Faith Gestewitz is an alumna of ADA returning to us this fall! While at ADA she had the pleasure of dancing several feature roles such as Captain Hook in Peter Pan, as well as roles in Snow White, Toy Story and more. Wanting to continue her education, Faith took summer study at Ekklesia dance company and decided she wanted to major in Dance Education. She went on to Belhaven University followed by Messiah University where she graduated with her B.A. in dance.
She has training in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, contemporary, pointe and pedagogy. She danced roles in The Nutcracker such as flowers, coffee, tea, party girl and more. She has been in collegiate productions such as: Carnival of Animals, Culmination and has danced locally in NH. She belongs to Saving Grace Dance Ensemble and is thrilled to join ADA once again.
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Abigail Wenczkowski began her career in dance at the early age of two. She attended the Alton Dance Academy for sixteen years under the direction of Ashley Dowling. There she trained in many forms of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern, contemporary, character and dance history. Abigail’s true passion for teaching dance was uncovered when she assumed the role of a teacher’s assistant at the Alton Dance Academy. For six years, she was a positive role model for young dancers and learned to share her love of the art form. Throughout high school, Abigail taught after-school dance programs at Milton Elementary School, Alton Central School, and Spaulding High School. She was the Dance Captain for the schools color guard and a member of the National Honor Society of Dance Arts. Through this membership, she was recognized for her artistic merit, academic achievements, and leadership skills throughout her educational experiences. Abigail is entering her senior year as a dance major with a concentration in teaching at Dean College’s Joan Phelps Palladino School of Dance under the instruction of several world renowned dancers. She is currently the president of Dean College’s chapter of the National Honors Society of Dance Arts and works with the Elite Dance Challenge Company. Her mission as a dance instructor is to share her adoration and respect of the art form with future generations through professional and skilled instruction, positive experiences, and by inspiring self-confidence and a love for dance within the student.
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Deb McGranaghan has been a lover of dance ever since she could walk. Though self-taught as a kid, she has studied swing, hip-hop, jazz, and lyrical/contemporary as an adult. Her passion is encouraging kids and adults alike to find joy and expression through dance. She is a firm believer that ANYONE can dance. She’s thrilled be a part of the ADA team and get to share her love of dance to all ages and prove that anybody can find joy through dance.
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Amanda Boelzner started dancing at the age of eight. She studied ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and contemporary at the Alton Dance Academy. She has had feature roles in many ADA productions, her favorite is Shenzi in The Lion King. As a student Amanda was a great role model and exemplified dedication. This culminated with her induction into the National Honor Society for Dancers under the chapter of the Alton Dance Academy.
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