Artistic Staff

Joan Meggitt(Artistic/Executive Director) is a Cleveland-based choreographer, educator, and dancer who has been performing and presenting her work throughout the United States since 1992. She began studying dance with Jan Hyatt and James Reedy in 1989 at Allegheny College, where she received a B.A. in Economics. Meggitt earned her M.F.A. in Dance from Case Western Reserve University, under the instruction of Kathryn Karipides and Kelly Holt. In 2001, Meggitt founded Antaeus Dance, an intelligent and daring modern dance company grounded in the community, dedicated to the creation of original danceworks that reflect upon and respond to the world in which we live. The Company presents an annual season in Cleveland, provides educational programming to the Cleveland community, presents annual regional tours, and has toured internationally.

Meggitt is the Artist-in-Residence in the Dance Division of Kent State University’s School of Theatre and Dance. In addition, she is an adjunct faculty member of Allegheny College, where she has directed the Allegheny Summer Dance Intensive since 1999. Active in the field of dance education, Meggitt has been a guest artist and lecturer in modern dance at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad.

Meggitt’s impressive repertoire includes over 40 evocative danceworks that investigate and celebrate the human spirit. Her choreography combines physical stamina and self-discipline with a deep awareness of personal vulnerability. Clean and uncluttered, her work is an exploration of the intersection of individual expression and collective experience. Meggitt’s repertoire has been performed by Allegheny Repertory Dance, Antaeus Dance, Kent State Dance Ensemble, Mather Dance Ensemble and various other dance artists and ensembles both nationally and abroad.

Meggitt is honored to work with the faculty and students of Kent’s Department of Theatre and Dance, as well as with the diverse group of individuals who comprise Antaeus Dance. In addition, she has had the pleasure of working with numerous other artists including: long-time collaborator and dance maker Doug Lodge (PA); electronic media artist George Roland (PA); Cleveland composers Paul Cox, Greg D’Alessio and Lisa Rainsong; artist James Longs; and numerous choreographers throughout the country.

Amy Compton-Schulz (Dancer)is a dancer/educator/choreographer living in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Notable performances include: The Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the award winning Passport Project; The State Theater, Playhouse Square, in the Cleveland Opera’s production of Carmen; The Byhum Theater in Pittsburgh, PA with Dance Alloy; Court St. Etienne, Belgium and Jardines Neptunos, Spain performing her own selected solo dances; on the Fox T.V. morning show Kickin' it with Kenny promoting her street dance moves for Sparx in the City; and on downtown city streets for Cleveland’s Streetbeats program as a member of Liquid Dyode, Random Acts of Rhythm, and Querida. Amy enjoys collaborating and CoolCleveland.com called her collaborations with live musicians “stylish” yet “experimental”, creating a dance “one could not take there eyes off of”. These collaborations led her to performances at historic live music venues like The Grog Shop, The House of Blues, and The Beachland Ballroom respectively. On film Amy can also be seen in the Tap/Flamenco inspired Industrial, The Steps to Success; and as a frustrated housewife, dancing her cares away in Robert Banks’ Film, Domestic Paranoia. She is currently on faculty at Cleveland State University and Lake Erie College where she teaches Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Flamenco. Soon she will begin teaching Cleveland State University’s Saturday in the Studio which was recognized by Cleveland’s own Channel 5 News.

Jenita McGowan (Dancer) is enjoying her fourth season with Antaeus Dance. She was a company member of Dancing Wheels, under the artistic direction of Mary Verdi-Fletcher, for three seasons and now serves as the Coordinator of Outreach and Education. McGowan was a company member of the Cleveland Repertory Project for two years as a performer and educator, under the artistic direction of Susan Miller and then Hernando Cortez. She has also been a guest performer with Verb Ballets. McGowan has performed choreography by Jose Louis Bustamante, Chung-Fu Chang, Hernando Cortez, Terry Creach, Matthew Janzcewski, Kim Karpanty, Jim Lepore, Doug Lodge, Joan Meggitt, Mark Taylor and Sabatino Verlezza, among others. McGowan is currently enrolled in the Master of NPO program at CWRU’s Mandel Center.

Carla Monzo (Dancer) is enjoying her second season with Antaeus, now as a choreographer as well as a dancer. She began serious study in dance at Allegheny College in 2001, and found a home in modern dance. After graduating in 2004 with a B.A. in English, Monzo spent a year coordinating an intergenerational dance company in Meadville, Pennsylvania. She later moved to Cleveland, and has since enjoyed rubbing elbows with the fertile Cleveland arts community. In addition to her work with Antaeus Dance, Monzo has performed works by Jim Davis, Holly Labbe, Amie Dowling, James Reedy and Beth Salemi Szpak.

Amy Notley (Dancer) lives in Tremont and is the mother of a wonderful three year old girl named Jouvert. Notley has been a member of Antaeus Dance since 2002. As a native Clevelander, Notley has performed with many local companies including SAFMOD, Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, Sarah Morrison, and Gottlob and Oka. She was also a member of Do-Jump Movement Theatre and has a B.A. in Dance from the University of Akron. In January 2007, Notley presented her own piece "Sucking the Life" for Cleveland Public Theatre’s Big[BOX] series.

Shanna Sheline (Dancer) is proud to be a founding member of Antaeus Dance. Sheline instructs a variety of children's and adult programs throughout the Cleveland area. She is a certified Rainbow Play instructor as well as a Pilates instructor and a practitioner of Thai Yoga Massage. In addition, Sheline teaches ballet and modern dance at Lakeland Community College. She has taught master classes in modern dance at St. Lawrence University and Allegheny College, where she also co-taught the 2007 Allegheny Summer Dance Intensive. Sheline is a graduate of the M.A. program in dance at Case Western Reserve University. Before coming to study dance in Cleveland, Sheline attended Purdue University where she received her B.A. in Communications.

Beth Salemi Szpak (Artistic Associate) originally from Chicago, has been dancing, choreographing, and teaching in the Cleveland area for the past seven years. She received her B.A. in Communication Disorders from Case Western Reserve University in 1999 and her M.F.A. in Contemporary Dance from Case in 2002. She most recently served as part-time Lecturer for the Dance Program at Case, where she taught modern dance technique and dance pedagogy. While at Case, she received the Graduate Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as the prestigious Eva L. Pancoast Fellowship for study abroad and was nominated for the Bruce Jackson Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring in 2004. Currently on hiatus from the company, Szpak is a founding member of Antaeus Dance.

Amy Palmer (Intern) is originally from Pittsburgh and began dancing at age four. She is continuing her dance training as a Dance Performance major at Kent State University. Palmer has performed in faculty-choreographed dance concerts in 2005 and 2006, and in student-choreographed works since 2004. In March 2007, her first choreographic project, Stem Level Function, was performed at the annual Student Dance Festival at Kent State. Palmer looks forward to future performing opportunities as well as new choreographic endeavors as her life as a modern dancer continues.

Brad Petot (Lighting Designer) has been designing lighting at Case’s Mather Dance Center since 1984. He has worked with and designed for many local and notable artists, including Kathryn Karipides, Kelly Holt, Karen Potter, Gary Galbraith, Melanee Darby, David Shimotakahara, Gina Gibney, and Joan Meggitt. In his spare time, Petot is a Sr. Staff Engineer for Philips Medical Systems, where he designs MRI machines.