our story
Keystone Contemporary Ballet was officially formed in February 2021. The formation of this company was a long-time vision of our Artistic Director, Toni Bazala. Toni founded Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in Greensburg PA in 2003, with the intention of creating a professional opportunity for dancers of faith in our community.
Our vision and purpose are to create a safe space for artists of all faiths to express their full vision, and to provide our community with high-level entertainment, quality education, supportive outreach, and humble service.
Our Artistic Director has assembled a staff of high-quality professionals who are proficient in dance education, choreography, technical development, production, and administration. They each also have an appointed mission to serve in the community.
Our company will produce works that are not only entertaining but also emotionally and spiritually relevant while maintaining the highest standards for Classical and Contemporary Ballet.
KCB sets itself apart by being a true reflection of who God is and His love for us all.
Company Staff
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Keystone Contemporary Ballet Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer is originally from Enola, Pa. Toni began her dance training with Holly (Loutzenhiser) Mora and went on to study with many renowned instructors from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and San Fransisco Ballet.
Toni danced professionally with Harrisburg Ballet for two seasons before moving to the
Pittsburgh area. She has always had a heart to combine two of her passions, her faith and
her love for dance. In July 2003, Toni followed her calling to teach and founded Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in Greensburg, PA. PCDA fosters technical and spiritual dance training and strives to uphold excellence in the arts. Many of her students have been awarded contracts, scholarships, and placement with colleges and professional companies in the United States and Europe. PCDA is the official training school of Keystone Contemporary Ballet.
When Toni founded PCDA, she knew that God wanted her to start a professional performance company, a place where dancers of faith could continue using their gifts and talents to further His kingdom on a professional level. In 2021, Toni took that leap of faith and trusted God to guide her steps, and Keystone Contemporary Ballet was formed. She is looking forward to all that God has planned for KCB and prays that their audience is able to experience God’s love and goodness through each movement that is presented.
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Michelle is originally from Binghamton, New York where she began studying dance at the age of 8. She has studied classical ballet, tap, jazz, musical theater, voice, and drama. She later added pointe, hip-hop, ballroom, modern, contact improvisation, and contemporary dance. As a student member of Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, in New York City, she has studied with renowned teachers Jeff Shade, Frank Hatchett, Suzi Taylor, Mimi Quinlin, Leslie Browne and many others. She is certified for Zumba B1/Gold and Group Exercise and is currently pursuing certifications for Pilates and PiYo training.
From 2004 to 2010 she owned and operated her own studio in Binghamton, New York. Her students attended many competitions on both the regional and national levels. Michelle’s choreography and original costume designs have received many high score, special recognition, and superior achievement awards. She has choreographed over 300 original pieces of choreography, including 3 original full-length ballets. Several of her former students have moved on to careers in dance as teachers, studio owners and performers.
More recently, she joined the staff at PCDA in 2014 as a teacher, and over the years she has been given the opportunity to expand her role to fundraising supervisor and administrative assistant. Michelle was the Administrative Director and Co-Event Producer for Project Dance Pittsburgh 2019 and 2021. She considers it a great honor to be a founding board member for KCB and is excited to continue in the role of Administrative Director. While Michelle is still teaching and choreographing for PCDA and KCB, she is grateful to stretch herself by getting more involved in “the business of dance”.
Michelle lives in Greensburg with her husband Joe, their 2 sons Nick and Brandon, and their silly dog Humphrey. They are members of Word of Life Church in Greensburg where she is active in the dance ministry.
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Aimée began her dance training when she was seven and has taught dance for more than twenty-five years. She received her early training and teaching experiences at Anderson Young Ballet Theatre (AYBT)
Academy. As an AYBT company member she performed lead roles in such ballets as Cinderella, Coppelia, Giselle, Nutcracker, The Red Shoes, and Sleeping Beauty as well as in many original works.
She attended multiple Regional Dance America Festivals, was a trainee with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, performed in the 10th Pan American Games Opening Ceremonies as a professional dancer, performed in community theater productions, and competed in several ballet competitions including the Association of Arts and Letters National Competition in Dance. She also studied dance at Ohio State University.
After moving with her husband and sons into Pennsylvania she resumed teaching once more at the Harrisburg Dance Conservatory while performing with the Harrisburg Dance Ensemble. She served on the faculty of the Arts Conservatory of Central Pennsylvania for six years and performed with the Ballet Theatre of Central Pennsylvania. Aimée also taught at Premiere Performing Arts and served for a semester as an adjunct professor of ballet at Seton Hill University. Aimée has extensive training in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, and musical theater dance.
Aimée joined the teaching staff at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in 2013 where she enjoys being able to really connect her faith with her dance knowledge and share that with her students. She is excited to be a part of Keystone Contemporary Ballet’s creative team and on its board of directors.
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Michelle started her dance career as a student at Pazaz Christian Dance
Academy under the tutelage of Toni Bazala. At PCDA she studied ballet,
tap, jazz, and pointe. She has a true passion for dance and how it can
be used as a tool for ministry. In 2009 Michelle began teaching for
PCDA. Through her teaching she continues to study and grow in her
knowledge of dance. She has attended workshops and intensives at Central
Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Project Dance New York, Vertical Movement,
Ballet Magnificat, and Ballet 5:8. She has also taken on the role of
Stage and Music Director for Project Dance Pittsburgh.
Michelle is a member of Word of Life Church in Greensburg where she
volunteers with the preschool program, sings in the choir, and is a part
of the dance ministry. Her greatest joy is ministering to others, young
and old, and telling them how much God loves them. When not dancing,
teaching or ministering, Michelle also loves spending time with her
husband and her son.
principal artists
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Yael Rothgeb, age twenty-six, is a Principal Artist with Keystone Contemporary Ballet! From an early age, Yael was inspired by her church’s dance leader, Miss Toni, to become a ballerina. When Pazaz Christian Dance Academy opened in 2003 by Artistic Director Toni Bazala, Yael immediately joined. Yael graduated through the school in 2016, under the tutelage of Miss Toni and her wonderful teaching staff. Since graduating, Yael has been teaching ballet and pointe at PCDA! Her preferred movement is classical ballet, especially any story-telling piece.
Yael has attended workshops with Ballet Magnificat!, Vertical Movement in Ohio, and for numerous years, Project Dance New York and Pittsburgh. She spent a week at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Intensive. She was blessed to have been accepted into Joffrey Ballet School, however, she could not attend.
The numerous roles Yael has performed in “The Christmas Gift” include: Katherine, Snow Queen, English Co-Lead, Throne Room Angel, Waltz of the Flowers Lead, Irish Lead, Hula Hoop Lead, Bug Lead, and her favorite, the Governess. Her favorite ballet is “The Story”, where she played “Mary, the mother of Jesus”. Yael was overjoyed to portray “Mary, the mother of Jesus”, again in KCB’s premiere production, “The Messiah Ballet” in April 2022. Her other roles in the ballet were “Simon the Zealot” and “Mary Magdalene”. For KCB’s “A Very Special Nutcracker” 2022, Yael danced many roles, but was casted as “Arabian Co-Lead”. In March 2023, she was honored to portray “Jadis, The White Witch” in KCB’s production of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”. For KCB’s “A Very Special Nutcracker” 2023, Yael danced as the “Sugar Plum”, along with other roles like “America”. In April 2024, Yael was casted as “Much Afraid” in the spring production of “The Seeker’s Journey”. She was blessed to portray a once afraid girl, who was transformed by the Shepherd, to live unafraid. Something that helped Yael even in her own life!
Outside studio hours, you can find Yael spending time planning events and weddings, gardening, and reading books. She also is the Executive Assistant to her father, the senior pastor at The Way Church. Yael loves to worship before the King of Kings each day!
Yael’s favorite scripture is her life mission statement. Isaiah 61:1 says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.”
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Yael is proudly sponsored by Joseph Marsala.
To sponsor Yael, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
Company artists
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Kaitlyn Bazala started dancing at the age of two when her mother, Toni Bazala, founded Pazaz Christian Dance Academy. Her biggest inspiration is her mom because of the example of a Godly woman leader she has portrayed her whole life. Kaitlyn trained at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy until 2019 where she started at Point Park University with a major in dance. She studied at Point Park for two years and transferred to Mercyhurst University where she attained her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ballet. Kaitlyn then attended the Ballet Theatre of Maryland from 2023-2024. In this company she performed in Firebird, the Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty along with Momentum: A Mixed Bill. Along with this training, Kaitlyn attended summer dance intensives at Cincinnati Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Point Park University and Pazaz Christian Dance Academy.
Kaitlyn’s favorite styles of dance to perform are ballet and improvisation. Her favorite role to perform was The White Witch, in PCDA’s The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but she also loved being the Snow Queen in PCDA’s The Christmas Gift. Kaitlyn loved performing the role of monsters in Firebird at The Ballet Theatre of Maryland.
Kaitlyn attends Word of Life Church in Greensburg and loves her church family. At her home church, Kaitlyn danced on the dance team, sang on the worship team, and was a leader in the youth department. She also did an internship at the church in 2018-2019. Her main goal in dance is to lead others to the Lord through her movement.
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Kaitlyn is proudly sponsored by Joseph Marsala.
To sponsor Kaitlyn, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
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Holly A Burke, age 21, started dancing as soon as she could walk, but did not begin formally training until she was eleven years old. She also began recognizing her faith at an early age, growing up as a Roman Catholic attending church every Sunday with her family. Through church youth organizations and programs on her college campus, Holly was able to grow her love and connection with God and support her community. She is excited to continue to grow her connection to faith and dance through her second season with Keystone Contemporary Ballet.
Holly recently graduated from Point Park University with a BFA in dance, concentrating her training in ballet and contemporary. At Point Park she had the opportunity to work with Craig Salstein as an understudy for Justin Peck’s work In Creases, Jae Man Joo, former Complexions Contemporary Ballet associate artistic director, ballet master, and resident choreographer and was a soloist in La Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty.
This past season Holly had the opportunity to perform as Suffering/Peace and Bearing the Cost in KCB’s original ballet, “The Seeker’s Journey,” as well as enjoyed dancing in “Awesome Possumbilities,” and was grateful for the opportunity to choreograph “Epilogue” (a ballet, jazz fusion piece) on fellow company members.
She formerly trained near her hometown in Cleveland, Ohio where she has been invited to perform in the 2020 and 2024 Annual Gala at Cleveland City Dance as a guest artist. She also had the opportunity to train at summer intensives with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The Rock School for Dance Education, and Joffrey New York City.
Holly’s mission through dance is to curate an environment where all bodies are encouraged to express and create without irrational limitation. Through her work she aims to share her passion, knowledge, and experience with her audience and other artists, establishing relationships to expand upon her understanding and develop opportunities within the dance world.
Although she has spent most of her time focusing on ballet, she enjoys dabbling in modern and jazz technique as well as choreographing. Her interests include creating and collaborating with music, and digital marketing both personally and for small businesses.
Psalms 149:3-4
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Holly is proudly sponsored by Robert Ross.
To sponsor Holly, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
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Alyssa Deidra Mae Frank is 25 years old, and is from New Brighton, Pennsylvania. She started her dance training at the age of three at Doris Singer Dance Studio under the direction of Doris Singer and Darci Kokoski. She has also trained under the direction of faculty at Pittsburgh Ballet House and Steppin Out Dance Center under the leadership of the Taylor family. Alyssa is a graduate of Seton Hill University with a Bachelors of Arts in Dance with concentrations in Performance, Pedagogy, and Choreography. She has had the opportunity to train at Summer Intensives that include American Ballet Theatre in New York City, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Carlisle, PA, Point Park International Dance Program Pittsburgh PA, and the Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia, PA. A few of Alyssa’s favorite performances at Seton Hill University include her role as the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, a featured soloist in Paquita, and her role as Raymonda in Ballet De Raymonda all under the artistic direction of Gerard Holt and Stefan Zubal. A personal favorite dance that she choreographed and performed was entitled “On Angel’s Wings” in memory of her Grandmother.
Alyssa worships our Heavenly Lord at the First Presbyterian Church of Monaca where she was baptized and is a confirmed member. Her favorite Bible Poem is Footprints in the Sand which is referenced in the Bible in Psalm 77:19 and Deuteronomy 1:31.
Ballet and Lyrical dance are Alyssa’s favorite style of dance to perform. Three words that describe Alyssa are thankful, blessed, and compassionate. In her spare time, you can find Alyssa at home with her four cats Tuxy, Pippy, Lucy, and Snoopy or in the studio teaching the next generation of dancers. If she could be anywhere in the world right now, you would be able to find her on a warm beach. The people Alyssa admires the most are her mother and father who have supported her dream of dancing. She admires her mother who is a cancer survivor. She hopes that she can be as strong, brave, courageous, kind, thoughtful, and loving as her. Alyssa is excited and honored to be a part of KCB for their 2023-2024 season.
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Alyssa is proudly sponsored by Robert Ross.
To sponsor Alyssa, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
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Chloe is proudly sponsored by Robert Ross.
Chloe Hunker is eighteen years old and began dancing at age six. She received her early dance training at Studio B and Light of Life Performing Arts, before joining Pazaz Christian Dance Academy in 2017. At PCDA, she has performed many roles in "The Christmas Gift," including: Arabian Lead, Waltz of the Flowers Lead, Snow Queen, and Katherine. She has also performed with KCB in the Messiah Ballet, The Seeker's Journey, and, her personal favorite, Narnia. Chloe has been able to further her training by attending summer dance intensives at Ballet Magnificat and Ballet Hartford.
Chloe is a member of New Hope Alliance Church, and serves as the sound and tech assistant. When she's not at the studio, Chloe enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and spending time in nature. She also loves to travel when she can, and always looks for an opportunity to visit her brother in Connecticut.
Chloe's favorite scripture Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God." -
Chloe is proudly sponsored by Robert Ross.
To sponsor Chloe, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
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Clara Panichelle nineteen years old. Eleven years ago my mom thought dance would be a fun activity for me so she enrolled me at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy, I fell in love instantly. Since then I have received training in many styles of dance, my favorites being ballet, tap, and jazz, I have also gone to Ballet Magnificat! summer intensives. I have taken part in many 8 Christmas Gift performances, my favorite roles being anything in Waltz of the Flowers, Snow Queen, Arabien lead, and the lead Katherine. I am going into my forth season with KCB. With the company I have been a part of many outreaches and performances like “The Very Special Nutcracker”, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe” and “The Seekers Journey” . Outside of dance you can find me in rehearsal for a homeschool theater group I have been a part of for the last 6 years and now help direct and Stage Mange. I also enjoy teaching at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy and The Staff studio in Blairsville. Being a communicant member of Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church I take part in almost all church events happening throughout the year, youth programs, helping with Sabbath School classes for toddlers, and many more.I have a very loving family who have always been my support team when it comes to dance and my faith. Three words that describe would be focused, determined, and witty. If I could be anywhere in the world I would be visiting my nieces and nephews in Northern Ireland. The motto that I live by is: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
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Clara is proudly sponsored by Robert Ross.
To sponsor Clara, please click the link below:
https://donorbox.org/keystone-contemporary-ballet
Please note dancer's name to be sponsored.
Apprentices
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Karena Stowers, age 19, began dancing at four years old. She trained with Pazaz Christian Dance Academy from 2014 through 2021, when her family moved to North Carolina before her junior year of high school. After about a year of searching, she found a home at The Core Academy, where she began dancing competitively. She had the privilege of working with many talented choreographers, as well as learning the importance of a purpose behind your movement. Ballet, contemporary, and musical theatre are her favorite styles of dance. Throughout her years of dancing, a few of Karena’s favorite roles have been Irish Lead and Bug Demi Lead from PCDA’s “The Christmas Gift,” a featured swan in Charlotte Blume School of Dance’s “Swan Lake,” Snow Queen in The Dance Theatre of Fayetteville’s “Nutcracker,” and any competition dances that involved playing a character.
Outside of dance you may find Karena baking up some sweets, reading, sketching or painting, hanging out with friends, or spending time with her cat Misty. Currently she attends Southview Baptist Church in North Carolina and is excited to find a new church family back in Pennsylvania. Karena grew up in the church, participating in Sunday school classes and after school youth activities, where she fell in love with any arts and crafts activities pointing towards God’s amazing workmanship. She now utilizes dance as her artistic outlet to God, and hopes that the light can shine through her.
Karena’s favorite verse is from a memory of her mother making songs out of memory verses. Ephesians 2:10 - “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
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Amanda Stratton started dancing at the age of seven with a focus in ballet. After training with various dance studios as a child, she found her home with Pazaz Christian Dance Academy (PCDA) where she trained until 2020. During her high school and post high school years, in addition to her training with PCDA, Amanda participated in community classes, summer intensives, and performances with various schools and companies such as The Dance Conservatory of Pittsburgh, Millennium Dance Complex, Attack Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, and Point Park University. It was at this time that she broadened her training to not only ballet and pointe, but also contemporary, modern, jazz, and tap. After graduating from high school, she danced at Point Park University for one year in their Pre-Professional Dance Program where she trained in ballet and jazz.
In 2020, Amanda moved to York County to join Diffusion Dance Company where she danced professionally as a trainee (2020-2021), apprentice (2021-2022), and company artist (2022-2024). During this time, she learned to love using dance as a form of ministry.
While in York, Amanda taught ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, and tap at Adrenaline Dance of York (ADY) where she also choreographed pieces for all of their major productions (2021-2023). She was also a team coach for their “Rush” competition team where she choreographed solos for competition and rehearsed with those soloist. In addition to ADY, in 2024, she was also a guest ballet teacher at Light of Life Performing Arts.
Over the years, as part of her training as a student as well as part of her work as a professional, Amanda has participated in workshops and conventions such as Project Dance, Dance Revolution, and Titans of Dance.
Amanda is excited to be dancing with KCB and can’t wait to see what the Lord will do next.
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Company trainees II
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Charlotte Hauser, a 15 year old from Mount Pleasant, has danced with Pazaz Christian Dance Academy since she was four years old. She enjoys ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, and contemporary, but her favorite part is dancing alongside her older sister Grace.
In Pazaz Christian Dance Academy’s productions of the Nutcracker, Charlotte performed in many roles including Head Bug, Waltz Demi-lead, Spanish Demi-lead, Russian Lead, and Head Maid.
Along with Keystone Contemporary Ballet, Charlotte performed in the premiere production of The Messiah (2022). She also had the opportunity to play the lead role of Lucy Pevensie in Keystone Contemporary Ballet’s production of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2023).
In addition, Charlotte studied with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet during the August Course (2018, 2019, 2020) and participated in the Youth America Grand Prix (2019, 2020). Charlotte loved performing at Pittsburgh Project Dance (2019, 2021).
Charlotte is also very involved at her church. You can find her on Sunday mornings in the children’s ministry area leading worship and assisting with the elementary school classes. Charlotte enjoys spending time with family, playing card games, and learning American Sign Language.
Charlotte wants to spread the Gospel to unreached people through artistic movement. She believes dance allows her to tell the story of Christ in a different and unique way.
Her favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything. No matter what happens, tell God about everything. Ask and pray, and give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will watch over your hearts and your minds. He will do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.”
Charlotte is thrilled to start as a junior trainee with Keystone Contemporary Ballet this fall.
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Brynn Yarosik is 15 years old. She started dancing when she was 4 years old at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy. Brynn enjoys both Ballet and Pointe because of the graceful movements and technique involved. Brynn has performed in many roles with PCDA including: Irish Lead, Waltz of the Flowers Demi-Lead, Kids in the Kingdom Lead, and her dream come true, Snow Queen. With KCB, Brynn has performed as Spring and Winter in Narnia along with Bitterness in The Seekers Journey. She has attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s summer intensive, as well as master classes at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre to further her training.
Outside of dance, Brynn enjoys reading, playing the piano, watching basketball, and going to the beach with her family.
Brynn also attends Pleasant Unity United Methodist Church. Her favorite Bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 which says, ”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“