ABOUT
Chester Dancers was founded in 2000 as an adjunct program to the Recreation Department Summer Program.
It became an independent program in the Fall of 2000. Our premise is that no child should be denied a classical education due to inability to pay. All residents of Chester and the surrounding area are welcome to attend on a space available basis.
The goal of this program is to provide serious classical dance education and performance opportunities to all children and young adults in Chester at no cost to the student or their family.
All costuming, shoes, leotards and tights are provided free of charge by the program for use in program classes and performances.
Classes are small by design. There are no social dance classes offered. All classes are serious dance instruction and students are expected to practice outside of regular class time as they would with any other arts program.
Classes are taught by Margaret Voss who has many years experience training children to perform in dance and as a performer herself. She was a co-founder of Tennessee Dance Theatre and Ballet Theatre of Boston.
Ms Voss has studied with:
Ballet:
Grover Able - co-founder of Dance Masters of America
Tatiana Semenova - Former Priemere Danseus Paris Opera, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Original Director of Houston Ballet Academy and Ballet of Houston Company.
Norman Shelburne - Director North Star Ballet Fairbanks, Alaska
Anthony Williams - Former Performer Joffrey Ballet, Boston Ballet, current Director of Ballet Rox.
Leo Guerard - Original Member New York City Ballet, Former Performer Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Member Boston Ballet.
Tap:
Patricia Swayze - Mother of Patrick Swayze and well known Broadway and Hollywood Choreographer
Fred Totten - Choreographer RKO
Robert Audy - Broadway Choreographer
Sherry, Rhennie and Rhee Gold - Originators of the national Gold Dance Competitions.
LaVaughn Robinson - Philadelphia based instructor. Part of the history of tap dance.
Jazz:
Patricia Swayze
Rhennie and Rhee Gold
Camille Long Hill - Broadway Choreographer.
Performance experience includes:
Ballet of Houston under the direction of Tatiana Semenova
Discovery Dance Group under the direction of Camille Long Hill
Houston Jazz-Ballet Company under the direction of Patsy Swayze
Centennial Dance Nashville under the direction of Janet Clough
