INSTRUCTOR PROFILES:

LAURI WELTEROTH,Owner, for over two decades Lauri has taken pride in creating confident, expressive dancers, and strong, intelligent individuals.  As owner of the Dance Center, she emphasizes bringing the latest dance styles, the best technical training, and a well-rounded staff to her students.

ALISON STROOP, Dance Director, holds a BFA in dance from Oklahoma City University and has extensive teaching experience in ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, and kinderdance.  She taught at dance schools in Boston & surrounding areas, New York, New Jersey, and Chicago.  She has numerous credits including A Chorus Line, Crazy for You, Nutcracker/Boston, and dance captain Busch Gardens, Virginia.  Alison has been the Dance Director at LKW for ten years.   Alison and her husband Dean relocated from New York City to Montoursville in 1999, they now have two beautiful daughters and are happy to call Pennsylvania home.

DEAN STROOP attended Indiana University as a theatre major and has teaching/choreography experience in tap, clogging, jazz & musical theatre.  Dean performed in NYC for several years.  Some of his numerous credits include the First National Tour of Crazy For You, Minnie Pearl’s Grand ‘Ol Country Music Tour, 42nd Street, European Tours of “Hair” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” and many more. 







RACHEL PAULHAMUS began her professional training at North Carolina School of the Arts, where she received her high school diploma with a concentration in ballet.  In 2002, she graduated as Outstanding Graduate from Point Park University, where she earned a BFA in dance performance.  While performing at PPU, she received principle ballet roles in Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Kip Sturm’s “Dolce al Tango”, corp de ballet roles in Balanchine’s “Donizetti Variations” and “Valse Fantasies”, as well as roles in many other ballets.  After college, she received additional performance experience while performing with Columbia City Ballet.  In 2005, she became a faculty member of LKW Dance Center as a ballet teacher.

REBECCA ANNE PHILLIPS trained at LKW and completed the “teacher in training” program. She has been working with young children for many years.  She holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Lock Haven University.

MICHELE KAUTZ joined LKW in 1989 as a member of its Performing Dance Company.  She began dancing in elementary school and studied Ballet further at the University of Pittsburgh.  She delivered LKW’s Kinderdance outreach program to local daycare centers and schools.  Michele has been teaching young children for many years.

 

 

 

 

JAIME KARICHNER holds a BS in Elementary Education with a minor in Special Education and a concentration in Dance from Lock Haven University. She has taught numerous styles of dance to students of all ages in the Central Pa area, as well as choreographed for classes, performances, and competitive dance.  Her professional development includes completing a Jazz Teacher's  workshop at The Broadway Dance Center in NYC , participating in "The Work of Mia Michaels" summer dance intensive, and becoming certified in Zumba and Zumbatomic.  Jaime hopes to enrich the artistic and cognitive development of all her students through the performing arts.

 

 

 

PAMELA NIEMCZYK is new to the LKW staff.  She will be teaching our acro/gymnastic program.  Pamela has extensive knowledge of gymnastics and loves working with children.