Teaching Artists
Christiana Bitonti-Fisher
Ms. Bitonti-Fisher is the founder and director of Peconic Ballet Theatre (2013) and Peconic Ballet Foundation (2014). She has produced numerous ballets, debuted contemporary works in NYC, and received awards for her choreography, including Best Choreography at Onstage American Dance Competition. She is certified in Autism Movement Therapy and holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Joseph’s College and a Master’s degree from NYU in Counseling, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Lorna Zawacki
Lorna Zawacki trained at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre School. She has performed with companies including NYC Opera, Philadelphia Lyric Opera, New Haven Ballet, and Radio City Music Hall Ballet. She also founded Zawacki Ballet and participated in The Bolshoi Project at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Ms. Zawacki currently teaches at Ballet Academy East and coaches ballet dancers in Manhattan.
Takako Walsh
Originally from Kobe, Japan, Takako Walsh was a semi-finalist at YAGP in 2001 and 2002. She performed at the Vancouver Winter Olympics closing ceremony before moving to New York City, where she earned her BFA from Long Island University Brooklyn in 2014. Takako has performed works by Twyla Tharp, Jennifer Muller, and Earl Mosley to name a few.
Connor Beringham
Connor Bermingham is a graduate of Pace University’s Commercial Dance Program. His credits include the US National Tour of CATS, All Shook Up, Broadway Bares, Broadway Dance Lab, Jacob’s Pillow, and partnering Misty Copeland with the National Symphony Orchestra. His choreography has been featured in the Young Choreographer’s Festival.
Michael Sakelos
Michael, a native of NYC, credits include the First National Tour of Escape to Margaritaville, The Hot Shoe Shuffle, and partnering Misty Copeland in On The Town at Wolf Trap Theater. Other notable work includes Broadway Bares, The Book of Mormon commercial, American Horror Story, and features with Vogue and Major Lazer. Michael holds a BFA from Pace University’s Commercial Dance Program.
Christina Spellman
Christina Morrison is a freelance dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in NYC. She began her career performing at The Joyce Theater, SummerStages in Central Park, and the ACE Capezio Awards under Jaclyn Walsh’s guidance. Christina holds a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance with an Emphasis in Ballet from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Her creative credits include movement direction for large-scale stadium productions.
Josie McSwane
Josie McSwane is a Long Island/NY-based dancer, choreographer, and performer. She earned her BFA in Dance Studies from Long Island University Post and recently became the resident choreographer at Theatre Three on Long Island. She has also spent the last few years as a contracted performer with LICM Theatre. McSwane expanded her hip-hop training in Los Angeles, where she appeared in social media music videos and performed as a backup dancer for singer-songwriter Abrina. She believes in the importance of being a well-rounded dancer and performer and, from a young age, has trained in multiple styles of dance, as well as acting and vocal performance.
Annalise Whiston
Originally from Texas, Annalise trained at The Joffrey Ballet School before moving to Ireland, where she became a founding member of the Irish Youth Russian Ballet and performed in Dublin and the Drogheda Arts Festival. She spent several years teaching in Galway before returning to New York, where she has taught at studios across NYC and New Jersey, including the School at Steps on Broadway.
Emily Solano
Emily Solano is a dance educator, teaching artist, and proud alumna of Peconic Ballet Theatre’s Company, where she trained for 15 years. She is a graduate of Hofstra University, where she earned her degree in Dance Education with a minor in International Business and was a member of the Honors Program. Her undergraduate training included ballet under Heather S. Waldon and Rachel List and modern dance under Amy G. Marshall, Maiya Redding, Robert L. Cook, and Robbin K. Becker.
Danielle Isolano
