About us

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.

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.

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.

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.