Pottstown Dance Theatre
EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION IN THE ART OF DANCE
PDT Staff
Michelle Jones Wurtz
Pottstown Dance Theatre — Owner/Director
Melange Contemporary Dance — Artistic Director
PDT Repertory Ensemble — Artistic Director
ContempraDance Theatre — Assistant Director
Michelle holds a BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts as well as an MPA in Non-profit Management from Strayer University. She studied with Barbara Sandanato (who was trained by George Balanchine), Judith Jamison (former lead dancer of the Alvin Ailey Company) and Milton Myers who was also a lead dancer at Ailey and now serves as head of the Contemporary Division of the world famous Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Michelle began her professional career during her junior year at University of the Arts when she started dancing for Group Motion in Philadelphia, PA.
Michelle studied pedagogy techniques at The Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet and later became a master instructor. In 2004 she was chosen to be the first American instructor invited to the International Dance Festival in Ladek Zdroj, Poland where she teaches more than any other instructor. She has been asked to teach at various festivals throughout Europe. Michelle has also completed Pedagogy training at the Martha Graham School in NYC and continues to train as an instructor there.
Michelle directs the professional dance group Melange, the Pottstown Dance Theatre, and assistant directs Contempradance. Her students were invited by the American Alliance of Performing Arts Educators to perform in London during the 2012 Olympic Games where a representative of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (founded and partially funded by Sir Paul McCartney) saw Michelle's work and requested her instruction for summer of 2013. PDT students have since also performed with the AAPAE at Lincoln Center and Carnegie hall in NYC.
When not teaching at PDT, Michelle is a Full Professor of Dance at Eastern University in St Davids PA, where she teaches Global Dance Forms, Intermediate Jazz Dance: Theory and Technique, Advanced Modern Dance Technique, World Dance, Dance Repertory and Anatomy & Kinesiology.
Kelsey Nieckoski Noble PT, DPT - Instructor
Kelsey Nieckoski Noble began her dance training at the age of three and continued her pre-professional education through the intensive program at Pottstown Dance Theatre, where she studied Vaganova ballet technique under Michelle Jones Wurtz and ballet masters Phyllis Dersh Rudzitis, Jerzy Golek, Andre Ustinov, and Elena Martinson. She furthered her training through summer intensives with Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Berks Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, Academy of International Ballet, and The Rock School for Dance Education, to name a few.
As a young dancer, Kelsey performed with Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company, progressing from corps de ballet roles to soloist and principal roles. In 2012, she had the honor of performing in London, England during the Olympic Games. Kelsey later pursued a minor in Fine Arts and Dance Performance at Widener University, where she studied under Jessica Warchal-King and expanded her artistic perspective through modern dance. She currently performs professionally with Mélange Contemporary Dance Company, where she continues to explore her artistry through contemporary movement and performance.
With over 15 years of teaching experience, Kelsey is passionate about developing dancers through strong technical foundations while fostering artistry, confidence, and a lifelong love of movement. She holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and specializes in dance medicine, allowing her to bring a unique perspective as both an educator and clinician into the studio. Her teaching approach emphasizes intentional movement, healthy technique, and the strength and awareness needed for dancers to thrive while pursuing their goals with longevity.
Marissa Anuzelli - Instructor
Marissa began her dance training at LeRoux School of Dance in Royersford, PA when she was three years old. There, she studied various styles of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, and lyrical/contemporary. She was also part of the LeRoux Steppers competition team for three years. She graduated from Eastern University with a BA in psychology and a minor in dance. While at Eastern, she studied dance under Michelle Jones Wurtz and was introduced to even more styles such as African and Modern. She has performed as part of Dance the World in Disney World and has also participated in the Big Apple Tap Festival. She has also been part of numerous recitals and shows such as The Nutcracker, Philly Nutt Crak-Up with ContempraDANCE Theatre, and Jazzerella with Mélange Contemporary Dance Company.
Janet LaCava - Instructor
Janet was born in and lived in New York City and began teaching dance in 1973. She trained at New York City schools, starting with George Connelly Dance Center, in Queens with Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acrobatics and Ballroom. She was a 1969, full scholarship recipient to the Joffrey Ballet School. Janet also attended Phil Black's Dance Studio, Broadway Dance Center, and other schools. Many of her students have, or had, careers in major ballet companies, professional theater, television, theme parks, cruise ships, Radio City Music Hall, Las Vegas, and other dance venues, as well as becoming dance teachers, studio owners and choreographers. Many of her students have graduated from top college dance programs including The Julliard School, N.Y.University, Tisch School of the Arts, Point Park University, and University of the Arts. Ms. LaCava performed professionally in night clubs, musical theater, and special events for major New York professional sports teams, on television, for the armed forces, plus has choreographed for regional ballet companies, theater productions and competitions, and winning several choreography awards at national dance competitions. Janet ran her own successful dance academy before retiring from studio ownership, after which she continued to teach dance at area dance schools. She was a member of Dance Educators of America, and a past guest instructor for National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts, Inc. (NADAA). She founded and organized The Road to Broadway Talent Competition, and the Road to Broadway Pageants. Additionally, Janet worked as a stage manager for dance performances for dance schools and other charitable dance events, and judged for many, regional and national competitions in the USA, and Canada. Ms. LaCava has years of experience as an amateur competitor in ballroom, and performing arts dance competitions, winning many awards in the USA and the UK. Janet has written columns and articles on dance for newspapers and dance periodicals and magazines, is the former Vice President of Dancers for Dimes, a dance performance charity event to raise funds for the March of Dimes, and a past board member, Vice President, and later President, for the Arts Academy Elementary Charter School.
David Heller - Instructor
David Heller, aka Dr. Moose, was born in Manhattan, Kansas (The Little Apple). Since 1999, David has developed his skills in breaking, popping, tutting and liquid dance. “There are too many dance memories that are my ‘favorite,’ but if I really had to pick two, one would be the first time I saw someone breakdancing in front of me when I was 17 years old. The second would be earning my doctorate/PhD in dance from Temple University.”
Over the last 20 years, David has competed in multiple dance competitions throughout the United States. David has choreographed dozens of dance pieces that have been showcased in Hawaii, Norway, France, and Philadelphia. He earned his PhD in Dance at the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University in December, 2018. Currently, David teaches dance to undergraduate students at Temple, as well as studio classes and workshops in street dance styles throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
“I believe that dance, in any form, is a deeply ingrained impulse we all possess. I found my passion through a desire to express myself. Dance is my life. Therefore, I teach what I love, and I love what I do.” --- David Heller (Dr. Moose)
Molly McGinnis - Instructor
While many dancers begin their ballet training at a very young age, Molly found her passion for ballet a little later than average, when she was 13 years old. Starting in beginner classes, she quickly learned that improvement comes from dedication and practice. Over time, she was able to rise to higher-level ballet classes and even joined her studio’s junior company. She continued to dance in college and she now takes adult ballet classes at Pottstown Dance Theatre. She is happy to be able to share her passion for ballet with beginner students.
Brianna Sanders - Instructor
Brianna "Bri" Ellen Sanders is a native of Annapolis, MD and is currently based in Annapolis, MD. She holds a B.A. in Dance from Eastern University. Bri has been dancing since the age of three and is trained in a wide range of styles including acro, contemporary, modern, jazz, lyrical, dance team, pom, musical theater, tap, ballet, pointe, and Latin ballroom. In addition to performing, she has been choreographing and teaching since the age of 12. Bri trained with Level Dance Project for five years and attended the Anne Arundel County Public School Summer Dance Intensive for eight consecutive years, where she focused extensively on modern dance techniques. From 2021-2023, she was a member of Eastern University's Dance Team. During her time at Eastern, Bri performed in semesterly showcases and represented the university at the American College Dance Association Conferences in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Bri also participated in the Philadelphia Fringe Arts Festival in both 2023 and 2024. Additionally, she previously served as an apprentice with Gwendolyn Bye's Dance Fusion, based in Philadelphia.
Maddie Lobello - Apprentice Teacher
Maddie Lobello has been training at Pottstown Dance Theatre since the age of three. Over the years, she has trained in a variety of styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, Irish, contemporary, and acro, developing a strong technical foundation for dance. Since the age of seven, Maddie has performed with Pottstown Dance Theatre's Repertory Ensemble and in its annual production of "The Nutcracker," where she has had the opportunity to perform featured roles including the Marzipan soloist, the Arabian Princess, and the Spanish soloist. She has also performed the lead role of Dorothy in Pottstown Dance Theatre's production, "Land of Oz." In addition, Maddie is a member of the National Honors Society for Dance Arts and has performed ballet and Irish dance at Pottstown's "Arts in the Park" event, while also performing several times at the Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival.
As a teacher, Maddie loves expressing her creativity through choreography and strives to create a positive environment where her students can grow and discover their love for dance.
Teagan Lee - Apprentice Teacher
Teagan has been a student at Pottstown Dance Theatre since she was in second grade. In this time, she has studied many styles of dance including ballet and pointé, musical theater, jazz, contemporary, modern, acro, and Irish. With this training, she has been able to receive a plethora of scholarships such as a Performing Arts Scholarship for Pope John Paul II High School, where she attends, and multiple scholarships through the Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival auditions to schools such as Bucks County School of Performing Arts and Philadelphia Dance Theatre. Additionally, Teagan is a member of Studio 38 and Rhapsodies, which are the performing arts groups at her high school. Along with both of those, she takes a course specializing in the performing arts at PJP II. She is also a member of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts. Through this she has many opportunities give back to the community through dance. Furthermore, Teagan has played soloist roles such as Clara, the Sugarplum Fairy, and the Dew Drop Fairy in PDT’s Nutcracker, as well as many other leading parts in the spring performances.
Lucy Boone - Apprentice Teacher
Lucy has been dancing with PDT since she was three years old, and continues to study ballet, contemporary/jazz, musical theater, and more. She has performed with the studio in multiple Philadelphia Youth Dance Fests, and also at Carnegie Hall in 2026. Additionally, Lucy has been participating in the studio's production of "The Nutcracker" for 10 years, and has been seen in roles such as Clara, Spanish soloist, Arabian Soloist, the Nutcracker, and the Mouse king.
Beatrix Scoville - Apprentice Teacher
Beatrix Scoville is student at Martin Saints Classical HS. Beatrix lives in Pottstown with her parents and six sisters. She has been dancing at Pottstown Dance Theater for the past three years concentrating in ballet/pointe and her favorite ballet is Raffaella. Bea has previously assisted in teaching pre-ballet I and is overjoyed to share her love of the artistry and athleticism with more PDT students as an apprentice teacher.
Haley is a high school student with a passion for dance that spans over 12 years, starting from the age of 3. With a strong foundation in dance, she has performed in numerous shows, including twice performing the lead role of Clara in the Nutcracker. In addition to her studies with PDT, Haley has completed dance intensives with the Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival and DeSales University. She has received multiple awards for academic excellence and is honored to be part of two national societies for school. Haley is also honored to be part of the national society for dance. Haley hopes to go to school to be a vet tech or vet nurse and would love to minor in dance or join a college dance team or company so that she can continue her dance studies into the future.
Haley Iannarino - Student Teacher
Vesa Pema - Substitute Teacher
Vesa is currently a sophomore at Eastern University majoring in Math(Pre-Engineering) and minoring in Dance. Vesa began dancing when she was 6 at the School of American Ballet in New York. She then studied at ABT for 7 years. Her passion for dancing never left and she decided to study it further in college. Vesa has trained in Ballet, Contemporary, Modern, Jazz, and musical theater. Her ballet training has been crossed with Balanchine, Vaganova, and Cecchetti. Vesa has performed at the Metropolitan Opera house and the David H. Koch Theater. She is excited to share her passion for dance with a class!
Adleigh Strickland - Substitute Teacher
Adleigh Strickland is a dancer in training who loves sharing the gift of joy through dance. Adleigh has been dancing for nine years, focusing on Cecchetti, Vagonova, and contemporary ballet. She started dancing at Dance with Joy for the first seven years of her training, during which she learned Cecchetti and contemporary ballet techniques. During her time there, she had the opportunity to perform for fundraisers, nursing homes, traditional recitals, and the Nutcracker. Adleigh coupled her training with a studio named Miss Autumn Dance Class, where she first started teaching ballet classes for three to twelve-year-olds. For the last few years, Adleigh attended the summer dance intensive at Ballet Magnificat's summer dance-intensive, a Christian professional ballet company with dancers and teachers coming in from all over the world. Adleigh currently dances at Pottstown Dance Theater (PDT) and is so thankful for their instructor’s skill and dedication. PDT has allowed her to continue performing in churches, recitals, showcases, and teaching.
Ella Mazur - Substitute Teacher
Ella has been dancing since the age of 4 and has been at PDT for most of that time. She has performed in many shows with PDT while also having the honor of performing multiple solo roles. These include the Spanish soloist and soloist in “Dance of the Toy Flutes”, both in “The Nutcracker”. Ella has additionally danced as Dorothy in PDT’s performance of “The Land of Oz”. She is also a part of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts, as well as other honors societies through her school. In addition, Ella has participated in The Philadelphia Youth Dance Festival multiple times, allowing her to gain further experience by taking classes with many different teachers, and even earning a scholarship to a dance intensive. She hopes to continue dancing in the future while pursuing her college education.
Carol Hebert - Substitute Teacher
Carol Hebert graduated from the Hartford Conservatory of Music and Dance and received a BFA in Dance from the University of Massachusetts. She has taught at Hartford Conservatory, the School of the Hartford Ballet, and the New England Conservatory. As a member of the Deborah Carr Theatre Dance Ensemble, Ms. Hebert performed at the highly prestigious American Dance Festival in NC. She has studied with some of the most respected names in American tap dance including Brenda Buffalino and LaVaughn Robinson. Her students at the Pottstown studio enjoy her classes tremendously.
Krysta Bernhardt- Substitute Teacher
Krysta began her dance training in upstate New York where she studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Contemporary Dance with the Filippetti's Academy of Dance Arts and Vaganova method Ballet with the Rafael Grigorian Ballet Theatre. She graduated with honors from the University of the Arts with a BFA in Musical Theater. At UArts she added to her dance training with studies in Musical Theater, Modern, and Improv Dance. When not teaching dance, you can also find her teaching art at Art Fusion 19464 or helping organize local artistic events like the Pottstown "Arts in the Park" which started in 2024. Krysta has spent over 25 years working in the arts in the Philadelphia area.
Selah Curcuruto - Substitute Teacher
Originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Selah currently attends Eastern University studying Dance and Psychology. She began dancing at the age of ten taking modern dance and choreography classes with Temple Music Prep. Selah has trained in ballet, modern, contemporary, musical theatre dance, African, lyrical-jazz, and hip-hop. She has choreographed for multiple dance shows and festivals including Philadelphia’s Fall Arts Fest. In 2021, Selah began dancing at Wissahickon Dance Academy and joined their International Ballet Exchange program, performing at the Kimmel Cultural Campus and for schools in the Philadelphia area. As well as performing and choreographing, Selah enjoys teaching dance classes. She worked as a student teacher and summer camp counselor for two years at Ballet Sun Mi and is excited to continue sharing her love for dance at Pottstown Dance Theatre.
Jay Stolzenberg — Executive and Financial Advisor
Jay holds patents on numerous inventions used in varying industries. His knowledge of trademark, copyright, and patent law are invaluable when applying for grants, in kind donations, and gifts.