Project Members
Who We Are
Mary-Catherine McAlvany
Founder, Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dancer
Raised in Houston, Texas, Mary-Catherine began dancing at age three under the guidance of Joee Shapiro and Carolyn Roberts School of Dance. She studied at numerous Tremaine Dance Conventions and US Summer Intensives. She also grew up training in musical theater with Theater Under the Stars’ Humphrey’s School of Musical Theater. At 17 she was in South Pacific with TUTS, and was a TUTS Intern during the partnership between TUTS and Disney culminating in the original musical, Beauty and the Beast. Mary-Catherine's choreography has been acknowledged at nationally respected competitions, winning multiple overall 1st place awards for large and small group categories, as well as choreography, entertainment and best technique awards. She has worked for National Dance Association and National Cheerleading Association, and numerous dance studios around the US. She went on to pursue modern and contemporary dance technique at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (Formerly Laban Dance Center) in England, performing new and experimental pieces for many notable contemporary British and European choreographers. Alongside earning a BA in philosophy and theology with honors from Boston College, Mary-Catherine attended the Boston Ballet School under ballet mistress Kristin Beckwith. She is a member of Merely Players theater company in Durango, CO, with whom she has performed in Mary Poppins (ensemble), Shrek the Musical (Sugar Plum Fairy/ ensemble), A Christmas Carol (Ghost of Christmas Past/ Mrs. Cratchet/ ensemble), and Sense and Sensibility (Elinor Dashwood), and with whom she has choreographed MacBeth, directed All Together Now, and choreograph and co-directed Bright Star.
Cassandra Owen
Founder, Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dancer
Cassandra has undergone the study of Cecchetti ballet and musical theater in her hometown of Huntington Beach, CA. At Pomona College in Claremont and beyond, she has studied modern dance and theory, West African and African-American dance, world history in the context of ballet, and choreography. She finds herself drawn lately to folk song and dance tradition, improvisation of both song and dance, and the contemporary ballet style. Cassandra wants the whole world to remember their innate musicality and hone their bodily artistry.
Kasey Hall
Co-Artistic Director, Choreographer and Dancer
Kasey has been dancing, performing, and teaching dance ever since her 3rd grade talent show, after which she was hooked! Kasey has performed the lead role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and lead role in CSUSB’s production of “The Witness.” Kasey co-founded Bear Lake Dance Company in her home town of Big Bear Lake, CA. She has performed with Los Angeles company Project 21, and as guest dancer with Boulder Colorado’s 3rd Law. In 2011, she found her niche dancing with the Hannah Khan Dance Company in Denver, with whom she danced for four years. More recently she co-founded and directed the Denver Choreographers Collaborative where she was able to showcase a growing body of choreographic work. Kasey currently dances with the Wildwood Dance Project, instructing, choreographing and creating dance media in Durango, CO. She has a good many more dance projects up her sleeve! She is also finishing her degree to be a licensed psychotherapist LPCC at NAROPA, and has recently opened two practices--a mindfulness counseling practice, Embodied Conscious Counseling, and Durango Walk and Talk Therapy .
Julianna Zastrocky
Founder, Contributing Artist and Choreographer
Julianna fell in love with dancing when she took her first dance class at age 16. That is when she began training in ballet, jazz and hip hop. She took her first contemporary and modern classes in college while studying Fine Arts. She began teaching dance in 1996 in Broomfield, CO. She started and directed a performance group there that included jazz, lyrical, and hip hop. They performed around the front range and at competitions. Most recently she has been teaching ballet, pointe, contemporary and lyrical. In 2018 she took girls to Youth America Grand Prix for ballet and contemporary. And to the Denver Ballet Guild in 2017 and 2018. Julianna’s love is ballet. She is passionate about the beautiful way ballet becomes a friend that helps us find a voice, builds strength and have courage. Julianna has always enjoyed contemporary dance as it allows her to be creative, expressive, and uses her diverse and ever changing dance experiences. She brings with her a strong emphasis on technique and personal expression. Always an artist, she finds great joy choreographing works. She alway has something she is working on wether it be for her classes, Wildwood Dance Project, Competitions or personal projects. She enjoys taking ballet, modern and contemporary classes here in Durango and in Denver.
Lucinda Zastrocky
Contributing Artist
Lucinda trained at Ballet Durango for nine years before moving to Broomfield, CO at the beginning of 2019 to train at The Colorado Conservatory of Dance. She has performed in works choreographed by Mary Tarpley, Danny Ryan, Christian Burns, Eli Nelson, Malinda Lavelle, Summer Lee Rhatiagan, Mary Margaret Holt, Julianna Zastrocky, Suzanne Haag, and Ilya Kozadayev. She has performed in seven productions of State Street Ballet’s The Nutcracker. She competed in The Denver Ballet Guild Competition in 2017 and 2018, and in The Youth American Grand Prix in 2018. Lucinda has attended The State Street Ballet summer intensive in 2014 and 2015; The Colorado Conservatory of Dance summer intensive in 2016, 2017 and 2018; The San Fransisco Conservatory of Dance summer intensive in 2017; and the University of North Carolina School Of The Arts summer intensive in 2018 on scholarship. Lucinda also performed in the dance film Beauty, choreographed and directed by Laurel Schaffer, as well as the wedding pas de deux from the ballet Sleeping Beauty. She knows that no matter what happens in her life, she will be dancing.
Laurel Schaffer
Founder, Contributing Artist
Laurel has spent over twenty years in the fields of art and design as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and fashion/costume designer. After growing up in Durango, she received a B.A. in English and a Minor in Dance from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Under the direction of Professors Shirley Roby, Carol Sherman, and Lisa Yount, she received comprehensive training in the modern techniques of Graham, Horton and Limon, choreographic methodologies, and Vaganova ballet technique.
Laurel went on to teach, choreograph and perform for The Haney Studio, the West Virginia Dance Festival, Charlotte City Ballet and the YMCA of Charlotte, North Carolina before returning to Durango
(for the first time). Back home, Laurel was a founding member of 3rd Ave. Dance Company, where she performed works over four seasons by K.T. Nelson of ODC San Francisco, Wade Madsen of Cornish College of the Arts, Shannon Hyatt, Suzy Disanto and Nancy Cranbourne of CU Boulder, as well as choreographing two original works for the company: From Here to There, and Red Seven. She also originated the role of Dew Drop Fairy for 3rd Ave Dance Company’s Nutcracker, as well as dancing Snow and Spanish. Concurrently, she taught ballet and creative movement at The Dance Center of Durango for ages 3 – adult. Additionally, she was honored to choreograph, produce, and perform in Tailwaters, a contemporary dance piece for eight women and shown at the Durango Arts Center.
After moving to San Francisco in 2008, Laurel received her degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and continued to train at Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, and ODC San Francisco. While thrilled to be able to enjoy some of the best dance companies in the country,
after seven years in S.F., Durango was calling and she returned home in 2015.
Laurel is excited to return to teaching, choreography and performance here in the Four Corners,
and is proud to be launching her first short dance film, BEAUTY.
Amanda St. Pierre
Founder, Contributing Artist
Amanda St. Pierre has been captivated by dance and the ways it moves us for all of her 42 years. She worked professionally as a dancer in modern and musical theatre for 6 years before obtaining her Doctorate of Physical Therapy, and is now a dance-injury specialist as well as a dance teacher and choreographer. She recently was the team physical therapist for the Vail International Dance Festival and worked with the dancers of NYCB and ABT.
Early in her career, she performed lead roles in several musicals (Fame, Hair, Falco, Carwash) in Europe and worked in the New York-based Momix as a professional dancer, as well as being hired by Cirque du Soleil with Celine Dion. One of her highlights of her professional career was dancing at the Life Ball AIDS Benefit in Austria with Elton John. She has appeared onstage professionally over a thousand times. She trained as a full merit scholarship student at Joffery for 4 years, was awarded full scholarship to Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as was admitted to the School of American Ballet. Amanda finished her ballet studies at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, then continued to study at the Paul Taylor School, the Limon Institute, and various other modern dance schools in NYC. Her most influential teachers include John Magnus, Finus Jhung, David Howard, and Judy Rice, and is grateful to her hometown, the city of Flint, for funding her early dance training.
Amanda is grateful to be sharing her love of dance with the Durango community and beyond.
Kristie Kiser
Founder, Contributing Artist
Kristie started her dance training at the age of six in ballet, jazz, tap, and gymnastics. In high school she extended her ballet training with the Royal Academy of Dance London. Kristie received her
Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in dance from the University of Houston in 1995. During that time she began working with The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, a contemporary
ballet company, under Artistic Direction of Dorrell Martin. Kristie worked as a teacher, company member, Educational and Outreach Director and even Board President. In 2003, Kristie and Dorrell organized Dorrell Martin Dance Fusion, where Kristie became Executive Director/dancer. The company made its international debut in Veracruz, Mexico, performing at the Festival Danza Cordoba. Other companies include Uptown Street Dance Company and the Swing Town Jitter Hoppers where she worked as an industrial performer. In 1996, Kristie performed at the Jazz Dance World Congress, Washington, D.C. Kennedy Center, under Artistic Director Steven Boyd. Kristie has had the honor to work with Liz Lerman, and Savion Glover to name a few. Kristie also choreographs, develops curriculum, and mentors. Other honors include being a guest choreographer and performer for the Holocaust Museum Houston Tribute to Survivors, Choreographers X6 and the Liz Lerman Hallelujah Project as well as a two year scholarship recipient at Hofstra University for Musical
Theater. Currently, she is on staff in the theater department at St. Columba. Kristie is also a Pilates Instructor and avid Crossfit athlete.
Biff Hilliard
Founder, Contributing Artist
When Bif was little she had a cousin who couldn’t say her full name Elizabeth and called her Bif. Like all great things it stuck. She grew up in Durango and developed a passion for movement. Starting young as a dancer she left at 14 to attend a boarding arts high school, Idyllwild Arts Academy, where she studied all forms of dance. In Idyllwild she took her first modern class and developed a love for the Lewitzky/Horton style. Studying from Bella Lewitzky's daughter Nora, Bif was immersed immediately in a very high level of classic post - modern dance. She then continued on to graduate with her Bachelor's in Fine Arts in Dance from Cornish College of the Arts and dance professionally in Seattle for many years. This love for dance naturally led her into the yoga world where she found the self loving generosity of this style of movement to be more catered to her. She now teaches yoga and dance in Durango, Colorado.
The culture and creativity of Bif’s contemporary dance teaching style is to gracefully connect movement with breath to give dancers a whole-body experience. Students will learn this through stylistic movement found in Horton, Limon, Duncan, Cunningham, Lewitzky, Graham, ballet and jazz techniques. It is all about finding a balance between functional movement and codified technique. Having anatomically correct cuing and sequencing is very important to her to keep everyone safe. Teaching dance is a way for Bif to build community and connect with others on a deeper level. As an open and honest person, Bif welcomes all students to contact her with any questions or opportunities.
When not teaching or practicing yoga, you can find Bif out on her family ranch south of Durango: gardening, raising cows, off fly fishing, snowboarding or playing with her chocolate lab puppy, Hope.