DANCE FACULTY
JONI PETRE-SCHOLZ
Chair
Janelle Spruill
Associate Chair
GSA Alumna
kathy brenner
Janelle Ings
Joni is a former member of the Berkshire Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet and Manhattan Ballet, and a former principal dancer with Dances Patrelle. Joni toured internationally and performed in over 12 countries dancing works by Vincente Nebrada, Robert North, Gary Pierce, Billy Wilson and others. She began working with Dances Patrelle in 1988 appearing in many Patrelle ballets including The Yorkville Nutcracker, Adieu with a Handshake, Madame X, Rhapsody in Blue, American Dreamer, Romeo and Juliet, the world premiere of Notturno for Strings and Harp and as Lady Macbeth in the 2001 revival of Macbeth. In addition, Ms. Petre-Scholz was rehearsal director as well as assistant to the managing director. She has also re-staged many Patrelle ballets for Dances Patrelle as well as other companies. In 2002 Joni was a featured performing artist at The Lyric Recovery Festival at Carnegie Hall appearing in excerpts of Beauty and the Beast with original choreography by Ginger Thatcher and original score by Paul Winston. Ms. Petre-Scholz was a principal dancer in the world premiere of “POP” as well as Glad to be Unhappy choreography by Francis Patrelle. Joni has also appeared as a guest artist with Annabella Gonzalez Dance Theater in New York. A former member of the faculty of Ballet Academy East in New York City, Joni has been on the teaching faculty of the Old Dominion Dance Department and The Governor’s School for the Arts in Norfolk, Virginia since 2005. Her choreography has been presented by Women in Dance Conference (2019), Virginia Ballet Theatre, University Dance Theatre of Old Dominion University as well as at The Governor’s School, and at the Regional High School Dance Festival. Joni has been a guest teacher for Complexions and Kibbutz dance companies. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique® junior, senior and advanced programs.
Janelle earned her BFA in Dance and minor in Media Studies from Marymount Manhattan College and her MA in Arts Administration and Management from Goucher College. She was a member of the Elizabeth Higgins Dance Theater and a scholarship student at The Ailey School, The Gus Giordano Dance School, American Dance Festival, and Garth Fagan Dance where she also had the opportunity to work and perform with the company. She was a teacher’s assistant at Broadway Dance Center and a Rehearsal Assistant for the Richmond Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.” She has been a guest artist at Shenandoah University and has taught master classes at the Regional and National High School Dance Festivals in Virginia, Florida, and Pennsylvania as well as the West Virginia Dance Festival in Charleston. Her works have recently been accepted to the Regional and National High School Dance Festivals and the Richmond Choreographer’s Showcase. In 2013, she was the recipient of the NAACP Area II ACT-SO Award in Dance. Janelle joined ODU as an Adjunct Instructor in 2021 and has been a part of the faculty at The Governor’s School for the Arts teaching and choreographing for both the Dance and Musical Theatre Departments since 2010.
Kathy Brenner was a Principal Dancer with BalletMet of Ohio for nearly 10 years. Her wide range of leading roles include George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Square Dance, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Serenade; Glen Tetley’s Mythical Hunters; the title role in La Sylphide and Frederick Ashtons’ Les Patineurs. Prior to joining BalletMet she danced soloist roles with the Cleveland Ballet and performed as a guest artist with the Louisville Ballet and Opera Columbus. She frequently restages the classic ballet repertoire for The Governor’s School and has staged Paquita for Virginia Ballet Theatre and Ballet Academy East in New York City. Her orIginal choreography has been performed by students of Virginia School of the Arts, The Carver Center for Arts in Baltimore and the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville. She received her early dance training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Joffrey Ballet School-NY, as well as extensively with Melissa Hayden and Wilhelm Burmann at their New York studios. Kathy has taught on the dance faculties of The University of Wisconsin, BalletMet Dance Academy, the School of the Atlanta Ballet, Virginia School of the Arts, Old Dominion University Dance Department.
Janelle is a dance educator and curriculum developer, She teaches Graham, Modern and Dance History. She has taught at William and Mary, Rutgers University, and Guest Speaker at Old Dominion University. She has authored comprehensive district-level dance programs, including Dance I and II and the Arts High School Dance Curriculum. She attended LaGuardia High School of the Performing Arts. She was a Scholarship student at The Ailey School for many years and completed their Professional Program. She earned a BFA in Dance from Montclair State University and received her MPA in Arts Administration from Seton Hall University. She has performed with the Denishawn Repertory Dancers and various New York City-based companies. She represented the arts in a global cultural exchange during the 2007 Olympics. She has taught master classes at the Regional High School Dance Festival, and her work was accepted to the National Dance Festival. She has collaborated with major institutions like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and led district-wide initiatives, including dance events and professional development. In 2021 and 2023, Janelle was awarded Teacher of the Year and nominated for Essex County Teacher of the Year. She was honored to restage Alvin Ailey’s Revelations, "Fix Me Jesus," for a private celebration of Judith Jamison’s 70th birthday.
Emma krauss
GSA ALUMNA
RITA ADDICO-COHEN
LAUREN SINCLAIR
KIM DAVIS
Kim Davis is from Portsmouth, VA, and is an alumni from The Governor’s School for the Arts. Kim is a 2019 graduate of George Mason University where she performed works by Donald Byrd, Andonis Foniadakis, and Nacho Duato. Kimberly joined DanceWorks Chicago in August 2019. At DanceWorks, she’s done pieces by Harrison McEldowney, Joshua Manculich, Greg Blackmon, and more. She danced for South Chicago Dance Theater for four years. She has worked with Kia S. Smith, Donald Byrd, Joshua Blake Carter, Crystal Michelle, Ron De Jesus, Monique Haley, August Tye, and Stephanie Martinez. In her dance career she has traveled internationally to Germany, Columbia and the Netherlands where she performed and taught. She has been in Dance Magazine for 3 years and she is a featured dancer in the music video “Sepricon”. She has also had the pleasure of impersonating Josephine Baker and Tina Turner!
ASHLEY WHITLINGER
GSA ALUMNA
MAGGIE WALL
JANELLE JONES
GSA ALUMNA
AMBER ROMANO
ALE ARANDA
JENNIFER BUCHHEIT
GSA ALUMNA
MICHAEL KAISER
jasmine fitch
Ale Aranda was born and raised in Mexico, her professional training began in Mexico City at the age of 13, specializing in Hip-Hop and Latin Ballroom. By 19 years old she had danced in the TV show “LIP SYNC'' for Comedy Central Latin America, Kia Motors Commercial, and National Music Tour for “JEANS.” Deciding to challenge herself and always grow in her career, she has trained in schools in the United States, including Sheffield School of Dance (AL), Peridance Capezio Center (NY), Hubbard Street (IL), Latin Street (IL), Velocity Dance Center (WA), DGBEK Studio (FL), and others. Teaching experience includes The Boys and Girls Club of the Albemarle (NC), The Raw Dance center (FL), Dance variations of Rockledge (FL), Dance 101 (AL), David Miner Ballroom Academy (AL), and many others. Sharing her knowledge is a great responsibility that she is grateful for and hopes to continue doing for many years.
Jasmine Fitch is a dedicated dance professional with a deep and nuanced understanding of modern and contemporary dance, drawing from the Horton and Graham techniques. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Old Dominion University, advanced studies from Marymount Manhattan College, and a Certificate of Arts in Classical Dance from The Alvin Ailey Dance School. Throughout her training, Jasmine had the privilege of being mentored by distinguished dance professionals, refining her artistry in modern, ballet, and jazz disciplines. Her artistic journey includes performing as a dancer in a film showcased at Lincoln Center in New York City and featured at renowned film festivals nationwide. This experience reflects her dedication to the art of movement, allowing her to explore her craft and engage audiences on a national scale. Additionally, Jasmine has contributed to several independent short films in New York City, demonstrating her versatility and commitment to diverse mediums within the dance field.
KAMERON Na’Im
Kameron Na'im is a passionate dancer and choreographer specializing in contemporary fusion. With a background that spans various different styles of dance including Hip-hop, Improvisation, and Afro, where he is able to to fuse the styles together resulting in a unique style of dance. Kam's journey in dance begun at 14 years old. Where he trained in Hiphop at Essence Of Movement Dance Studio in Halifax, Virginia. While training there he received a scholarship to Los Angeles to be in music video and take classes at the Playground in LA. Kam has attended Old Dominion University graduating with a Bachelors in Dance Minoring in Fashion Merchandising and Theatre. While studying at Old Dominion University he has created numerous works for many of their concerts, which demonstrates energetic and flow like movements. He has been working with an Art residency for 2 Years called "Filmsthatmove" where he gets to dance and participate in many dance films in Cape Charles, Virginia. Kam believes in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where dancers can explore their individuality and creativeness through movement.
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Kameron Na'im is a passionate dancer and choreographer specializing in contemporary fusion. With a background that spans various different styles of dance including Hip-hop, Improvisation, and Afro, where he is able to to fuse the styles together resulting in a unique style of dance. Kam's journey in dance begun at 14 years old. Where he trained in Hiphop at Essence Of Movement Dance Studio in Halifax, Virginia. While training there he received a scholarship to Los Angeles to be in music video and take classes at the Playground in LA. Kam has attended Old Dominion University graduating with a Bachelors in Dance Minoring in Fashion Merchandising and Theatre. While studying at Old Dominion University he has created numerous works for many of their concerts, which demonstrates energetic and flow like movements. He has been working with an Art residency for 2 Years called "Filmsthatmove" where he gets to dance and participate in many dance films in Cape Charles, Virginia. Kam believes in fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where dancers can explore their individuality and creativeness through movement.