Meet the Team
Dr. Kathryn Gigler: Chair of the Equity Project Transformation Team Kathryn L. Gigler has over a decade of experience as an institutional advocate and educator and a career-long commitment to equity and inclusivity. Following completion of her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University, she obtained her doctorate in psychology, focusing on cognitive neuroscience, from Northwestern University. Dr. Gigler served as executive director of the Women’s Center at Elizabeth City State University and was integral in the formation of the first LGBTQ+ community organization in the region. She has worked with organizations in multiple states around violence prevention and response, including Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, Albemarle Hopeline in Elizabeth City, NC, and the YWCA of Greater Chicago. She has also dedicated her time to arts and cultural organizations throughout the Pittsburgh region, including Attack Theatre and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Prior to stepping into the role of acting executive director, Dr. Gigler served as PBT’s Director of Education and Community Engagement. Key accomplishments at PBT include her leadership of the Equity Project Transformation Team, which engages with leaders and staff across the organization in developing comprehensive IDEA strategies. In addition, Kathryn Gigler has also played a central role in leading the engagement team’s pivot to digital programming during the pandemic. Her projects include the highly successful “Dance the Story at Home!” program and creation of a suite of over 35 engagement opportunities around PBT’s award-winning Fireside Nutcracker.
Lisa Auel: Chair of the Building Accessibility and Inclusivity committee Lisa Auel has been with PBT’s Education Department for 14 years after spending part of her career in public history. She believes that ballet has the power to enrich lives and inspire audiences, and that it also is a living art form capable of embracing diverse ideas, communities and cultures. She is excited to be part of a team working to expand thinking around the art form, from how we understand its history to envisioning a more inclusive future.
Lindsey Kaine: Chair of the Community Engagement committee Originally from Maryland, Lindsey Kaine has lived in Pittsburgh for almost 10 years and fully considers it home now. Lindsey was a dancer through college and has worked with dance companies in education, production and artistic administration her whole career. She is constantly inspired by the creativity of the people and company of artists at PBT and hopes to bring that into her work with the Transformation Team. She is thrilled to be a part of this team that is helping to lead change at PBT as well as the dance and ballet field as a whole. It would be incredible for us to be known for our work as the Transformation Team as well as the incredible artistry and talent of our dancers.
Jamie Murphy: Chair of the School committee Jamie Erin Murphy is a Pittsburgh based choreographer, dancer and educator who is passionate about exploring the human body through movement. She graduated from Point Park University in 2007 with a BA in dance. Jamie’s professional company work includes Shana Simmons Dance, Attack Theatre, Staycee Pearl Dance Project, Texture Contemporary Ballet, Xpressions Contemporary Dance Company, The Pillow Project, Knot Dance, Zany Umbrella Circus and she was co-director of Murphy/Smith Dance Collective. As a choreographer, she works with diverse groups of dancers and is interested in making dance that discusses the human experience. In 2014 she completed a choreographic mentorship with Doug Varone and Dancers (NYC) and presented work at the historical 92nd Street Y as part of the CHIN Project. Jamie has an extensive teaching career and has been with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School for nearly 15 years. She is currently a full-time faculty member of PBTS where she teaches modern, jazz, choreography, Community Division, Dance for Parkinson’s, adaptive dance and creative movement through elementary school residencies. In recent years she has developed and mentors the Student Choreographic Workshop, and coordinates The Pittsburgh Connection Class Series that helps connect local and diverse dance artists and PBT students. Jamie is a certified Functional Awareness Movement Educator and is excited to share her passion of teaching anatomy through movement to her students. She has had the honor of being nominated three times for The Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Award and was named one of Pittsburgh Magazines 40 Under 40 in 2018. Jamie is very proud to be helping to make PBT more inclusive through her work in the school and community. She loves being a part of the Pittsburgh dance community and will strive to continue her mission to make art and dance accessible for everyone.
Lauren Carlini: Chair of the HR and Operations committee Lauren Carlini (she/her), a Pittsburgh native, is the director of human resources at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She leads the subcommittee on recruitment, hiring and operations, which is charged with developing equitable and inclusive hiring and recruitment practices as well as internal policies. Lauren’s vision for PBT is to create a welcoming space for all team members to thrive in. She believes that teams thrive when ideas are informed by diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Lauren hopes that the arts continue to become more accessible and is proud to work for an organization that has been a leader in this area.
All PBT Transformation Team Members
Kerra Alexander, Assistant Director of Education and Community Engagement
Rich Beaty, PBT Board Treasurer
Corey Bourbonniere, Company Dancer
Laura Caton, School Operations Manager
Ann Corrado, School Faculty
Greg Coppolo, Associate Production and Rentals Manager
Aziza El Feil, Associate Director of Development
Maximillion Elliot-Quinerly, community member
Dawn Fleischner, PBT Board Immediate Past Chair
Elise Gillum, School Faculty
Ellen Gozion, School Music Coordinator
Missy Graf, Assistant to the Artistic Director
Lea Havas, School Faculty
Jack Hawn, Company Dancer
Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director
Lindsey Kaine, Manager of Accessibility and Program Development
Tommie Lin O’Hanlon, Company Dancer
Kaila Lewis, Head of Children’s Division
Mary McKinney Flaherty, PBT Board Chair
Elizabeth Mick, Manager of Individual Giving and Experiences
Staycee Pearl, community member
Amanda Potts Morgan, Company Dancer
Alicia Reece, Production Stage Manager
Alanna Rygelski, School Operations Coordinator
Ayana Teter, PBT Trustee and Chair of School Committee
Bob Vickrey, Artistic Administrator