HEATHER west
Owner & Director
Heather Kronk West is the owner of Stage West. She began training at Doris Singer dance studio at the age of 3 and continued on to the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.
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At Mercyhurst University she received a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Dance with a concentration in Pedagogy. Afterwards, she performed with the Lake Erie Ballet and Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
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Her 20+ years of teaching and choreography experience include, The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Point Park University and The Civic Light Opera Academy. For 15 years she has successfully owned and operated B.C. Dance Academy, along with aiding the musical theatre department there, before expanding to include Stage West Performing Arts Center, which opened in 2016.
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Along with teaching dance, Heather has a loving husband and two children.
SAM beckas
Teacher, Choreographer, Marketing
Sam began dancing at three years old. With desires to be a ballerina, she began studying at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre around age 8, under the instruction of Heather West. In her time at PBT, Sam participated in The Nutcracker for three years, and this experience remains one of her fondest memories.
Sam soon decided to explore other dance opportunities including musical theater instruction at CLO and then moved on to competitive dance at DancExplosion Arts Center.
Following in Ms. Heather’s footsteps, Sam attended college at Mercyhurst University and took a break from dance, though she never lost her love for it.
Sam has taught and choreographed at Stage West since 2018 and has since been nicknamed "Slaymantha." Her favorite part of teaching is bonding with the students and watching them grow as dancers and as people. She loves guiding them through their dance education and is always proud of their dedication, bravery, and creativity.
DANIELLE crivelli
Teacher & Choreographer
