Anneliese Burns Wilson
Director/Instructor
Anneliese Burns Wilson has been working professionally in the dance field for 40 years. Her concentration for the past 30 years has been on education. Anneliese’s career has allowed her to travel and work on 6 continents and in 40 of the 50 states; she’s still working on getting to the ones she’s missing. Her performance career included regional ballet companies, music videos, film, tv and regional theatre as well as being an internationally ranked competitive ballroom dancer. Her teaching career started at 18 and quickly moved on to her managing dance studios and then opening and running her own studio for 13 years. Her early training was at the School of the Garden State Ballet, The Ailey School, and with top teachers in Ballet, Modern and Jazz, both in the US and abroad who continue to influence how she teaches today. Outside of the studio she spent several years designing dance and wellness programs for senior living facilities, was a teaching artist for Dancing Classrooms North Texas and has been teaching academic school teachers how to integrate dance into their classrooms since 1998.
She is certified to teach through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance in London and the Pan American Teachers of Dance. She has been a long time member of the National Dance Council of America and the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science and was the ViceChairman of National Dance Foundation 9 years, where she remains an Honorary Board Member. Her company, ABC for Dance, has been writing curriculum and teaching material and training teachers in dance related subjects since 1999. Her materials are now in use in over 1800 schools and studios worldwide. Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Magazine and many teaching organizations use her as an expert in the field of dance education and injury prevention. In addition to her teaching credentials she is a fully certified pilates instructor (with 15 years experience as an Instructor Trainer) and has been trained in Muscle Activation Technique, Breast Cancer Exercise, Pre/Postnatal Exercise, Diastasis Recti Recovery, Post Menopause Exercise, Fascial Fitness, Movement for Neurological Conditions, Myofascial release, Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement, and Hypopressive Technique. She loves anatomy and has been lucky enough to work with Deborah Vogel, Irene Dowd and the amazing doctors at Icahn School of Medicine’s anatomy and orthopedic departments.
Anneliese knows that a very small percentage of students in her dance classes will pursue it as a career, but she believes that every student deserves the best training possible, so the choice is theirs to make and so that they can experience all the non dance benefits that good training provides.
Warren Curtis
Director/Instructor
Warren’s career as a performer has included the Broadway 1st National Tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, numerous companies of West Side Story, 42nd Street, and A Chorus Line. Regional credits include North Shore Music Theatre, The Berkshire Theatre Festival, The Maltz-Jupiter Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre, Opera North, The Fulton Theatre, Westchester Broadway Theatre, and The Cape Playhouse. Off-Broadway, he originated roles in Hazel Flagg at Theatre Row, The Reluctant Royal at the National Opera Company, and The Poisons for the International Fringe Festival. He has also performed in numerous concerts and industrials for ABC Daytime and Mac.
He received his dance training as a scholarship student at Steps in New York City, studying under Peff Modelski, Michael Vernon, Tony Stevens, Charles Goddertz, and Derick Grant, among others.
Warren teaches throughout the Tri-State area and adjudicates for national competitions. His teaching philosophy is to impart a solid technical foundation in order to give students the capability of full artistic expression. Emphasis is placed on correct alignment, proper use of turn-out, principle of forward motion, movement efficiency, musicality, and oppositional energy. Warren is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.
Lauren Salva
Instructor
Lauren began their dance journey in preschool. They trained at CPA from elementary school through HS graduation. Lauren started with Hip Hop and continued to fill their after school hours with Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and performance company rehearsals and performances. While Lauren was at CPA they had the opportunity to work with Ljuba Castot, Josh Walden, Michael Dauer, and Giada Ferrone in addition to the regular faculty. Heading into their senior year of HS, Lauren was a demonstrator for several classes at The Dance Teacher Summit in NYC.
Lauren has continued to pursue dance in college. At Bard College they took Composition and Contemporary African Dance Classes as well as Intermediate/Advanced Modern with Maleek Washington from Gibney Dance. Lauren looks forward to nurturing a love for dance and movement in all of the young artists they work with.
