Full Time Faculty
Kathy Meyer
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Kathy Meyer has been a full time dance instructor for the
Grossmont College Dance Department since 1989. She has served as
department coordinator/chair for the past twelve years. She received
her B.A. in Dance from California State University at Long Beach and
her masters in dance and theater at California State University at
Fullerton. She has danced with the Gloria Newman Dance Theater, The
Matti Lasco Dance Company, and studied and performed with Repertory
Dance Theater (RTD). She has danced and choreographed for a variety
of musicals including Sweet Charity, Pajama Game, Dancin’, The Lorax,
Fiddler on the Roof, Once Upon a Mattress, and others. She has
performed in musical videos and various industrials. Additional
teacher/ master class teacher credits include CAHPERD workshops and
pilates masterclasses for Grossmont High School, Valhalla High
School, and Sweetwater Springs High School. She completed her
comprehensive pilates certification through On Center Conditioning,
located in Costa Mesa California, and under the tutelage of master
instructor Rael Isacowitz. The 600 program incorporated academic
study, apparatus work, extensive apprenticeship training and
observation. In addition to developing the Pilates course, (titled
Body Tone and Strengthening) for Grossmont College Kathy has also
developed the curriculum and initially instructed the following
courses for the dance department: Musical Theater Dance, Dance
History, Turns, Studio Workshop in Ballet, Studio Workshop in Jazz,
Studio Workshop in Modern, and the Beg/Int/Adv. Courses in Teaching
Practicum in Dance. Kathy currently teaches Body Tone and
Strengthening (Pilates), Modern, Studio Workshop in Modern, Studio
Workshop in Jazz, Choreography I/II, and co-directs both the faculty
and student dance concerts. |
David Mullen
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David Mullen has been teaching at Grossmont College since 1998.
He has a B.A. degree in teaching of dance from UC Irvine and an
M.F.A., with an emphasis in choreography, from the University of
North Carolina at Greensboro. The majority of David’s experience is
in theater dance, having performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, and in
industrials, national tours, and videos. He has also performed with
Ballet Pacifica, and the San Francisco-based post-modern dance
company, High Risk Group. In addition to choreographing for annual
faculty dance concerts, he has also choreographed for a variety of
musicals and plays including The Club, The Fantasticks, Working, The
Lorax, and The Minneola Twins. Other guest artist/teaching credits
include annual CAHPERD workshops (1997, 2001), and Cal Poly Pomona.
David teaches jazz, modern, Introduction to Dance, and Studio
Workshop classes in Jazz and Modern Dance, as well as co-directing
student and faculty dance concerts. |
Adjunct Faculty
Melissa Adao
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Melissa
Adao is known for her energetic performances
and her continuous passion to become
a better dancer. She began training at the age of 17
and since then, has soared into a
successful journey of dance experiences. Melissa has danced
with Unity Dance Ensemble, Urban FX, Hi-Fidelity
and is currently a company member is
Super Galactic Beat Manipulators under the direction of
Kevin Brewer . Professionally, she has worked with Lisa
"Left Eye" Lopes, Andy Dick, Athena Cage,
and appeared on the Nickelodeon series, "Taina" just
to name a few. She also performed with rock group No Doubt,
in the Super Bowl Halftime Show. She has taught
and performed internationally in
Zurich, Switzerland for the Culture Shock Summer Workshop
Series and in Qatar. Melissa
received a B.A. degree in dance from San Diego State
University. She currently teaches hip hop at Grossmont and
Mesa Community College. As an instructor, she
enjoys sharing the love and passion
for dance with her students and is
blessed to be a part of the journey that helps them reach
thier maximum potential. She thanks God for giving her the
gift of spreading the art of dance and
the opportunity to use it in a positive way. In her free
time, she loves to box at the boxing club and read books
that challenge her mind. |
Kristin Arcidiacono
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Kristin
Arcidiacono has been teaching in San Diego for over 20 years. She
holds a Masters Degree in Education and a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Degree in Dance. She has performed with Strictly Jazz Dance Company
and Jazz Unlimited Dance Company in San Diego and toured Europe as a
Jazz and Musical Theater dancer with various dance companies.
Kristin also performed in a German television documentary on Jazz
Dance. She has acted and danced in several television commercials,
and has worked with local T.V. personalities on Industrials and
charity events with her choreography endeavors. She was Dance
Captain for the Cashai Dancers during their weekly performances in
San Diego and on tour for several years. Kristin has choreographed
for the Dance Departments at UCSD, San Diego Ballet, Stage 7,
Peninsula Dance Arts, Mesa College, City College and Grossmont
College. She is currently on the Faculty at UCSD, City, Mesa and
Grossmont Colleges and teaches Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Musical Theater
Dance. |
Nancy Boskin-Mullen
Nancy Boskin-Mullen teaches Social and Ballroom Dance at
Grossmont College. She enjoyed a nomadic career as a professional
dancer and choreographer which spanned three decades and three
continents, before attending UCLA, where she received a B.A. in
World Arts and Cultures with a concentration in dance, and an M.A.
in Dance. She has been on faculty at several colleges in Los
Angeles and San Diego, instructing a variety of classes including
Jazz, Tap, Modern, Swing Dance, World Dance, And Social and Ballroom
Dance. She has also instructed lecture courses in Dance
Appreciation, Field Studies, and Movement as Cultural Behavior.
Marta Keeney-Jiacoletti
Marta Keeney-Jiacoletti received her BFA and MFA in Dance from
California Institute of the Arts. She has an extensive background in
modern, jazz, and ballet dance techniques that exemplify classical
lines and moving the body with efficiency. Ms. Jiacoletti has taught
a wide variety of dance styles and methods throughout the San Diego
area since 1985. She currently teaches Modern, Ballet, and Stretch
and Alignment at Grossmont College. In 1999, she began developing
the dance program at Grossmont High School, and has been department
chair for performing arts since 2000. She holds a CLAD teaching
credential in physical education. Professionally, Ms. Jiacoletti has
danced with Patricia Sandback and Dancers, Isaacs and McCaleb, Ellen
Segal, and the Harry Partch Ensemble. Ms. Jiacoletti is actively
involved with CAHPERD dance and movement workshops. She has taught
classes in modern and partnering/support since 1996. Currently, Ms.
Jiacoletti teaches full-time at the high school level and continues
to choreograph for students at various technical levels.
Colleen Shipkowski
Colleen Shipkowski began her training under artists of the San
Francisco Opera Ballet, then received her B.A. and M.F.A. degrees in
dance from UC Irvine. She is the author of “Passing Through
Plateaus: Effective Teaching Methods,” published by Dance Teacher
Now. Colleen’s eclectic credits include choreography and dancing for
ballet companies, musical theatre productions, concert dance
companies, industrials, and two KPBS television specials. In San
Diego, she has served as a member of the Board of Directors for
Patricia Rincon, as resident choreographer for Patty Hoffman,
created ballet departments for three dance studios, and successfully
developed both the Dance History & Appreciation courses at
Southwestern, Mesa, and Grossmont colleges. Since 1983, Colleen has
created at least three choreographic works each semester for three
college dance companies. She has been on faculty at Southwestern
College since 1993, Mesa College since 1987, and in 2001 she was
honored with the Excellence In Teaching Award from Grossmont
College, where she has been teaching ballet for almost 20 years. In
summer 2002, Colleen created a pointe shoe fitting guide for her
advanced classes, which was adopted by Capezio stores to help fit
their customers. Currently, she is pursuing a certificate in
Cecchetti Ballet from the Imperial Society of Dancing Teachers under
the tutelage of Sylvia Palmer-Zeitler.
Debi Toth
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Debi Toth holds a BFA in Performing Arts from Johnson State
College in Vermont and an MA from San Diego State University, where
she was awarded the 1998 alumnus of the year. Debi’s choreography
has been presented in New York, San Diego, Los Angeles, and recently
in the “Other Side” festival in Seattle. In 1996, Debi was selected
by the San Diego Union as one of the top ten choreographers to be
watched. She has an extensive performing career as will. She was a
member of the Throne Dance Theater in New York, where she appeared
with Dave Brubeck and sons. In San Diego she has been seen with
Three’s Company, Patricia Sandback and Dancers, and was a founding
member of Malashock Dance, where she assisted the director for nine
years. Debi has taught children of all ages, several college
residencies nationally, and is on the faculty at Grossmont College,
City College, and Southwestern College. |
Karl Warkentein
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Karl Warkentien began his career dancing in a trio with Gene Kelly on
The Mike Douglas Show. TV: Tim Conway Special, Diagnosis Murder, ABC
AfterSchool Special, 1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony, . Film: Disney’s
Pocahontas, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, Chances Are, I’ll Do Anything,
Mirrors, Breakdown. Stage: Wizard of Oz at Radio City Music Hall,
Midsummer’s Night Dream, Brigadoon, West Side Story, South Pacific,
Music Man, Phantom, On the Town, Gypsy, Pirates of Penzance. Clio
award winning Pepsi commercial opposite Michael J. Fox.
Morton Gould’s Tap Concerto with orchestras across the U.S. |
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