Our Teaching Artists

Artistic Director: Eileen Razzetti. The Academy Ballet School of Annapolis (ABSA) follows the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus (RAD) for classical ballet training. Offering the finest teaching curriculum for classical ballet, character dance, and lyrical free movement dance, the Academy Ballet School is directed and staffed only by RAD certified and professionally trained teachers.

Artistic Director: Nicole Kelsch. Ballet Theatre of Maryland Conservatory of Classical and Contemporary Dance, founded in 1978, is the only school in Maryland that offers a fully comprehensive ballet training program for the beginner student through the professional dancer.

Jennifer S. Gooding, owner, instructor of The Annapolis Dance Academy has been a dancer since the age of 2. She got her start at Sellers Studio of Dance in Wheaton, MD where she studied Tap/Jazz & Ballet. After years of instruction & performing, Jennifer started student teaching where her love for dance really come through by instructing others.

The Maple Academy of Irish Dance is directed by Bill Maple, ADCRG and Marnie O'Callaghan-Maple ADCRG. Bill, the 1982 North American Senior Men's Champion and World Championship step dancer, and Marnie, also a World Championship dancer, are accredited teachers of Irish dancing with An Coimisiun le Rinci Gaelacha, in Ireland. Bill and Marnie are both certified adjudicators of Irish Dancing (ADCRG).

Cheryl Mauck has been a Dance and Wellness Teaching Artist at Maryland Hall since 1990. Adult Intermediate Jazz Dance was the first class she offered and this class continues to be popular. Other adult classes include Pilates Mat & Barre, and Beginning Jazz Dance. Children’s dance classes conclude with an annual stage recital in front of a packed theatre. Cheryl is a graduate of University of Maryland with a BA in Dance.

Lisa Peelish was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska and began her ballet studies at the Cora Quick Ballet Studio at the age of five. Lisa continued with my studies through her twenties adding jazz and tap dance along the way. After graduating from Law School, practicing law in Denver, and raising a family, Lisa found herself back in the ballet studio studying with Barbara Owen, Founder of the Ballet for Life program at Maryland Hall.

Mary Slater has taught dance at Maryland Hall for over 30 years. Her dance career began at University of Maryland where she studied Dance Education. She was mentored by Henry LeTang, Brenda Bufalino, and Charles Cookie Cook and has danced all over the world. Her students have continued with dance in Stomp, Tap Dogs, Bring in the Noise Bring the in The Funk and Riverdance.

Kayla Bennett is a Mixed Media Artist and a PVA Fine Arts Instructor at Annapolis High. Bennett received her Masters of Fine Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2016 and is currently enrolled at Boston University to obtain her Masters in Art Education.

Emily Davis spent her childhood experimenting with any art form she could get her hands on! While in high school, she was introduced to ceramics and discovered her love for pottery and sculpture. She continued developing her skills while attending St. Mary’s College of Maryland where she completed her Bachelors in Fine Arts and a Masters of Art in Teaching.

Mel Jelacic has spent 20 years working in the fields of fashion, art and design. She is a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD, where she studied sculpture. She founded her own ceramic line called Mejelco in 2019.

For several years Renata studied ceramics in Brazil. In 2000 she was invited for a two-year apprenticeship with Annie Schliffer at the Rochester folk Art Guild (NY). Renata currently works at her studio in Edgewater, MD and teaches at the Maryland Hall. Renata’s work has been displayed at galleries and stores in the US and Brazil. She has an MBA from Fundacao Getulio Vargas in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Laura is a master potter who graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bowie State University with a degree in Art Education. She also holds a masters equivalency in Ceramics. She was nominated in 2011 for career art teacher of the year from Maryland Art Education Association.

We are excited to welcome Melissa Hyatt Foss to the Ceramics team. Melissa is a musician, instrument-maker, and composer hailing from Maryland and Vermont.

Laura Dixon graduated with a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Maryland and has been a working artist for 35 years.

John Ebersberger has been an instructor at Maryland Hall since 1985. He was one of the original Artists-in-Residence at MD Hall, and shows his work locally at the McBride Gallery. John was a student of the late American Impressionist Henry Hensche, as well as a student of nationally-known portrait painter Cedric Egeli. He holds a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art.

Melissa Twentey Gryder lives and works in Annapolis, Maryland. She received her BFA in 1999 from Frostburg State University. She went on to continue study at Oxford University and University of North Florida. She spent over a decade studying portraiture and color extensively with Cedric Egeli, John Ebersberger and at the Cape School of Art in Provincetown, MA.

David’s work has been featured in several magazines such as the American Artist, The Pastel Journal and The Artist Magazine. He is a past president of the Maryland Society of Portrait Painters and the Maryland Pastel Society, as well as a member of several organizations such as the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association and The Pastel Society of America. He continues to exhibit his work in national competitions where he has received numerous awards.

Art Educator for toddlers. Bethany studied Art Education at Radford University in Southwest Virginia. Following her undergraduate studies she spent several years teaching art in a traditional classroom setting working in both an elementary school and a high school. Bethany has always had a passion for creating and exploring new mediums. Since having children of her own she has been drawn to the process of creating and discovery through art and play.

Linda is an internationally recognized fine arts professional. The first solo exhibit of her paintings opened on her 21st birthday at the Widener Museum of Art in Chester, Pennsylvania. Her realistic watercolors and oils reflect the Brandywine tradition that surrounded Linda in her youth. Landscapes are her first love and primary subject matter, however, people, animals, flowers and still life are painting subjects as well.

Andrea’s professional career in Fine Art began soon after she graduated from the University of Iowa, College of Art with a BFA in Painting, minoring in Drawing, Sculpture and Textiles. Opening a textile supply store and Gallery in Iowa City, Ia., she and a colleague began teaching Fiber Arts classes in weaving, spinning, printing fabric and dying handspun fibers. Six years later she moved to the Annapolis area and started teaching Fine Arts at Maryland Hall, the Easton Academy of Art, and Peabody Outreach Programs. For the past 30 years, Andrea continues to instruct throughout the year.

Ed Praybe has an M.F.A. Painting, New York Studio School and B.F.A., Painting, Maryland Institute, College of Art. He is an adjunct faculty member at Anne Arundel Community College and teaches Watercolors at MD Hall.

Holly Rosario was born in rural upstate New York, and spent her childhood exploring its forested terrain. Introverted and aesthetically curious by nature, Holly was interested in art from a young age. In 2007 she moved to Baltimore to attend the Maryland Institute College of Art where she pursued her Bachelors of Fine Arts in conjunction with a Master of Arts in Teaching. While at MICA, she developed an interest in watercolor, inks, paper cuts, and ceramics as well as a passion for art history.

Mary Rosoff is a teaching artist in Annapolis and has taught in the public school system for many years. She has also been involved in mural and crosswalk projects and Community Outreach. Mary currently serves on the AAA Board and teaches painting in a nursing home.

Andrée Tullier is a painter trained in the tradition of Classical Realism. Although her work includes still life, landscapes and figures, Andrée is primarily a portrait artist working in oil and pastel.

Andrée has studied portraiture, figure, and color with nationally recognized portrait painters Cedric and Joanette Egeli, master impressionist John Ebersberger, Abigail McBride, Rick Casali and master sculptor Stephen Perkins. Her work is in collections worldwide.

When Clare Shepherd was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering after she serving as an Army Logistics Captain in Kuwait, a therapist suggested she participate in their art program and she reluctantly tried her hand at glass fusing. When Clare moved to Maryland a short time later, a family member suggested she try a class at Maryland Hall. She tried a class and fell in love with the art form and the process.

Kathie's glass journey began about twenty-five years ago when she fell in love with the glass medium and the interplay of glass itself with the lighting around it. Hooked on glasswork and this new art form, she went on to become a founding member of the Glen Echo Glass Art Consortium. Kathie has taken many master classes with renowned glass artists at The Studio at Corning, Urban Glass, Vitrix Glass, Weisser Glass, AAE Glass and Bullseye Glass.

Deb Sawyer's business Lady Ingenuity features her eclectic artwear, jewelry designs, paintings and other unusual handmade crafts. Her classes include mixed media, jewelry and eclectic art. Debra inspires anyone who is skeptical about discovering their own talents.

Led by CJ Shiloh, MT-BC, Co-Founder & Executive Director and Naomi Davis, MT-BC, Instructor. The Musical Autist (TMA), a local disability rights nonprofit with a mission to provide access to the arts and create platforms for self-advocacy. TMA accomplishes this through three main programs, Sensory Friendly Concerts, Empowerment Jam Sessions, and a weekly class offered through MD Hall, Musical Autist Troupe.

Maryland Hall welcomes Naptown Jazz Kids this spring! This arts education and performance nonprofit organization will offer education programs, community engagement and musical training for students of ALL AGES. Steve Fidyk is the Artistic Director and Founder of Naptown Jazz Kids. And Chris Kaplan is Vice President of Naptown Jazz Kids.

Joan was first introduced to Tai Chi in 1990 at Maryland Hall. During a one hour workshop on the 8 Therapies led by Carol McGonegal, Joan fell in love with the gentle movements, internal centering and feeling of peace. She has continued her own growth in the Art of Tai Chi under the following masters and disciples of Cheng Man Ch’ing: Benjamin Lo and Maggie Newman, both senior student of Professor Cheng Man Ch’ing. She also studied with Carol McGonegal, Lenzie Williams, Wiliam CC Chen and Wei Ming.

An avid practitioner of various styles of yoga for over twenty-five years, it felt very natural for Lyn Venus to transition into the instructional side of things. Lyn's basic training and teaching experiences began at Pure Prana and Radiance studios in Alexandria, VA in 2010. A diagnosis of osteopenia triggered a need to seek out safer ways to move the body. This led to various workshops, more training and additional certifications in Integrative Yoga for Seniors, at Duke Integrative Medicine, Durham, NC, and YogAlign, Kuaui, HI.

Matt started the on the lathe at 10years old making a laminated rolling pin. Thirteen years ago started making bowls and became a full-time woodturner 5 years ago. Matt loves to teach spindle turning, bowl making and endgrain objects like boxes and hollow forms. He is recently hooked on the potential of resin/wood projects.

Matt currently is teaching in Rockville Maryland, and at his home shop in Howard county, and is a member of several woodturning groups and on the board of the Howard county woodworkers guild.

Rich Isaacman is the President of the Digital Photography Club of Annapolis and teaches Drone Photography. His photographic experience stems from a love of travel: he’s been to over 50 countries on 6 continents, and tries to make photography a central part of his visits. He publishes a travel blog that showcases some of his photography. Rich took his first “serious” photos while living in Hawaii, a place that offers endless opportunities for striking images. Now, as he and his wife globe-trot, he tries to capture a sense of place as well those evocative moments that form our strongest memories.

Joe Yablonsky specializes in gelatin silver photographs of public sculpture and architecture. The photographs are only taken when a rare combination of lighting and atmospheric conditions are present in the scene to highlight the sculpture and its environment. Joe's teaching philosophy is that good photographers do more prior to taking the photo than after.

Inspiring change through wellness and the arts to grow our children into future wildhearts. Wildhearts Academy is a philosophy to teaching children while also building an inclusive, compassionate and forward thinking community.

Language Immersion Learning is a Maryland-based educational organization that supports and advocates for a more inclusive, multilingual and multicultural community. Kristi's program introduces young children to Spanish language through immersive activities including arts and crafts, stories, music and movement.

Sarah Tippin is a potter and the founder of Joyful Clay, LLC, a local pottery studio in Annapolis. She received her Master’s Degree in Professional Studies in the Business of Art and Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2021. Pottery is her way of connecting to humanity and the world around her.

What you will see in my art is my love of color, illustration, flowers, animals, and whimsy. I enjoy maintaining the integrity of the literal image using new digital tools to move to interpretive imaging. I desire to enhance, recreate and quietly reimagine what I see.