We are thrilled to introduce the incredible faculty for our 2025 Commercial Dance Intensive! This year’s lineup features a dynamic group of industry professionals who bring a wealth of experience and passion to the studio. From jazz to hip hop, pom to heels, and everything in between, our guest instructors are ready to inspire, challenge, and elevate our dancers with high-energy classes and cutting-edge choreography. Get to know the artists who will be sharing their knowledge and shaping this program!
Samantha Bigioni
Sammi Bigioni is a 2x National Champion in D1A Hiphop with the University of Delaware Dance Team. She also teaches at several locations including, Beat Addikts United, Touch of Class and Shannon Coopers Academy of Dance. You can occasionally find Sammi in modeling in your favorite recital costumes from A Wish Come True, Costume Gallery, and Art and Stone.
Ryan Blackson
Ryan Blackson graduated with a BFA in dance with a jazz concentration from Marymount Manhattan College. A native of Wilmington, Delaware and resident of NYC, Ryan trains in many genres of dance including; ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, musical theater, and modern. He has had the privilege of working and training with some of the best in the business. He recently worked on a Broadway musical workshop entitled, Revival, under the direction of Christopher d’Amboise. Ryan just completed a contract with Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines as a dancer, sailing through the Southern Caribbean. He has had the privilege of performing in a variety of shows around the nation including; A Chorus Line (Larry), Cats (Mr. Mistoffelees), La Cage Aux Folles (Cagelle), Chicago, Legally Blonde, Bye Bye Birdie, The Wizard of Oz, and many more. He has received numerous awards for his choreography at national dance competitions.
Shannon Cooper
Shannon Cooper received her Bachelor of Science Degree at West Chester University in Finance and a minor in Dance Education/Choreography. She began her early dance training at the age of five in the Lancaster County area where she grew up. There she studied Jazz, Ballet, Tap, and Lyrical dance at Carol's Academy of Dance and with Chet Zercher at Dancer's Workshop. She has also studied dance at Broadway Dance Center in New York, Koresh Dance Center in Philadelphia and has attended dance conventions and studied from numerous internationally recognized teachers such as Frank Hatchett, Jermaine Brown, Brian Friedman, Joe Tremaine, Mia Michaels and Wade Robson. Shannon performed in West Chester University's Contemporary Dance Company both as a student and an alumni, the WCU Dance Team, and WCU’s Dance Production Workshop where she served as both President and a choreographer. She has also performed with Opus 1 Contemporary Dance Company based out of the Philadelphia area. Shannon has provided cheerleading camps for both Lionville and Downingtown Middle Schools, choreographed musicals for Downingtown Middle School, and choreographed for Great Valley High School Dance Team. Shannon is also a member of the female hip hop company, Flomotion. She has been teaching dance since she was fourteen in Chester County, Delaware County and Lancaster County and loves being able to serve her community of Coatesville through the art of dance. Shannon and her husband reside in Valley Township with their son and two daughters.
Shannon will also be teaching our Hip Hop Workshop for Grades 2-5.
Rylee Locker
Originally from Phoenix, AZ, Rylee Locker, also known as Rylee Prodigy, is a dance artist and educator based out of Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from Arizona State University in 2019, receiving her BFA in Dance Education and ended up moving to Philadelphia to further pursue her career in the Ballroom Scene. Now, Rylee is known Internationally for her award winning performances in the Ballroom Scene. She currently serves as the Philadelphia Mother of the Iconic House of Prodigy. Rylee recently received “Mother Of The Year 2023” at the 29th Dorian Corey Awards Ball and holds Fifteen “Of The Year” titles for Women’s Performance. Rylee is also the Founding Mother of the Kiki House of Paragon, founded in 2020. Aside from Voguing at Balls, she also can be seen dancing in All Style Battles.
As an educator, Rylee centers her pedagogical practices around how community empowers our movement. It is important to her to prioritize the accommodation of students’ needs. She teaches Vogue Femme, Heels Dance, Contemporary, Waacking, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Street Jazz. She travels as a teaching artist around the States and has taught workshops in Berlin and Toronto. Currently, Rylee is a resident teacher at Urban Movement Arts and Koresh School of Dance, both based in Philadelphia. As a Choreographer, Rylee creates Contemporary work that centers fluidity and femininity, which incorporates Contemporary, Vogue, Waacking, and Heels dance. This involves work created for the stage and intimate community settings. Altogether Rylee strives to inspire and empower others through her art and pedagogical practices.
Follow her @ryleeprodigy to stay updated with her work.
Isabella Kaplan
Isabel Garcia Kaplan is a Delaware and Philadelphia Area based professional dancer and choreographer. A Maryland native, she trained most notably at the formerly known Edna Lee Dance Studio with Ashley Canterna Hardy and Mary Moran. Isabel received Bachelor of Arts degrees in Dance and in Communications from DeSales University, where she trained under Trinette Singleton, Timothy Cowart, Tara Madsen Robbins, and Lynn Mariani. She graduated Cum Laude and was awarded two honors with the DeSales University Dance Department. Isabel then moved to New York City, where she was based for six years pursuing professional Musical Theatre and continuing her dance training.
In New York City, Isabel trained primarily at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway with industry experts such as Joshua Bergasse, James Kinney, Richard Hinds, Michael Mindlin, Shannon Lewis, Nicholas Palmquist, Marc Kimelman, Karla Garcia, Ray Hesselink, Lizz Picini, and Al Blackstone. She has also attended workshops with Partner Up (Mark Stuart), the Fosse Legacy Workshop (Anne Reinking and Valerie Pettiford), and American Dance Machine. Isabel has worked with accoladed choreographers such as Alex Sanchez and Richard Hinds, and she has performed the original choreography of Jerome Robbins (West Side Story), Bob Fosse (Chicago), and Alwin Nikolais (“Tensile Involvement”). Her professional performance credits include musicals with various regional theaters and Shakespeare Festivals, as well as a Christmas show at Hersheypark. Some favorite theatre credits include The Little Mermaid (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), Beauty and the Beast (Fulton Theatre), and Elf the Musical (Olney Theatre).
With over 25 years of dance training, Isabel has also choreographed since her youth and has been teaching for fourteen years. She has guest taught at studios in Alabama, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, and in Maryland, where she served ten years as a guest teacher and choreographer for Studio Dans. Her choreography has earned multiple top-score awards, choreography awards, and special recognitions at dance competitions. Recently, Isabel taught dance at Paul VI High School as a temporary long-term substitute instructor. You will find Isabel primarily teaching Jazz and Musical Theatre classes, as well as Ballet and Lyrical throughout the Delaware, Philadelphia, and South New Jersey regions.
Tanina Urbanski
Tanina Urbanski’s dance training began at Chester Valley Dance Academy in Exton, PA. There, she was trained in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and pointe work. She is a graduate of Hobart and William Smith Colleges where she received a BA in Dance and Media and Society with a minor in Computer Science. During her time at the Colleges, she was a Janet Seeley Arts Scholar and a recipient of the Jean W. Reeves Arts Scholarship and performed at the American College Dance Festival. She was a member and Co-President of the Koshare Dance Collective, performing, choreographing, and producing the annual concert each year. Through Koshare, she pioneered the Day of Dance Workshop for high school and middle school students in the Geneva, NY area to visit campus and experience a convention-like environment with various genres of dance taught by college dancers.
As a dance educator and choreographer, her work has received awards at dance competitions and international dance festivals. In addition, she has directed dance programs at various high schools in the Philadelphia area, most notably spearheading the advanced Dance Company at Villa Maria Academy.
She is currently pursuing her career in technology in Massachusetts and continues to teach dance at the Joanne Langione Dance Center in Newton, MA. Miss Tanina stays connected to the CVDA family through managing the studio website and social media platforms.