Intensive Faculty
Sydney Burtis
Born and raised in Central Florida, Sydney is a multidisciplinary artist based in New York City. She has had the honor of training under artists Michelle Dorrance, Derick Grant, Sarah Reich, Danny Wallace, and more. Sydney toured the U.S. and Canada in the National Broadway Tour of Billy Elliot and was featured on Season 16 of “So You Think You Can Dance.” She has performed at the YoungArts New York Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Battery Dance Fest, American Tap Dance Foundation’s "Rhythm in Motion," was the understudy for Dorrance Dance’s “Nutcracker Suite” at the Joyce Theater, and more. In 2017, Sydney was recognized as one of “Tap’s Next Generation” in Dance Spirit Magazine, and was later featured on the October 2018 cover. Sydney enjoys being a member of “Demi Remick and Dancers,” Nick Dinicolangelo’s “Hands Down Tap Project,” and Hayden J. Frederick’s “Dancepack.” She recently presented and performed self choreographed work in "A Night of Dance" and Arts on Site's "Tap Festival" in New York City. Sydney is a 2017 YoungArts Silver award winner in dance, a 2018 Presidential Scholar in the Arts semi-finalist, an alumnus of the Jacob’s Pillow Tap Program, a co-founder of the Orlando Tap Festival, and a lead assistant for Adrenaline and Revive Dance Conventions. Sydney loves mentoring young dancers and has been invited to teach and choreograph at multiple dance studios, tap companies, and tap festivals throughout the country. Some include Florida Dance Masters, Riff Dallas, SoFlo Tap Fest, and Sarah Reich’s Tap Music Project. Sydney will be graduating from Pace University’s Pforzheimer Honors College this Spring 2022 and is grateful to be presenting her new tap company at OC Tap Festival this summer!
KATHY MORRISON
Kathy is excited to be guest teaching at center stage! She choreographs and teaches across the country while encouraging students to keep the love and history of tap dancing alive. She has over 20 years of teaching experience and The Southern Strutt has been her home studio since 2018! Kathy expands her own education by attending festivals, classes, and conventions. She hopes you leave her class feeling encouraged, eager, and energized!
Meredith Finch Hardy
Meredith Finch grew up in the Charlotte area and has studied tap with Gil Stroming, Mike Minery, Brenda Bufalino, Henri LeTang, Dianne Walker, and Savion Glover. While attending high school and NC State University, Meredith performed in several Off-Broadway shows in New York City: Break the Floor, Shake ‘n Break, Slide with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and Gil Stroming’s, The Producers Showcase. After graduating college, Meredith has been teaching tap around the Raleigh area and started the award winning Center Stage tap team in Garner, NC. She has won many awards with her choreography including making it into the the finals at Showstoppers Nationals (with a second runner up in 2019) and receiving multiple You Rocked Jump Awards and four Best of Jump Awards. Her students have won numerous tap scholarships and awards including a Team USA gold medalist at the World Tap Championships in 2019, a current NC Youth Tap Ensemble member, and three Rockstar Awards at Jump. Meredith loves teaching an upbeat style of tap that introduces old tap styles with up-to-date music.
Gabi Allen
Gabi Allen is the director of the tap competition team at Triangle Academy of Dance, where she also teaches advanced tap. She is a member of the American Tap Company, and in 2019 she was selected to represent Team USA at the IDO World Tap Championships in Riesa, Germany, where she won the gold medal in the adult tap formation category. Gabi grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and she studied tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical dance at Center Stage School of Performing Arts, where she also worked as the Teaching Assistant for the Junior tap competition team. During her years at Center Stage, Gabi competed in numerous national and regional dance competitions and won numerous awards. In 2015, Michael Minery presented her with the Rock Star Award. In 2018 she was the overall high score winner at the Wing It Tap Challenge and was invited to assist the tour faculty. She is the 2020 Onstage New York National Champion competitive senior soloist, and she is the Dance Spirit Magazine September 2020 Cover Model Search Editors’ Choice winner. She’s received multiple tap scholarships at dance conventions and has traveled the country attending Tap intensives. She has participated in Tap residencies with Barbara Duffy, Anthony Morigerato, Ayodele Casel, and other notable tappers, and performed their choreography in the TapN2Tap Concert in Dallas, Texas, and at the American Tap Festival Concert of Stars in San Diego and Los Angeles. Gabi is currently a student at UNC Chapel Hill where she is a member of the Carolina Tap Ensemble and a choreographer for the Blank Canvas Dance Company.