GAB’s Faculty & Staff
Christopher Pennix
Ballet Master, Choreographer
Christopher, a North Carolina native, began his ballet training at the age of 17 with Greensboro Ballet. He then received a scholarship to study at the North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of Melissa Hayden, Christine Spizzo, and Warren Conover.
Upon leaving NCSA he performed with Ballet Theater of Maryland and then went on to join North Carolina Dance Theatre where he was able to expand his repertoire performing in Neo-classical and Contemporary works by George Balanchine, Alonzo King, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharpe, William Forsythe, and Nacho Duato among many others.
After leaving NCDT Christopher joined Columbia City Ballet where he had the privilege of performing soloist and principal roles in ballets like Dracula, Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo and Juliet all while continuing to perform as a guest artist with various companies across the country.
Christopher's most recent work includes dancing for the Opera. Most recently performing principal roles at the Kennedy Center with The Washington National Opera in productions of " La Cenerentola" and "Florencia en el Amazonas" in addition to performances with LA Opera and Opera Carolina.
Julianne Russell
Ballet & Costume Mistress
Ms. Russell is originally from Medford, NJ and began her ballet training at The Princeton Ballet School. She spent time performing with American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Graham Lustig and also spent a year as an apprentice with Ballet Florida. Ms. Russell danced with Ballet Theatre of Maryland from 2010-2012 where she performed a wide variety of roles as a company dancer. In 2012 Ms. Russell joined Manassas Ballet Theatre where she has extended her repertoire, performing roles such as Cupid in Don Quixote, the Sugarplum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” and Aurora in “The Sleeping Beauty”. She continues to dance professionally with Manassas Ballet Theatre. Ms. Russell is currently completing the NASM certified personal training course in order to bring proper cross-training, injury prevention and injury rehab to dancers.
Emily “Emmy” Ryan
Creative Movement, Contemporary 1 & Tap 1
Mrs. Emmy Crandell began her dance training at the age of two and continued to expand her knowledge through the years learning the styles of jazz, tap, ballet, and lyrical. Mrs. Emmy’s passion for dance was heavily influenced by her mother, a dedicated dancer and instructor of many years. During her senior year of high school, Mrs. Emmy attended a youth dance summer camp at Anne Arundel Community College where she studied tap and contemporary with Elda Trombley, Ballet and modern with Racheal Labonte, African and hip hop with Chioma Akwara, and Middle Eastern with Missy Elliot.
After graduating high school, Mrs. Emmy decided to attend Anne Arundel Community College where she received her AA degree in liberal arts with a concentration in dance. While at AACC Mrs. Emmy received guidance from incredible professors including Lynda Fitzgerald, Margaret Russell, Adjetey Klufio, and Robert Kleinendorst. Mrs. Emmy was able to study the styles of jazz, ballet, and modern more in depth while working with these individuals. Mrs. Emmy’s time at AACC was a pivotal point in her dance journey as she began to discover her own unique artistry. Mrs. Emmy also had the opportunity to dance alongside talented performers on the AACC dance company directed by Robert Kleinendorst and attended the American College Dance Association conference this past spring at Slippery Rock University. While at ACDA, Mrs. Emmy took several classes including Jazz, African, Contemporary, Ballet, and Floorwork.
Dance has become Mrs. Emmy’s temporary escape to tranquility and a way to challenge herself as a performer and choreographer. Mrs. Emmy’s hope as an instructor at Greater Annapolis Ballet is to teach her students not only the importance of proper technique and determination, but also how to create one’s own artistry and find joy in the incredible art form of dance.
ryan bailey
Advanced Contemporary
Ryan Bailey is a dancer and choreographer based in NYC & the DMV. Upon graduating with a BA in dance from UMBC in 2016, Ryan was granted outstanding senior in choreography and dance after he was awarded an American College Dance Association Gala Finalist. He then furthered his education by attending training programs with dance companies in Chicago, NYC, LA, Portland, and Tel Aviv.
In 2017, Ryan premiered his company Pacing Bodies first evening length show funded by Earl and Darielle Linehan which premiered at UMBC. Ryan was featured on national television on season 14 of SYTYCD that same year.
Ryan has danced professionally for MADBOOTS DANCE company on various projects and performances at Gibney Dance, New York Live Arts, and at the Joyce Theater in NYC. He has also had the opportunity to dance for Project 44 dance company, performing at the Jack Crystal Theater in NYC. Recently, Ryan performed with Haus of PVMNT dance company in NYC in an evening length production as well as for Priore Dance directed by Robert Priore.
olga aru
Ballet & Character Technique
Olga Aru was born in Eastern Ukraine and grew up in Kyiv. She’s an alumnus of the renowned state ballet academy. Since graduation, she worked in professional dance theaters for 15 years internationally performing as a first and second soloist. Such experience influenced her versatility as a creative performer and shaped her vision as a choreographer.
Ms. Aru has large experience performing with touring productions. She’s been in charge of the youth and company casting and staging process. Aru's work “Dance on the Edge of Century” was represented at the 37th CID - UNESCO Dance Congress in Athens, Greece 2013. Summer of 2018 Ms. Aru launched an independent Summer Intensive Program which she brought into eight cities nationwide. Her short dance film "Isolated In Motion" was created during the early lockdown in 2020 and found recognition in several international film festivals. Feature film: “Montreal Independent Film Festival ”, “Cinevoyage International Film Festival”, “The Lift-Off Sessions”. Finalist: “Sweden Film Awards”,, “Boden International Film Festival” It has been screened at Takoma Park Community Center as a part of Shorts Night, organized by the municipality of Takoma Park, MD. Aru is a founder and artistic director of Aru Dell’Arte. Through art, she thrives to create a positive, authentic, and non-judgmental environment. Constant exploration of movement, and non-traditional thinking out of the box - are the key factors of her daily research.
In the past season, she produced and choreographed eight shows. An interdisciplinary performance of Ode In Free Verse, with its world Premiere at DCAC - on March 19th and March 25th, 2022, in Washington, DC. Another showing at ATLAS Performing Arts Center — on July 30th, 2022. Incorporating a trio of live musicians performing on stage amongst the dance company. Choreography and staging of the one-act ballet Requiem Today premiered within the production.
In late 2022 Olga produced and choreographed Christmas Legend - Modern Nutcracker Story. Premiere at CULTURALDC’S Source Theatre on December 10th and 23rd, Washington, DC. April 15th and April 22nd 2023, Aru staged and produced a performance called Life Of Movement, combining ethno-fusion on Ukrainian, African and Babylonian stories.
marci dawson
Adult Ballet
Marci Dawson began her serious ballet training with Michelle White at Harford Ballet Studio at ten years old, and attended one of the first summer study programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with Marcia Dale Weary. She continued her studies in ballet, jazz, and modern dance with Dr. Helene Breazeale at Towson University.
She spent several years with Harford Dance Theatre, performing both classical and contemporary works there. Later, Marci was a member of various performance groups in Delaware and Maryland, and eventually worked with Ballet Theatre of Maryland, where she performed with the company, coordinated and rehearsed child performers for company productions, and taught ballet in the school.
At Prince George’s Community College, Marci was instrumental in the establishment of a Dance Performance and Choreography Associate of Arts program at the college, where she collaborated in the development of the program’s ballet curriculum and worked with University of Maryland and Towson University to articulate transitions from the PGCC two-year program to those four-year degree programs. Additionally, she served as Artistic Advisor to PGCC’s inaugural student dance company and created the “Ballet for Every Body” wellness course.
A lifelong student of ballet, she continues to hone technique and artistry through the vibrant adult ballet program at Maryland Youth Ballet. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is supporting her two daughters, both of whom have successfully achieved professional careers in ballet.
Tobias Russel
Music Director
Tobias Russell is a composer, songwriter, pianist, and guitarist from Annapolis, MD. He has a diverse teaching background, with multiple years of experience both in individual lessons and the classroom. Mr. Russell is a member of Music Educators of Greater Annapolis, and maintains a private piano teaching studio in Annapolis, MD. Additionally, he has taught piano, guitar, and songwriting in the Anne Arundel County Performing and Visual Arts program since 2015, and currently works with the piano majors.
His past experience includes teaching piano and guitar as well as directing numerous onstage productions at School of Rock Annapolis (SOR) from 2013–2018, where he also served as Music Director and General Manager. After departing SOR, Mr. Russell spent the fall semester of 2018 teaching music theory at Anne Arundel Community College.
A graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Mr. Russell holds a Master’s degree in composition from Catholic University. He has had several original works premiered over the past few years, the most recent being Nobiscum Deus, a composition for chorus and orchestra. The piece was performed at the National Basilica in Washington D.C. in December 2019 as part of the annual Christmas Concert for Charity. Other works performed include Drive, which was premiered in May of 2019 by the CUA wind ensemble; his choral setting of Haec dies, which received its premiere in April of 2019; and Centers, a three-movement composition for cello and piano which was selected for the inaugural New Music D.C. conference at Georgetown University in September of 2018.
In addition to teaching, Mr. Russell has been writing, recording, and performing his solo work around the Annapolis/Baltimore/Washington area since 2007. He is also the music director of Greater Annapolis Ballet, and works on arranging music for youth ballet performances while accompanying occasional classes.
Meghan McCarthy
Studio Manager/Social Media & Marketing Specialist
Meghan resides in downtown Annapolis. She grew up in Columbia, MD and has been acting, singing, and dancing her whole life. Meghan honed her social media skills while working in the craft beer industry in the Maryland & DC areas. She does all of our social media and created our website! She currently works in Digital Marketing on the Global Employer Brand Team for a pharmaceutical company, and does voice acting gigs on the side. She loves performing in community theatre around Maryland. You can catch Meghan every summer in a show at Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre.
GAB REmembers Giavanni Malia
Guest Contemporary Teacher and Choreographer
Giavanni Malia is a performance artist, choreographer, activist, speaker, and writer. She is employed by and most recently has danced at Sax under the direction of Derek Brown in addition to freelance performance projects in the DMV area. She has performed with Jazzo at the C.I.A, with Baltimore Dance Project at UMBC, with Masala Soul Project at the John F. Kennedy Center, with Monique Watson & dancers in the Raw Artists Showcase at the Fillmore, and as a soloist in the 37th Annual Choreographer’s Showcase. Giavanni also has experience in teaching dance and arts administration through her work with Joe’s Movement Emporium, Dance Institute of Washington (DIW), Momiestlc, and Dance Expressions, Inc. She received a BA in Dance with an Entrepreneurship & Innovation minor as a Linehan artist scholar from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). She has trained at several intensives such as Sidra Bell’s MODULE, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s Pre-Professional Summer Intensive, Broadway Dance Center’s Professional Semester, DIW’s summer intensive, Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive, and Creative Outlet by Jamel Gaines. Giavanni began her training at Dance Expressions, Inc. studying ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Currently, Giavanni is working on a project entitled Murano Woman which analyzes and interprets personally lived and observed experiences of women through dance, film, and graphic design. She plans for the project to be presented as a live show in the future.
Giavanni is also a council member for Black Onyx Movement which is a coalition dedicated to dismantling systemic oppression against all Black people. The coalition is actively involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and pushing forward the agenda of universal equity for Black and Brown individuals. Through performance and choreography Giavanni plans to use dance as a communicative and reflective tool in the evaluation of the current social and political climate.