Choreographers

Michael Nickerson-Rossi, a dynamic dancer/choreographer/master teacher due to his training in modern, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop founded Nickerson-Rossi Dance in 2012. He has since premiered work in San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Tempe, Miami Beach, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, New York and Belize. His latest and most powerful works “Past and Present” were performed at the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum in 2016 where he served as Creative Director of Dance. Most recently Michael is the Creative Director of Dance at West Chester’s Uptown Theater and most recently opened the Nickerson Rossi- The Conservatory. Nickerson-Rossi is grateful for the company’s bi-coastal & international recognition and the opportunity to teach master classes in universities and with professional companies and studios.

Leslie Jones earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Central Oklahoma and an MFA in Dance from Texas Woman’s University. Leslie danced across the midwest with Perpetual Motion, Oklahoma’s premiere modern and aerial dance company. In 2014 Leslie moved to Charleston to teach dance in public schools, and in 2015 she joined the faculty at the College of Charleston. She is delighted to be working with such talented dancers, crew, and faculty here at CofC.

Jessica Cerovic earned a Bachelor of Performing Arts degree in Dance Performance from Oklahoma City University and was a professional dancer for over a decade.  She performed and traveled the world on Holland America and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines for over five years visiting over 40 countries and performed in several regional productions in the Washington, D.C. area.  Jessica is a certified Pilates and Barre fitness instructor and Holistic Health Coach.  She joined the College of Charleston dance faculty in the Fall of 2016 and is thankful for the opportunity to share her experiences as a dancer with her students.

Anna Brown is a senior Dance major with a concentration in Performance and Choreography, and a Psychology minor. This is her first time choreographing for the Fall faculty performance, and her first mainstage performance with the CofC Dance department. Prior, she has choreographed and performed in the annual Chapel Moves! student showcase.  Anna is incredibly grateful to the department faculty for extending the opportunity to restage her work, and she looks forward to future choreographic and performance endeavors after her graduation in the spring.

Erin Leigh received her B.A. from Lake Erie College and her M.F.A in Choreography from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Prior to earning her MFA, she performed, choreographed, and was a dance educator with the Dance Theater Collective, a contemporary dance company dedicated to community outreach and collaborations. In addition to teaching at CofC, Erin is a dance integration teaching artist and presents teacher training workshops for K-12 educators.

Pamela O’Briant earned her BA in Ballet with a teaching certificate from Virginia Intermont College.  Upon graduating, she danced professionally with Ballet Michigan,Charleston Ballet Theater as well as other professional Ballet companies.  Pamela is a certified Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor for PraXis Pilates.  In 2012, Pam joined the dance faculty at the College of Charleston and is honored to be a part of this department.

Kristin Alexander earned a BA in Dance from Goucher College (MD) and a MFA from George Mason University (VA). She is the artistic director of Annex Dance Company, and has presented work throughout the East Coast, as well as worked with many students through the company’s residency program. Kristin joined the College of Charleston dance faculty in 2012 and appreciates the opportunity to serve as the concert’s Artistic Director this year.

Gretchen McLaine, PhD, MA, BA is the Director of the dance program and an Associate Professor of Dance at the College of Charleston. She received her BA in Dance from Winthrop University, her MA in Dance from American University, her Ph.D. in Human Development from Marywood University, and holds a certification in Labanotation. Dr. McLaine has previously taught at American University, the University of Oklahoma, and DeSales University, and has served as a teacher, choreographer, director, and dancer throughout the United States. She has presented her original research at several venues, including the Dance Kinesiology Teachers’ Conference (2011) and annually at the National Dance Education Organization’s conferences since 2011. She is also the Director of Student Initiatives on NDEO’s Advisory Board of Directors.