Faculty
Brittany Howard
Brittany Howard has been dancing since she was 2 1/2 years old. She started her first year at Deborah Vinton School of Ballet and went on to attend Flex dance Studio of Sarasota for 10 years. Having her first solo at age 9, she was also on their competitive team. Brittany then danced at Starz Choice Dance Academy in Venice Florida as a student, competing with them as well. Brittany attended many competitions and workshops and received numerous awards as a young dancer. She grew up with a strong background in jazz, lyrical, ballet, hip hop, tap and acrobatics. Brittany would also frequent the Sarasota Ballet for drop in classes from time to time. Brittany was a cheerleader in high school and was nominated as captain her senior year. She won All American Awards in dance and leadership from the National Cheerleading Association four years in a row.
Living in a city that was immersed in the arts and having a great love for the stage, Brittany was also very involved in acting. Attending Florida Studio Theater and then continuing on through community theater and furthermore into high school drama, Brittany was cast as the lead in many plays from the age of 6-18. She loved being able to bring her dance experience and knowledge to the musicals she was cast in.
Brittany has taken many workshops in various cities and states including Broadway Dance Center in NYC, many master classes in Miami and all over Florida since she was 8 years old. She has kept up with learning and growing as by attending various conventions and master classes whenever she could, including but not limited to, the Pulse Convention, Tremaine, Monsters of Hip Hop (to name a few). Brittany is always keeping up with current dance trends and is also certified by Dance/Gym USA.
Brittany made the Florida Gulf Coast University Cheer team her freshmen year. She was appointed choreographer for Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at FGCU for her duration Brittany also instructed hip hop at the FGCU Fitness center. In addition, she taught recreational hip hop classes at Fred Astaire studio in Fort Myers. In college, she had also joined an all hip-hop dance studio to fuel her love for the stage and the genre.
Brittany was a public relations major with minors in Marketing and Interdisciplinary studies in college. She excelled at her university and graduated knowing in her heart one day she would own a dance studio. After numerous years teaching at other studios and learning more of the business side, Brittany knew the time was right to open up her very own studio.
As a competitive instructor and choreographer for over four years now Brittany has received multiple choreography awards as well as overall awards for her choreography.
Teaching dance is Brittany’s passion because it involves everything she loves to do. Working with children of all ages and inspiring them to be the best they can be is Brittany’s biggest reward. Through positive feedback and actively participating while she teaches, Brittany feels that her students can reach their fullest potential and learn at their greatest capacities. Brittany is so thankful to be able to be own her own dance studio. She is excited to be able to give her students the best training with the most caring instructors.
Christy Pagoni
Christy Pagoni started her dance training at 3 years old, starting in the beautiful state of Connecticut. Beginning her training in the northeast provided a traditional dance style upbringing. This allowed her to focus most her attention on ballet, tap, musical theater, lyrical and jazz. With having the opportunity to be so close to New York City, she was able to participate in dance workshops, such as The Rockette Experience. By 9 years old, she was actively involved in dance competitions and was training under the premiere dance studio in Connecticut. By the age of 12, her family migrated down to Naples and Marco Island, Florida. Moving down to southwest Florida provided the opportunity to take her dance technique, style and education to the next level by taking on contemporary and hip-hop. During her competition seasons, she received the opportunity to assist the original staff of The Pulse on Tour, now referred to as Nexus, A Dance Experience. This included choreographers such as Brian Friedman, Chris Judd, Mia Michaels and many more.Since the early age of nine, Christy knew that dance was her passion, but choreographing is what she truly wanted to do. So at seventeen she choreographed her first contemporary competition piece that lead to highest competition achievements and awards. Christy also coordinated and operated the studio’s summer dance camps and "mini" dancer classes.
Christy graduated from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fl. Training under the former Rockette and dance professional, Ashley DeZeeuw Adams. Christy auditioned and was invited to join the Dance Tallahassee Professional Scholarship Dance Program. With a rigorous dance-work load, she had the opportunity to get insight professional dance career knowledge and learn under the best instructors. Dance Tallahassee provided the chance to push her dance experiences and performing, along with allowing her to tie in her traditional and contemporary background. During her six-year duration in Tallahassee, she choreographed for numerous show performances as well as event benefits. Outside of dance, Christy became the event director of the Tallahassee Fashion Week benefitting American Cancer Society, as well as becoming the Marketing/Advertisement Director of Florida State University’s premiere fashion publication.
Christy received her degree in Editing, Writing, and Media and a minor in Communications, as well as becoming a licensed Florida Realtor.
Outside of EDC, Christy is the choreographer forthe Island Theater Company, choregraphing productions such as Lion King, Annie, Wizard of Oz and Disney’s Frozen. She also received her Barre Instructor Certification from Firm Fitness. Since becoming Co-Director of this incredible pre-professional studio, she has earned multiple choreography awards, highest overalls and achievements, as well as multiple specialty awards. Christy could not be prouder of the studio she represents and the kids she gets work with every day. She can’t wait to see what the future holds and is excited for this dance year!
Heather Shriver
Born and raised in Central Illinois, Heather began dancing at age 6 with Karen Tjaden of the Turning Pointe School of Dance. At age 10 she joined Twin Cities Ballet, under the direction of Alexander Bennett, where she danced several roles in many ballets, including Clara in The Nutcracker, Pigtail Girl in Graduation Ball, Four Little Swans in Swan Lake and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. Heather also studied with several other local reputable teachers during this time. She attended various summer programs and workshops learning from such notable teachers and artists including David Howard, Robbie DiCello, Cherie Noble, Gelsey Kirkland and Cynthia Harvey. While attending the Virginia School of the Arts summer program she was offered a scholarship for the academic year. Heather was fortunate to have the opportunity to perform Cinderella with the Chicago City Ballet and Don Quixote with American Ballet Theatre. She began her teaching career in 1998 with Twin Cities Ballet/School of Dance where she also served as the Ballet Mistress. Heather joined the staff of Stacy’s Dance Factory in 2000 where she taught Ballet, Pointe, Lyrical, Jazz, and Tap and choreographed for the Dance Attack competition team. In 2012, along with her husband, Mike, her fur babies, Rosie, Violet and Big Kitty, she relocated to Fort Myers, FL where she has been teaching ever since.
Liliam Gomez
(Ballet Mistress, Modern Instructor and Choreographer.)
Mrs. Gomez has 32 years of professional experience in Ballet. Danced professionally 18 years from 1986 to 2004 and has been working as a Ballet Teacher, Choreographer and Artistic Director for over 17 years from 2000 to 2017 in Cuba, Mexico and USA. Born in Cuba, she was educated at the Vocational Ballet School of Holguin and the Professional Ballet School of Camaguey, where she received a Gold Medal for “Best Female Performance” at the National Dance Schools Festival in 1986 and graduated with a Title of “Professional Ballet Dancer”. Liliam began her career as a Ballet Dancer at the age of 17 years old with the Company “Ballet of Camaguey”, under the Artistic Direction of Fernando Alonso, one of the most recognized personalities in the world of ballet and Master and founder of The Cuban Ballet School. She performed an extensive repertoire including classical, neo-classical, modern and contemporary productions as a Corps de Ballet, Coryphaeus and Soloist. In 1996 she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Methodology of Ballet Teaching at the Superior Institute of Arts in Cuba, and created her first choreographies.During those years, she had the privilege of participating in several Ballet Festivals and Artistic Tours, nationally and internationally. Worked under the Direction of recognized choreographers and teachers such as Jorge Leffebre (Director of the “Wallonie Ballet of Belgium”), Alberto Alonso(Choreographer of the National Ballet of Cuba and creator of “Carmen”),Alberto Mendez ( Choreographer of the National Ballet of Cuba), Azari Plisetski ( Russian Choreographer and Ballet Master), among many others. Mrs. Gomez danced and choreographed at the Lyrical Theater Company “Rodrigo Prats” in Holguin, Cuba (1998-2000), cofounded the “Camera Ballet” of Holguin, Cuba (2000-2001) and was a Guest Teacher at the “Cuban Ballet School” of Ensenada, Mexico (2002-2004). Since 2005, she has lived in Naples and has been working as a Ballet Teacher, Choreographer and Artistic Director for annual performances at “Etudes de Ballet “(2005-2008) and at Naples Academy of Ballet (2008-2017).
Through the years, she has had the opportunity to work with different teaching methods such as the Royal Academy of Dance(RAD), the Russian Vaganova School and the Cuban Ballet School. Her creativity and versatility are highlighted in her teaching. She works with children of all ages and adults; teaches Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, all levels of Ballet school, Pointe, Variation, Floor Barre, Stretch and Modern classes. She is very passionate about her work and believes that … “Discipline, Concentration and Dedication to daily training is the key to success”...
Ally Rugarber
Allyson Rugarber started dancing around the age of three and has not stopped since. Growing up she took classes at a local studio in Howell, New Jersey called Monmouth Performing Arts Centre where she mainly studied ballet, tap, and jazz. In sixth grade Allyson became more serious about dance and auditioned to be on the competition team at her studio. After making the team she studied ballet, pointe, modern, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip-hop. Her first competition consisted of many group numbers in al styles, as well as her first duo in ballet. From here Allyson enjoyed the competitive atmosphere and began competing each season with solos, duos, trios, group, and production numbers in many different styles. When it came time for high school, she auditioned for a performing arts vocational school in her county. After being accepted into the program Allyson attended OCVTS Performing Arts Academy, where she majored in dance along with taking all of the normal high school requirements.
There she studied ballet, modern, and jazz daily, with guest artists each year that would teach different modern techniques, jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, ballet styles, and many more. In this program it was important to learn the background of dance and what made each style unique. As she progressed through the program, learning how to choreograph and teach became part of the curriculum. Outside of high school, at her studio Allyson would teach ages three to ten in styles of ballet, jazz, and lyrical. When it was time to do this in her high school program she strived to learn new techniques and qualities of being a good teacher and choreographer. At the end of her high school career, Allyson had to present a thesis presentation about her choice of dance theory. She proposed her own theory about the deconstruction of ballet, where she wrote a paper, made a powerpoint presentation, and choreographed and performed a solo in this style. After high school, Allyson went on to audition for Florida Gulf Coast University’s dance team. She was a part of the team for two years before she resigned. While on the team Allyson performed at all basketball games, UDA Nationals, community service, and other sports clubs events. In college she majored in exercise science and is expected to graduate in 2020.
Throughout her high school career, Allyson went to multiple dance camps. These include Atlantic City Ballet Winter Intensive, Joffrey Ballet Intensive, New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble Intensive, and New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble Yearly Program. Outside of just her dance career, Allyson participated in a few years of cheerleading, acting, singing, and musical theatre. Although these were not her main focuses, as younger child she would take lessons for acting and singing, where she then auditioned for multiple community theatre productions. In the fourth grade she played Tiny Tim in the production of "Scrooge the Musical" at The Strand Lakewood. Cheerleading was on of her hobbies from third to ninth grade, and she competed with her school each season. Her passion and dedication to the art of dance continues to give her new opportunities all the time. Allyson is thankful for where dance has gotten her in life and is excited for where this new opportunity at EDC will bring her.
