Dance Faculty
Jen Salk
Dance Department Chair
Jennifer Salk is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, where she teaches modern technique, composition, dance history, teaching methods, graduate seminars on Higher Education and Teaching Methods, and the Creative Process. Prior to UW she was at the University of South Florida in Tampa. After receiving her MFA from Ohio State University, Jennifer taught at Harrison Arts Center, a performing arts high school in Lakeland, Florida for three years. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Utah and spent seven years in NYC touring and dancing with various choreographers, including David Dorfman, Chris Burnside, and June Anderson, and was also the Artistic Director of Jennifer Salk and Company. She has taught at American Dance Festival and teaches master classes and choreographs for companies and schools around the country. Jennifer is a master teacher at the National High School Dance Festival in Norfolk, VA and a frequent presenter at the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science and National Dance Education Organization Conferences. In 2006 she reconstructed her work “Night Flight” with dancers from the Virginia Governor’s School of the Arts. Jen also went to Paraguay, where she trained dance teachers in her experiential anatomy methodology, taught advanced modern technique, and volunteered at Cultural Melodia, where she taught creative movement to children ages 7-19. Her article, Teaching Modern Technique Through Experiential Anatomy was published in The Journal of Dance Education in Fall 2005 and a DVD on the subject is in due for publication in early 2009. Salk was recently awarded the University of Washington’s Distinguished Teacher of the Year award. This will be Jennifer’s 17th summer at TPAS.
Rhonda Cinotto
Dance Instructor
Rhonda Cinotto is currently teaching Modern and Jazz at Western Michigan University. She received M.F.A and B.A. degrees in dance from the University of Washington. From 1997-2003, she was a member of Spectrum Dance Theater, a professional repertory company that toured throughout the Pacific Northwest and Mexico, Germany, and the Netherlands. While in the company she performed works by Anne Reinking, Dwight Rhoden, Daniel Buraczeski, Daniel Ezralow, Frank Chaves, Lar Lubovitch, Margo Sappington and Donald Byrd, among others. Ms. Cinotto served as Spectrum’s rehearsal director and was responsible for restaging and rehearsing works in the company’s repertoire. In 2005 Ms. Cinotto was a guest artist with the Chamber Dance Company, the resident professional company at the University of Washington, and became a company member while earning her Master of Fine Arts. In addition to performing, Ms. Cinotto has been teaching for over ten years at numerous schools in the Seattle area, including the University of Washington, Spectrum Dance Theater, and Arc Dance Productions. She has also choreographed for dance companies and public and private schools throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Sarah Gamblin
Dance Instructor
Sarah Gamblin danced in New York City from 1988 to 2000 as a member of Bebe Miller Company (1993-2000) and Bill Young and Dancers (1996-1999). She toured various cities in South Africa, Portugal, Poland, Russia (including St. Petersburg), Estonia, Peru and Venezuela, as well as numerous cities throughout the United States while with those companies. In 2000 Sarah moved to Seattle to earn her MFA in Dance from the University of Washington. While there she performed with the Chamber Dance Company, Rob Kitsos, Lingo dancetheater and Amii Legendre. Sarah joined the dance faculty at Texas Woman’s University in 2002, where she teaches ballet and modern technique, composition, choreography, improvisation and experiential anatomy. Her choreography has been produced by Texas Woman’s University and the Greater Denton Arts Council, University of Washington, Northwest New Works Festival, and in New York City at Hundred Grand and Dia Center for the Arts.
Michael Estanich
Dance Instructor
Michael Estanich received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio State University in 2006 and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Denison University in 1995. His work currently focuses on long form choreography that investigates the choreographic issues of time, space and perspective and how they relate to the act of seeing. Before coming to UWSP, Michael danced in Chicago, IL for six years with Mad Shak Dance Company under the artistic direction of Molly Shanahan. He has performed throughout the Midwest, Texas and at Dance Theatre Workshop in NYC. While in Chicago, Michael also performed with Rebecca Rosen and Martha Mulligan and co-founded Motivity: A Choreographer’s Festival for young and emerging artists. His own choreographies have been presented in galleries, festivals and dance venues throughout Chicago. In 1999, he was awarded a creative summer scholarship from the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago for the creation of a new work under the advisement of Shirley Mordine. Michael was a recent guest artist at Denison University in 2005 creating a new dance theatre work on 11 undergraduate students. He has taught for several years at the American College Dance Festival and performed in the Gala Concert in 2005.
Michael worked as a graduate administrative position in Membership at the Wexner Center for the Arts during his years at OSU. He has performed in works by Bebe Miller, Melanie Bales, Larry Keigwan and Blake Beckham while at OSU, and performed in Mark Morris’ All Fours, reconstructed from Labanotation score by Valarie Mockabee and coached by Matthew Rose, in OSU Dance Downtown 2006.
Aysha Upchurch
Dance Instructor
Aysha Upchurch is a Washington, DC-based Hip Hop and tap dancer and choreographer, having studied with legends in both genres, from Buster Brown and Diane Walker to Rennie Harris and Mr. Wiggles. In DC, she was a member of local dance companies, Jam Crew and DC ARTistry.
Aysha has choreographed, taught and performed throughout the country in Philadelphia, New York, Texas and North Dakota, as well as internationally in the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. In the Washington, DC area, Aysha is in demand as a dancer, instructor and choreographer. She has been on faculty at Joy of Motion Dance Center since 2000 and has worked with CityDance Ensemble since 2003. Her work has been seen at Dance Place, the Carter Barron Amphitheatre, DARS Constitution Hall, Atlas Performing Arts Center, the Verizon Center and on promotional commercials for the Washington Nationals. She has choreographed for Georgetown Dance Company, DCypher Dance Company, Namyanka Dance Ministry and Joy of Motion’s Youth Dance Ensemble Senior Company. In 2007, Aysha received the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage Local Dance Commissioning Project, and was nominated for a Metro DC Dance Award for Emerging Choreographer.
In 2006, Aysha formed her own dance ensemble to reflect her experience as a writer, educator and children’s rights advocate. Life, Rhythm, Move Project (LRMP) uses a mixture of various dance forms, including Hip Hop and tap, and spoken word to fuse passion and education with artistry. LRMP’s mission for the stage is to put on a fun show while provoking deeper discussion. The company is committed to upholding the history and integrity of the Hip Hop culture, showing that the dance is a powerful tool to entertain and engage diverse audiences. Aysha is a St. Louis, MO native who motive to DC to attend American University where she earned a BA in International Studies and an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution.