COMPANY BIOS

Gail Vartanian Artistic Director

Gail Vartanian is originally from Philadelphia, Pa., where she began her training in modern dance and ballet under the direction of Brigitta Trombler and Meli Davis. She continued in the path of Modern Dance at York University, where she studied Cunningham, Graham, Horton and Limon techniques.

Over the years, Ms. Vartanian has had extensive Jazz Dance training with: Eva vonGercsy, Robert Archard, Jo Jo Smith, Frank Hatchett, and Luigi. Ms. Vartanian has performed in various Modern and Jazz dance companies such as City Center Dance Theater of Atlanta, Company Kaye, L'Image Dance Company of Miami and The Palm Beach Ballet.

She was the lead dancer and assistant choreographer with Miami's Les Folles Theater Dance Review, and also with Resorts International's "Le Cabaret" in Paradise Island, the Bahamas and Atlantic City

Margarita Von Bahr, Director of the National Ballet of Finland, invited Ms. Vartanian to compose the only modern/jazz solo for the International Gala Dance Festival in Finland. Ms. Vartanian has also choreographed and performed in Andrea Lauren's opening act for Salt 'N' Pepa. Her choreography has been presented at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach, Florida and throughout the Philadelphia and Delaware area.

For the past twenty-five years, Ms. Vartanian has been teaching her own style of dance incorporating Modern, Jazz, Lyrical and Blues. Her classes are technically based, emphasizing physicality and musicality. Vartanian has taught in various cities such as Montreal, Atlanta, West Palm Beach, Miami and Philadelphia.

Ms. Vartanian is also the Director of ContempraDance Center, an effervescent dance studio in Wayne, Pa. offering classes in numerous dance techniques for students at all skill levels.

Gail Vartanian currently lives in Wayne, Pa. with her daughter, Daria Gibbs. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and exploring cultural attractions.

Michelle Jones Wurtz Assistant Director and Rehearsal Director

Michelle Jones Wurtz holds a BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her own instructors included Judith Jamison, now the Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Alexi Yudenich , a Silver Medallist at International Ballet Competition; (second only to Mikhail Baryshnikov); Barbara Sandanato, a scholarship recipient at the School of American Ballet; (home school to the New York City Ballet), Patricia Thomas of the Alvin Ailey Company and Martha Graham School in New York, Milton Myers, head of the Modern Dance Department at the famous Jacob’s Pillow Program in Massachusetts, and Peter Bertini of the Garth Fagan Dance Company, to name a few. She has danced professionally with Group Motion, Freedom Theatre, Footfalls Modern Dance Company, and currently with ContempraDance Theatre where she serves as the Assistant Artistic Director as well as Rehearsal Director. She has also performed with the world famous Liz Lerman Dance Exchange; the company that has been on the cutting edge of dance as a form of expression and art. Michelle received one of only eight grants in the entire Delaware Valley from the Philadelphia Dance Alliance to study choreography from New York’s most renowned Composition Instructor, Martha Myers. She has also choreographed for the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, the Independent Choreographers Exchange, and received both “Critic’s Choice” and “Best Bet” reviews from Philadelphia dance critics; and she herself is a member of the National Dance Critic’s Association. Ms. Wurtz also is the owner of the Pottstown Dance Theater performing arts school. Some of Ms. Wurtz’ students are now full company members in Alvin Ailey, Momix, Dance Theater of Harlem, and Atlanta Ballet. Michelle is planning on attending Graduate School this fall, and is a certified Pilates instructor on every piece of Pilates equipment. Ms. Wurtz has been assisting Gail Vartanian for the past 6 years choreographing and directing the ContempraDance Theatre.