Samantha Bartolotta, Romeo, MI
Kennedy Briggs, Cary, NC
Andrea Boyes, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Shar-Narne Flowers, Raleigh, NC
Katarina Harbich, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Elise Little, Minneapolis, MN
Alex Martin, Chicago IL
Jimmy Morgan, Providence, RI
Giulia Paolino, Cleveland, OH
Abby Pierce, Peabody, MA
Angel Schofield, Williamsburg, VA
Caren Tackett, Boxford, MA
Kathryn Vaughn, Las Vegas, NV
Samantha Bartolotta
Sam is a Multiple-time National Showcase Medalist and part of the 2022 Theatre on Ice National Champion Adult Harmony team. She is a coach and choreographer for the Onyx Theatre Troupe Theatrical Skating Program (TOI and Showcase Ensemble teams).
MCT thought me that the creative choreography process can come from anywhere. Inspiration can spark at any moment. A piece of work can be formed from an emotion, an object, a gesture and so much more. Having meaning behind the piece of work helps explore which techniques can best help elevate that piece to a new level and capture the audience’s attention.
Kennedy Briggs
Kennedy has been coaching for over 9 years, and has worked with regional, sectional, and national competitors in both freestyle and synchronized skating. She is a former freestyle and collegiate competitor, moves in the field gold medalist, passed her USFS Junior Freeskate Test, and is a spins specialist. Kennedy is a member of PSA and holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business and German from the University of North Carolina- Greensboro.
My biggest takeaway from this course is understanding the true meaning of stepping outside of the box when it comes to choreography. You can use your fingers, eyes, heels, and toes. You can repeat a choreographed sequence and create art that is meaningful!
Andrea Boyes
Andrea is the Owner of Roller Skate Victoria and is a Skate Instructors Association certified roller skating instructor. Andrea has performed with Disney on Ice, Holiday on Ice, Canada Ice Dance Theatre and is a Skate Canada gold medalist in freeskate, skills and dance.
I’ve always choreographed from the heart, but since taking the course I feel I am choreographing from the brain as well!
Shar-Narne Flowers
Shar-Narne is a former Disney On Ice skater and is currently coaching in North Carolina. She is attempting to updated her neglected little house with her husband and enjoys chasing her cats around the backyard.
This class has made me want to continue exploring movement and I’m excited to discover other “new-to-me” ways of non-verbal storytelling.
Katarina Harbich
Katarina is a figure skater and teacher currently living in Vancouver, Canada. She has a bachelors in Kinesiology and is also a certified yoga instructor.
My greatest takeaway is that the possibilities are truly endless when you begin to allow yourself to freely express yourself through choreography. The best things are created when we are free to be ourselves.
Elise Little
Watch Elise’s final project here.
ELISE is 21-years-old from Austin, TX and now resides in Minneapolis, MN at the University of Minnesota. She is a two-time Quest for Creativity Champion and is a member of the American Ice Theatre Minneapolis-St. Paul Professional Company.
MCT created a safe space for me to explore aspects of my skating and choreography that I’ve previously shied away from. It also taught me how to analyze choreography from an objective lens free of self-judgement, which I found incredibly liberating.
Alex Martin
Alex J. Martin (he/they) was born and raised in the state of Michigan, USA, but has called the city of Chicago, IL home for the past 3 years, where he skates with the contemporary skating company, American Ice Theatre. Alex is currently a professional ice skater with Holiday on Ice, and has previously performed with Disney on Ice. Alex competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships from 2009-2016, receiving 3 podium finishes. Alex coaches Theatre on Ice as well as partner ice dancing in Chicago. You can follow Alex’s skating journey on instagram @alextheicesk8er.
By altering the energy, space, and time of a given movement, one can choreograph that movement in an infinite number of ways, each with a unique, resulting effect.
Jimmy Morgan
Jimmy (he/they) is a figure skating coach/choreographer based in Boston. He is the assistant director for AIT Boston. Jimmy enjoys using choreography to explore and begin to understand the complex world around us. He holds a B.S. in Mass Communication from the Boston University College of Communication. In Jimmy’s spare time, they are a Pro Ambassador for Athlete Ally, an organization committed to the fair inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in sports. He can usually be found in the kitchen eating or making TikTok’s in the corner of the rink.
I’ve learned to notice, recognize, and be inspired by art everywhere.
Giulia Paolino
Giulia is an AIT Cleveland Professional Company member, 6 time USFS Gold Medalist, and is an aspiring choreographer both on and off the ice. She is currently training in Italy with an ice dance partner.
MCT pushed me outside my comfort zone to create and try new choreographic techniques and ways of movement.
Abby Pierce
Watch Abby’s final video here.
Abby is an AIT Boston Company member and a 2-time USFS gold medalist. She was a top finisher at the 2022 Quest for Creativity competition and is currently a student at Colgate University in upstate New York.
I learned how to create more dynamic and eye catching choreography with the MCT vocab terms. I am very excited to use them in my future pieces!
Angel Schofield
Watch Angel’s final video here.
Angel is a USFS gold medalist and gold level recipient of the USFS graduating seniors award class of 2022. She is a coach with a BA from PSA in Yorktown VA. As she is and the beginning of her professional career, she is always seeking to learn more about all the different pathways of skating.
MCT has given me knowledge of the inner workings of movement and the choreographic process that I know will benefit me greatly in any aspect of my career and my own personal skating. All skaters know that having a strong foundation is integral to success, and MCT has given me that on a technical basis and in my own personal confidence.
Caren Tackett
Caren is a Senior Level figure skater whose competitive days in the 80’s and 90’s ended when her career in professional theatre began. Broadway and World Touring theatrical credits include Rent (Maureen), Hair (Sheila), Evita (Eva), Grease (Sandy), Les Miserables (Eponine). She has a passion for writing music and creating original art. She rejoined the figure skating world as a coach and choreographer just over one year ago and is thoroughly enjoying immersing back into this ever evolving craft.
My MCT course experience was a masterful example of a perfect balance of experiential learning, individual exploration, respectful group support and critique and book study. Kate and Garrett balanced each other out beautifully with potent insight, compassion and discipline. They kept the communication open, concise and fluid all at once. Each area of the class structure fed the other beautifully. The time and space given in between virtual meetings was just enough time to allow me to absorb, explore, and live the material without forgetting it before the next meeting. Every class was cushioned with encouragement while providing customized, firm challenges. Every month I was forced to think out-of-the-box and push my boundaries to awaken new areas of my inner and outer worlds.
Kathryn Vaughn
Kathryn grew up skating pairs, singles and dance taking from Christa & Carlo Fassi, Dee Goldstein for Pairs and Kelly Witt for Dance and competing at the sectional and national level. She was also mentored by Phillip Mills. After turning professional, she worked with Bietak Productions, performing in Las Vegas, and touring the world. She is currently a coach/choreographer in Las Vegas and received a Master Rating in Choreography and Skating Skills with the PSA.
A deeper understanding of the foundation of dance, and why we move the way we do in modern genres. I have began to embrace, comfort in stillness in small moments . Learning that there can be more beauty and impact in just the movement of the finger than a huge tour de force movement .
Sarah Wright
Check out Sarah’s final project here.
Sarah’s from Tennessee and currently resides in Minneapolis, MN. She is a member of the AIT MSP Professional Company and skated professional with Disney On Ice. She is currently a full-time coach around the Twin Cities.
I learned how to hone in and refine.