Toni Bazala- Founder and Artistic Director
Creative Movement, Ballet, Pointe, and Special Needs
In July, 2003, the Lord placed a desire on Toni's heart to teach and choreograph. Within two weeks,thirty students had enrolled and the Pazaz Christian Dance Academy was founded.
Toni started her dance training at the age of three. She studied with David Howard, Patricia McBride, Jonathan Phelps, Patricia Sorrell, Cherie Noble, Richard Cook, Marcia Dale Weary, Darla Hoover, Gennadi Vostrikov, and Robert Steele and has performed with various groups throughout the Eastern United States. She also danced professionally with the Harrisburg Ballet for two years before moving to the Pittsburgh area. She is currently a team leader for the Zion's Crown Dance Ministry and the Abraham's Seed Children's Dance Ministry at Word of Life Ministries in Greensburg, PA.
Toni and her husband have three wonderful children, Michael, Kaitlyn, and Jacob.
Faculty
Sheena Abraham - Teacher
Hip Hop
Sheena is a born and raised native of Queens, New York. She graduated from NYACK College with a degree in Intercultural Studies and a minor in Pastoral Ministry and Bible. Sheena is currently on staff at Word of Life Ministries as their Youth Ministries Coordinator and Assistant Youth Pastor. Sheena danced all through High School and continued to dance in college, which included two years of stepping. She joined our Pazaz family in 2009.
Karalyn Dick - Teacher
Tap, Jazz
Karalyn is an honor student at Greensburg Salem Senior High School and an active member of her High School Marching Band. Kara has been Dancing with Pazaz Christian Dance Academy since 2003, studying ballet, Pointe, tap, jazz, modern and hip hop. Kara was a recent addition to our Pazaz staff in 2009.
Dinah Mason - Teacher
Ballet, Level VIII
Dinah
Mason is a graduate of Point Park University with a B.A. in Dance. She
studied Vaganova (Russian) ballet under Petrus Van Muyden, the Primier
Danseur of the Paris Opera. Dinah
founded and ran her own dance school for 23 years which closed at the
end of 2008. Through the many years of teaching, Dinah developed a
unique and pleasingly friendly teaching philosophy. Dinah
has danced for more the 50 years and her love for the art form is one
of the gifts she passes on to her students. She is very pleased to be a
part of Pazaz Christian Dance Academy.
Rachel McCallister- Teacher
Conditioning
Rachel
is a graduate of Hempfield Area High School and is currently studying
Early Childhood Education at the University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg.
She is a member of the choir at Word of Life Ministries, teaches the
preschool class on Sundays, and assists Michelle Rosensteel with the
Radically Saved Boys Dance Team. Aside from music and church activities,
one of the most important things to Rachel is to remain physically fit.
She has received her Conditioning training from Nathan Argenta of
Anytime Fitness. Rachel is excited to join our team and to share her
knowledge of fitness to help our dancers become as strong and healthy as
possible.
Rachael Petrill - Teacher
Tap, Jazz, Modern, Tumbling
Rachael has studied dance for 18 years. Exploring, many different styles, what she loves above all is dance's ability to communicate story & emotion and form connections. In college, she founded & directed a dance division of the theatre department while majoring in education. Along with years of jazz, tap, ballet, pointe, & hip hop, she has also taught & explored swing, modern, salsa, tango, Bollywood, & African. She hopes to someday make the marriage of special education & the performing arts common practice.
Michelle Rosensteel - Teacher
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Baton
Michelle has studied baton since the age of three. She has competed in numerous competitions all over the United States, both in group and individual performances. She was captain of her squad in both junior and senior divisions, as well as in college. She has twirled many different types of batons, including hoop, flag and fire. Michelle has studied Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Pointe at Pazaz for the past 5 years and continues to grow by leaps and bounds. She is very excited to share her passion for dance with the dancers at Pazaz.
Michelle is a second grade teacher at Armbrust Christian Academy. She is a member of Word of Life Ministries where she teaches preschool Sunday School and is the Leader of the Boys Hip Hop Dance Ministry.
