LANCOPERFORMINGARTS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director
- Assistance Creative Director, Music and Movements, Stretch and Strength, Lyrical / Contemporary, Ballet, Pointe, Tap / Jazz Combo
Alyson has been dancing since the age of 9, training in tap, jazz, contemporary, and ballet at Encore Productions in South Jersey. Throughout grade school and high school she competed both regionally and nationally. Alyson's performance experience includes corps and soloist roles in the Nutcracker at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, dancing in Reflections of Woodstock at Caesar's, and Andrea McArdle's Family Christmas Show at The Tropicana. Alyson studied dance at Moorpark College in Southern CA, and Stockton State College in South Jersey. She has been teaching many styles to all ages of dancers since 1999. She continues her education by reading and taking class when she has the opportunity and in 2016 became a part of Netco, a local contemporary dance company. Alyson is passionate about dance and honored to share her love and experience through teaching!
Karen Hershman started her performing career at the age of 8. Stan Deen of Garden Spot High School fame, cast her as Gretl in GSPA's first production of The Sound of Music. She then appeared on the local Dan Neidemyer variety show. Throughout elementary school she did various voice over and radio work. Karen studied dance at the Jan Forry school of dance in Millersville, PA. She continued her study of dance with Chet Zercher of Lancaster. Karen studied voice under Dr. Thomas Houser of New Holland, while continuing to perform in various GSPA productions. Karen continued to perform while raising her family doing voice over, modeling, and community theater. Karen took private acting lessons from the well known New York actress, Lisa Sweeney. Karen then had the thrill of performing with her children in GSPA's production of Meet Me in St. Louis. Her love of theater lead her to begin choreographing for various high school musical productions.
Karen then joined Laurel Dance Studio teaching Mommy and Me, Creative Movement I and II as well as Dance Explorers. Karen was then given the opportunity by Artistic Director Kathleen Megnin Millay to start a Broadway program at Laurel. Karen taught a total of 15 years with Laurel Dance and Footprints Performing Arts. Karen has continued to teach at two other dance studios, does pageant coaching and also teaches private voice lessons. Karen is very proud of the accomplishments of all her students, with special recognition to Kristine Hurdleston who is currently enrolled in Rider University as a musical theater major, Maille McNicholas who has various pageant awards and Jenna Zueno, who has appeared in various Dutch Apple Theater productions as well as the American Musical Theater Christmas show.
Karen has two children, Phillip Enck of Boston, MA and Fallon Gordon of Harrisburg, PA. Karen's daughter is a graduate of AMDA in New York City, and her son in law is a professional stunt man. Karen has two beautiful granddaughters Raiden and Eevee. Karen is also a published Interior Designer having appeared in various magazines and the book, "How To Work With An Interior Designer". Karen has completed projects across the country and is currently working on a project in Park City Utah.
Job Titles:
- Creative Director
- Director
- Founder
Dancing has been Katie's main focus and passion since the age of 14, after serving 10 years as a competitive gymnast. As a student, Katie has studied a broad range of styles, participating in many workshops and conventions with choreographers such as Wade Robson, Darrin Henson, and Chuck Maldonado, Shane Sparks, Mia Michaels and so many more.
Katie danced as a Junior Eagles Cheerleader in 2004, performing in the Lincoln Financial Field, at the halftime show. Katie joined the staff of Class Act Dance Studio in 2005 where she began teaching tap, jazz, ballet, and pointe. That year, she had the opportunity to choreograph a music ensemble production at Garden Spot Senior High School and continues to choreograph for their amazing productions each spring. Katie also taught hip hop at Capital Academy of the Arts and at Class Act Dance Studio and coached the Cocalico Senior High dance team in 2006, and Garden Spot Middle School's Dance Club during 2016 and 2017.
Katie continued to teach tap, jazz, dance fundamentals, and competition jazz teams for the next 4 years at Class Act Dance Studio earning multiple awards at various competitions across the region. In 2011, Class Act Dance Studio closed its doors and Katie decided to take on a new role as studio owner and artistic director of her own studio, Signature Dance Studio, LLC.
Running her own dance studio is a dream come true for Katie. She feels blessed to be able to guide and mentor students in their own journeys and appreciates helping them find their own passions and strengths in dance.
Katie continues to expand her dance and teaching education by taking master classes, attending workshops and conventions and more. She knows the learning is never over and is always excited to learn something new and then bring the knowledge to her staff and students.
In 2019, Katie made the decision to rebrand and relocate Signature Dance Studio to LanCo Performing Arts to expand her already established studio to welcome more students and offer more classes. Her goal is to offer a fun, safe, and family friendly place for children and adults to gain a positive dance experience!