Creative talents at work
By Maranda Poe ’14
Lauren (Detwiler) Cooley ’05 is putting her photography degree to work
through her employment in her family’s business, Cooley Dance Company.
Cooley and her mother-in-law teach the majority of the dance classes with the
assistance of Cooley’s sister, Lynn (Detwiler) Zitta ’11. The studio, which opened
in 2008, offers classes to more than 200 students in ballet, tap, jazz, pointe,
modern, hip-hop, acrobatics, musical theater, and stretch turns and jumps.
While at Lycoming, Cooley taught tap for the Dance Club. This experience
helped her decide to become a dance teacher after graduation.
“It was fun being able to share a passion of mine with some of my closest
friends in college,” Cooley said. “Having a dance club allowed for a relaxed,
no-pressure atmosphere, which was not too intimidating for beginners to branch
out and try. As for experienced dancers, it allowed for an environment to explore
different dance styles and depending on everyone’s workload per semester – we
could be as much or as little involved and still get to dance. Dance Club was
inspiring, watching all of us teachers from different backgrounds come together
and produce creative and powerful dances. I realized what a difference dance
made in my friends lives, so in opening my own dance studio I could continue to
share my knowledge and teach.”
Cooley also designs the programs, tickets and recital T-shirts each year for the
studio. She believes that her photography degree enables her to better promote
the studio.
“I especially enjoy shooting dancer. My senior photography project revolved
around photographing dancers and I feel that I am able to capture them in way
that a non-dancer cannot,” she said.
The company also annually participates in Williamsport’s Little League
Parade and Christmas Parade. The studio was part of the 2012 Mummers Day
Parade in South Williamsport and won the best overall award and best in dance
division award.
“Lycoming helped mold me into a well-versed individual,” she said. “I gained
valuable leadership skills and had many opportunities to develop my creative
talents.”
Destiny Zeiders
(theatre-acting) won
a world championship in barrel racing
on the Appaloosa Horse Circuit in 2012
and won a reserve world championship,
a national championship and was
ranked overall as No. 1 in the nation
in Barrel Racing and Figure 8 Stake
Race in 2011. In June, one of her horses
received the Lifetime Supreme Horse
award. She trains her own horses and
works full-time as a research analyst
for the agriculture and rural affairs
committee at the Pennsylvania House of
Representatives.
2004
Christine (Colella) Zubris
misschristinec@hotmail.com2005
Kristen Dart
Kristen.dart@gmail.comOlivia (English) Zapel
(chemistry)
graduated from Edinboro University of
Pennsylvania with a master’s degree in
middle level instruction. She teaches
in the alternative education program
and biology in the Warren County (Pa.)
School District.
Dr. Amy Curry
(biology) was named
resident of the year in her surgical
residency program at Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine. She
began her fifth and final year of surgical
residency in July as the chief resident of
her program.
2006
Michele (Connors) Witowski
mconnors@inbox.comor
Jamie (Hershey) Arnold
herjami@hotmail.comJennifer Schilansky
(theatre-acting)
is the resident equity stage manager for
the Kitchen Theatre in Ithaca, N.Y.
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LYCOMING COLLEGE 2013 SUMMER MAGAZINE
Sisters Lauren (Detwiler) Cooley ’05 and Lynn (Detwiler) Zitta ’11 of Williamsport’s Cooley
Dance Company
Destiny Zeiders ’03