SheilaKeating-Director
Sheila Keating is the owner of Creative Steps and founder of the dance company "Creative Control". Her passion for dance started in Houston, Texas where she attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts as a dance major. After being offered a scholarship to the Houston Ballet and being named Most Outstanding Dancer of her graduating class, Sheila decided to utilize her MusicFest scholarship to attend the North Carolina School for the Arts. Having studied with Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Richard Levi, Gus Giordano, and Jose Limon, Sheila decided the life of a professional dancer was right for her!
Following graduation, Sheila was hired by a production company based out of Seattle, Washington. Starting out as a dancer, Sheila worked her way up to Dance Captain and Choreographer and spent 11 years with the company. Her travels took her to Bermuda, The Bahamas, The Virgin Islands, Lake Tahoe, Miami, and Atlantic City. Sheila went on to choreograph her own shows at Trump's Castle, Bally's Grand, The Claridge, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and The Goldstrike Theater in Tunica, Mississippi.
Sheila has been teaching professionally since 1995 and continues to judge competitions, teach master classes, and is a member of Dance Masters of America. Sheila is thrilled to be creating her dream of opening her own dance studio. As well as teaching great technique and bringing out the best in her students, Sheila prides herself on the personal connection she has with her pupils. She is honored to pass on her passion for dance to others with a high quality staff and frequent master classes with others in their fields of expertise. All helping to express your creativity one step at a time!
Sheila resides in East Vincent Township with her husband and two wonderful boys, Sean and Jackson.
Whedai Sheriff-Hip-Hop
Whedai Sheriff, a native of Brooklyn, NY, began her career in dance at the age of 15. She studied African, Modern (Graham technique), and Jazz in high school. She became a member of John Dewey High School's competitive Dance Ensemble Program where she studied and performed for three years. Although her BBA is in Business Administration, she attended Hunter College where she studied the Graham technique further and several styles of African dance. While in college she also joined, performed and later choreographed Hip-Hop routines for the Baruch College Dance Team"Flava". She has performed and traveled with "Flava" for the last nine years.She also studied at Djoniba's Dance and Drum Center in NY.Whedai recently performed live with Reggae artist KC Jockey during a Hip-Hop concert at the Dunkin Donuts Center in Rhode Island. She relocated to Philadelphia in September of 2004 where she initiated and currently coaches the dance team "Couga Flava" at Springfield High School. She was the Assistant Coach for Cheer USA and plans on coaching a Cheerleading/Dance Teamat Preparatory Charter High School in the fall of 2005. Her love of danceand teaching creative movement are surpassed by none! We’re thrilled to have Whedai back for her fifth year.
StaceyBusa- Balletone,Combo,Acro/Tumbling,StabilityBall,Pre-Ballet,Pre-Jazz
Stacey began her competitive gymnastics career while in high school at the Dale Watkins Gymnastics Center in West Chester. She continued competing through college, where she also began her coaching career. Throughout the past 17 years, Stacey has taught competitive USGF gymnastics levels 1 through 6 as well as many recreational, Mommy and Me, and private classes while being K.A.T. certified. Her dance background covers pre-school, combination classes, ballet, tap, jazz, and acro.She has also choreographed many recital routines as well as competitive team acro routines. Stacey is certified in both Balletone and Stability Ball. Her dedication to her students is well respected. We’re so happy to have Stacey with us for another year.
Sarah Ritter-Ballet,Jazz,Lyrical,Competition Coordinator
Sarah Ritter began her dance training at the age of 3 in the Philadelphia Area. She grew up studying Classical Ballet, Pointe, Partnering, Broadway Jazz, Broadway Tap, Lyrical, and Hip Hop. Throughout her years of dancing she competed in many local and national dance competitions receiving several special and platinum awards. In 2007 she was cast to Princess Cruises where she traveled to Florida, California, Canada, Mexico and Alaska. She is currently the Competition Coordinator/ Assistant Director of Creative Steps. She continues to teach master classes throughout the Pennslyvania Area and perfect her dancing at Koresh Dance, in Philadelphia. Sarah takes great pride in her craft. We’re blessed to have a teacher take such a passionate interest in the dance development of the children.
Charity Eagens- Ballet, Pointe
A lifelong resident of the Philadelphia area, Charity Eagens was born and raised in Norristown, PA. She began her dance training at the age of seven and later continued at the RockSchool of the Pennsylvania Ballet. Upon graduation, Ms. Eagens became a trainee with the Hartford Ballet in 1994 under the direction of Kirk Peterson where she performed in various productions, including Balanchine’s “Western Symphony”,“The Nutcracker” and “Coppelia”.
In 1996, Ms. Eagens came home to the Pennsylvania Ballet under the direction of Roy Kaiser. She was promoted to the Corp de Ballet in 1998. Her featured roles have included the Lead Butterfly and Divertissment in "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", White Cat and Fairy of Energy in "The Sleeping Beauty", Third Theme in "The Four Temperaments", Variation #5 in "Raymonda Variations", First Pas de Trois in "Agon", Pas de Six in "The Taming of The Shrew", Calliope in "Apollo", the Spring Fairy in "Cinderella", Dawn variation in "Copellia", Cygnetts in "Swan Lake". She has also performed in most of the company’s repertoire pieces including John Cranko’s "Romeo and Juliet", Marius Petipa’s "Giselle", George Balanchine’s "Rubies", "The Nutcracker", "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue", Alvin Ailey’s "The River", Jerome Robbins' "Interplay", Agnes deMille’s "Rodeo", Ben Stevenson’s "Dracula" and John Butler’s "Carmina Burana". We are honored to have Ms. Charity pass along her vast knowledge of ballet to our students here at Creative Steps.
Kara Bason- Jazz, Musical Theater, Modern, Tap
Kara began her dance training at the age of five in the Philadelphia area. She grew up studying ballet, jazz/contemporary, modern, tap, hip hop, lyrical, and salsa. Throughout her years of training she actively participated in dance competitions where she received several scholarships and was chosen Senior Regional Outstanding Dancer. Kara was "one of thirty" dancers chosen in Pennsylvania to attend (PGSA) Governor's School of the Arts on a jazz scholarship. She went on to study as a dance major at the prestigious SUNY Purchase, known for their rigorous and competitive program. Kara has danced for ASH Contemporary and has performed in many events including Marian Anderson awards ceremony honoring Gregory Peck, Annenberg Theatre, City Center, Tangerine Bowl halftime show ESPN, Lincoln Center, Joyce Theatre, 6 ABC Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Sunoco Welcome America 4th of July Parade, Republican National Convention, and Penns Landing concert featuring BaHa men. Kara is signed with McDonald Selznick Associates (MSA), one of the top agencies located out of NYC and LA. Kara continues to teach and choreograph while furthering her dances tudies in NYC. We’re so excited to have Kara on our faculty for another fall season.
Liz Lyle-Combo,Ballet,Street Jazz
Liz graduated Souderton Area High School in 2006, and has been studying dance for 17 years. She has studied ballet (Vaganova), jazz, tap, modern (Graham, Horton), contemporary and hip-hop. At a young age Liz had the opportunity to take classes and perform in the “Nutcracker” with the Donetsk Ballet Company. She received her dance training at Green Street, and the Barn Studio of Dance, and has taken ballet and modern classes at Koresh, and Steps. Liz had many soloist roles throughout her training such as Sugar Plum fairy, Arabian, and Spanish in the “Nutcracker”, Gold fairy in “Sleeping Beauty”, and the Evil Queen in “Snow White the Ballet”. She was also featured in a pas de trios from “Giselle”, a modern piece called “Finally Accepted”, and a contemporary duet called “Hallelujah”. Liz held a job over the 2006 summer working at Branch Creek Community Church where she created the dance program for their art's camp. Liz has also been teaching dance and choreographing for over 5 years at a studio setting and a YMCA. Liz currently attends Eastern University as a dance major and has had her choreography showcased in two of Eastern University’s dance concerts. She had the opportunity to perform in pieces by Eastern University’s professors such as Stephen Welsh’s “Under the Microscope” at the Community Education Center in Philadelphia, and Dr. Karen Clemente’s “Return Again” at Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance State Convention. Liz has also attended the American College Dance Festival Association in 2009. We're so happy to bring Liz onto our staff for the fall season.
Stephen Jackson-Salsa
Stephen Mark Jackson was born in Los Angeles, California. Having trained in modern dance, Stephen has developed a unique approach to teaching different styles of dance adding high energy and flair. This invigorates the soul and encourages even the most novices of dancers. From performers who want to simply enjoy dancing, to the most serious of performers in dance with technical ability and style.
Initially teaching Hip Hop and club style dancing he progressed onto more social dancing with a Latin flare and in particular Salsa. For the past 17 years, he has served as both choreographer and performer in some of the coolest venues across the US including New York, Los Angeles, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
His dance philosophy is to shake and inspire the audience's heart.