ATDSW–Directors
 

Madeline Dempster
Co-Director of the American
Theater Dance Workshop

 
Madeline Dempster
Co-Director of the American Theater Dance Workshop
My two passions have always been education and the performing arts. Growing up in Queens, fifteen minutes by subway to New York City, my parents took me to all the Broadway shows. I studied dance at Charlie Lowe’s studio, a school in Manhattan where many professional children learned not only ballet, tap and jazz, but singing, acting and performing skills that I remember to this day.
Moving to Long Island at the age of ten, my high school years were dominated by my love for English literature, singing in our A Cappella choir and performing in any play I could get a part in. Two of my fellow choir members and I formed a singing group called The Melodears, and we had a top forty record.
At Hofstra University I majored in English and continued my work on the stage. Francis Ford Coppola was a student at that time, and I was lucky enough to be directed by him in two of his original musicals. I graduated with a BA in English and taught junior high school for seven years.
When my children were born, I concentrated on volunteer work helping to form an alumni theater group at Hofstra, serving on the board of The Eglevsky Ballet Company, PTA president etc. All of this activity earned me the honor of being selected for an edition of “Outstanding Young Women of America”. I met Lee Theodore in 1982, and along with my partner, Sofia Semler, opened The American Dancemachine on Long Island. The Summer Workshop is an outgrowth of that school.
 
 

Maryann King
Co-Director of the American
Theater Dance Workshop

 
Maryann King
Co-Director of the American Theater Dance Workshop
My background is in finance.  Before my children were born I was Vice President of an importing company in New York City.  When she was three my older daughter told me that she was going to be a ballerina.  She started taking classes at about 8 years old.  She outgrew her dance school in our hometown, and I soon found myself driving the 30 - 40 minutes to American Theater Dance Workshop in New Hyde Park.  Before the year was out, I was working there whenever my daughter had class.  Her passion grew and so did my work hours.  Meanwhile my younger daughter started taking classes, and the time at the studios grew exponentially.  The studios became our home away from home.  I also worked with the Eglevsky Ballet, touring with the company, coordinating the children’s cast and eventually taking on the role of General Manager for a short time.
I began working with Madeline on her summer program almost ten years ago.  I am pleased and honored to bring back the workshop with Maddy this year after a two year hiatus.  We have a lot of exciting plans in store for this summer.  Please consider making your 2009 summer a summer to remember.


 

American Theater Dance Workshop
999 Herricks Road
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
Phone: 516-628-1701
Fax: 516-248-6461
www.americantheaterdance.com
e-mail: amtheaterdance@aol.com

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