FACULTY | amda

Elizabeth Warshauer

Owner/Director/Choreographer

Elizabeth started her dance training at age two. She trained in classical ballet and pointe, and assisted in dance classes as a teacher in Slidell, Louisiana. Elizabeth's performance credits
include community performances around the city of Slidell and New Orleans, including
Celebration in the Oaks and Dance Festival on the Bayou. After homeschooling through high school, Elizabeth enrolled at The University of Southern Mississippi to pursue a degree in dance. After a very rigorous audition, she was accepted into the Southern Miss Department of Dance. The curriculum at USM consists of intensive training in classical ballet and modern/contemporary dance. She also received training in Bartenieff Fundamentals, Dance History, Improvisation, Dance Composition and Choreography, and teaching methods. During her time at USM, she toured and performed in cities around the states of Alabama and Mississippi with the Repertory Dance Company. She also choreographed three dances for the Department of Dance. All dance pieces must be evaluated through a process called Adjudication, where the dance faculty watches as many as 20 performances and decides which will be part of the semester’s concerts. Elizabeth’s senior piece entitled Ulterior Motives was featured in the department’s main stage Spring Dance Concert. The picture for Ulterior Motives was featured on the cover of Hattiesburg’s Signature Magazine.
Elizabeth has taken master classes with dance companies and teachers from around the world. She studied ballet and modern dance in New York at Paul Taylor's Dance Company and The New York Conservatory of Ballet. She has taken classes with Ririe Woodbury Dance Company of Salt Lake City, Misnomer Dance Company of New York, and Chicago Moving Company. Elizabeth also trained with over 20+ guest artist at the American College Dance Festival at colleges in Tennessee and Georgia in multiple styles of dance including, Hip Hop, Jazz,

Musical Theatre, West African, and Improvisation. Elizabeth is excited to share her intense dance education and training with the students of AMDA. Dance is Elizabeth's passion and she hopes to instill her love of the art into all her students, no matter their age. Dance develops poise, confidence, discipline, along with mental and physical strength that applies to ALL aspects of life.

"Dance, Dance, Otherwise we are lost."

Pina Bausch

Penny Coniglio Warshauer

Office Manager/Ballet Mistress/Tap Instructor

Penny comes to Articulate Motions Dance Academy as ballet Mistress with over 40 years invested in the art of dance. She began her dance training at Milliet Academy in New Orleans at the age of three. She was regularly chosen to perform on local television shows by her director, Mrs. Yvonne Milliet. Penny was also an assistant to the dance instructor as part of her certification process. She graduated from Milliet Academy in 1983, earning her Teachers Certification in Ballet, Tap, Jazz and beginners Acro.

After auditioning, Penny was invited to take class and danced throughout her years at Loyola University in New Orleans where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design. Under the direction of Gayle Parmalee, Loyola Ballet’s Artistic Director, she was classically trained in the Vaganova Method. She was a three year member of the Loyola Ballet and the Loyola Society of Dance. Her roles included variations in the annual Nutcracker performances, senior choreographic pieces, variations taught by the Komeka Dance Ensemble, and a touring production of The Unicorn, The Gorgon, and The Manticore. She attended Master Classes and was instructed by Alexander Mintz, a former ballet master and character dancer at the American Ballet Theater.

Her teaching career began in 1987 when she opened a dance studio in Slidell, Louisiana. She trained children and adults of all ages. Several of her students have gone on to become successful teachers with studios of their own. Because of her grace and knowledge of the art of ballet, Penny was also asked to teach at several studios in Louisiana and Mississippi. While in Mississippi, Penny was asked to choreograph several variations in a local production of the Nutcracker. She has judged talent shows, dance team tryouts, and company auditions for many schools and dance associations.