Faculty & Staff

Mrs. Artigliere began her dance journey at the age of three with the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet (formerly Cumberland Dance Company), directed by Sandra Carlino, near her hometown of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Throughout her training, she had the privilege of learning from numerous esteemed Master Teachers, including Luis Fuente, Jonathan Phelps, John Magnus, Kirsten Kashock, Richard Cook, Jeffrey Gribler, Melinda Howe, and Robert Steele. She participated in various prestigious programs, such as the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, North Carolina Dance Place, Boston Conservatory, and the Joffrey Ballet School. During her time with PRB, she had the honor of performing multiple times at Regional Dance America's annual festival.

After graduating high school, Mrs. Artigliere attended Towson University in Maryland on a dance scholarship. There, she trained under notable professors, including Linda-Denise Fisher-Herrell, Stephanie Powell, Vincent Thomas, Susan Mann, and Catherine Horta-Hayden. While at Towson, she performed extensively with the Towson University Dance Company in acclaimed ballets, including Paquita, Raymonda, and The Nutcracker. Her most memorable performance was George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie. She graduated Summa Cum Laude, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Deaf Studies.

Following her graduation, Mrs. Artigliere joined the Ballet Theatre of Maryland as an apprentice dancer under the direction of Dianna Cuatto. She performed in various ballets, including Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, Beauty and the Beast, Alice in Wonderland, and The Nutcracker, along with numerous works by Ms. Cuatto.

Mrs. Artigliere began teaching at PCBT in the Fall of 2009 as a Guest Teacher and took over the Summer Intensive program in 2010. After her promotion to BTM’s Studio II company, she retired from performing to serve as the Artistic Director of Providence Creek Ballet Theater, a position she has held since the Summer of 2011. She has since completed the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Training Program and received certification in Progressing Ballet Technique.

In addition to her teaching and directing roles, Mrs. Artigliere currently serves as the President of Regional Dance America/Northeast and is a member of the Regional Dance America Board of Directors.

Ms. Tania's dance career began locally, under the direction of Flossie Vogel, Tony Parnell, Tatiana Akinfieva-Smith, Teresa Emmons, and Judith Engelgau. Tania has performed in various performances from full-length ballets to excerpts from Broadway shows and unique contemporary ballet choreography set by various artists, including herself. In addition to choreographing and teaching, Tania continues her education by attending classes, summer intensives/workshops, and research in the related performing arts. She earned the Dance Masters of America accreditation for Ballet and Jazz education. Additional certifications include Progressive Ballet Technique and Danscend Mental Wellness for Dancers while attending Regional Dance of America (RDA) festivals. 

Tania embraces teaching ages 3 through adult and beginner through professional levels. She believes anyone with a passion for dance should be taught a technically strong foundation and awarded opportunities to develop their unique potential. Tania’s classical ballet and pointe concentration is under the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and Vaganova methods. Tania’s tap style encompasses the Hollywood and Broadway legendary performers from the past along with inspiration from today’s progressive tapping artists. Her accomplishments and joy stretch deep into these dance disciplines and that of musical theater and jazz. 

As a dance educator, performer, and choreographer, Tania enjoys the challenge of creating new works to different music genres. Her personal choreography embraces a whimsical and creative contemporary flare while balancing the style of George Balanchine and the drama of Broadway. She brings her creativity, knowledge, and professionalism to the local community, visual and performing art organizations, and various theatre-based programs. The dance floor of Tania's most recent educational and chorographical works include: Providence Creek Ballet Theater (PCBT), Padua Academy Theater, Child Drama Workshop (CDW), and New Light Theater (NTL). 

Jennifer Edwards found her passion for dance at 6 years old when she attended the Shore Ballet School of Dance for Classical Ballet. At the age of 11, she broadened her study of dance at the Lakewood School of Dance where she fell in love with Modern, Jazz, and Lyrical Ballet. In college she studied Jazz, Ballet, and Modern. Miss. Jenny opened Fitness Made Fun, LLC in 2010 and had the pleasure of teaching dance and fitness classes to children through adults for five years. She joined us at PCBT in the summer of 2015, when she brought the Tumbling Program and expanded the Hip-hop program. Miss Jenny started the dance education program at PCA in 2019, and taught there for 4 years, before transitioning to Dover High School. There she is the Director of Dance and Resident Dance Teacher for the Academy of the Arts Dance Pathway, as well as the resident choreographer for the drama program. She continues to study dance and dance pedagogy and is passionate about sharing her love of dance with her students! 

Isabella DeGirolano discovered her passion for dance at the age of 2. She studied dance at Providence Creek Ballet Theater for 13 years under the direction of Stephanie Artigliere & Tania Potts. With PCBTs pre-professional company she trained in many styles including ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, & modern. At the age of 13 Isabella had been accepted into the dance program at Cab Calloway School of the Arts. Isabella’s favorite ballet roles included Snow Queen and Dew Drop in the Nutcracker and Paquita. She had performed at numerous dance festivals including Regional Dance America, Philadelphia Youth Dance Fest, & Delaware Dance Festival. Isabella had received scholarships for RDA’s National Choreography Intensive and had attended the summer intensive in Texas and Ohio. Isabella is currently a student at DelawereTech and is studying nursing. Isabella is continuing her education in school and dance with currently teaching at PCBT.

Jeffrey Gribler began dancing at age 7 in his hometown of Dayton, Ohio. His 10 years of study at the Schwartz School of the Dance included six years of performing experience with the Dayton Ballet. In 1975, at the age of 17, he was offered an apprenticeship with Pennsylvania Ballet. He joined the Corps de Ballet in 1976 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1982.

Mr. Gribler has an extensive repertoire of both classical and modern works. He has danced leading roles in numerous ballets by George Balanchine, including Prodigal Son, Bugaku, The Four Temperaments, Agon, Who Cares? and A Midsummer Night's Dream. His roles in contemporary works include Paul Taylor's Arden Court and Company B, Merce Cunningham's Arcade, William Forsythe's Steptext and Love Songs, Kevin O' Day's Col Legno and Lar Lubovitch's Concerto 622 and Waiting for the Sunrise. He has also danced leading roles in classical repertoire, such as Siegfried and Benno in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Franz and Dr. Coppelius in Coppelia, a Stepsister in Cinderella, and Mercutio in John Cranko's Romeo and Juliet.

Mr. Gribler was Ballet Master for Pennsylvania Ballet from 1986 to 2014. Among his responsibilities was the task of rehearsing the children who appear in the Company's annual production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. He choreographed several works for Shut Up and Dance, the annual benefit for MANNA, and Cricket Dances, which was performed by Pennsylvania Ballet in October 1998. He has staged works by Lynne Taylor Corbett and Peter Martins around the United States and Europe. Mr. Gribler retired from the stage in June 2001, after 26 years of performing but continued performing character roles in ballets such as Coppelia (Dr. Coppelius), Swan Lake (Wolfgang), La Sylphide (Madge, the witch) and La Fille Mal Gardee (Widow Simone).

Mr. Gribler’s involvement with Regional Dance America stems back to the original organization, known as the National Association for Regional Ballet. As a member of Dayton Ballet, he performed at six Festivals for the Northeast Region. He has served as the Adjudicator for the Northeast Region in 1990, 1993, 1997 (first National Festival), 2003, 2008 and 2015, the Southwest in 1995 and 2016, the Southeast in 2002 and 2018, the former Pacific in 2017 for the National Festival and the MidStates in 2019. He has created 12 ballets on RDA companies.

After 39 seasons with Pennsylvania Ballet, Mr. Gribler is now on the faculty of Pennsylvania Regional Ballet (formerly RDA/Northeast) and a freelance master teacher and occasional choreographer.

Aliyah Navarro has always enjoyed the freedom, creativity, and joy of movement. At the age of 7, Aliyah was enrolled at Providence Creek Ballet Theater founded by Lydia Creasy Cooper. In 2011, Stephanie Artigliere became the artistic director of Providence Creek Ballet Theater. 

Aliyah was trained in various dance styles such as Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Modern. Aliyah was in lead roles in The Nutcracker, danced in PCBT’s winter and spring performances, and attended the Delaware Dance Festival. Her favorite dance will always be Candy Canes from The Nutcracker.

After graduating high school, Aliyah attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While studying Communication and Political Science, she joined a competitive Bollywood Fusion dance team called Queen City Ishaare. She had the amazing opportunity to learn numerous dance styles such as Bhangra, Kuthu, Hip Hop, Bharatanatyam, and Bollywood. Aliyah was the captain for two years and helped lead the team to their first first-place victory since the founding of the organization. 

Aliyah is forever thankful to her parents and family for their unwavering support; and to all her dance teachers throughout the years who have shared their knowledge, commitment, and passion. It brings Aliyah great joy to be back at PCBT and be surrounded by those who share the same love for dance.

Ms. Woolford, also known as Coach A,  is a loving and bubbly person who loves to see young individuals reach their goals whether on the mats or in everyday life. She has a Bachelors degree in Psychology and is currently a foster care caseworker. After hours Coach A coaches gymnastics. She has been a gymnastics coach for 6 years and counting. Coach A used to be a cheerleader when I was younger. She became interested in gymnastics when she had her daughter who took a passion to gymnastics at a early age. Coach A went from being a gym mom to a coach.  

Sophia Wicks grew up in Clayton, DE.  She began her dancing at 3 years old in Dover and at age 7 began her training at Providence Creek Ballet Theater in Clayton, DE under the direction of Lydia Creasy Cooper. Sophia joined PCBT’s Pre-Professional Company in 2013 under the instruction of Stephanie Artigliere where she trained in numerous dance styles. Sophia performed at numerous dance festivals with PCBT such as Delaware Dance Festival from 2014-2018, Philadelphia Youth Dance Fest from 2017-2018 and Regional Dance America from 2015-2018.  She spent summers training on scholarship with American Ballet Theatre, The Washington Ballet School and the Charlottesville Ballet, where she had the opportunity to train under renowned teachers and dancers such as Mimmo Miccolis, Elaine Kudo, Julie Kent, Rolando Sarabia, Julia Mitchell, Kristina Windom, and Steven Melendez. 

Sophia joined the Charlottesville Ballet as a Trainee upon graduation from PCBT in 2018. While there she danced corps roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Snow White, as well as Soloist roles in choreography by Co-Director Sara Clayborne, Stephen Melendez, and Cassidy Burk.  

Sophia joined Klassic Contemporary Ballet Company in 2021 where she danced for 1 season. After leaving KCBC Sophia started her own company, Diamond State Ballet Theatre. DSBT founded a dance program within Newark High School in 2022 and continues to seek out opportunities to bring dance training to all who are inspired to dance. Sophia has had numerous piece of orginal choreography featured in Providence Creek Ballet Theater’s Summer Concert annually. She had choreography featured at Regional Dance America Festival as an Emerging choreographer in 2022 and 2023 and as a Performing choreographer in 2024 with her piece "Utopia" which closed the National Festival in Daytona, FL. Sophia continues to dance professionally with DSBT as well as teach the Jazz and Lyrical classes for PCBT. Sophia is currently a student at University of Delaware pursuing a degree in Women and Gender Studies with a minor in Dance.

Ms. Black-Franks began her dance journey when she was two and a half years old at the Jean Ferrill School of Dance in Newark, DE.  Through her many years of training, she had classes in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, hip hop and musical theatre.  She performed in many Disney themed recitals, having lead roles in many of them.  Her favorite role was playing the Stepmother in Cinderella alongside her father who played the King.

In 1999, Ms. Black-Franks began to student-teach at the Jean Ferrill School of Dance.  She quickly became an integral part of the studio and was teaching several days a week.  Ms. Black-Franks continued to teach at this school until its last day in May of 2010.

Ms. Black-Franks began teaching dance and first grade at PCA in 2009.  After her many years of working with preschool aged students in dance, she was able to start the creative movement classes at PCBT.  Along with the creative movement classes, Ms. Black-Franks also taught ballet, tap, and jazz for many seasons and summer sessions.  

In the summer of 2015, Ms. Black-Franks made the difficult decision to take a break from dance to focus on her family.  Although she still stayed involved in PCBT with the crew for shows and judging auditions, she always missed the interactions with the students, families, and staff of PCBT.

In the fall of 2023, Ms. Black-Franks returned to be a part of the PCBT family while also starting the brand new K-8 Theatre Arts program at PCA.  You can find her now wearing many different hats for PCBT, including being the studio coordinator.

Meet Charm Sloven, a versatile professional who blends extensive technical knowledge with creative expertise. Holding a Master of Science in Information Systems Technology from Wilmington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Arts from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Philippines, she is adept in both IT development and artistic design. Currently, she works as an Epic Operational Database Administrator at a leading health plans organization, where she ensures the seamless performance and security of Linux servers. She also has a rich background as a Multimedia Specialist, with projects spanning graphic design, web development, and event production. Beyond her professional role, Charm is actively involved in her community, serving as a cantor in the music ministry at St. Polycarp Roman Catholic Church. She also helps promote local Ultimate Frisbee events and participates in recreational leagues with Delaware Ultimate under the Philadelphia Area Disc Alliance.