Pennsylvania Regional Ballet has been privileged to host many guest artists as choreographers and master teachers with the aid of grants from the PA Council on the Arts. These professionals bring the love of their art to students who aspire to be professional dancers in the future. Works choreographed by these professionals have gained recognition at Regional and National Festivals, as well as entertaining audiences in Central Pennsylvania. These professionals include Michael Barriskill, Richard Cook, Jana Fugate, Luis Fuente, Jeffrey Gribler, Melinda Howe, Alexander Kaschock, Kirsten Kaschock, Patricia Kinney, John Magnus, Francis Patrelle, Jonathan Phelps, Victoria Silva, Trinette Singleton, Danielle Smith, Patricia Sorrell, Anton Wilson, Kristen Weiser and Deborah Wingert.

Choreographer Biographies

Kiyon Gaines

Kiyon Gaines is from Baltimore, Maryland. He trained at Baltimore School of the Arts, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, the School of American Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. He joined Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in 2001.

In addition to his performing career, Mr. Gaines is an aspiring choreographer. Among other works, he created blitz...Fantasy, {SCHWA}, Infinite Intricacies, and Interrupted Pri'si'zh'en for PNB's annual Choreographers' Showcase performances, and {SCHWA} was taken into PNB's repertory during the 2007 Celebrate Seattle Festival. In 2008, Mr. Gaines choreographed M-Pulse, set to a commissioned score by Cristina Spinei, for the Company repertory. He has also participated in the prestigious New York Choreographic Institute.

Diana Law

Diana has been teaching at Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet for over 11 years. She is not only an outstanding teacher but has received national recognition as a choreographer. She won the choreography division at the 1991 and 1993 Spokane Music and Arts Festival, and she is a four time winner of the prestigious Monticello Award for Choreography. Diana attended the International Ballet Competition as a choreographer and has been a choreographer and guest teacher at Central West Ballet, Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Bay Area Youth Ballet, Utah Regional Ballet, Petaluma City Ballet, Columbia Dance Ensemble, Dance Peninsula, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Her works have been seen at the Regional Dance America/Pacific Festival '99 in Tucson, Arizona and again in '01 in Provo, Utah.

Victoria Silva

Victoria Silva received her training at the Cumberland Dance Company, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and as a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. She has performed professionally with small companies in the New York area as well as with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Victoria attended and performed in the Carlisle Project Choreography Conference in Carlisle, PA, and toured Japan with a "Broadway Revue Show". She has been part of the faculty for the Astoria Dance Center, Greater York Youth Ballet, Harrisburg Dance Conservatory, Steps on Broadway, and is currently a teacher and rehearsal coach at the CDA / CDC. Victoria was shown as an emerging choreographer in the RDA / NE festival in 2002, 2004 and 2005. She was awarded the Monticello Award for her piece Linear Momentum in 2005 and scholarships to attend the Craft of Choreography Conferences 2004 and 2005 in Orem, Utah.

Sean Dubs - Emerging Choreographer