Point Park University

photo courtesy Point Park University.

Point Park University
Conservatory of Performing Arts
Pittsburgh, PaNationally recognized as one of the top 10 dance training programs in the country, Point Park University’s Conservatory of Performing Art’s dance program offers a B.F.A. in dance. Students take classes in all technique areas (ballet, jazz, and modern), regardless of their area of concentrations, as well as a wide spectrum of classes including character, tap, pointe, pas de deux, male technique, contemporary partnering, composition, history of dance, African, hip-hop, ballroom, improvisation, choreography, and dance entrepreneurship designed to create the total artist. Auditions, required for admission, are typically held once a month throughout the year. Dance auditions are used as criteria for awarding dance scholarships and apprenticeships. Students at Point Park train and perform in our $16 million dance complex – The George Rowland White Performance Center, which includes six 60×60-foot studios and two 100×100 studios, a performance space and in our brand new 90,411 square-foot theater complex, the Pittsburgh Playhouse, which includes 3 performance spaces and 4 rehearsal studios.

Our dancers have the opportunity to perform various repertoire in classical and contemporary ballet, theater dance and contemporary jazz, and modern and contemporary dance. Each year, our students interact and perform works by guest artists and choreographers of international stature. Our dancers have performed works by Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Edwaard Liang, Tyce Dioro, Dwight Rhoden, Jae Man Joo, Peter Chu, Aszure Barton, Christopher Wheeldon, Kyle Abraham. Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Lar Lubovitch, Doug Varone, Robert Battle, Jennifer Muller, Edward Villella, David Parsons, Mark Morris, Emery LeCrone, Bill T. Jones, Sonya Tayeh, Daniel Charon, Ann Reinking, and Tony Award winners Chita Rivera and Michael Rupert.

Graduates have gone on to dance with various prestigious companies as Ailey II, the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Alonzo King LINES, Alabama, Cincinnati, Nashville, and Milwaukee Ballets, Ballet Hispanico, Ballet Met, Ballet X, Bad Boys of Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Philadanco, Ballet Austin, Giordano Dance Chicago, Parsons Dance Company, Visceral Dance Company, Houston Met, Koresh Dance Company, Cirque du Soleil, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal, and numerous cruise line companies. Alumni have made their mark on Broadway and in touring in Cats, Carousel, Cinderella, Contact, Hamilton, Footloose, The Lion King, Ragtime, Rent and 42nd Street. Point Park University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Dance.

MARC SPAULDING

Marc is a choreographer, educator, and dance artist whose passion, integrity and professionalism characterize his works. Mr. Spaulding began his formal dance training at the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC under the direction of Lynn Welters. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ballet Performance from the University of the Arts and completed his Master of Fine Arts Degree at University of California, Irvine.

With more than 20 years of professional dance experience, Marc has had a very diverse career. His noteworthy concert and theatrical performance credits include: Dreamgirls 1st National Tour, Equus- Broadway Revival, PHILADANCO (The Philadelphia Dance Company), Westside Story International Tour, Donald Byrd/The Group, Broadway’s: Gypsy of the Year Competition, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Memphis (Musical Theatre West), Eleone Dance Theatre, Raven-Symone (Undeniable Tour), and Endless Shock (Japanese Musical Series Tour). His Television and Film credits include: Nissan National Commercial, Euphoria, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Timeless, Hairspray (New Line Cinema), Dancing with the Stars, NBC: Today Show, Apple Inc- California Soul, Saturday Night Live, 81st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, VH-1: Behind the Music, Good Morning Atlanta Fox 5, and MTV Asia.

Mr. Spaulding’s choreographic works have been presented at numerous concerts, festivals, and universities including: Nabla Festival NYC: In the Liminal Space, Point Park University, PHILADANCO- “Danco on Danco” first company showcase, Wayne State University, Carnival Choreographer’s Ball- Los Angeles, University of California, Irvine, Raven-Symone- (Undeniable Tour), AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the Jikei College: Fukuoka School of Music and Dance.

Mr. Spaulding is enthusiastic about sharing his wisdom with the next generation of dance artists. Marc is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Dance at Point Park University. He has also served as dance faculty at: Orange County School of the Arts, Millennium Dance Complex- Los Angeles, and AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts. As a guest teaching artist, Marc has worked with: The International Association of Blacks in Dance, University of the Arts, The Jikei Group of Colleges in Japan, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Collage Dance Collective, The Rock School for Dance Education, Long Island University, and Dance Masters of America

JULIA ERICKSON

Julia Erickson, a former principal dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, is a teaching artist, repetiteur, dancer and choreographer.

Prior to joining Point Park University’s Department of Dance as a visiting teaching artist, Erickson most recently served as ballet master/rehearsal director for Alonzo King LINES Ballet, where she also performed as a guest artist.

Erickson has danced with Barak Ballet in Los Angeles, as a guest artist for Suzhou Ballet in China, and served as rehearsal director and dancer for Chamber Dance Project in Washington, D.C.

A Seattle native, Erickson received her training on scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School. She began her career at Texas Ballet Theater prior to joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2001. She was promoted to principal dancer in 2009 and remained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre until her farewell performance in October 2018.

Some of Erickson’s roles have included Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, and the lead in William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated.

Erickson is the recipient of the 2014 BRAZZY Award for Outstanding Female Dancer and is an entrepreneur and writer.