Miss Heather- Studio Owner, Director, Instructor
Heather Onderko has been dancing since she could walk. She began her dance training in Meadville with Arita Lee Blair and had completed her ballet examinations in Cecchetti method for Level 1 and 2 before turning twelve. She studied ballet, tap, baton, and tumbling with Ms. Blair.
While in her teens, she studied with Kristine Haemer and added training in ballet en pointe, modern, lyrical, jazz, and hip-hop. She served as co-captain and co-choreographer for her high school cheer/dance squad. Additionally, she served as a teaching assistant and substitute dance instructor at Kristine’s School of Dance.
Heather attended Allegheny College and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications. While at Allegheny, she spent time in the dance department furthering her studies in ballet and modern and gaining experience with American ballroom dance styles. She also studied dance theory and physiology of movement. She attended and participated in many dance workshops while in college.
In her spare time she has taught dance workshops for the Meadville Housing Authority’s summer program, taught modern and ballroom dance classes for After School Enrichment at Meadville Area Middle School. She has previously served as a director/choreographer for the Conneaut Valley Pageants, and served for several years as choreographer for the Waterfowl Pageants in conjunction with the Pymatuning Waterfowl Festival as well as the Conneaut Valley Football and Basketball Cheerleading Squads. She has choreographed numerous dance routines for local pageant contestants and held the title of Miss Crawford County 1999, where she performed self-choreographed dances in competitions and at many venues throughout the area. Heather was recognized on numerous occasions for her choreography in pieces she performed while competing in the Miss America pageant system. She has lent her choreography services to the Conneaut Lake Snowball pageant and has been a guest reader/instructor at Cambridge Springs Summer Reading Program.
Heather continued her background in education with a teaching certificate in Secondary English from Edinboro University. She taught 8th grade English at Meadville Area Middle School for ten years. She currently teaches English at Cochranton Junior Senior High School.
In April of 2010, Heather received her certification to teach ZUMBA® Fitness Classes. Almost a year later in March of 2011 she attended the Basic 2 ZUMBA® training and continues to teach classes year round.
Heather has attended the week-long Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School at State University of New York at Buffalo for multiple years. While there she took classes and studies in various dance genres including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Yoga, Pilates, Music & Counting, Theater Dance, and Kinesiology. In 2010 she received certification through Dance Masters of America in Ballet, Jazz and Tap.
In June 2012, Heather attended the DanceMakers Inc. National Convention in Myrtle Beach where she took classes in ballet, lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop, and modern/contemporary from recognized teachers/choreographers such as Brad Taylor, Keith Clifton, Tommy Alexander, Darryl Retter, Katherine McCormick, Kyle Robinson, Dejan Tubic, Brooke Paulsen-Zelus, and Tokyo. She continues to attend the DanceMakers Inc. regional convention in Pittsburgh yearly.
EDUCATION
2002-on-going Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro, PA
* Completed work to earn teaching certificate in Secondary English
* Continuing work on MEd. In Middle/Secondary Instruction
1998-2002 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
* Earned Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and minor in Political Science
* Earned credit for the following dance classes at Allegheny: Sharing the Dance, Upper Level Dance--Modern, Ballet for Modern Dancers, Social Dance I and II, and Ballroom Dance I.
Heather Onderko has been dancing since she could walk. She began her dance training in Meadville with Arita Lee Blair and had completed her ballet examinations in Cecchetti method for Level 1 and 2 before turning twelve. She studied ballet, tap, baton, and tumbling with Ms. Blair.
While in her teens, she studied with Kristine Haemer and added training in ballet en pointe, modern, lyrical, jazz, and hip-hop. She served as co-captain and co-choreographer for her high school cheer/dance squad. Additionally, she served as a teaching assistant and substitute dance instructor at Kristine’s School of Dance.
Heather attended Allegheny College and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications. While at Allegheny, she spent time in the dance department furthering her studies in ballet and modern and gaining experience with American ballroom dance styles. She also studied dance theory and physiology of movement. She attended and participated in many dance workshops while in college.
In her spare time she has taught dance workshops for the Meadville Housing Authority’s summer program, taught modern and ballroom dance classes for After School Enrichment at Meadville Area Middle School. She has previously served as a director/choreographer for the Conneaut Valley Pageants, and served for several years as choreographer for the Waterfowl Pageants in conjunction with the Pymatuning Waterfowl Festival as well as the Conneaut Valley Football and Basketball Cheerleading Squads. She has choreographed numerous dance routines for local pageant contestants and held the title of Miss Crawford County 1999, where she performed self-choreographed dances in competitions and at many venues throughout the area. Heather was recognized on numerous occasions for her choreography in pieces she performed while competing in the Miss America pageant system. She has lent her choreography services to the Conneaut Lake Snowball pageant and has been a guest reader/instructor at Cambridge Springs Summer Reading Program.
Heather continued her background in education with a teaching certificate in Secondary English from Edinboro University. She taught 8th grade English at Meadville Area Middle School for ten years. She currently teaches English at Cochranton Junior Senior High School.
In April of 2010, Heather received her certification to teach ZUMBA® Fitness Classes. Almost a year later in March of 2011 she attended the Basic 2 ZUMBA® training and continues to teach classes year round.
Heather has attended the week-long Dance Masters of America Teacher’s Training School at State University of New York at Buffalo for multiple years. While there she took classes and studies in various dance genres including Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Lyrical, Yoga, Pilates, Music & Counting, Theater Dance, and Kinesiology. In 2010 she received certification through Dance Masters of America in Ballet, Jazz and Tap.
In June 2012, Heather attended the DanceMakers Inc. National Convention in Myrtle Beach where she took classes in ballet, lyrical, tap, jazz, hip hop, and modern/contemporary from recognized teachers/choreographers such as Brad Taylor, Keith Clifton, Tommy Alexander, Darryl Retter, Katherine McCormick, Kyle Robinson, Dejan Tubic, Brooke Paulsen-Zelus, and Tokyo. She continues to attend the DanceMakers Inc. regional convention in Pittsburgh yearly.
EDUCATION
2002-on-going Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro, PA
* Completed work to earn teaching certificate in Secondary English
* Continuing work on MEd. In Middle/Secondary Instruction
1998-2002 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
* Earned Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and minor in Political Science
* Earned credit for the following dance classes at Allegheny: Sharing the Dance, Upper Level Dance--Modern, Ballet for Modern Dancers, Social Dance I and II, and Ballroom Dance I.
