

Sondra
Brooks Whitfield operated as an assistant teacher for seven years
under the direction of Karen Zissoff at Dance Works, Inc. Ms.
Brooks-Whitfield studied and performed with: Director/Karen Zissoff,
other guest artists and the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Syllabus for
six years. She went through her RAD ballet examinations up to the Gr. 6
level. She holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Tennessee
State University and a M.Ed. from Cumberland University. She spent the
summers of 2003-2006 working at STAX Music Academy's SNAP Summer Camp as
their dance instructor. She is also the choreographer for the praise
dancers at Monumental Baptist Church, and over the dance ministry at
Abundant Faith World Ministries Christian Center. Ms. Brooks-Whitfield
has been a teacher in the Memphis City Schools for over 12 years, and is
currently a first grade teacher.
Takeisha
Washington has been under the Direction of Karen Zissoff/dancer
teacher since she was 9 yrs old, 8yrs. She has done her Grades in the
Royal Academy of Dance Examinations Children's Syllabus : Grade
3,4,5,6,7,8 then some levels done back to back with the pre-professional
exams: Intermediate Intermediate, Advanced Foundation, Advanced One Her
marks have been above average. Since her inception to dance with Ms.
Zissoff she has had scholarship assistance.
She auditioned for Alvin Ailey summer program in Phillipsburg, Florida
for the summer program in N.Y. in 2008 and made it, over 100 students
auditioned.
She had attended Ridgeway H.S. and the dance program at MTSU, Murfreesboro, TN. She has been on
scholarship to attend Ottawa Dance Centre Schools, a Canadian Dance
Program in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 2005 for a two week intensive
dance program. She was also nominated for a scholarship at the
Tennesseen Association of Dance in Knoxville, TN in the fall of 2008, a
state wide organization that does a conferences yearly. Takeisha
reauditioned for Alvin Ailey in the fall of 2011 and was accepted into
the Janurary 2012 program. She transferred her grades from MTSU to Fordum U. in NY and joined the Alvin Ailey program for two years.
Danielle
Currica
"As
long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to dance. At fifteen, Karen Zissoff
granted me that wish. Taking me as her student with no dance training,
she saw my potential, and crafted me into an intelligent dancer, aware
of my body, its mechanics, and a dance vocabulary rich in technique and
musicality through my training in the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus.
With only four years as Mrs. Zissoff’s student, I was awarded a
graduating scholarship into Virginia Commonwealth University’s dance
department. I am proud to say I graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance
and Choreography in May of 2009.
Through my time at VCU, my appreciation of dance, the classroom, respect
for my teachers, the musicians, and art of dance itself where all honed
in my education with Mrs. Zissoff. Models of guest artists, the
rehearsal process, and teacher education, gave me an incredible start to
dance as a practitioner, teacher, or simply observer. I now live in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a professional free lance dancer, dancing
with Dance Theatrex, idiosyncrazy productions, The Peek A Boo Revue, and
FlyGround Dance Projects. I also work in an art advocacy and service
organization, Dance/USA Philadelphia as a program associate."
Danielle Currica

Julia
Gephart I am a Freshman at
Millikin University in Illinois studying music education. I studied
ballet for 9 years under Ms. Zissoff. who always provided a strict,
learning environment. Any student who continued under Ms. Zissoff
became devoted to the art of dance whether ballet, modern or jazz.
There was always variety and a chance to try new things. "If I
have made an appointment with you, I owe you punctuality, I would no
more throw your time away than my own." This virtue
was true in Ms. Zissoff's dance studio and has continued
to serve me well.
SHELLEY
RICHARDSON, College Professor, Author/Publisher, AMI Ed, studied with Karen Zissoff for 5 years
before entering Canada’s National Ballet School as a full time,
professional student on scholarship in 1975. Shelley credits her
early years of ballet instruction with Miss Zissoff/ Ms. Ziss, for
instilling an essential foundation of confidence, self discipline,
perseverance and arts appreciation which continues to inspire her
teaching practice today and fuel her success as a professional
writer. Shelley Richardson is the author of SOPHIE & The Magic of Dance, Nominee for the
Canadian Library Association’s Children’s Book of the Year.
As a tribute to Karen Zissoff’s positive influence in her life,
Shelley affectionately
named the character in the novel of the young
Sophie’s ballet teacher “Madame Ziss”. Shelley Richardson is also
the author of RIVER: WE ARE EVER THE
MASTERPIECE and KEEPERS & SEEKERS: The New Paradigm in Education. Through her publishing company EDDY PRESS, she
also writes “The
Eddy” - monthly
inspirational e-letters to a growing global audience of children,
parents and educators. Shelley recently had the honor of designing
the philosophy and curricula for the