Fran Beaumont
Fran Beaumont, originally from Richmond, Virginia began her training with the School of the Richmond Ballet. After graduating from Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, with a focus on dance, she continued her education in England at The Hammond School where she studied dance and choreography. In 2016, she graduated with a Level 6 Degree from Trinity College in Professional Dance and received her teaching certificate in Pilates. Fran has trained with Jasmine Grace, Starrene Foster, Jane Elliott, David Needham, Anthea Garratt, Alison Hughes, Tara Penick, Arnott Mader, Lee Johnston, Antonia Barron, and Christine Eccleston-Tuohy. She currently works as a stagehand with the Richmond Ballet and choreographs for Appomattox Governors School. Fran joined Starr Foster Dance in 2016.
ANGELA PALMISANO
ANGELA PALMISANO (Dancer), originally from Baltimore, Maryland, has been dancing since the age of two. She has had the pleasure of training at the prestigious George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology in Towson, Maryland for high school and also in the Department of Dance and Choreography at Virginia Commonwealth University. Angela is a certified Flexologist at StretchLab in Williamsburg, Virginia and joined SFD in 2014.
SHANNON COMERFORD
Shannon Comerford, who grew up in Amelia, VA, got her start dancing at Joy’s School of Dance. She continued her dance education at Radford University and graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance in 2015. While at Radford, she performed in many main stage productions, as well as at the New York Jazz Choreography Project and served as an apprentice for d a n a h b e l l a DanceWorks. Since graduating, Shannon has danced as a guest dancer for local RVA and DMV artists and was a company member with RVA Dance Collective for several years. Through her time with the company she worked with several notable choreographers including Eric Rivera, Miguel Perez, LaWanda Raines, Vicki Fink and Kelly Bartnik. In addition to performing Shannon has a huge passion for choreography and teaching. She loves creating and continuing to help nurture and cultivate other dancers’ journeys. Shannon joined SFD in 2022.
MOLLY HUEY
Molly Huey, originally from Pennsylvania, is a dance artist, videographer, and media artist, among other things. They perform, choreograph, teach, capture, create, and recreate often. Molly has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance, specializing in performance and choreography, and a Bachelor of Arts in communication, graduating from Slippery Rock University in 2019. A few highlights include performing on the Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Stage with ACDA selected works, at the Joyce Theater in New York for the University Partner’s Showcase, the New Hazlett Theater in Pittsburgh for PearlArt’s 3600 Seconds of Solos, at Dixon Place in New York for WhiteWave’s SoloDuo Festival, at Schenley Park for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s Open Air series, in Brooklyn Bridge Park with Currents (take.6), and in Philadelphia for the Koresh Artist Showcase. They look forward to exploring more stages. Molly is the Media Specialist at Richmond Ballet and joined Starr Foster Dance in 2022.
MADISON ERNSTES
Madison Ernstes, born in China and raised in Richmond, Virginia, began her dance training at Dancers’ Studio and later danced competitively at Dance Destination. She continued her dance journey at the University of Richmond where she served as both a member of and company captain for the Department of Theatre and Dance’s company, University Dancers. She was also a member of the Department’s Electrics Crew. Additionally, she choreographed two original dance works that premiered in University Dancers’ Annual Concerts. After graduating with a BA in Dance and BS in Biology in 2020, Madison attended Radford University and received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in May 2023. She is currently working with Fox Rehabilitation in Richmond, VA. Madison joined SFD in 2023.
Mosca Mavrophilipos-Flint
Mosca Mavrophilipos-Flint graduated from VCU in 2006. There she studied Theater Education and Dance Performance and Choreography. In 2008, Mosca became a certified yoga instructor through Integral Yoga and taught at the University of Richmond, Yogaville and for educators in Henrico County. She has also taught Theater and English to secondary learners before stepping out of the field to focus on her family. Today she and her husband share three wonderful children and she has had the privilege to return to her passions as a dancer for Starr Foster Dance.
SPITTING IMAGE 2025
GUEST PERFORMERS
ALEX ATKINS
Alex Atkins (Guest Artist) found a love for dance at the age of 7. She was involved in a dance company throughout her young adult life and attended Appomattox Regional Governers School for dance her freshman year where she met Starrene Foster. She has taken numerous master classes around the country in all styles of dance. After taking time away from the stage to raise her daughter and focus on her career as an esthetician, Alex has found a way back to her passion of performing.
Roya Baker-Vahdani
Roya Baker-Vahdani (Guest Artist) began her dance training at the age of 3 with Dance Fremont in Seattle, Washington under the direction of Artistic Directors Vivian Little and Mary Reardon, dancing for them until the age of 17. In 2018-2020 Roya trained under Artistic Director Megan Philipp at State Street Ballet Professional Training Program in Santa Barbara, California. In 2020 – 2021 she danced for Columbia Classical Ballet in Columbia, South Carolina under the direction of Radenko Pavlovich. Roya moved to Richmond, VA in 2021 to join Stavna Ballet where she danced under Artistic Director Shannon Hunter McConville for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons. Since leaving Stavna Ballet, Roya has been focusing on freelance dance and in 2024 was a guest dancer in Starr Foster Dance’s Curious Intentions Performance and Page to Stage III. In addition to freelance dancing, Roya is working on completing her BA degree in Psychology.
Sarah Carrington
Sarah Carrington (Guest Artist) is a dance creative, teacher, and performer from Richmond VA. She graduated from James Madison University in 2024 with a BA in Dance and a preK-12 dance education licensure. At JMU she had the opportunity to work and perform with artists from companies like Ballet Hispanico, DanceWorks Chicago, Lucinda Childs Dance Company and many more. In 2023, Sarah’s dance film “Smoking Lounge” was selected to be shown at Manifest Dance Film Festival. Sarah is a passionate teacher with an excitement for spreading dance to communities who don’t have access to it. She hopes to continue gaining experience from the dance community in Richmond for years to come.
Ma-Siya Dycus
Ma-Siya Dycus (Guest Artist), is originally from Portsmouth, Virginia, where her passion for dance went into a separate but similar path. At the age of 3, she began training under a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader in Dallas, Texas. She continued to dance competitively until the age of 14 at Maureen’s School of Dance in Chesapeake, Virginia. In 2017, Ma-Siya auditioned for The Governor’s School for the Arts, in Norfolk, Virginia, and attended all four years during high school where she began intense training in both Horton and Graham techniques. Ma-Siya is a VCU Alumni with a bachelor's in Kinesiology while obtaining two minors in Psychology and Dance & Choreography. She currently works at an inpatient rehabilitation hospital to aid stroke survivors and amputees in improving mobility. Ma-Siya is attending ODU to receive her Doctorate in Physical Therapy to work in rehabilitation therapy and with performing artists. Furthermore, she enjoys collaborating as a choreographer or performer in ballet contemporary and dedicates her time to promoting the expansion of black art in several communities.
Ella Holland
Ella Holland (Guest Artist) participated in dance and competitive gymnastics since the age of 2 in New Jersey. When she ended her career as a gymnast at age 12, she returned to dance full-time as a student of the North Jersey School of Dance Arts, focusing on Jazz and Ballet, and performed for five years as a member of the New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet. After taking a break from dance training during her college years at the University of South Florida, she rediscovered her love and commitment to dance when she moved to Richmond in 2022 and fell in love with the dance community here.
Janelle Ragland
Janelle Ragland (Guest Artist) from Lynchburg, Virginia, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BA in International Social Justice Studies, with a minor in Nonprofit Organization and Management. She has immersed herself in the dance world for 16 years, training at LeeAnne Ashley Studio of Dance in Bedford, VA, and with various companies across the East Coast in all genres of dance. Janelle was an SFD Intern from 2022-2024 as well as a guest artist for Adjusting to the Dark and Page to Stage III. In the Fall of 2025, Janelle will begin to pursue her Master’s Degree in International Relations.
Adria Applebee
Adria Applebee (Guest Artist/SFD Intern), originally from Baltimore, Maryland, moved to Richmond to study graphic design and dance at Virginia Commonwealth University. She started her dance training at the Community College of Baltimore County and later joined the dance company. In her studies, she has gotten the chance to work with many notable figures such as Carolyn Dorfman, Robert J. Priore, as well as Natalie Desch in a reconstruction of José Limón’s “Chaconne.”
SophiE Smith
Sophie Smith (Guest Artist/SFD Intern) is a modern dancer based in Richmond, Virginia. She trained around the world, from Japan to Bahrain, before earning a degree in Kinesiology with a minor in Dance and Choreography at Virginia Commonwealth University. Sophia has performed with the Richmond Shakes in their production of Dr. Faustus and is interning with Starr Foster Dance.
Lena Cohen
Lena Cohen (Guest Artist/2024-2025 Mentee) is currently a senior at Open High School in Richmond, Virginia, and has been training at Marianne Kelley’s School of Dance for the last nine years. There, she has performed in various productions and with their competition team, Compass. She has had the opportunity to attend summer intensives at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and the Richmond Ballet, and in the summer of 2025, she will be attending the Bates Dance Festival Young Dancers Intensive. Outside of dance, she enjoys crocheting and spending time outside. Lena looks forward to learning more about the professional dance world during her time with SFD.
