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CSU Dance Conservatory - Instructors

Maria Hirsch Maria received her early training in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Ballets de San Juan studying under Ana Garcia and joined the company at age 12. She attended the School of American Ballet, Joffrey and New York City Ballet during the summers where she studied under George Balanchine, Melissa Hayden, and Jacques d'Amboise. In 1995, she co-founded The Columbus Ballet. She received a degree in Elementary Education with a major in Special Education. Maria has staged numerous full length productions of The Nutcracker Ballet, Cinderella, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Giselle and excerpts from Sleeping Beauty, as well as numerous original compositions.

Bridget Adams Bridget started her dance training with Jackie O'Neal School of Dance in Birmingham, Alabama with a concentration in ballet, jazz, and acrobatics. After ten years of training there, she began teaching at Nix Dance Studio in Auburn, Alabama while completing her BA degree in art. Ms. Adams came to Columbus in 2004 and began taking classes at CSU Dance Conservatory. She performed in the Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Swan Lake with The Columbus Ballet. She finds great joy teaching the students at CSU Dance Conservatory and sharing with them her passion for dance.	Laura Johnson Laura received the majority of her early training at The Dance Factory under the instruction of Mrs. Susan Fisher. She continued her training at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and received her B.A. in Dance and International Relations in 2001. Upon graduation, Laura attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC on a Young Artist Scholarship to continue her studies in modern dance. She continued her training while earning her M.A. in Performing Arts Management at American University in Washington, D.C.
Danelle McNew Danelle received her Bachelor's of Arts in Family Studies from Samford University in Birmingham, AL. She danced with Kids Dance Company. In Boyton Beach, FL. She choreographed many pieces for dance teams and theatre performances. She has taught ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, jazz, cheer leading, and tumbling.	Tyffany Jarczyk Tyffany has a degree in Dance Education from Brenau University. She has taught ballet, modern and jazz from beginner levels to advanced and was a member of Brenau Ensemble for two years. She was a senior company member at Lilburn School of Ballet and performed different roles in Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Swan Lake.
Janie Sutcliffe Janie began dancing at the age of 3. At age 9, she began taking classes at The Columbus Ballet Conservatory. She played the roles of Clara, Marzipan, the Snow Queen, and the Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker and also participated in The Columbus Ballet Company productions such as Coppelia, Cinderella, Firebird and Swan Lake. Janie has participated in summer dance programs in various cities, and has served as a counselor for ABT in Tuscaloosa’s summer intensive. She attended The University of Alabama, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance. While working on her dance degree, she participated in teaching programs at multiple middle schools, teaching creative movement classes for children ages 5-12.	Jordan McDonald Jordan has been dancing since the age of 3. Originally from Richmond, VA, she is trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern and lyrical. She’s been teaching since 2002, and she received her teaching certification from Dance Educators of America in 2006. She danced with Pure Dance Company (Portland, OR) from 2008-2010. Jordan strives to help her students find happiness and love in dance. She stays current and inspired by attending workshops and traveling to L.A. and NYC as much as possible.
Anna Rodriquez Anna began her ballet instruction with Maria Hirsch and danced with The Columbus Ballet until she graduated from Pacelli High School. Anna attended summer dance intensives with Atlanta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. She earned a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia in 2009 and danced with the UGA Ballet Ensemble for two years. She is currently working on her Master's in English Education from Columbus State University.