Eva Zitterkob-Hoke
Owner and Founder
Eva Zitterkob-Hoke earned her Master’s Degree in Performing Arts Leadership and Management from Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Arts Studies from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah, in 2013. While at BYU, Eva studied contemporary dance, jazz, dance improvisation, composition, and acting techniques, including Stanislavsky and Alexander.
Eva has been a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor since 2007, teaching students of all ages, from preschoolers to senior adults. Her dance training began in 2000, encompassing ballet, tap, lyrical, and jazz styles. She first developed an interest in dance at the age of nine during a summer arts academy in her hometown of Weatherford, Oklahoma.
In 2001, while continuing her dance training, Eva began performing in community theatre at Southwest Playhouse (SWPH) in Clinton, Oklahoma. Her debut role was as a schoolgirl in "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." In 2005, after dancing with a ballet company in "The King and I" at SWPH, she shifted her training to study under Penny Askew (currently with the Askew Ballet Academy) at the Western Oklahoma Ballet Academy, where she focused on classical ballet and modern dance.
In 2007, Eva choreographed her first musical, Clue, the Musical, at SWPH. From then until 2013, she performed, choreographed, and taught dance numbers for various SWPH productions, discovering her deep love for dance through these experiences. Over the years, she choreographed seven community theater productions and performed in more than 21 productions.
In 2013, Eva took on the role of gymnastics coach and dance adviser at Olympic Gold Gymnastics in Clinton, Oklahoma. There, she taught basic dance techniques and performance strategies under the guidance of head coach Sherrel Johnston. During her time at the gym, she recognized the benefits of dance training for gymnasts, as well as the potential advantages of gymnastics training for dancers.
In 2018, Eva became certified in Acrobatic Arts for Acro Dance, which allowed her to integrate her gymnastics expertise, gained while training at Olympic Gold, with dance. She is excited to see the dance community increasingly recognize the importance of acro training and certification for acro teachers. Eva believes these measures are crucial for ensuring the safety of both dancers and instructors.
Through Acro, Eva has had the opportunity to travel around Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Canada, and more locations in the coming year. She is passionate about Acro and looks forward to teaching and sharing the many advantages it can bring to dance training. Eva firmly believes in the value of continual education and that learning is a lifelong journey.
In 2020, Eva became certified with Alixa Flexibility, enabling her to provide a strength and flexibility curriculum that enhances her students’ education and ensures their safety in classes. She places a strong emphasis on both physical and mental safety in dance education, understanding how children develop as they progress in the performing arts.
Having been a performing child herself, Eva has firsthand experience of the short-term and long-term effects that quality training can have. She finds joy in teaching and continually strives to be a positive influence in her students’ lives.
Eva believes that dance is an effective way to express feelings and emotions while providing a calming balance to a busy life. Currently, she holds three certifications with Acrobatic Arts and two with Alixa Flexibility, and she plans to pursue additional certifications in the future.
In 2021, Eva founded Dance Ambassadors LLC, a virtual dance studio dedicated to providing quality training and performance opportunities through its educational programs. Dance Ambassadors (DA) offers a wide variety of programs that cater to diverse interests and abilities, ranging from classical ballet to contemporary dance and everything in between. DA's commitment extends beyond teaching; the studio actively seeks exciting opportunities for its students to showcase their talents in performances.
In 2023, Eva established Dance Ambassadors Legacy INC. (DAL) to support as many dancers as possible in furthering their dance education through scholarship programs. Dance Ambassadors Legacy INC. became a reality when Eva registered DAL as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2023.
Lydia Roderick
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Lydia Roderick grew up in a small town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. At the age of two, she couldn't stop twirling in her parents' living room, which led to her being signed up for dance classes as soon as she was old enough to begin pursuing her passion. Since then, she has completed over twenty years of dance training.
While she focused primarily on classical ballet, she also received training in modern dance (Horton and release technique), jazz, lyrical/contemporary, and musical theater. With a strong background in classical ballet, Lydia studied the Cecchetti method under the direction of Rebecca Pfarrer, completing student exams from grades one through six, as well as her grade one teaching exam.
In the fall of 2017, Lydia took her dance journey to the collegiate level at Towson University in Maryland, majoring in Dance Performance and Choreography. At Towson, she had the opportunity to train with professional artists, including Linda Denise Fisher-Harrell, Vincent Thomas, Tracy Burton-Hooper, Catherine Horta Hayden, and Runqiao & Erin Du.
During her time at Towson University, Lydia discovered a passion for exploring dance through a somatic lens, focusing on the scientific analysis of movement sequences, led by Nancy Wanich-Romita. Guided by Malcolm Shute, Nicole MarNnell, and Susan Mann, she found joy in creating works through the composition process.
Lydia has created and had works performed in Towson University's annual department shows, including "Inertia," the "Dance Major Performance Project," and her senior thesis show, "Un-shielded." Additionally, she performed multiple times in these annual shows, as well as in the re-staging of "Napoli" and an original work by Linda Denise Fisher-Harrell titled "All That I Know Is…" in the Towson University Dance Company Performance.
Lydia graduated cum laude with her Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Spring 2020. In Fall 2020, she began teaching at local dance studios in the greater Eastern Panhandle region. In addition, Lydia completed her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2024, with a certification in Dance Movement Therapy.
Isabella Melsheimer
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Amira Ayaz
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Amira Ayaz is a dancer, choreographer, and artist originally from Boston, 
Massachusetts. She started dancing at Deborah Mason Performing Arts Center and later went on to study at The Martha Graham School for a year before pursuing her Bachelor's in Fine Arts for Dance at Purchase College Conservatory of Dance, SUNY.
During her time at Purchase College, she trained in Ballet, Graham, Cunningham, Horton, Gaga, Contemporary, Floorwork, Partnering, and more. She also gained her ASC Pilates Mat Certification. As a member of the conservatory’s company, Purchase Dance Company, she has performed works by Yannis Brissot, Trisha Brown, Kimberly Bartosik, Loni Landon, and others.
In her cumulative years of dance training, she has had the great opportunity to attend workshops and intensives such as BJM_360, Ballet BC 44 Summer Intensive, NOD Nuova Officina della Danza, Orsolina 28, Gibney Summer Study, and, most recently, Springboard Danse Pittsburgh, where she performed works by Aaron Choate and Sidra Bell. As a multimedia artist, she also has a background in Video Art, Portrait Making, Print Making, and Fashion Design.
Claire Newton
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I started dancing at the age of 3 after a very small career in soccer, which I mostly spent doing cartwheels and twirling on the field. I began with ballet classes, but kept being drawn to tumbling! After years in a classical ballet school, I wanted to give gymnastics a try! I competed in gymnastics for a few years before switching to competitive cheer, just falling deeper in love with tumbling! Then COVID happened, and my cheer season got all messy. In order to stay active, I started taking dance classes online! I took acrobatics and ballet classes with places all over the place, even Canada! I realized it was time for me to go back to dance. After the COVID-19 mayhem was over, I started classes again and tried out acro. I instantly loved it, two of my favorite things combined!
Halfway through high school, I joined my local classical ballet company and participated in their productions. I realized I missed the grace and structure of ballet, so I started becoming more ballet-involved! I started taking ballet classes and workshops anywhere I could find, even if it was hours away!
In my senior year of high school, I decided to take my college journey slowly, so I chose to do a gap year and gain some teaching experience! I taught a variety of styles at my hometown dance studio, as well as some aero, gymnastics, and ninja classes at my local gym. That was when I really decided I wanted to make a career out of teaching. I am now at Slippery Rock University in Slippery Rock, PA, working on my dance B.F.A.! Once I graduate, I plan to spread the joy of dance as much as I can by teaching. I want to create spaces that everybody can learn, grow, and thrive in!
Megan Troppman
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Megan Troppman, Martinsburg native, is a recent graduate of West Virginia University, where she earned a dual-degree in Dance and Animal and Nutritional Sciences. While at WVU, she was an active member of the Student Dance Association; attended the 2024 East-Central American College Dance Association conference; and worked with choreographers, including General Hambrick, Matt Saffron, Maureen and Yoav Kaddar, and Robin Sanders.
Megan performed in WVU's annual dance performance, Dance Now! for four years, as well as in a dance showcase with Move2Rise, in Vienna, Austria, during a semester abroad. Additionally, she performed this spring at the West Virginia Dance Festival and presented her first choreographic work in the WVU Spring Dance Showcase.
Training for many years under Greta Gane and Kendra-Miller Appleyard, Megan’s extensive dance experience reflects seventeen years of instruction in disciplines that include ballet, contemporary, hip-hop, jazz, lyrical, modern, pointe, and tap.
Megan is pursuing a career in veterinary medicine while continuing to share her passion for
dance through choreographing and teaching.
Jasmine Ogawa
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JASMINE OGAWA (dancer) is a freshman BFA dance major at Point Park University. Originally from San Antonio, Texas, she has trained in commercial styles at The Circle, as well as contemporary and ballet at the Universe Dance School, and she is a proud alum of The North East School of The Arts.
Jasmine has performed in the Fall Dance Concert (Point Park University), the Fall Repertory Concert (Point Park University), the Joci Awards (The Majestic Empire Foundation), and Splash! (Seaworld San Antonio). She is currently working with Lloyd Culbreath on Contemporary Choreographers (Point Park University).
