Geena Ravella
– Jazz & Tap
Geena is originally from Schenectady, New York, where she began dancing in her family owned dance studio, Danceworks Unlimited. She has been studying a wide variety of dance disciplines for twenty years, and began teaching and choreographing at the age of 14. She has choreographed numerous recital and competition numbers, several of which have received choreography awards and overall high score awards. After graduating from high school in 2002, she attended Bay Path College in Massachusetts, where she obtained her BA with honors in Legal Studies. While at Bay Path, Geena headed up the Dance Company during her entire college career, choreographed for the college’s annual Performing Arts Concert, taught the dance classes offered by the college under the direction of the Director of Performing Arts, Li Ciaglo, and also played many major roles in numerous college and community musical theatre productions in Northampton and Ludlow, Massachusetts. Some of these productions include: How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, Call Me Madam, Wonderful Town, Guys and Dolls, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Bells are Ringing. Geena was also the choreographer for Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
After graduating from Bay Path College in 2006, she moved to NYC where she was accepted into the MFA program at The New School for Drama, amongst 28 other students from around the world. While in New York City, Geena studied under many choreographers and movement teachers such as Lynn Schwab, Charles Goddertz, and Jay T. Geena has also studied Alan Wayne Movement with Brendan McCall, and Alexander Technique with Judith Grodowitz She has also had a major role in the independent film Karma, and recently appeared on The Guiding Light.
Since moving to Sarasota, Geena has had one of the lead roles in Fame Forever at The Players Theatre, and has had the pleasure of playing Rumpleteazer in CATS at Manatee Players. Aside from theatre in Sarasota, Geena has also had the opportunity to perform and work with choreographer DeWayne Barrett dancing for fundraisers and special events.