Broadway Connection Teachers in THE LITTLE MERMAID & CINDERELLA to Teach at Minneapolis Schools

September 13th kicks off an extensive Broadway Connection season in Minneapolis with scheduled Master Classes at local studios including Jete Dance Center, Ballare Teatro, Barbi Lee Dance Arts and more as they introduce students to Broadway Connection Teachers, Marjorie Failoni and Robbie Roby from the cast of THE LITTLE MERMAID and Ben Lanham from the cast of CINDERELLA. The 2-hour Broadway Connection Master Classes are scheduled at the each studio's home location in Minneapolis while the teaching artists perform at the Orpheum Theater. In the elite Broadway Connection Classes, students and parents experience direct access to current working Broadway performers who share the technique, style and training required to work professionally in dance, theater, TV and film. Jete Dance Center, Ballare Teatro, Barbi Lee Dance Arts and over 30 more studios, schools and universities in the Minneapolis area have taken advantage of this rare opportunity to dance with Broadway's most elite artists in the comfort of their home spaces through Broadway Connection. And the community is thrilled to have the inspiration, passion, and energy of New York back again for the 8th season in a row. Angela Mannella-Hoffman from Moore Than Dance comments on her 2014-2015 Broadway Connection Season, "Broadway Connection is such an amazing program and we always learn so much. I love how the teachers incorporate audition techniques and tips in with class. Thank you for all that you do for this program. It really gives my students something to strive for!"

ABOUT THE BROADWAY CONNECTION FACULTY

Marjorie Failoni, is a NY based choreographer and performer. She is originally from St. Louis, MO and has a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. Go Blue! She has been in the national tours of 9 to 5 (associate choreographer/dance captain), Disney's High School Musical (Dance Captain), and Disney's High School Musical 2 (Dance Captain). She had the privilege of going to London to help set the UK tour of High School Musical 2. Associate choreographer for Getting the Band Back Together (George Street Playhouse), Assistant choreographer for The Fig Leaves are Falling (Unsung Musicals), Andy Warhol was Right (NYMF '09), Godspell (MUNY), and Omaha's Christmas with the Symphony. As a performer she has worked all over the country including the Kennedy Center (with Liza Minelli), Radio City Music Hall, The MUNY, PCLO, Maine State Music Theatre, Ogunquit Playhouse and the Cape Playhouse. Some of her favorite shows have been The Little Mermaid, The Witches of Eastwick, 42nd Street, Shrek, and South Pacific. She has taught and choreographed at numerous studios across the country as well as choreographed routines for the dance teams at the University of Utah and Rutgers University. She also teachers theatre dance at Broadway Dance Center in NY and runs the NY auditions for the Disney Cruise Line.

Robbie Roby is currently the dance captain for the national tour of THE LITTLE MERMAID. He also served as Dance Captain for the Broadway Productions of HAIRSPRAY and BILLY ELLIOT, remount Supervisor/Dance Captain for the national tours of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT and JOSEPH... (Cast Album 2006), and performed with tours of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF and STARLIGHT EXPRESS. Other original productions include EMPIRE (Lincoln Center Workshop), ZELDA: AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY, and PIRATES! Favorite regional productions include HAIRSPRAY (Original Vegas Company), DREAMGIRLS (w/Jennifer Holliday), A CHORUS LINE, 42ND STREET, and SHREK. He has performed at the TUTS' American Musical Theatre Awards for Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber and former President George Bush and his wife, and opened the Wallas Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with Kevin Spacey, John Lithgow and Diane Lane.

Originally from Baltimore, MD, Robbie holds a BS in Elementary Education from Towson University. He was recently the Associate Choreographer for THE TEMPEST (Shakespeare in the Park) and Assistant Choreographer for the world premieres of BEACHES, HAISPRAY (Sugarloaf PAC, Papermill Playhouse, and Royal Caribbean), and Carnegie Hall's Family Holiday Concert: The New York Pops.

Robbie has been teaching as a Broadway Connection Teacher for over four years! He is also part of the musical theatre faculty at Broadway Dance Center and the Queens Theatre Art Center in NYC, and has taught master classes at the University of Utah, Towson University, and the Dulaney Valley Performing Arts School.

Ben Lanham grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and trained extensively at Cincinnati Conservatory of Music's Preparatory Department. He also traveled during summer seasons to study under Lane Alexander at The Chicago Human Rhythm Project. As a graduate of Oklahoma City University's Dance and Theater School, Ben has been seen performaning at Music Theatre Wichita, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma and The MUNY. Most recently, he had the pleasure of touring Europe and Israel with the International Tour of WEST SIDE STORY and is thrilled to currently be touring in Broadway's CINDERELLA! As a Broadway Connection Teacher, Ben has extensive teaching experience in New York and across the country.

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