FACULTY
Kathy Hansen
Owner/Director/Instructor/Choreographer
Kathy is a native from the Binghamton area where she began her dance training at the age of seven. She has studied with David DeMarie, Beverly Fletcher, Frank Hatchet, Thomas Ralabate, Brian Foley, Sherry Gold, Fred Knecht and Helene Yelverton. In 1975, she established Kathy Hansen School of Dance in her hometown, Owego, NY, where she purchased the building from her grandfather's soda business, Kies Bottling Works.
As a respected instructor with many credits to her name, Kathy had always dreamed of creating space for all ages to come learn, participate and celebrate the joy and art of dance. Kathy specializes in tap, and has won many choreography awards as well as excellence in teaching awards. Along with her studio, Kathy also has taught Corporate Sponsored classes and at numerous Public School Sponsored programs. In 1998, Kathy was honored Business Woman of the Year by the Business and Professional Women in Tioga County, NY.
Many of Kathy's students have gone on to college and received their degrees in dance while others have gone on to become doctors. Some students have opened their own studios and/or teach dance at universities, while others have gone on to perform with cruise ships, dance companies, theme parks, tours and Broadway shows, including Elmo's Green Thumb, Radio City Rockets Christmas Spectacular and Divine Miss M starring Bette Midler.
Member of: ASCAP, BMI and SESAC
JoEllen Hansen Kuhlman
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap Instructor/Choreographer
(Born May 3, 1982, Binghamton, NY), a dance instructor and choreographer specializing in Jazz, Contemporary/Lyrical and Tap. She began dancing at the age of three, training at her mother's studio, and competing in a number of conventions.
JoEllen received her degree from Point Park University in 2003, under the direction of Ron Tassone and Doug Bentz. At Point Park, she was a member of the Playhouse Dance Company from 2000-2003, where she appeared in the premiers of various works, including Sean Curran's "A City". It was at this time she crafted her first notable piece for dance, "Drumbome", a tap piece that incorporated drumming and modern rhythms, which was selected to showcase at the American College Dance Festival (ACDFA) and later at Point Park University and the University of Nebraska.
JoEllen became a full time instructor/choreographer at Kathy Hansen School of Dance in the fall of 2003 and a member of the dance faculty at Binghamton University in the fall of 2004. She also became the artistic director for Binghamton University's Continuing Outreach Summer Dance Program in 2007. Since then, she has received numerous awards for her choreography including "Marionettes" with her students at Kathy Hansen School of Dance. In addition, JoEllen has choreographed a number of musicals, including "Urinetown", as well as the production of "Faust" in 2008 through a special arrangement with Tri-Cities Opera.
In 2010, JoEllen began a partnership with Richard Hopkins at Florida Studio Theater in Sarasota, Fl. Here, she choreographed "Beehive", a sixties musical featuring several dancers that have appeared on Broadway in New York City. The production was extended twice and received rave reviews.
JoEllen teaches Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Modern at the University and is excited to be working on her dance company. Through Pygmalion, JoEllen has begun to lay the groundwork for the first dance company in the history of Binghamton University. As the dance department continues to grow, JoEllen hopes to collaborate with other departments and young artists, bringing new art to life.
Karen Harriell
Ballet Instructor
Miss Karen began serious dance training with the Huntsville Civic Ballet Company under the direction of Loyd Tygett where she
achieved Principal dancer status.
She received a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Performance from Birmingham-Southern College while performing professionally with the Birmingham Ballet and attaining the rank of Soloist.
Miss Karen has been teaching the art of ballet since 1988 and believes it is important to update and refresh her dance education. She has attended several Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet teacher training workshops and most recently the Level 1 Character Dance intensive with Inna Stabrova of Ohio Conservatory of Ballet.
