Three gorgeous professional dancers at the left- trained at Pofahl Studios, Resident School for Dance Alive National Ballet.
Yes, we teach 3 year olds through 80!
Announcing Guest Master Teachers for Mini and Maxi intensives this summer! Former Pofahl students with careers in dance return to share their talents and gifts.
Amy Seawright Hartman is a native Floridian from Gainesville, FL. She began her dance training at Pofahl studios in her hometown with Kim Tuttle, Judy Skinner, and Mary Ellen Pofahl. She continued her study at the School of American Ballet in New York City. While attending the University of Florida, she danced professionally with Dance Alive National Ballet and was also a guest artist throughout the state of Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Florida and was then asked to join the Miami City Ballet where she danced for the next twelve years. Upon personal invitation, she joined the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center for the subsequent three years.
During Amy’s professional career she has toured extensively in national venues throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America. She has performed on the main stage at the Edinburgh Festival, Spoleto Festival, Torino Arts Celebration, Kennedy Center Honors, Jacob’s Pillow, Wolftrap, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and Dance Aspen. She has had the privilege to work with a wide spectrum of directors, choreographers and ballet masters from the Balanchine Trust, the Bolshoi, the Kirov, the Stuttgart Ballet, the Paul Taylor Company, and Royal Ballet to name a few.While dancing for Suzanne Farrell in Washington DC, Ms. Seawright Hartman began teaching ballet and Pilates to students of all ages at the Reston Conservatory. In 2003, she moved to Richmond, Virginia where she joined the faculty of Richmond Ballet. She taught Richmond Ballet’s professional company class and served as assistant ballet mistress. Additionally she was taught in the Richmond Ballet School as an instructor and repeteur for the upper level school students and pre-professional trainees. She was also on the faculty for Richmond Ballet’s acclaimed education outreach program Minds In Motion for two years. During her four years at Richmond Ballet, Ms. Seawright Hartman had extensive experience as an instructor, choreographer and repeteur for a wide range of performances. In addition, to teaching at Richmond Ballet, she also coached the dance elements for competitive gymnasts from the Virginia International Gymnastics School from Developmental I through Level 9.
She now resides in Orlando with her husband, Tim, and children, Lauren and Jacob. She is on staff with the Orlando Ballet and has also taught for the Russian Ballet Orlando where she has performed guest roles in various performances. She loves to pour all of her experience as a dancer and teacher into leading her students towards a better understanding of movement, technique, body alignment and stage craft. She enjoys working with people of all walks of life as she shares her great love of the art of dance.
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Sissy Bell is a Gainesville native who attended Eastside High School where she had the lead in while choreographing most of the musicals. Ms. Bell and her brother Matthew trained at Pofahl Studios under Mary Ellen Pofahl, Kim Tuttle, Judy Skinner and Jean Reid. Both were members of The Next Generation and performed annually in DANB’s Nutcracker – often with Ms. Bell as Clara and Matthew as Franz. With Next Generation they performed Russian from Nutcracker. She was an apprentice with DANB before leaving for college.
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Ms. Bell continued her dance and academic career at the University of Arizona, graduating with a BFA in Dance (ballet, jazz, modern, pointe, tap, contemporary). She studied voice with Andrew Byrne, Monte Ralson and Deborah Sperlich and acting with McCaskill Studio and Magnet Theatre. She lists as her special skills pointe, tumbling (aerial, back handspring, walking on hands), and advanced partnering skills.
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Ms. Bell is that triple threat performer – a skilled actor, singer and dancer. Broadway/off-Broadway credits include Anastasia, Tootsie and Trio of Love while touring with Elf the Musical. She was ensemble with Romy and Michele and Little Dancer. Performances in Regional Theatre include Cassie in A Chorus Line, Regina in Rock of Ages, June and Mama Morton in Chicago, Aquata and Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Doreen, Stephanie and Candy in Saturday Night Fever, Lola in Damn Yankees and ensemble in Spamalot.
