedication, which she channels into teaching and choreography. She has established strong community connections wherever she goes, fostering lasting relationships with her students and collaborators.
Rose's teaching reaches beyond traditional dance studios; she imparts her knowledge at the Flynn Theater, public and private schools, and universities both within and outside Vermont. Her commitment to education is indicated by her recent month-long school residency, where she engaged with students and from preK to 5th grade.
In addition to teaching, Rose continues her own artistic growth through training in cities like Montreal, NYC, and Boston. She serves as the artistic director of "SynRgy," her own dance company, and contributes to the Slow Shapes Dance Company.
Her impact extends to coaching the Mt. Mansfield Union dance team for 18 years, guiding them to numerous championships in jazz and hip hop within the Vermont Northern Athletic Conference and the Vermont State level. Her teams consistently place in the top ranks at the New England level, a testament to her coaching prowess and the dedication of her students.
Beyond teaching and coaching, Rose shares her expertise as a dance judge for Elite Dance Challenge, evaluating competitions across New England. Her philosophy centers on continuous growth and making a difference in people's lives, echoing sentiments encapsulated in quotes she resonates with, such as those by Joe DiMaggio.
“There is always somebody who may be seeing me for the first or the last time, I owe them my best."
Rose Bedard's journey exemplifies a lifelong commitment to dance and education, driven by a deep-seated passion for both artistry and community enrichment.
Guest Faculty
KRISTA HOGGE
guest faculty - jazz - musical theatre - hip hop
RICK KINSMAN
guest faculty - hip hop
Rick is a native of Connecticut and started dancing at the age of six. Throughout his high school career Rick studied jazz, tap, modern and hip hop. Rick graduated from Lyndon State College with a degree in Recreation: Ski Resort Management. Rick was given a chance to teach hip hop at the Urban Dance Complex and that began his ten-year career of teaching dance throughout northern Vermont in Williston, Stowe, Milton, and Waitsfield. He has trained with industry professionals through Urban Reach Conventions. Rick is an active member of Swayz, an adult dance company at the Up North Dance Studio. Rick performed in the Vermont Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired's fundraiser Dancing with the Stars of Burlington at the Flynn Theater. His high energy style welcomes dancers of all ability to feel comfortable to fall in love with dance!
MADELAINE MITCHELL-WARD
guest faculty - jazz - tap - modern - contemporary
Madelaine originally hails from Traverse City, Michigan, where she received her dance training at Dance Arts Academy, and was a member of Company Dance Traverse, performing throughout the midwest, NYC, LA and Europe. She continued her dance training on scholarship at the University of Michigan dance department, where she graduated with a degree in Kinesiology. While doing her undergraduate work, Madelaine choreographed and performed with a student dance company, as well as taught in the Ann Arbor and Toledo area.
Following graduation, Madelaine was a full time dance instructor and choreographer before moving to Vermont, where she is now pursuing her Doctorate in Physical Therapy at UVM. She is so excited to be a new member of Stowe Dance Academy and to choreograph for TRIP Dance Company!
SAM PARKER
guest faculty - hip hop
Sam Parker has been dancing since the age seven. He started his dance journey in Waterbury, Vermont dancing at his local studio then moved up to Urban Dance Complex (UDC) to further his training. Throughout High school he continued training at UDC as well as training trips to NYC, LA, and with the Pulse on Tour where he was part of the Pulse Protege program run by Brian Friedman and the other Faculty Members (Gil Duldulao, Laurieann Gibson, Cris Judd, Tyce Diorio, Dave Scott, Ian Eastwood, Tessandra Chavez, Brooke Lipton). After High school Sam continued his training by moving to NYC where he was Scouted and signed by MSA Talent Agency. After an amazing year of living in NYC Sam made the big decision to make the move to The city of Angels and start his dance career. After Two years of living in LA Sam has danced for artists such as Y2, Wale, Phyno, and Janet Jackson.
CARISSA BELLANDO
guest faculty - jazz - tap
Carissa Bellando is originally from New York and holds a MFA in Contemporary Dance from Case Western Reserve University and a BA in Theatre and Speech with a concentration in Musical Theatre and a minor in Dance from Wagner College. She is also a Registered Vinyasa and Prenatal Yoga Teacher.
Carissa performed professionally for thirteen years in Concert Dance and Musical Theatre throughout the US, Taiwan, and at sea with Norwegian Cruise Line and Aida Cruises before moving into teaching and choreographing full-time. Some of her favorite performance roles include Tumblebrutus in Cats, the Carpet in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and Die Hexe in Es War Einmal (Once Upon a Time).
Carissa has taught and choreographed in the US and Germany for colleges, conservatories, theaters, dance companies, and numerous studios. Before moving to Vermont, she was an Adjunct Professor at her alma mater, Wagner College, for four and a half years. There Carissa choreographed five original full-length dance concerts and multiple musicals while teaching multiple levels of Jazz, Modern, Contemporary, Ballet, Pointe, Tumbling, and Choreography/Composition.
Carissa’s passion for dance and love of sharing her knowledge through teaching can be seen in each of her classes. She believes that a true technical basis, in any genre of dance, is the key to learning and executing advanced movement. It is her goal to help her students hone their skills and progress in a way that best suits them, at any age or level, for each student is unique and every body beautiful.