Ninth State Dance Instructors
Combined, Ninth State's Professional Instructors have over 50 years of experience along with numerous degrees, certifications and professional experience in dance, movement, and professional instruction.
Carole Ann E. Morrison
Director & Owner Carole Ann Morrison received her formative ballet training under the direction of Robin Deet, former director of The New School of Ballet in Schenectady, NY. She went on to study and perform with many professional companies, both ballet & modern, in NYC and Boston. She holds a MFA in Choreography and Performance and has taught for Plymouth State University (PSU) Music, Theatre and Dance department for over 6 years. While at PSU, she created and developed the Dance Pedagogy and Ballet program. In 1999 she founded the Ninth State Movement Complex (formerly Ballet Plymouth & BP studios). Carole Ann currently teaches a Vaganova based class for the intermediate and advanced Ninth State ballet students. Carole Ann also serves as the Executive Director of Friends of the Arts, a 34-year-old non-profit organization, which provides affordable art education programs to over 8, 500 children, 40 schools and 32 communities throughout Central NH. Their website is www.friends-of-the-arts.org.
Erica Gilbert
Assistant Director Erica Gilbert is a graduate of PSU with a dance and health degree. A former member of PSU's Contemporary Dance Ensemble and the PSU Dance Team, she has studied with the Dance Teachers Club of Boston and interned at the famous Broadway Dance Center in New York City. She stays current with the trends in dance by continually attending master workshops with the dance elite in both Boston and NYC. She is a certified group fitness instructor and certified cheerleading judge. She is also a dances professionally with the Lady Wolf's The Manchester Wolves areana football Dance Team.
Lisa Travis
Lisa Travis currently serves on the faculty of the department of Music, Theater and Dance at Plymouth State University. She is the former Director of Dance at New Hampton School. Lisa has been teaching and choreographing for the past 25 years after studying dance at the Boston Conservatory of Music. Lisa has performed with modern dance companies in California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. She is founder and artistic director of Terminal Hip Dance Theater. Lisa has choreographed musicals for private and public high schools in NH, PSU Department of Theater and most recently guest choreographer for the Vietnamese National Opera and Ballet.
Cheryl Paulhus
Cheryl Paulhus received her early classical training from Melissa Hayden, formerly with NYCB, as well as trained with Elisabeth Carroll of American Ballet Theater and served as her assistant for three years in the Dance Department at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY where she earned a B.S. in Dance. Ms. Paulhus performed with the Skidmore Company for four years working with members of NYCB, Ethel Winters of the Martha Graham Company, Joan Lombardi, Peggy Hackney and Felix Smith. Upon graduation, Ms. Paulhus danced as a soloist with Repertoire Dance Company in Olympia, WA, under the direction of Brigitte de Calle, formerly of the Stuttgart Ballet. Her duties included teaching the upper level and company classes as well as choreographing original works for the company. Ms. Paulhus also had the opportunity to study with Flemming Halby, formerly of the Royal Danish Ballet for many years at the Dance Lab in Seattle, WA. Additional performance experience includes free lance work with Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Independent Choreographer, Dennis Spaight, and with Jo Emery’s Jazz Company in Tacoma, WA. Ms. Paulhus was selected to present original works of choreography at the annual “Movement Montage”, in Tacoma, WA and the Silver Bird Theater in Olympia, WA.
Amanda Schiller
Amanda danced as a company member and guest artist for the Amy Marshall Dance Company, Nathan Trice/RITUALS, Ann Carlson, Mark Dendy, Ann Reinking, and continues to be a guest artist for Lorraine Chapman-The Company in Boston. She has conducted over 100 master classes at universities, public and private schools across the nation. She is the recipient of the J.S. Seidman Award from her alma mater New York University. Amanda currently serves as the interm Director of Dance at PSU.
Cassie Stone
Cassie has trained with the O'Shea-Chaplin Academy of Irish Dance out of Boston, MA for the past 10 years. During this time she was a medal-winner at numerous competitions throughout New England. Her fun classes are designed for the recreational dancer and are not intended for competition training.
