Faculty
 ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Patty Ogden holds a BA in dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. She has dedicated more than half her life to educating children and adults in various forms of dance. Patty began training and competing in Pittsburgh as a child and often traveled to New York for National competitions. Patty also studied voice and performed in musicals including Carousel with the Civic Light Opera. She started teaching when she was only 14 to help pay for her classes, and found a gift that became her passion.
By the time she was 25 she was opening a dance studio of her own. In the 9 years that followed she built a successful business. She developed competition teams and trained other teachers. She also choreographed and directed many productions, including the epic play, The Promise at the Texas Amphitheater in Glen Rose, TX. It was after all this experience she decided to finish her dance degree at Point Park University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2000.
Immediately following she moved to Raleigh, NC and began teaching dance clinics for the Kerr Family YMCA after school programs. This soon progressed to her starting a dance education program for the students in Durant Elementary After-School Program. Patty's love for children combined with her passion for educating in the area of fine arts has been the driving force behind the creation of Destiny Dance Institute.
 Ruth Leney-Midkiff
Ruth has been a master teacher, choreographer, and coach for almost 20 years. During her 12 years in Michigan, she served on the ballet faculties of the University of Michigan and the Flint School of Performing Arts. In addition, she established a youth program at the Dance Gallery Studio/ Peter Sparling Dance Company, where she later became director of the school. She has taught master classes throughout the United States and abroad in ballet, modern and her own contemporary ballet technique, and has created over 60 original pieces of choreography, ranging in style from full-length classics to modern dance works. Her works have been honored in Regional Dance, receiving "gala" recognition numerous times. In referring to her ballet "Tributaries," the Michigan Daily wrote, "The only way to describe this work was magnificent." and in "La Traviata" as "brilliant display of choreography." In 1995, Ruth's work with Pittsburgh Youth Ballet was honored in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's top 10 list in Dance. Ruth's students have been awarded scholarships to some of the world's most prestigious dance conservatories and she is proud to now have students dancing in some of our countries foremost dance companies. Ruth holds an MFA in Modern Dance from the University of Michigan as well as two BA's from the University of Pittsburgh in French and Russian respectively.
 Emanuel Vaceanu
Emanuel is a 1980 graduate of the Romanian Art Academy, with a major in dance and music. His childhood training began with character, folk and ballroom. In 1985 he was the Romanian Ballroom and Latin champion. He has won many first places in national competitions in Ballroom, Latin, Ballet and Cabaret divisions. Emanuel was also a soloist and principal dancer with the American Ballroom Theater Company, Ballet Repertory Theater, Westchester Ballet, Long Island Ballet and the Imperial Russian Ballet of California. Today Destiny Dance Institute enjoys his wealth of experience and artistic creativity that he brings to his ballet and ballroom classes. Emanuel continues to compete himself as well as train other ballet and ballroom dancers on a competitive level.
 Cora Hemphill
Cora holds a B.A. in Theatre Performance as well as a minor in dance. She graduated from Greensboro College Suma Cum Laude, a member of Alpha Chi, Academic Honor Society, where she also received the Howard C. Wilkinson Award for outstanding underclass performance. Cora has been teaching for 7 years, including choreographing for Greensboro College dance concerts and Studio 212, in Hartsville, SC. Cora’s acting credits include “Sandy” in Grease, “Madge” in Picnic, and “Heidi” in The Heidi Chronicles.
DDI is delighted to have a teacher so dedicated to her students. Cora is truly passionate about imparting the joy that dance gives her to her students. Her warm and sensitive approach encourages her students to discover their potential and personal satisfaction.
 Lisa Larson
Lisa holds a B.S. in Elementary Education as well as a minor in modern dance from Brigham Young University-Idaho where she worked as the dance teacher assistant, privately tutored dancers and assisted with skills testing. While completing her degree she took classes with the American College Dance Festival, the St. Petersburg Ballet Workshop, and Dance West School of Ballet. Lisa also taught third grade at Heritage Elementary School in Wake Forest. Lisa’s enthusiasm for dance complimented by her training as an educator fosters a positive environment for discovery and learning in her classes.
 Jillian Sage
Bio Coming Soon
 Jennifer James-Rhoades
Jennifer has been teaching for 20 years in the southeast region of the US. She has served both as director and ballet mistress in area studios since moving in the Raleigh/Durham area nearly 6 years ago. She has studied pedagogy under Lynn Hodgkinson and Gillian Davis in RAD syllabus system and has had pedagogical training in the Vaganova method but has found experience to be the greatest of teachers. Jennifer has been the founder and director of three companies since relocating to the area and currently is directing True North Dance Ensemble, a fledgling professional Christian ballet company. Jennifer is very happy to be welcomed into the faculty of Destiny Dance and is looking forward to contributing to the success of the ballet program.
 Rachel Glenn
Rachel, daughter of Patty Ogden, is a certified Pilates instructor. Her love for fitness began with her dance training. She studied ballet, jazz and tap for 10 years at the Christian Dance Academy in TX. Rachel acquired extensive performing experience as a member of the company and won several awards at competitions such as Tremain, Dance Olympus and Showbiz. When her family moved to Pennsylvania she continued her training at the C.C.O.P. Fine Arts Academy adding voice and drama to her studies. Rachel began teaching at the academy and her enthusiasm and professionalism made her a popular teacher even at such a young age. She furthered her training in ballet at Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA. Rachel has been studying with Emanuel Vaceanu and again with her mother these last two years and is making plans to go back to school in the fall.
 Regina McKenzie Ortiz
Regina studied dance and drama throughout Junior High and High School where she won many awards and graduated with an art scholarship in 1982. After having her first child in 1987, she became the assistant to the Children's Pastor of her church and has been teaching pre-school age children for the last 18 years. She has also served as the church Performing Arts Director and has written, directed, and choreographed numerous stage productions for both her church and community and has a strong passion to help young people discover their God-given talents. Regina has continued to study dance and acting with organizations such as Higher Goals School of Dance, and North Raleigh Performing Arts. She also holds a certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Along with teaching creative movement, dance, and drama, she is also a working actor who has appeared in various films, commercials, stage and television shows.
 Sarah Glenn
Bio Coming Soon
 Guest Instructor: Bohuslava (Slavka) Jelinkova
A native of the Czech Republic, Ms. Jelinkova received her early training at the National Conservatory of Dance (Prague), where she studied not only classical ballet technique, but a variety of other dance forms, including Eastern European folk dance. Upon graduation, she was invited to join the Opera Ballet of the National Theatre in Prague, where she danced and toured for ten years. She later attended the Academy of Fine Arts, receiving a Master’s Degree in ballet and pedagogy. She taught extensively in the Czech Republic, including several years at the National Conservatory, and in 1993 was awarded a Dutch State Arts grant to complete pedagogical studies at both the schools of modern dance and at the Conservatory of Ballet (Rotterdam, The Hague, and Amsterdam). After her marriage to University of Michigan Associate Professor of Performing Arts Timothy Cheek, Slavka moved to Ann Arbor, where she has served on the faculties of the Flint School of Performing Arts, the Russian Classical Ballet Academy and the Brighton Ballet School, among others. For several years, she continued to perform as a free-lance artist with Michigan area choreographers. Additionally, she has had considerable experience in choreographing works for her students.
 Guest Instructor: Elizabeth Morgan
Miss Morgan is a CDTA certified dance teacher and professional cheerleader and choreographer. Her 20 years of dance, music and theatre experience and 14 years of teaching experience include many styles and levels. She is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, acro, musical theatre, Celtic, body conditioning and cheerleading. Elizabeth is an alumni NFL and CFL Cheerleader and Line Captain. She trains amateur, semi-pro and pro dance/cheer teams across North America. In this area she recently coached the AIFL Raleigh Rebelles Dance Team and the Carolina Bombshells Dancers. Miss Morgan’s students have performed at Walt Disney World, NFL and CFL games, NBA and WNBA games, many community festivals, charity events and more. They have won numerous artistic awards including national championships. She trains annually with top Hollywood choreographers to bring the most up-to-date material to her classes. Miss Morgan looks forward to sharing some of these new concepts and styles with the DDI students this summer!
 Guest Instructor: Kerry Lambert
Kerry Ann Lambert has been performing professionally in regional theatre for over 10 years. Credits include: 42nd Street (national tour), Regional credits: A Chorus Line (Val), 42nd Street (Peggy), Crazy For You (Polly) and State Fair (Margy), Raleigh productions: Annie Get Your Gun with North Carolina Theatre, 5 Women Wearing the Same Dress (Mindy) at Hot Summer Nights at the Kennedy and A Christmas Carol (The Neice), TIP. She taught at Infinity Ballet in Apex and North Carolina Dance Institute.
 Guest Instructor: Gene Medler
Gene Medler is founder and director of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble (NCYTE) and director of the North Carolina Rhythm Tap Festival. He teaches in the Department of Performing Arts at Elon University. Mr. Medler's previous teaching credits include Duke University and Meredith College. He is on the faculty at The Ballet School of Chapel Hill and has taught master classes at the tap festivals in the U.S. and worldwide.
Gene was an athlete for most of his life, playing baseball, basketball, and track in middle and high school and then fencing at the University of North Carolina. Between undergraduate and graduate school he got interested in acting which led to dance classes and ultimately tap dance class. Loving movement for its own sake and having always wanted to learn to play an instrument, tap dancing was the perfect art form for him. He was fortunate to be learning when many of the old masters were starting to teach again. Gene worked with masters like Clayton "Peg Leg" Bates, Charles "Honi" Coles, Cholly Atkins, Bunny Briggs, and contemporaries like Brenda Bufalino, Sam Weber and Savion Glover. His passion for tap dancing coupled with his desire to teach led to the creation of NCYTE.
Selected career highlights include:
- Appearance in Duke Ellington's Nutcracker at Page Auditorium, Duke University & Memorial Hall, UNC
- Appearance in Ellington"s David Danced, Duke Chapel
- "Poor Butterfly" soft shoe choreo-graphed by Brenda Buffalino at Colorado Dance Festival
- Appearance in Great Tap Reunion (Boston), Charles "Honi" Cole choreography
- Appearance with the Squirrel Nut Zippers
- Appearance with Brenda Bufalino, World Dance Festival New York City
- Grants from the Durham Arts Council, the North Carolina Arts Council and the Orange County Arts Commission
- Featured in Dance Teacher Now magazine
- Featured in Southern Living magazine
- Received the 1998 Indy Award for contribution to the arts from Independent Magazine
- Profiled in the September/October 2001 Carolina Alumni Review
- Named Tar Heel of the Week by the News and Observer
- Seen nationwide in PBS special, Juba! Masters of Tap and Percussive Dance
 Guest Instructor: Kalle Miller
Kalle Miller is from Flint, Michigan where she began dancing at the age of three with the Paavola School of Dance and Young Peoples Ballet Theatre. She studied with various professional ballet company summer programs including The Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Chautauqua. After graduating high school, Kalle went to Pittsburgh where she studied with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre as a graduate student and joined the company as an apprentice. Mrs. Miller was promoted to the corps de ballet for the 2004-2005 and the 2005-2006 seasons.
 Guest Instructor: Talani Torres
Talani holds a M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina - Greensboro, NC where she worked as a graduate teaching assistant from 2003-2006. Currently she is on the dance faculty at Meredith College in Raleigh, NC. Her performance experience includes working as a principle dancer for the Mia Michael's Miami Movement Dance Company for five years (she served also as rehearsal director for the company), and the Gloria Estefan music video - Oye Mi Canto. Before entering UNCG, Talani owned her own school in Miami Florida and was the artistic director of the Miami Children's Dance Ensemble. Still influenced strongly by her years with Mia Michael's Company, her material blends athleticism, musicality and the vernacular.
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