Angela M Gallo
is Artistic Director of Sapphire Moon Dance Company.
Angela is currently Assistant Professor of Dance and Dance program Coordinator at Coker College in South Carolina. She directed the Coker College Repertory Dance Company from 2003-2009.  She is on the board of directors of American College Dance Festival. She was the first runner-up for the South Carolina Arts Commission's Fellowship in Dance, 2007. She has been the reciepient of project grants from the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington County (SC). She was also a recipient of the Dance Touring Initiative Grant from the Southern Arts Federation in 2009.
With the company, Angela has performed at such  as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; Dance Theatre Workshop, The White Wave Cool NY Festival, Williamsburg Arts Nexus (WAX), Fielday, The Dancenow Downtown Festival, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Dance Space Center’s 20th Anniversary Gala in 2004, The Bridge for Dance and The Atrium Theatre in NYC; the Fringe Festival of Independent Artists in Toronto, Canada,  She has also performed at Dimensions- the South Carolina Contemporary Dance Festival, Patriot Hall, the Sumter Opera House, SC Dancing Festival, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in South Carolina.
She has danced with The Power Company (SC), AmDAT: Dance Art Technology (NY), and United Rhythm Company (CT). She has worked on smaller projects with Ballet Preljocaj (France), the Power Company (SC) and Eisenhower Dance Ensemble (MI) and she has performed in works by Doug Varone, Dan Wagoner and Jose Limon.  Angela has also performed with 'Chorus Line' at Workshop Theatre (SC) and in 'Cats' at Towne Theatre (SC). She has also choreographed works for Columbia(SC) Classical Ballet Company.
Angela received a MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Michigan and a BFA in Theatre and Dance from Central Connecticut State University.
Angela has taught dance and Pilates at Peridance (NYC), The Movement Salon (NYC), New York Dance Center, University of Michigan, Hartford BalletSchool,  the Joffery Ballet School, Greater Hartford Academy of Performing Arts High School, as well as other studios and high schools in Connecticut, New York. Angela has been a guest artist at such places as Spleman College, the Atlanta Ballet, CharlestonCounty School for the Arts, Davidson Fine Arts High School (Augusta, GA) and Greenville (SC) Fine Arts.
Angela is also a Pilates instructor certified through the Kane School of Core Integration in NYC and the Core Grace Studios in Ann Arbor, MI. She has been teaching pilates for over eight years and teaches workshops to certify others in Pilates through the Kane School.

 

Eric Blair
has been a contributing choreographer of Sapphire MoonDance Company since the fall of 1999.
Eric has danced with La compania de danza tradicional de Alcala de Hendares, (Spain) the Toledo Ballet, the Cleveland Ballet, (Ohio) Ballet Prelijocaj, (France) and the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble.(Michigan).  He has also been honored with both ensemble and solo work set by the renown choreographers: Donald McKayle, Carlos Orta, Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, and Merce Cunningham.
Throughout his career Eric has been privileged to perform in ninety-eight countries around the world.  Outside the stage of contemporary dance, he has found much success as both a performer and choreographer in the genre of musical theatre. International touring credits include: Jesus Christ Super Star, Evita, Cats, West Side Story, Miss Saigon and Pippin.
Eric received a B.F.A. in directing from Bowling Green State University, a M.F.A. in dance performance and choreography from the University of Michigan, and was certified in Spanish Education and Cultural Studies from the International University of Alcala de Henares.


Dorian Baker Swaney, Rehearsal Assistant, an alumni of USC’s School of Dance, is pleased to be in her third season with Sapphire Moon Dance Company.  She has been a key performer and teacher with several companies throughout the state including USC's West African Dance and Drumming Ensemble and was honored to receive a scholarship to Broadway Dance Center in NYC.  Dorian has performed in Towne Theatre’s “All Night Strut”, "CATS" and danced Sugarplum in “The Nutcracker” at The Forum in Myrtle Beach. She is currently a Realtor® with ERA Wilder Realty and resides in Columbia with her husband Kevin.



Emily Arnold, Began her dance training at the Calvert-Brodie school of dance under the direction of Ann Brodie.  While at the College of Charleston, she performed with the Robert Ivey Ballet Company.  She lived in New York City for two years during which time she learned from a variety of teachers, and was able to explore many new styles of dance.   She is excited to continue her love of dance with the Sapphire Moon Dance Company.  She lives in Columbia with her husband Jeffrey.






Eduardo Ramirez,began his dance training at Sun Valley Ballet School in Idaho under the direction of Sherry Horton. He continued his training at Boise State University with Marla Hansen. Since then he has danced with Carolina Ballet, under the direction of Mimi Worrell and Columbia City Ballet, under William Starrett.  In 2007 and 2008 he was accepted on Full Scholarship to Ballet Austin’s Six Week Summer Intensive.  He attended a workshop with aerial dance company Project Bandaloop and was offered a position in their apprentice company. Performance experience includes: The Nutcracker, Off the Wall and Onto the Stage: Dancing the Art of Jonathan Greene, Don Quixote, Dracula: Ballet With a Bite, Les Sylphides, Sleeping Beauty, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Cinderella, Spring Waters and Carmina Burana.



Sarah Wilcox is a graduate of the University of the South where she studied dance under the direction of Phoebe Pearigen and also danced and choreographed for the student organization Perpetual Motion and for productions of Theatre Sewanee. For her early training, Sarah thanks the Alabama Dance Academy, directed by Pamela Merkel, where she also studied with Michael Vernon as a guest ballet teacher. Sarah has studied ballet and modern dance in New York City at the Paul Taylor and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater schools. Sarah was an apprentice with Arova Contemporary Ballet in Birmingham, Alabama in the fall of 2008. She is thrilled to currently be dancing with Sapphire Moon Dance Company, as well as The Wanda Project, directed by Wanda Ebright.


Meg Griffin, Guest Artist,


Ginny Skinner Hanyes, Guest Choreographer