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 Smith, 25 years old. 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. She 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 auditioned and been accepted into Joffrey Ballet School, but 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, 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 ballet production “The Messiah Ballet” in April 2022. Her other roles in the ballet were Simon the Zealot and Mary Magdalene. In March 2023, she was honored to portray “Jadis, The White Witch” in KCB’s production of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”.
Outside studio hours, you can find Yael planning weddings and events, reading books, and drinking tea. She also spends most of her time helping at The Way Church, where her father is the senior pastor. 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.”
Company artists
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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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Faith Yondola is 21 years old. She started dancing when she was 3 at Seton Hill for a year and then Laurel Ballet. When she was 5, she found her place at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy. Faith’s favorite style of dance to perform is contemporary. She loves the different movements and the amount of emotion and stories you can tell. It also allows her to break away from the strict technique of ballet. Faith has performed as head bug, chinese lead, snow queen, and Edmund from The Lion the Witch and Wardrobe. She really enjoyed all of them for many different reasons, but playing the part of Edmund was by far her favorite. She graduated from Greater Latrobe in 2021, and is currently a student at WCCC. After community college she plans on transferring and majoring in Interior Architecture. Faith attends Hempfield Church of Christ. There, she works in the Nursery and helps with VBS. One of her favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Three words that describe Faith would be bubbly, energetic, and loving. Outside of dance you can find Faith spending time with family and friends. If she had to choose to be anywhere other than here, she would be in the mountains somewhere in Colorado.
Company apprentices
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Ellyse is currently 19 years old. She started dancing at the young age of 3, and joined Pazaz Christian Dance Academy (PCDA) in 2011. Ellyse has attended summer intensive at Pittsburgh Ballet House, competed at YAGP, danced at Project Dance Pittsburgh, and was accepted into the Rock School Ballet summer intensive (although was unable to attend). Ballet is Ellyse’s favorite style of dance, but she also enjoys contemporary & jazz classes. Ellyse has performed various roles in PCDA’s production of The Christmas Gift which included: Katherine, Spanish Lead, Irish Lead, & Waltz of the Flowers Demi-Lead. She has also performed in The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe as Winter Lead and in The Messiah Ballet, in which she danced as Martha with her sister performing the role of Mary. This is Ellyse’s second year dancing with KCB, and she is excited to be teaching at PCDA as well this season.
Her three words that she believes fits who she is perfectly are CHILD OF GOD. Ellyse also currently attends Cornerstone Ministries Church. If Ellyse could be anywhere she would want to be vacationing in Florida or touring the National Parks with her family. Ellyse admires her parents for their love and support they show, as they are such an example of Christ’s love in her life each day. Besides dancing, Ellyse enjoys spending time with her brothers and sisters, pursuing her art of photography, reading, and doing calligraphy.
Ellyse has many favorite passages in the Bible, but two of her favorites are: Romans 8:37-39, which tells us, “…overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love….” (NLT) & Psalm 103 quotes, “Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name….” (v.1) (NLT).
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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 and attending church every Sunday with her family. Through youth groups at her church 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 through dance 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 and was a soloist in La Bayadere and Sleeping Beauty. She was also very fortunate to train under Jae Man Joo, former Complexions Contemporary Ballet associate artistic director, ballet master, and resident choreographer, throughout her senior year at Point Park.
She formerly trained near her hometown in Cleveland, Ohio where she has been invited to perform in the 2020 Annual Gala at Cleveland City Dance as a guest artist as well as to teach young artists. 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 in the ballet classroom, 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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Grace Hauser is 17 years old. Inspired by the cartoon Angelina Ballerina, she began dancing around the age of three. Although she enjoys all styles of dance, ballet holds a special place in her heart. Grace has been given the opportunity to perform many different roles. She particularly loved playing Lucy Pevensie in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2018). It was a dream come true for Grace to play the part of the Snow Queen (2019, 2022) and Katherine (2020) in The Christmas Gift.
Additionally, Grace performed as the “Woman Healed” in The Messiah, Keystone Contemporary Ballet’s premiere production. In the spring of 2023, Grace played Susan Pevensie in Keystone Contemporary Ballet’s production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She has attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Ballet 5:8 for further training.
You can also find Grace singing on the worship team at Greensburg Alliance Church or spending time with her family outdoors. She is learning American Sign Language because she has a heart for reaching people in the deaf community.
Grace’s favorite scripture Psalm 86:11 declares, “Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move, so that I can walk onward in your truth until everything within me brings honor to your name.”
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Chloe Hunker is seventeen years olds. She began dancing at age six, inspired by watching her older sister dance. Throughout the years, she's developed a special love for contemporary and ballet. Chloe received her early dance training at Studio B (2012-2015) and Light of Life Performing Arts (2015-2017), 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 and Demi-Lead, Bug Lead, Snow Queen, and Katherine. She has also performed with KCB in the Messiah Ballet as the Woman Caught in Adultry, and Narnia as Peter Pevensie. Chloe has been able to further her training by attending summer dance intensives at Ballet Magnificat and Ballet Hartford.
At New Hope Alliance Church, Chloe is the sound and tech assistant, and provides janitorial services for the affiliated daycare. Outside of the studio and church, Chloe enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and traveling when she can.
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."
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Clara Panichelle is eighteen years old. When she was 8, her mom thought dance would be a fun activity for her and enrolled her at Pazaz Christian Dance Academy. She fell in love instantly. Since then she has received training in many styles of dance, her favorites being ballet, tap, and jazz. She has also attended Ballet Magnificat! summer intensives.
Clara has been performing in PCDA’s “The Christmas Gift” for 7 seasons, her favorite roles being anything in Waltz of the Flowers, Snow Queen, Arabien lead, most recently Katherine.
Clara is entering her third season with KCB. With the company she has been a part of many outreaches and performances like “A Very Special Christmas Gift” and “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.”
Outside of dance you can find her in hanging out with her family and rehearsal / directing a homeschool theater group which she has been a part of for the last 5 years.
Clara is a communicant member of Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church where she takes part in almost all church events happening throughout the year, youth programs, helping with Sabbath School classes for toddlers, and many more. She has a very loving family who have always been her support team when it comes to dance and her faith. Three words she uses to describe herself is focused, determined, and witty.
If she could be anywhere in the world, she would be visiting her nieces and nephews in Northern Ireland.
The motto that she live by is: The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
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 14 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. 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.“