Nichole SavageArtistic Director/Owner
As a competitor, Nichole won several Regional and National Dance titles, as well as over 100 Regional and National Awards. She also had the distinction of being a finalist on the hit show, Star Search. As a choreographer, Nichole has received numerous Overall High Choreography Awards in the genres of jazz, tap, hip-hop and musical theatre. Her choreographed routines have been awarded over 300 Regional and National Awards, including Winner of the “Battle of the Best” at the 2005 National Finals in Orlando, Florida and the 2006 Critics Choice Award at the widely renown New York City Dance Alliance Competition. Nichole’s students have won over 125 Regional and National Dance Scholarships, including 2 National Dancer of the Year Titles, as well as having students perform professionally on both the East and West Coast. Nichole also takes great great pride in having her dancers perform in local events and charitable events which help support the children of our community, including performances and contributions which support Relay for Life, Red Cross, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Dancers Responding to Aids, Toys for Tots, Special Olympics, Girl Scouts, and KIDZ Konvention in support of the NICU Unit. Nichole's dancers have recently been featured in Dance Spirit Magazine and Dance Magazine. In addition, Nichole's students have appeared in several national commercial, video and print ads and catalogs. They have also went on to receive professional theatre work, television work, modeling work, and performed professionally at The Kennedy Center with Debbie Allen, at the Verizon (MCI) Center with Harlem Globetrotters, at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida and on Fox's Hit Show "So You Think You Can Dance". Other dancers who have trained with Nichole and competed with SDC have studied dance in college, performed on collegiate dance teams, and opened their own dance studios. With respect to education, Nichole graduated from college in 1997 as Valedictorian of her class with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, MD. Nichole also received the Gerald Cross Memorial Award, the Bishop Allen Memorial Award and the Monsignor Tierney Memorial Award as a result of her scholastic achievements. Nichole has brought her extensive educational background to the Company with her development of Individualized Dance Plans (IDP’s), which allow each dancer the opportunity to conference with their respective teachers to set out for and achieve a curriculum with personal goals and ambitions throughout the years. In addition, Nichole is a proud member of both the National Dance Education Organization and Capital Region Educators Dance Organization, which are non-profit organizations that strive to provide leadership in research curriculum and instruction for dance education in the United States. As a result, Nichole has implemented a standard that each class follow a set curriculum that adheres to and integrates the recommendations and structure set forth by the National Dance Education Organization. This curriculum is followed throughout the year to ensure that each dancer receives a complete education at their respective level. With that philosophy and standard set, Nichole brings on a highly qualified and professional staff to properly train, educate and mentor each respective dancer at each and every age and level to ensure that they receive the highest in dance education. Nichole’s areas of instruction at SDC include jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, musical theatre, hip-hop and tots n’ tumbling, as well as choreography and intensive technique training for SDC’s Regional and National Competition Team.
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Artistic Director and Owner of the Savage Dance Company, Nichole has studied dance for over 29 years and been an instructor/choreographer for the past 17 years. Nichole has received master instruction under the direction of world-renowned dancers, such as Frank Hatchett, Joe Lanteri, Joe Tremaine, Gary Pate, Gus Giordano, Doug Caldwell, Jo Rowen, Debbie Dee, Charles Kelley and Rhonda Miller. Nichole has also studied and continues to study each year with some of today’s hottest choreographers, such as Mike Minery, Mia Michaels, Mandy Moore, Suzi Taylor, Gil Stroming, Tabitha & Naploean, Dan Karaty, Brian Friedman, Chio, Nick Lazzarini, Kevin Maher and Danny Wallace. Nichole continues to attend and train in Regional and National Dance workshops and master classes each year, while also attending master classes and dance workshops on a monthly basis in New York at Broadway Dance Center. Nichole has also done catalog and television work, while also performing in local commercials. Nichole also founded and served as Captain and Choreographer of the Mount St. Mary's College Dance Team.