Christopher Stygar

CHRISTOPHER STYGAR’s career as a professional dancer tds 16 years including tenures with such renowned companies as Ballet West, The Houston Ballet and Ohio Ballet. During that time he performed the works of such well-known choreographers as George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Jacques D’Ambois, Ruthanna Boris, Lew Christensen, Willam Christensen, Heinz Poll, Kathryn Posin, Tomm Ruud, Anna Solokow and Paul Taylor. His touring credits include the European cities of Athens, Biarritz, Milan, Florence, Geneva, Paris, Spoleto (both in Italy and the US festival in Charleston, SC) and Verona. After retiring from dance he was appointed Company Manager with Ohio Ballet where he coordinated the artistic and business operations of that company which included the beginning of their bi-annual seasons in New York at the Joyce Theater. He helped organize and conduct Ohio Ballet’s successful two-month tour of South and Central America and Mexico that culminated in a week of performances at the prestigious Cervantes Festival in Mexico City. Mr. Stygar taught at the university level at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana where he began a dance department. While at Notre Dame he conducted special classes for Fighting Irish football team members to aid in flexibility and injury control. He has been on the faculty of The Dance Institute of the University of Akron. He is on the faculty of the Northeast Ohio Dance Academy and serves as Co-Director of the Northeast Ohio Dance performing company. He holds a Bachelor’s degree with a double major in English Literature and Philosophy from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, and is currently employed as a Business Development Representative with Concept Services Ltd. in Wadsworth, OH.

Brenda Stygar

With over 20 years of experience in all phases of dance, BRENDA STYGAR’s credits include Dancer and Ballet Mistress of Ohio Ballet from 1980 through 1987, dancer with Berkshire Ballet, Bristol Concert Ballet, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Resident Dance Company, and Western Washington Concert Dance Company.Her administrative positions have been Executive Director for the Tom Evert Dance Company, Development Director and Choreographer for Magical Theatre Company, and The Illusion Factory. Ms. Stygar is the Director of the Northeast Ohio Dance Academy. She also teaches ballet at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts and taught Creative Movement at Discovery Montessori School. She has choreographed for regional companies in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, and Washington, and has taught master classes throughout the United States, South America, and Central America. In 2001 she was awarded a special grant from the New York Council for the Art to create a new work for the Albany-Berkshire Ballet.Ms. Stygar holds a Bachelor's degree with a major in dance and a minor in education, graduating cum laude from Adelphi University outside New York City. She earned her accreditation in teaching Dance K-12 from Kent State University.