Eagle Performing Arts Center

November 20, 2008

About EPAC

As a performing arts center, our philosophy is to instill a respect and knowledge of the arts of dance and drama, while providing the highest quality of education in these disciplines Our professional faculty joins us with a refreshingly humanistic approach to training and preparing the student for a meaningful and long lasting relationship with the arts.

FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES:


	CHERYL CROUCH (Ballet and Swing) apprenticed as a dancer and instructor at the Ballet Society under Marilyn Perry. Cheryl received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics and Social Science Secondary Education Certificate at Boise State University. She began teaching ballet in 1982 from beginning to advanced and on to adults. She founded Dance Arts Academy in Idaho Falls in 1990 and directed and taught in her school until May, 2003. The past six years, she and her husband, Brian, have been teaching Swing-Jitterbug classes from the 40's era to teens and adults.

	CATHY GIESE (Co-Director, Eagle Performing Arts Center) received her early ballet training in San Francisco, CA with Leona Norman and Richard Gibson At the age of 17 she joined the Stuttgart Ballet under the late John Cranko. She rose to the rank of soloist while touring throughout the world. She also danced with the Ballet de Caracas under the artistic directorship of Vicente Nebrada and the Zurich Ballet. She worked with choreographers George Balanchine, John Cranko, Kenneth MacMillan, Jiri Kylian, Margo Sappington and Vicente Nebrada while appearing in theatres throughout the world including New York’s Lincoln Center, the Paris Opera, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Covent Garden in London and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theater. She met her husband, Jeff Giese while both were dancing in Zurich, Switzerland. Cathy has been teaching ballet for the past 18 years in both private and public institutions.

	JEFF GIESE (Co-Director, Eagle Performing Arts Center) was born in Gooding, Idaho and received his early training in Fort Worth, Texas at the Texas Christian University Preparatory Ballet School. At 15 he received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to study at School of American Ballet in New York City. Jeff joined Houston Ballet at the age of 19 touring throughout the U.S. and Europe. He also danced with the Zurich Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Dallas Ballet and was a founding member of BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio. Jeff has taught throughout the U.S for the past 20 years including Southern Methodist University, Texas Women’s University and Dallas Arts Magnet. Prior to opening EPAC in 2003, Jeff directed Ballet Idaho Academy for five years.

	LISA MOON (Ballet and Resident Choreographer) was born in Birmingham, Alabama, where she received her first training from Stevan and Melanie Grebel. Lisa was a Harkness trainee with David Howard before joining Stars of American Ballet and the Bavarian National Ballet in Munich. During her career as a dancer in Europe and the United States, she worked with renowned artists such as Frederic Franklin, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Lynn Seymour, John Neumeier, and Edward Caton. Lisa has devoted the past thirteen years of her teaching career to students and professionals in the Northwest. This past year she choreographed a highly successful adaptation of the children’s classic Charlotte’s Web. In addition to teaching and choreographing for the Eagle Performing Ensemble, Lisa has opened a dancewear boutique, Magnifique!, in downtown Eagle.

	Eliza Finch (Ballet and Tap) Eliza received her early dance training at Maddox Dance Studio where she studied ballet, tap and jazz. She then continued her training at The Rock School in Philadelphia, PA. After attending The Rock she joined Jeff and Cathy Giese as a trainee at Ballet Idaho Academy. Eliza then danced with Eugene Ballet in the Nutcracker, Giselle, and Mid-Summers Night Dream as well as works by invited guest choreographers. Eliza has now turned her focus to teaching and is excited to be able to share her expertise and love of dance with our students.
Directors Jeff and Cathy Giese Resident Choreographer Lisa Moon Artistic Advisors Arturo Fernandez, Lines Contemporary Ballet Amanda Bennett, Basel Ballet, Switzerland Clara Cravey, formerly Houston Ballet Cynthia Lucas, Marin Ballet Faculty Cheryl Crouch, swing Eliza Finch, tap, ballet and jazz Cathy Giese, ballet Jeff Giese, ballet Lisa Moon, ballet Tricia Thomas, ballet and jazz Tori McKnight, ballet Therese Gerard, Pilates Pianist Juli Draney Marketing Director Colleen Horiuchi Technical Advisor Tod Fleetwood Costumes Cindy Whiting Father/Daughter Winter Ball Chairs Susan Evans Photography Jennifer Oates Eric Jacky Graphic Design Dawg Haus, Inc.