Faculty

Mary Jo Scanio

Mary Jo Scanio is the owner and Director of Mary Jo’s Performing Arts Academy, Artistic Director of Universal Movement Performing Arts Company, and Artistic Director of Tampa Bay Triple Threat Theatre. Her Academy is noted on a national level for superior training in the performing arts. Her background includes a Fine Arts Degree from the University of South Florida with concentrations in Dance Performance and Choreography.  She is a certified Pilates and Zumba Instructor and Personal Trainer.

Her performing credits include local, regional and national company productions, performing with artists such as Ben Vereen and Ann Reinking.  She performed with the Florida Ballet Theater, Tampa Jazz Company and Florida Jazz Dance Ensemble.  She was an NCAA dancer for USF as well as an NFL Cheerleader for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Mary Jo is a certified national examiner and the past Area Director of Dance Masters of America. She was Director of the Miss and Mr. Dance Pageant representing Florida and now serves as a regional examiner.  She has judged for regional and national dance, talent and cheerleading competitions throughout the United States and Canada. 

As a choreographer, she has received many honors and her work has been invited into festivals and congresses throughout the country. She has choreographed and taught for the Super Bowl, NFL teams, NCAA dance teams, Industrials, National Commercials, Television and Fashion Shows. She was an adjunct professor for the USF Dance Dept. and has served as a guest teacher at conventions, seminars, workshops, schools and companies throughout the country. Mary Jo has been featured in dance periodicals for her educational philosophies and views, as well as for Academy’s success.

Many of her students have gone on to pursue professions in dance and the performing arts, including dancing on Broadway, at theme parks, on cruise ships, with Cirque, as Rockettes, on television and commercials.  Several are professional choreographers, teachers and directors in the industry.  

More than 30 years ago Mary Jo envisioned creating an environment that would allow students of all ages to learn and celebrate the arts.  Today, under her tutelage, her dancers and Mary Jo’s Performing Arts Academy are recognized among the top in the nation. 

Tammi Godinez

Tammi Godinez is a native of Tampa. She began her training at an early age and was part of a competitive performing troupe that traveled as far as South America to entertain. While continuing to perform in local productions, Tammi studied dance at the University of South Florida and received her teaching certification through Dance Masters of America. Throughout her career as an instructor Tammi has trained under Masters in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Modern. During her studies at the exclusive World Jazz Congress at Northwestern University in Chicago, Tammi had the privilege of intensive training with world-renowned artists such as Susan Quinn Williams, Joe Tremaine, Frank Hatchett, Gus Giordano and Chuck Davis, a well respected instructor of African Dance.

Under the tutelage of Mary Jo Scanio, she became the director/choreographer of a competitive performing company in 1993. As a qualified examiner for Dance Masters of America, Tammi now trains, prepares and examines new instructors into the Dance Masters organization. Tammi choreographs for Universal Movement and remains on the company board as an advisor. Tammi regularly attends the Chicago Human Rhythm Project where she studies with internationally known master teachers, performers and choreographers. Some of her many instructors included Lane Alexander, Van Porter and Sam Weber, who amongst the most sought after rhythm and tap instructors throughout the United States.

Tammi continues to integrate her love for dance and children through enrichment programs at various preschools in the Tampa Bay area.

Krisha Despenas

Krisha Despenas is a Tampa native and distinguished alumni graduate of Mary Jo's Performing Arts Academy. She began dancing with Mary Jo in 1985, was a member of Dance Encore and has been teaching numerous disciplines of dance at the Academy since 1991. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. Krisha is certified to teach through Dance Masters of America and has participated in Florida Dance Masters Intensive Training Program.

Krisha performed as an Imagineer with the renowned Cirque Productions in Paris, France and Amelia Island. Her other performing credits include: The Busch Gardens Olympic Send Off Show, a singer/dancer abroad the MS Tropic Star of Starlite Cruise Lines and in local productions of South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, Follies and Jesus Christ Superstar. Krisha served as Assistant Choreographer and Dance Captain of Fiddler on the Roof, Nunsense and Jesus Christ Superstar for St. Paul Summer Theatre Productions. She has also choreographed productions of Children of the Day, Bye, Bye Birdie, Fabulous Fifties, The Music Man, Fame, and Godspell for Tampa Bay Triple Threat Theatre. Her choreography for the Universal Movement Performing Arts Company has received numerous awards at both Regional and National Competitions.

Krisha is a Director of Universal Movement Performing Arts Company and serves on the Board of the Tampa Bay Triple Threat Theatre.

Amanda Garland

Amanda Garland is a native to Tampa and an alumni of Mary Jo's Performing Arts Academy. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance from the University of South Florida. Amanda graduated magna cum laude from USF where she was a member of the National Society for Collegiate Scholars, Golden Key National Honor Society and the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She is a Provost Scholar and a two-time recipient of the Henry Parrish Performance Award for Excellence in Performance at USF. Her choreography has earned the Critic's Choice Award, the Judge's Choice Award at Tremaine, the Young Choreographers Award and many others. During her competitive days, Amanda received numerous scholarships and awards.

Amanda has performed in Super Bowl XXV, New Grounds, produced by Moving Current Dance Collective, Dance Music Design, Bye Bye Birdie, The Kanvas and also as an Imagineer for Cirque Productions. She has studied with dance greats such as Darrin Henson, Savion Glover, Wade Robson, Frank Hatchett, Jose De La Cruz, Doug Varone and numerous others as well as participating in workshops and master classes with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Doug Varone and Dancers, Maloshock Dance and Company, and Moving Current Dance Collective. Amanda is a choreographer for Miss Florida and Miss America contestants. She has also choreographed for vocal artists, SkoolGirlz, Christian Alden , Heather Ross , many Tampa Bay area dance teams and recently a commercial for Sullivan Productions and Home Shopping Network. Amanda is now a guest teacher for Florida Dance Jam, Dance Masters of America and Blake High School for the Arts in Tampa.

She is a director for the Universal Movement Performing Arts Company and a board member of the Tampa Bay Triple Threat Theatre.

Debi Orchard

Debi Orchard is originally from Orlando and received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance from the University of South Florida. While attending USF, she was a recipient of a dance scholarship, chairperson of the Student Dance Concert, and her choreography was selected to perform at the American College Dance Festival. Since graduating, she has worked towards obtaining a Master's in Dance through the University of Colorado - Boulder.

Over the past 20 years, Debi has taught at various dance studios, high schools, and a summer workshop in New Mexico with Bill Evans. In addition, Debi has had the opportunity to study with Dance Masters such as Savion Glover, Bill Evans, Ann Reinking, Doug Varone and Luigi. She is a director of the Universal Movement Performing Arts Company and has been awarded the Critic's Choice Award for choreography at Onstage New York.

Additionally, Debi has obtained certification in Elementary Education and has taught 4th grade for the past eight years.

Nikolai Morschakov

Nikolai Morschakov graduated from the Saratov State Choreographic Academy in Russia with honors in 1995. Immediately after, he was selected for the prestigious Grigorovich Ballet as a Soloist dancer. Elevated to principal dancer in 1999, Mr. Nikolai was featured as Jean de Brienne in "Raymonda", Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet", Basilio in "Don Quixote", both Spartacus and Crassus in "Spartacus", Von Rothbart in "Swan Lake", Poet in "Chopiniana", Cavalier in "Nutcracker" and in other leading and solo roles. Mr. Nikolai was a Laureate of the Philip Morris International Ballet Competition in 1999 and 2001. In 2003 he joined Sarasota Ballet of Florida as a principal dancer where danced Lieutenant Pinkerton in "Madame Butterfly", Armand in "Camille", Alexei in "La Boutique Fantasque". In 2005, Mr. Nikolai became principal dancer, ballet master, and a choreographer with Dance Alive National Ballet Company. During his career he performed in Russia, The United States, Portugal, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, Lebanon, and Turkey. He brings a wealth of knowledge to our program.

Susan Quinn

Susan Quinn trained under the famed Gus Giordano, becoming a Faculty member, Principal Dancer with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago and later it's Associate Artistic Director. Susan owned a professional school and became founding co-director of First City Dance Theatre, the only jazz company funded by the state if Florida. Her choreography opened the 1st Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, her Oriental flavored jazz work, FANtasy, was televised by Japan's largest station, NHK Television. Invited to be the first jazz choreographer of the festival Cours des Capucins in Luxemburg, Susan's choreography has been performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. to the Amsterdam School of the Arts in Amsterdam, Holland.

Her Spanish flavored Sabor a Mi was performed at the 1998 International Jazz Dance World Congress. Susan's work, Texas Canyon won a choreographer's award at the National Association of Regional Ballet. and will be submitted in the dance archives, The Craft of Choreography. The adjudicator's from N.A.R.B. chose Texas Canyon to be performed at the 1998 International Ballet Festival in Jackson, Mississippi. In the Summer of 2000, Susan was invited to teach master classes in jazz and lyrical dance techniques in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her award winning peice, St. Teresa was performed at the prestigious "Kings's Theatre". A Master Teacher for D.M.A and D.E.A, she is the director of the 10th Annual Arizona Jazz Dance Showcase, with former guest artists Joe Tremaine, Sherry Zunker-Dow, and Mia Michaels. Along with Michael Williams', Susan was honored with the 2005 Jazz Dance Congress Award for her contributions in jazz dance.

Claire Andrews

Born in Shoreham-by-Sea, England where she began her dance training and raised in Bermuda, Ms. Andrews furthered her dance training by graduating from Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts in Boston where she majored in ballet. After completing her BFA in Dance from Adelphi University in Long Island, New York, she went on to the University of Oklahoma where she was offered a graduate assistantship position and received her MFA in Dance. Since completing her master's degree she has taught at various studios, professional companies and universities, including the University of Kentucky, Transylvania University, Eastern Kentucky University, University of South Florida and Hillsborough Community College. Prior to joining us here at the Brandon Ballet, as Associate Artistic Director, Ms. Andrews taught advanced academic classes and choreographed works for the professional company, Kentucky Ballet Theater. Throughout her studies and career she has trained with Rochelle Zide Booth, Norman Walker, Sharon Randolph and Mary Margaret Holt to name a few.

Pennye Garcia

Pennye Garcia is originally from Lafayette, Louisiana where she studied dance at DeLarue Dance Center for 14 years. She taught Acrobatics, jazz and tap at the studio until college graduation. During her studies in Louisiana, she attended conventions with Gus Giordano, Frank Hatchett, Al Gilbert, and Leah Darwin among many others. She attended the University of Southwestern Louisiana now University of Louisiana at Lafayette and graduated with a BA in Elementary Education. While in college she was on the gymnastics team and was nominated for Female Athlete of the Year. She moved to Florida and had three children while teaching school in Pasco County. After having children she went back to teaching acrobatics, jazz and tap. She currently is a PE teacher at Sunlake High School in Pasco County and works with UCA (Universal Cheerleaders Association) for area competitions.

Since 1992 she has attended Tremaine dance conventions in Orlando and studied under Joe Tremaine, Savion Glover, Michael Minery, Tony Copollo, Desiree Robbins, Wade Robson, Marty Dew, Liz Imperio and many more. While visiting New York she takes at Broadway Dance Center under Frank Hatchett, and Sheila Barker and many others. For the past 15 years she has choreographed acrobatic competition routines that have won numerous awards. She won the choreography award at the Nexstar Dance competition in 2003-04 and is listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers.

Joanna Kerster

Joanna Kerster is originally from Queens, New York and began dancing at the age of five. She attended Talent Unlimited High school for three years in the dance department and received a one year internship at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. Throughout high school she was a part of The City Kids Foundation, an outreach group, as a singer and dancer.

After moving to Land O' Lakes, Florida Joanna was on the dance team her senior year of high school and was offered a position with the Eastern cheer and dance association as a camp instructor. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Social Science Education and a minor in dance.

Meghan Jenkins

Meghan Jenkins is originally from Tallahassee and graduated cum laude from the University of Florida with a Bachelors of Science in Health Education. She has also received a Masters in Health Administration from the University of South Florida.

She received numerous awards while a member of her competitive dance team in high school. While at the UF, Meghan was a member of two student run dance organizations which performed around campus and the community. She has taught at dance studios and children's centers and was awarded best choreography for Cheerleading/Dance style Pom while directing her competitive dance team.

Meghan was a member of the Storm Dancers for the Tampa Bay Storm Arena Football Team. During her time as a Storm Dancers she had privilege to work with Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo, Darrin Henson, John Peters and many other choreographers.

Megan Morgan

Bio coming soon!

Toniann Rizzo

Toniann Rizzo is currently a dance major at the University of South Florida. In her competitive days, she won numerous top awards and scholarships. She has performed for many charity functions throughout the Tampa Bay area as well as the Kanvas showcase and USF productions, including the current production with Doug Varone.

Brittany Sanders

Brittany Sanders has been dancing since the age of three and attended Blake High School of the Performing Arts. She has received multiple scholarships from The Pulse On Tour and has been working with renowned choreographers Brian Friedman and Dave Scott since the age of 15.

Brittany has performed in a Porsche & Hummer industrial with Monica Richardson as well as performing in Monica Richardson's video. Her choreography has been presented at several Tampa Bay productions such as the Kanvas showcase.

Amanda Warren

Amanda Warren is a distinguished MJPAA Alumni and a 4th year Education & Dance Major at the University Of South Florida. She performed multiple times with the Starpower Power Pak & was a recipient of a Royal Caribbean Cruise line contract.

Arielle Arbour

Arielle Arbour is a distinguished MJPAA Alumni & a Bio-Medical Sciences and Dance Major at The University of South Florida.

Ronnie Dee

Ronnie Dee is a 5th generation musician and the son of million dollar recording artist Joey Dee of Joey Dee & the Starlighters. He draws equally from his stage experience, some 5000 plus shows and diverse formal training. 

Ronnie performed as a studio vocalist on the soundtrack of the Oscar winning documentary When We Were Kings. He is a multi instrumentalist, specializing in composition, studio production & editing. Ronnie has written and recorded many successful CD projects, and continues to perform all over the country.

He has performed all over the world and recorded, composed and sang on National Ads for Dr. Pepper, Diet Coke, and Budweiser to name a few. He recently received critical acclaim as the songwriter for the Broadway Show Growing Up 70's, and currently composes and produces jingles for Bright House Networks.

He is the proud daddy of 4 boys, and the lucky husband of Wonder Woman.

Andrew Beer

Andrew Beer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Long Island University - C.W. Post Center, where he studied piano with the late Valentino Marconi.

He has over 20 years experience as a professional touring musician and continues to perform throughout the U.S., Canada and Caribbean with million dollar artists such as, The Shirelles, Joey Dee, Bo Diddly, Ben E. King, Del Shannon, Spencer Davis, Peter Noone, Billy J. Kramer, The Drifters, The Coasters, Motown legends Mary Wells and Martha Reeves just to name a few. Andrew is also one of the founding members of the critically acclaimed, award winning band "The Swingin' Mooks."

Andrew has been teaching all levels of piano and music theory for over 10 years and is a member of the "National Guild of Piano Teachers".

Leroy Meyers

Leroy Meyers is a lifelong musician and multi instrumentalist playing guitar, drums, and piano. He has played in 25 of the 50 states, Canada, Europe and Japan with many different artists, from Tiny Tim, to Kansas, and Jaco Pastorious. Still performing 175 nights a year Mr. Leroy is looking forward to teaching young minds @ MJPAA!

Melanie Rose Nuscis

Bio coming soon!

Christina Russell

Bio coming soon!

Sheri Whittington

Sheri Whittington is thankful to have been involved in the magic of performing arts since childhood, and understands the power that early exposure to theatre can have on a lifelong love of the arts. She believes the lessons and skills learned through participation in the performing arts will serve the students throughout their lifetime.

Sheri has a BA from USF majoring in Theatre Performance, and has continued her education with focused study in Film & Television, serving as an On-Set Tutor and Dialect Coach for area film and video productions. Sheri's passion is teaching and inspiring others to fulfill their performance dreams which led to founding and serving as the Artistic Director of the Looking Glass Theatre. Her directing credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Nunsense, Tongues, Schoolhouse Rock, Trifles, Diva, Dy, DB & Me, Grease, Evita, & The Sound of Music. Other highlights include directing the elaborate staged reading of Lysistrata in collaboration with Gorilla Theatre and the Lysistrata Project for Peace. Sheri has performed on-stage, in leading roles with Bay Area productions that include Fiddler on the Roof, Talley & Son, Psycho Beach Party, Postcards, As You Like It, Return to the Forbidden Planet, and West Side Story. Sheri will appear in the next Powerstories Theater's production this spring, and is also privileged to be working with Girlstories at the PACE Centre for Girls in Tampa.

Sheri served for five years as the Artistic Director for the Young Dramatists Project with Gorilla Theatre, and as the Manager of Community Relations with the Patel Conservatory at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Sheri has instructed and coached over 300 performers, teaching acting with a local Casting Director, the Young Actors Studio at USF, Summerplay, MJPAA, ArtsCorp, YMCA, and the Patel Conservatory. She is very proud of her students, several of which are currently touring and appearing on stage, in film, and television (including Desperate Housewives, Hairspray, The Shaggy Dog, American Dreams, CSI and Nip Tuck). Sheri is delighted to have the opportunity to continue to work with area students by returning to the classroom at MJPAA.