"When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece."
...John Ruskin
STARZ
Instructor / Choreographer & Artistic Director - Lisa A. Colombo
Lisa has been teaching dance for 33 years. She began her study of
dance at the age of ten with Mrs. Helen Decker of Welch, WV. She continued her study with not only local instructors
but from top dance masters such as Luigi, Al Gilbert, Karen Hebert, Dawn Crafton, Joan Lather, Joel Ruminer, Rose Barile,
Savion Glover, Frank Hachett, Gus Giordano, and numerous others.
Lisa studied piano and voice for many years - from a very young age - and continued her study at Bluefield College
in Bluefield, VA. At Bluefield College she was dance instructor for the Fine Arts Community School and taught dance for P.E.
or Drama credit. Lisa also was choreographer for advanced gymnasts at Beckley Gymnastics (Beckley, WV) in 1995.
Lisa's dancers have competed in regional and national
competitions - from regional competitions in Charlotte, NC & San Jose, CA - to Nationals in New York City and Orlando,
FL - her students have won numerous awards for their excellence. She and her students have appeared on several television
shows. Lisa was hired by "EMG" (Educational Management Group) of Scottsdale, AZ, as featured dance instructor
for an educational dance video.
Lisa
has owned dance schools in West Virginia, Virginia and Arizona during the past 33 years. While living in Arizona she
taught at NORTH PHOENIX DANCE SCHOOL (Phoenix), off ice ballet at the "ICE CHALET" (Phoenix), and taught dance
for Peoria School District's SUMMER ACADEMY in 1997 & 1998.
Lisa trained in Ballroom Dancing in the Roanoke, VA area, and taught Ballroom at the FRED ASTAIRE
DANCE STUDIOS in Phoenix and Sun City, AZ, as well as in the two Virginias. She owned the "ACTION ARIZONA
PERFORMING ARTS CENTER" in Pima, AZ before returning to Bluefield.
Lisa enjoys theatre as well as dance & music. She appeared as the "Mountain
Poet" in Jean Battlo's "APPALACHIAN DAWN" - where she is noted as choreographer for the musical and songwriter
for the love song - "Gifts". She also portrayed the role of Dorothy in the musical production of "THE
WIZARD OF OZ".
Lisa has studied
with acting coaches and casting directors in Charlotte, NC, Orlando, FL, Tucson, AZ, Thatcher, AZ,and Los Angeles, CA.
She has directed plays and musicals - including "OZ", "HAPPILY NEVER AFTER", "THE TWELVE DANCING
PRINCESSES", and others. While in Arizona Lisa was choreographer for EASTERN ARIZONA COLLEGE in Thatcher, AZ, for the
drama and music departments. At EAC she is noted for her choreography in "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF", "GREASE",
and "SPRING SING 1999". She also served as choreographer in "FIDDLER ON THE ROOF" at Bluefield College,
Bluefield, VA, in 2005.
Lisa served
as choreographer for Virginia and West Virginia's "YOUNG WOMAN OF THE YEAR" (Junior Miss). She was also choreographer
for local pageants including "Miss Mountain Festival 2000" and "Miss Mercer County 2001".
Since the opening of STARZ SCHOOL OF DANCE in June 2000,
STARZ DANCERS have won over 700 regional and national awards - while competing at ACCESS BROADWAY regionals and nationals,
LA DANCE FORCE regionals, LA DANCE MAGIC Regionals, and STAR SYSTEMS regionals and nationals.
Student accomplishments have been no less than fabulous - from division
winners, high score award winners, scholarship recipients, and professional dance company members.
Lisa finds it very rewarding to be teaching "at home" again -
working with children of previous students -as well as new faces. Her main objective at STARZ is to provide local children
with top quality instruction and opportunities that are usually offered only in larger cities - and to teach life skills through
dedication, hard work, working together, and reaching goals.
Dance classes are not just about dancing - but self discipline, confidence, socialization,
and so much more. STARZ School Of Dance placed among the top three high scoring schools at ACCESS BROADWAY regionals
in Charlotte, NC, 2004 through 2007. We will continue to set our goals high - and to provide our students with the very best
in performing arts education.
Lisa,
her daughter Gabrielle, and other instructors at STARZ work together - providing our area with excellence in performing arts
education.
Gabrielle has been dancing for twenty years. She
began her study of dance with her mother - Lisa Colombo - at the age of two. Through the years she has competed in many
styles of dance - and has won top awards at regional and national competitions - beginning at the age of five.
She has been interviewed and featured
on dance related television shows, and has studied with many top professionals of the dance world. Gabrielle has studied and
competed in Charleston, WV, York, PA, Charlotte, NC, Tucson, AZ, Greenville, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, Gatlinburg, Tenn, San Jose,
CA, Los Angeles, CA, Orlando, FL, Phoenix, AZ, and New York, NY.
Gabrielle has also studied dance at NORTH PHOENIX DANCE SCHOOL (Phoenix, AZ), BETTY JOHNSON SCHOOL OF DANCE (Phoenix,
AZ), ACTION ARIZONA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER (Pima, AZ), THE GREATER YORK CENTER FOR DANCE EDUCATION (York, PA), BROADWAY DANCE
CENTER (New York City), STEPS ON BROADWAY (New York City), MYRTLE BEACH SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS (Myrtle Beach, SC).
Gabrielle was among the top five senior advanced soloists at STAR SYSTEMS regionals
held in Charleston, WV, in 2003. She was invited to perform in the opening & closing numbers at the STAR SYSTEMS
Nationals held in Myrtle Beach, SC. In 2007, Gabrielle received a Platinum score for her contemporary solo at STAR SYSTEMS
and earned the title of 2007 Regional Champion for her age division.
Gabrielle won a scholarship at the ACCESS BROADWAY regional competition held in Charlotte, NC, in January of 2004.
The scholarship was won by auditioning with dancers in "Triple Threat" - dance, vocal and acting skills. She
also won a scholarship at the LA ELITE event held in Cincinnati, Ohio, in November o 2004 - and in 2005 won the Grand Prize
Award at HOLLYWOOD VIBE in Charlotte, NC - including a Team Hollywood Vibe Scholarship and one week of unlimited classes at
Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles, CA.
At the
ACCESS BROADWAY National Competition held in Orlando, FL, (July 2004), Gabrielle was one of three DIVA Division performers
in the 13-21 age division who made the Triple Threat score - She also place platinum in all three modeling divisions- and
won three high score awards as well as a cash prize for her platinum acting entry. She also won the TRIPLE THREAT Award
in Charlotte, NC ACCESS BROADWAY event (2005), along with numerous platinum and high score awards - including Top Acting Score
and Top Vocal Score of the 2005 Regional event.
Gabrielle's
choreography won a Top Choreography Award in Charlotte, NC, in October of 2000. (LA DANCE FORCE), as well as the 1st place
Top Choreography Award in Charlotte, NC, in January of 2003 (ACCESS BROADWAY).
Gabrielle attended the NEW TALENT GENERATION dance workshop held in Charlotte, NC, where she won the CAPEZIO NEW
TALENT GENERATION DANCE SCHOLARSHIP.(Scholarship to STEPS ON BROADWAY in NYC).
Gabrielle was previously the ALL STARS program facilitator at Bluefield Middle School, where she worked with sixth
grade students. The ALL STARS program promotes self-esteem and positive choices, while delaying the onset of negative
behaviors in our nation's youth. Gabrielle also previously worked as host of a television show in Charleston, WV.
While living in Arizona, Gabrielle studied acting with Donna Pippin of ACTOR'S CONNECTION
(Scottsdale, AZ). (Note: Donna is the former director of the soap opera "Another World" and feature actress on "Guiding
Light".) Gabrielle has studied with casting directors and acting coaches in North Carolina, Arizona and California -
including Becka Korby, Jean Fowler, Bobby Clark, and others.
Gabrielle began modeling at the age of seven at the JEAN KENNEDY MODELING STUDIO (Beckley, WV). She continued modeling
(on scholarship) at ARIZONA SCHOOL OF MODELING (Scottsdale, AZ) - and was a top finalist in the GREAT AMERICAN MODELING AND
TALENT SEARCH in Los Angeles, CA (West Coast Finals) at the age of nine. Gabrielle attended the MANHATTAN MODELS SEARCH FINALS
in Washington, DC, in 2001 - where she took a modeling workshop.
Gabrielle
has been featured as a print model for THE CLAY PLACE (Phoenix, AZ) and for TUCSON TOURISM (Tucson, AZ). She has most
recently been featured as a cover model for PREROGATIVE Magazine (Bluefield, WV). Gabrielle has been hired for commercials,
dance videos, and magazine print work. She was represented by ACTION TALENT of Tucson, AZ, for 2 1/2 years - until leaving
Arizona. (Phyllis Boyd - Agent).
As a vocalist, Gabrielle
most recently studied voice at Bluefield College (Bluefield, VA), where she is noted for her performance of Hodel in the musical
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Gabrielle began taking voice lessons at the age of 10 in Phoenix, AZ - at QUIKS MUSIC - and continued
her study with Dee Wilkins - at ACTION ARIZONA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER - while living in Pima, AZ.
Gabrielle was a Honors Court Finalist in the Miss Teen Of West Virginia Scholarship
Program held in Buchannan, WV, in 2002 - placing 3rd. She also won the Runway Modeling Award (1st Place) and the Photogenic
Award (1st Place) at the Miss Teen Of West Virginia event.
Gabrielle won the title of Miss Southern West Virginia 2005 and competed at the Miss West Virginia pageant held in
Morgantown, WV, where she was 2nd runner up in 2005. The following year she competed locally winning the title of Miss
Princeton, and soon after was 1st runner up at the Miss West Virginia pageant held in Morgantown, WV, in 2006. (Miss America
Organization). Gabrielle was not only 1st runner up at the Miss West Virginia 2006 pageant, but also received a $500.00
Dance Scholarship at the event. As 1st runner up for the Miss West Virginia title, Gabrielle earned the title of Miss
West Virginia Sweetheart - and competed in the National Sweetheart Pageant held in Hoopeston, Illinois - in August of 2006.
Gabrielle was a top 5 finalist in the Miss West Virginia USA pageant held in Flatwoods,
WV, in the fall of 2007. In 2008 she won the title of Miss West Virginia International - at the state pageant held in
Bluefield, WV - and advanced to the Miss West Virginia International (national event) held in Chicago, Ill, in July of 2008.
Gabrielle's platform, WHAT'S YOUR ANTI-DRUG?, encourages young people to find their creative obsession (anti-drug).
She lives her platform, as Performing Arts is Gabrielle's anti-drug.
Gabrielle works together with her mother - Lisa - making the classes taught at STARZ strong in each division.
OTHER STARZ INSTRUCTORS INCLUDE:
Tammy Cooper - Tumbling Instructor
Heather Raskosky
- Tumbling Instructor / Cheer Team Instructor
Audrey Kirk - Tumbling Instructor
Adrienne Lock - Voice Instructor
Terry Kirk - Karate Instructor
Kelsey Sowder - Hip-Hop
Lauren Faulkner - Hip-Hop
Kellie Crane - Combination Classes
Emily Malamisura - Combination Classes
Kayli Williams - Combination Classes
Hannah Mayo - Combination Classes
Kaitlyn Beavers - Assistant Instructor
