We are fortunate to have a wonderful staff of dance teachers, voice coaches, and office personal, who bring a positive, family oriented vibe to the studio.
Sherri Shortell Director / Owner
Sherri Shortell is the Director of Center Stage Dance and Performing Arts Center and the Center Stage Dance Company. Sherri has been teaching and performing in the Washington Metro area since 1979 after studying in New York and Connecticut. She has performed at the Kennedy Center, the White House, the Smithsonian Institution, and Wolf Trap […]
Mrs. Donovan took her first ballet class at the age of 3 and hasn’t stopped dancing since. She studied education in college and took ballet classes with a local studio and company in her free time. She first started teaching ballet in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2012. In 2015 she got married and moved to Virginia. Soon after moving here, she began teaching […]
Laura Halick voice instructor, drama/musical theatre instructor
Laura Halick is with us for a twentieth year at Center Stage. She is our vocal coach, our non competition drama/musical theatre instructor and also works with our competition musical theatre teams on vocals. Mrs Halick also runs her own private voice studio, thriving with children, teenagers and adults who come from all over northern […]
Michael Hibbs is a graduate of Oklahoma City University as a dance performance major and a Center Stage alum. Most recently he has been a featured performer on Holland America Cruise lines and is looking forward to teaching tap classes here at Center Stage! In addition to Holland America, he has performed at Cedar Point […]
Erin Loesley is a Registered Acrobatique AcroDance Instructor. After dancing and taking acro (although when she was young, it was called “Jazz and Gym”) for most of her childhood in Pennsylvania, she recently got back into dance when her three children started dancing at Center Stage. With a varied athletic background from playing and coaching many sports, […]
Jodeci Milhouse hip hop, jazz and tap classes, tap competition team
Jodeci Milhouse (singer/dancer/choreographer) is blazing her own path in the hip hop industry. She instructs and choreographs throughout the metro DC area. She has worked with renowned Directors and Choreographers such as Kenny Ortega, Debbie Allen, Geo Hubela, Dena Rizzo, and Bradley Taylor. Jodeci spreads her love for hip hop through her high energy workshops […]
Chris “Peanut” Saunders is a graduate of Shenandoah University as a dance major. He is teaching at several local dance studios and will be teaching contemporary classes here at Center Stage. He has performed for the last several years on Holland America cruise ships. He is thrilled to be back at Center Stage, where he […]
Laura Sniegowski Schmidt ballet, tap and jazz classes
Laura Sniegowski is a graduate of Oklahoma City University with a Bachelor of Science degree in American Dance Pedagogy and begins her sixth year here at Center Stage. While in the program she taught tap, jazz, hip hop and ballet at the Community Dance Center at OCU. She was a production assistant for the American Spirit […]
Cristina Cayere Shockey was in the first professional Company at Center Stage Performing Arts Center when Sherri Shortell opened its doors in 1990 as a non-profit to preserve the American Art form of Tap. Over 26 years she studied, performed and competed in Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical and Musical Theatre. She taught jazz, tap, and […]
Mr Hilary Wright will be teaching ballet at Center Stage for this coming school year. Hilary Wright studied on full scholarship at Joffrey School, ABT School, Maryland Youth Ballet, David Howard Academy, and Virginia Ballet. He has performed with the Bejart Ballet in Brussels, Cincinnatti Ballet, and Harkness Youth Company. He was a soloist with […]