Our Staff




Canton Ballet School under Cassandra Crowley. Throughout
his training he studied at American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh
Ballet Theatre and Chautauqua Ballet. Dillon was a
professional dancer with the North Carolina Dance, Dayton
Ballet, Western Ballet Theatre of Puerto Rico, Balletfleming
and Pennsylvania Ballet. Along with his company affiliations,
Dillon has been welcomed as a guest artist along the east
coast in performances such as Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker
and Dracula. He also is a choreographer and has had his
work performed by several regional companies around the
Northeast as well as in Puerto Rico and the Dominican
Republic. He is now focusing on his new project base
company FLUX Modern/Ballet based in Philadelphia, PA. Maxine’s Dance Studio LLC is excited to have Dillon on faculty for this season.
Guest Teachers and Choreographers
In addition to our outstanding teaching staff, upper level students regularly study with guest teachers and choreographers who maintain performing and choreographic commitments, bringing these perspectives to their classroom teaching. Many have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won awards for their teaching. All are committed to our philosophy of dance education, which includes providing the atmosphere and training that will nurture both the potential artist and the dance student who studies only for the inherent rewards: self-discipline, physical fitness, and a greater appreciation of movement, music and the arts. These guest teachers are provided to the dancers at no additional fee.
Colby Damon: Born in Richmond VA he began his training at the Virginia School of the Arts. A former dancer with Ballet X he is their current class teacher.
Bruce McCormick: Juilliard Graduate/Former professional dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, Germany and the Bern Ballet of Switzerland/Choreographer and Master Teacher/Former VRDC Dancer
James Ihde: Principle Dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet
Angelo Lemmo: Resident Choreographer and Faculty member at Canton Ballet
Gwen Baraniecki Zwil: Former Maxine’s Studio of Dance Student and VRDC dancer; Gwen is an NYU graduate and certified in the Horton Syllabus.