Starbucks order:
vacation spot:
inspirational quote:
Black Coffee with a touch of ice
Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Paris…someplace magical!
“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again” - Walt Disney
Carissa Koontz is the director and owner of Mercier School of Dance established 2009! A graduate of North Carolina State University, she is a member of ScotDance USA as well as the British Association of Teachers of Dance. Carissa is trained in classical ballet and Scottish Highland dance. She enjoyed dancing in a professional capacity for ballet, as well as Scottish dance and is currently enjoying teaching dance as a full time career.
Carissa Koontz
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meet Catherine
meet GREG
Starbucks order:
vacation spot:
inspirational quote:
Caramel Brulée Latte
Bethany Beach, the best place!
The ending of one chapter is the beginning of a new one.
In 2002 she choreographed a piece for her senior concert at Shenandoah University that she submitted to the World Jazz Congress and Leo’s Jazz Dance Competitive Event. Her dance piece, Point of View, was selected as one of 26 pieces (from over 250 submissions) to perform in the Leo’s Jazz Competition in 2002. In 2003 she was honored with the Reston’s Character Counts Coalition Award.
Catherine has been teaching since the age of 16. She has provided classes at private studios throughout Fairfax, Loudoun, and Frederick County Virginia. She wants her love, passion and appreciation of dance to be passed on to as many people as possible.
Catherine Bacha, a Fairfax native, has been dancing since the age of 4. She trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, lyrical, pom, Zumba Kids Jr, Zumba Kids and hip-hop at local dance studios and with the Washington School of Ballet.
Catherine received her bachelor’s in fine arts in Dance from the Conservatory at Shenandoah University. In the summer of 2001, she was able to study ballet at Ulyanovsk State University in Russia. During her stay she was invited to perform traditional Russian dances along with a jazz piece choreographed by Alan Arnett at the Ulyanovsk State University’s graduation ceremony that was aired internationally.
Catherine Bacha
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meet Katherine
Starbucks order:
vacation spot:
inspirational quote:
Mocha Latte!
Anywhere with lots of Sun and Sand!
“Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.” - Kevin Durant
Greg is the Co-director of the Scottish Highland dance program. Greg is a member of the British Association of Teachers of Dance, and ScotDance USA, and his teaching style is heavily rooted in technique and theory. When he’s not in the studio he spends his days as an engineer, and weekends sailing his sailboat or racing on the Potomac river.
Greg Graf
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Katherine Boltz
Starbucks order:
vacation spot:
inspirational quote:
Venti Chai Latte
Dublin, Ireland
"Not all those who wander are lost" J.R.R. Tolkien
Katherine began her dance education at the age of seven with the Loudoun School of Ballet in Leesburg, VA where she studied Ballet and Irish Step dancing. At the age of ten Katherine joined the Celtic Rhythm School of Dance. Katherine began competitive Irish Dance in 2002 and in 2009 she began competing with the Muggivan School of Irish Dance. While there, Katherine had the opportunity to compete at the Southern Regional Oireachtas as well as abroad in the European Championships.
She attended Sweet Briar College graduated with a BA in Dance. While studying, she taught Irish Step in a community after-school dance program. In the spring of her Junior year, Katherine studied abroad in Ireland at the University of Limerick where she took classes in Irish history, folklore, music and Irish dance.
In August of 2017 Katherine returned to Loudoun County to teach and further her competitive Irish dance goals. In April of 2019 Katherine attended the World Irish Dance Association’s World Championships in Eindhoven, The Netherlands; where she placed 2nd in the lady’s U35.