Instructors

We take great pride in the quality of our instructional staff. All of our teachers have a combination of extensive professional experience or degrees and all have had previous teaching experience. For detailed information about our specific instructors, please read through our brief biographies below:

LeAnn Garth is the Artistic Director of Magical Movement Dance and Fine Arts Academy. She has studied dance since 4 years of age, and attended the University of Arizona on a full dance scholarship. She has studied dance at the University of Nevada and Arizona State University and danced professionally in both Ballet and Modern companies. Throughout her professional career, she has owned and operated 4 private studios in the United States, Europe and the Far East. She has 31 years teaching experience in all dance forms = Tap, Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Jazz, and Acrobatics = all levels from beginning to advanced. Some of her professional accomplishments include:

• Member of DEA (Dance Educators of America)
  
• Member of Professional Dance Teacher Association (PDTA)
  
• Member of National Dance Association (NDA ) and the American Alliance for Health,
• Physical Education recreation and Dance. (AAHPERD)
  
• Member of Dance Arts Institute (DAI)
  
• Graduate of Dance Educators of America (DEA) teacher training programs.
  
• Certified by DEA by examination to teach ballet, jazz, tap, modern dance, and acrobatics.
• Continuing education through 2 yearly workshops with well-known ‘famous’ Master teachers and dancers as well as working on additional certifications in dance studies
  
• Also furthering education in child development and early childhood education workshops
  

Mrs. Garth also has a nursing background, which further enhances her knowledge of child development, anatomy, injury prevention and correct use of the body. Mrs. Garth has taught dance all over the world and has had contracts with the federal government to teach dance. She has also been employed by the Henrico School system. Both jobs require complete finger printing and background checks. Mrs. Garth is married, has two grown children. Her hobbies include collecting dance-related items, antiques, Steiff animals, reading, traveling and of course dancing. She feels privileged to share her love of music and movement with your children.

Robyn Kotte has taught in the Richmond area since 1994. She earned her BFA in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000. Her goal as a teacher, choreographer and dancer is to bring the love of dance to every person she works with. She hopes to instill in each student a respect for the art of dance and more importantly a respect for themselves so that they may continue to grow throughout their lives.

While attending VCU, Ms. Kotte had the pleasure of training with such esteemed faculty as Chris Burnside, Melanie Richards, Martha Curtis, Judith Steel & Audrey Jung. She also had the rare opportunity to study with special guest artists Joe Goode, Nicholas Leichter, Bebe Miller, Gus Solomons Jr., & Doug Varone (to name a few) that helped to greatly expand and develop her training. She began her professional career as a company member and choreographer at the Latin Ballet of Virginia. Ms. Kotte has also performed with the Pearson/Widrig Dance Theatre in Ordinary Festivals and in 2005 she performed with the Starr Foster Dance Project in Heroin(e).

Since 1993 she has had an extensive choreographic career creating and setting works on groups across the nation in Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Maryland, & Arizona.

Maggie Szydlowski Joseph started dance at the age of seven with dance and acrobatics. Soon thereafter, she added ballet, pointe, and tap. While attending Longwood University, Maggie danced with the Longwood Company of Dancers and added Hip-Hop, Lyrical, and African dance to her repertoire. While with the Company, Maggie choreographed a number of pieces, and was featured in solo work as well. While at Longwood, she also learned the importance of showing emotion as part of her dance performances bringing additional depth and range to the choreography, which better lends itself to the theatre.

Maggie studied both Theatre and Education and received her BA in Theatre from Longwood as well as her teaching license. Maggie is currently teaching Theatre and Theatre Production at L C Bird High School as well as coaching the Dance Team. At Magical Movement, Maggie teaches Jazz and Hip Hop to students ages 9 and up.

Allison LaNeave began studying ballet at a young age with the Richmond Ballet, where she excelled in technique and spent many years at the School of Richmond Ballet. In choreography courses, Allison’s pieces were often chosen to be performed for the school. After delving in modern, character and jazz dance, she chose to further focus her love of dance and choreography at VCU. Studying with masters such as Francis Wessels, David Dorfmann, and Scott Putman, and continuing with Richmond Ballet's Mr. Maider, supplied invaluable tools that she now loves to impart to her students and children. Cultivating new ways of enriching her students' experience of dance is just one way she likes to spend her time. Allison hopes to create a love of life and dance for her students.

Kelly Merrill has been teaching at Magical Movement Dance and Fine Arts Academy for three years, specializing in creative movement, kinderjazz, beginning hip-hop, and ballet, tap and jazz combination classes. Additionally, she teaches modern classes.

Kelly began dance at the age of two and has wanted a career in dance education ever since. She graduated from Radford University with a Bachelor of Science in Dance, specializing in creative movement for children as well as modern dance.

The saying is that you have found your calling when you love the job you do. Kelly is very excited about teaching and loves spending the time with the children. Watching the dancers' faces light up when they learn something new and knowing she helped them is an incredible feeling for her. Kelly says that teaching is her passion and that she looks forward to being able to share the love of learning and dance with your children.

Ms. Samantha graduated with a B.A. in Dance and Art Education from Mercyhurst College. She has studied with many esteemed teachers including LeAnn Garth, Monica Ryan, Tauna Hunter, Christopher Tabor, and Mark Santilliano. Samantha taught ballet, modern, and creative movement in dance studios and summer workshops across Pennsylvania and had the honor to teach with the Alaska Dance Theatre in Anchorage during the summer of 2002.

Ms. Samantha is also a certified art teacher for grades K-12. She has been teaching middle school art for the past three years. She has also given private lessons and teachers art during the summer at college outreach programs and Kid's/Teen's Colleges. Samantha is currently working on her Master's Degree at Virginia Commonwealth University.