Meet the Faculty Menu

Meet the Dance Faculty

Here to facilitate your success, the Dance Faculty want you to know that you are always welcome to call them if you have a question or to schedule a meeting with them if you need advising. 

Full-Time Faculty

  • Stephanie Kobes Stephanie Kobes Faculty Dance Department Faculty Chair (719) 502-3124 F-300, Box C16, Centennial Stephanie Kobes is a performer, choreographer, filmmaker, and teacher. She is the current Chair of the Dance Department at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, CO. She holds her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She is a 2005 graduate of Iowa State University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree and graduated with distinction in Journalism with minors in Dance and Sociology. Upon graduation she moved to New York City where she performed with Isabel Gotzkowski and Friends Dance Company as well as with Sasha Soreff Dance Theater. She trained and studied under many artists while in NYC including Nia Love, Katiti King, Paul Taylor, David Parsons, Amy Marshall and Alexandra Beller to name a few. Her dance for camera work has been presented at the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema in Boulder, Colorado and in Barcelona, Spain, NeXus Dance Concert, tanzArt ostwest in Giessen, Germany, Chez Bushwick performance space in Brooklyn, New York and the International Video Dance Festival of Burgundy, France. She has presented collaborative video work with Onye Ozuzu in an interdisciplinary performance And They Lynched Him on a Tree on the University of Colorado campus in 2011 and with Mary Wohl Haan in Right Now! and Andrea Moon in Book of Images at the Boulder Fringe Festival in August of 2010. Her piece Just a Trace. . . set on the University of Central Missouri was selected to perform at the American College Dance Festival in 2011. She presented her paper: I'll Stay On My Side, If You Stay on Yours: An Analysis of the Racial Divide & Africanist Presence in Target's 2008 Dorm Room TV Commercial at the Society of Dance History Scholars Conference in the summer of 2009. While at the University of Colorado, she had the opportunity to perform in works by Nada Diachenko, Michelle Ellsworth, Toby Hankin, Gabriel Masson and Onye Ozuzu. She also received the Charlotte York Irey Award from the University of Colorado in 2009. Stephanie was a member of 3rd Law Dance/Theater in Boulder, CO under the artistic direction of Katie Elliott and Jim LaVita for two seasons. In 2011, Stephanie taught at Ballet Nouveau Colorado and Longmont Dance Theater where she taught Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern ages 3-adult. During the summer of 2011, she also taught at the Ballet Nouveau Summer Intensive teaching all levels of modern. Stephanie has also had the opportunity to guest teach/lecture for the University of Central Missouri, 3rd Law Dance/Theater, Jenny Schiff Dance Collective, Boulder Swing Dance and Frequent Flyers Productions. Stephanie would like to thank Stephen Newcomb for his support and love and all of her friends for their constant encouragement.

Adjunct Faculty:

  • Angela Boyce Angela Boyce Adjunct (719) 502-3119 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio
  • Alicia Cover Alicia Cover Adjunct (719) 502-3119 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio Alicia Cover is a performer, instructor and choreographer of Middle Eastern Dance. She has been involved in Middle Eastern Dance since 2002. She has studied many forms of the dance including Turkish Rom, American Tribal Style, Classical Egyptian, Saidi, Tunisian, Persian and primarily Cabaret. In 2010 she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She performs regularly throughout Colorado and has been teaching locally since 2006. Alicia has had the pleasure to learn under many amazing instructors including; Morocco of New York, Suzanna Del Vecchio, Eva Cernik, Rafi'ah, Jim Boz, Fahtiem, Fat Chance Belly Dance, and Kaya and Sadie from America's Got Talent, to name a few. Her first instructor was Mahisha from New Mexico of whom she studied under for four years. You can experience the bubbling enthusiasm and high energy of Alicia during dinner, most Fridays at the exotic Tajine Alami in Manitou Springs, CO and some Saturdays at the Caspian Café. She has performed for events, parties and belly dance extravaganzas all over Colorado since 2004. She has also been teaching classes at the Colorado Academy of Music and Dance in Colorado Springs since 2007 and has guest instructed at Colorado College for a Social History in Dance course and at Shimmy Con in Colorado Springs. Alicia structures each class to suit the personality and energy of her students; as they make each lesson unique and special. Belly Dance is a great way to celebrate life, learn about a new culture, enhance core strength and is suited for every body. www.aliciaszillsoffury.com
  • Emily Ford Emily Ford Adjunct (719) 502-3119 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio
  • Margaret Foy Margaret Foy Adjunct (719) 502-3200 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio Margaret Foy is a Colorado native who trained in Colorado Springs since the age of four. She is accomplished in ballet, pointe, jazz, modern, musical theatre, tap, and aerial acrobatics. Over the years, Margaret performed locally with The Dance Center, Spring City Ballet, Ormao, The International Ballet School, The Colorado Jazz Dance Company, and annually in San Diego Ballet’s Nutcracker. Margaret complemented her training at various summer intensives and performing experiences including Ballet Austin, The Rock School of Ballet, Vail International Festival, Dance Aspen, and the Colorado College Summer Intensive. She received scholarships from The Denver Ballet Guild in both the ballet and contemporary categories, The Esther Geoffrey Scholarship, and the University of Colorado at Boulder, but opted instead to pursue a professional career with the Nevada Ballet Theatre. Margaret later attended Duke University where she obtained dual degrees in psychology and dance and was awarded the dance department’s Dance Project Scholarship. She was selected to perform with Paul McCartney on his US Tour and completed three touring contracts with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. You may have seen Margaret performing her original work in The Colorado Springs Dance Theatre’s “Success of the Springs” and as a guest artist in the successive year’s performance. Currently Margaret is a cheerleader for The Denver Broncos and choreographer for local high school productions and Poms teams. She thoroughly enjoys teaching Musical Theatre, Ballet, and Jazz at Pikes Peak Community College.
  • Volodymyr Ishchenko Volodymyr Ishchenko Adjunct (719) 502-3119 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio Vladimir Ishchenko moved to the United States in January, 2008, and settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he trained, in a short amount of time, several finalists of the popular Pro-Am competitions in Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, and Las Vegas. He is an energetic and enthusiastic coach with 26 years of experience in dancing, 22 of which have been spent in a successful teaching career. Vladimir was a 10-year Crimean Regional Champion in the International Latin and Ballroom programs. He was Vice-Champion of the Ukrainian Professional 10-dance Championships and successfully competed internationally in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. As one of the top-level coaches in the Ukraine, Vladimir Ishchenko directed and supervised the formation of the Lebanese Dance Sport Federation, the first one in the Arab world. At the moment, he easily combines his work as faculty member of the Department of Dance at Pikes Peak Community College with private instruction and workshops, both nationally and abroad. He is a co-owner of the popular in Colorado Springs “Springs Rhythm” Dance and Event Center. Vladimir obtained his credentials through a professional examination conducted by the Ukrainian Professional Dance Board and the United Kingdom Alliance. He is a certified Adjudicator of the International Dance Sport Federation (provisional member of the International Olympic Committee). He has earned the title of National Coach of the Lebanese Dance Sport Olympic Team. In addition, Vladimir is currently competing in the Pro-Am version of the NDCA circuit and also sharing his extensive experience in Argentine Tango and Salsa with the community.
  • Rene Larrabee Rene Larrabee Adjunct (719) 502-3200 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio Rene Larrabee teaches Bellydance I, II, III, and a Belldance Performance class at PPCC. She has a background in Ballet, Tap and Jazz. Rene started taking Bellydance in 2001 as a dance form she could continue performing as an adult. She is known by the Arabic dance name "Badia". She has traveled to Egypt and several times to Turkey to further her study of Bellydance and Middle-Eastern folkloric dances. She regularly performs at Tajine Alami Morroccan restaurant in Manitou on Saturday nights. If you would like more information and to see performance videos visit her website at www.badiabdancer.com.
  • Mary Ripper Baker Mary Ripper Baker Adjunct (719) 502-3119 DT-S210, Box D37, Downtown Studio
  • Jessica Russ Jessica Russ Adjunct (719) 502-3200 F-300, Box C16, Centennial
  • Nichola Ryan Nichola Ryan Adjunct (719) 502-3200 F-300, Box C16, Centennial Nichola Ryan-Morin (Nikki) has been dancing most of her life. Ms Morin received her early training in England where her love for dance, especially ballet, started to form. Nikki auditioned for and entered the famous Elmhurst Ballet School in England. Here her love of dance and drama took off. Nikki was fortunate to study with teachers and dancers of the Royal Academy of Dance and the Royal Ballet. Returning to the United States, Nikki auditioned for and then joined to the Rocky Mountain Ballet Company. At the age of 17, Nikki was promoted to Principal Dancer; a position she retained until the ballet company held its last performance. Soon after her retirement from the ballet world Nikki discovered the ballroom world. Nichola is a Professional American Smooth competitor, in addition to being a Pro/Am Teacher. Nikki’s students have achieved numerous Top Student Awards and much success in competitions throughout the US. Nichola and her partner recently opened the Springs Rhythm Dance and Event Center in Colorado Springs. Nichola continues to be active in the dance world having performed at the Fine Arts Center, Pikes Peak Center and many Ballroom venues and events in Colorado. Nikki has been teaching for over 30 years, melding the techniques of ballet and ballroom, Latin and swing dancing taking her students to a higher level of movement and body awareness. Nikki truly enjoys sharing her love of dance with others; encouraging elegance and confidence in all her students.
  • Julie Sager Julie Sager Adjunct (719) 502-3200 F-300, Box C16, Centennial