Academy Faculty 2011-2012

Lisa Taylor - Director, Owner  Mrs.Taylor has over 30 years of experience teaching dance. She holds Professional Advanced Teaching Certification through the Cecchetti Council of America  and is affiliated with both the National Dance Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. A teaching artist for the Arts in Education Institute of Western New York for more than a decade, she also worked with Pick of the Crop Dance for 8 years as a Teaching Artist, Rehearsal Director, and Assistant Production Manager.  Mrs. Taylor was on faculty in the Fine Arts Department at the Buffalo Seminary for 5 years, and recently created a dance education program for Oracle Charter School in Buffalo. 

She received her main training as a performer and teacher of classical ballet from Norma Ferrara Gelose of the Ferrara Studio of Ballet Arts.  She also studied modern dance technique under Marie Ziccarelli, tap, and several styles of jazz, Character Dance, and Mime Theater.  Mrs. Taylor was a performer, rehearsal director, and choreographer for the Young Dancers' Workshop, Ken-Ton Ballet, and National Theatre of Dance from 1976 - 1990 during which time she performed leading roles in Les Patinuers, Rodeo, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, and Swan Lake. Her performance experience extends to children's ballets Fox Hunt, Hansel and Gretel, and Peter and the Wolf, as well as to Mime Theater.  She has directed liturgical dance at several area churches and has presented workshops in liturgical dance.  Mrs. Taylor also directs the Academy's performing troupe.

Romney Taylor -  Karate, Boys Dance, Partnering   Sensei Romney currently holds the rank of 2nd degree Black Belt in Isshin Ryu Karate.  His certification comes from Okinawa, Japan, through Angi Uezu.  He began his training under John Overton, one of the original founders of World Fighting Arts.  Over the 20 plus years he has been training, Sensei Romney has taught Karate under John Overton and later Tony Overton at World Fighting Arts, as well as at Kodokan under Skip Coones.  He also trains in Goju Ryu, one of the root styles of Isshin Ryu.  Students enjoy his respectful teaching style and thorough instruction.  Parents of younger students appreciate his emphasis on discipline, self-control, and character development. 

In addition to his qualifications as a Karate Sensei, Mr. Taylor is also an accomplished dancer.  He studied for many years under Norma Ferrara Gelose of the Ferrara Studio of Ballet Arts during which time he performed leading roles in many ballets for the National Theatre of Dance as well performing in Mime Theater.  Roles he has performed include:  The Poet in Les Sylphides, Champion Roper in Rodeo, Green Boy in Les Patineurs, the Princes Florimund, Charming, and Sigfried in Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Swan Lake, respectively; Duke Albrecht in Giselle; and the Cavalier in Nutcracker, among others.  His experience in classical roles and partnering is extensive and we are very happy that he has agreed to share his knowledge with us.

Kerry Ann Ring -  Ballet, Pointe, Modern, Yoga   originally from Buffalo, New York, trained in the Cecchetti Method under the direction of Norma Ferrara Gelose and has studied at the Joffrey Ballet School, National Academy of the Arts, the American Dance Festival, and the Paul Taylor School.  She has been a company member with the Nevada Dance Theatre, Delta Festival Ballet, the Santa Fe Opera, the Bill Evans Dance Company, and Molissa Fenley and Dancers.  Ms. Ring received her BFA in Dance from the University of New Mexico and her MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Mills College in Oakland, California.  Currently, she teaches ballet and modern dance at local dance studios and colleges and at Nichols School as well as performing and creating original choreography with Buffalo Contemporary Dance and Pick of the Crop.  Ms. Ring trains in Hatha Yoga at the Himalayan Institute.  Having recenty passed her Professional Intermediate Teachers' Examination through the Lisa Taylor Academy of Ballet and Dance Arts and the Cecchetti Council of America, Ms. Ring is now certified to teach the Cecchetti Method of classical ballet  She is a licentiate member of the Cecchetti Council of America.

Carly Blair - Ballet

Sarah Seiler - Ballet

                     Lisa Taylor Academy of Ballet & Dance Arts ~ Romney Taylor's World Fighting Arts

                                          97 North Park Ave.  ~ Buffalo, NY 14216 ~ 716.446.0447

                                                             LISATAYLORBALET@hotmail.com