Meet Our Faculty
CO-OWNER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, DANCE FACULTY, THEATRE FACULTY, COMPANY DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Corey John Snide
Corey John Snide is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Capital District Arts Initiative. Snide started dancing in Albany, NY, competing at the regional, national, and international levels at a very young age. His earliest accomplishments were receiving two gold medals for Team USA for Tap and Contemporary dance at the age of 10. From there, his professional career took off as he started performing in the hit West End show as the title role in Billy Elliot the Musical. Having performed the role in London and Australia for a year and a half, he returned to NYC to immediately join the Original Broadway Cast of Jason Robert Browns 13, the musical leading the show alternating the role of Evan Goldman. He then continued to pursue his education and completed four years of training at The Juilliard School, graduating with a BFA in Dance in 2015. Upon graduation, he joined the regional
production of Andy Blankenbuehler’s Bandstand at the Papermill Playhouse. He has since been the Dance Captain for the Broadway revivals of Cats as well as Rogers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (both of which cover every male track in the show). Recently, he Tapped on the FX hit mini-series Fosse/Verdon as USO Bob. He then returned to London to be the Assistant Choreographer for the most recent Cats film as well as performed in the principal ensemble. Whenever he’s not performing on stage or screen, he is constantly working on his own choreographic career, performing several of his works across NYC. He is sought out internationally as a versatile teacher and mentor. Most recently, he originated the role of Tiger (u/s Riff) in Ivo van Hove’s West Side Story. Corey’s passion for arts empowerment and collaboration is the driving force behind co-founding the initiative.
CO-FOUNDER, BUSINESS MANAGER, DANCE FACULTY, COMPANY DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Jenna Snide-Papielion
Jenna was born in Albany, New York, and began dancing at the age of three. She grew up studying tap, jazz, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop. At the young age of 14, she began exploring her passion as an educator teaching children ages 5-17 years old with the same level of versatility she trained with. After graduating high school, it became clear to Jenna that becoming an educator in the arts was something that she was extremely passionate about. She went on to receive her Bachelors of Science in Business Administration, with a marketing concentration, at The University at Albany. During her studies, Jenna continued performing with many regional and local dance groups, all while continuing to teach young aspiring artists state-wide. Jenna was a member of the semi-pro Albany Empress AFL Dance Team during her
junior year and took on the position of Captain of the UAlbany Dance Team her senior year of college. Jenna continues to study dance with several master teachers as a way to continue to provide the most up-to-date and relevant information to her students.
Being an Albany native, giving back to the Capital Region and educating young artists is something she has looked forward to doing for years. She is eager is pass on her knowledge to each student who crosses her path.
DANCE FACULTY
Rachale Mullally
Rachale Mullally has studied dance since age of 4 in Upstate New York. After learning under inspiring mentors at a prestigious tap studio, she decided to continue her career and earn her BFA in Dance Theater at AMDA Los Angeles. Upon graduating, she knew her teaching would be the most rewarding way to pass on this new-found knowledge and love within the art. She feels extremely inspired to have the opportunity to continue sharing her art and what she’s learned to the generations of dancers to come.
DANCE FACULTY
Conservatory. Mary's career includes dancing at The Metropolitan Opera and encompasses performances as a principal guest artist for Ohio Dance Theatre and Granite State Ballet, and as a soloist with Ballet Artists of Cincinnati, Maryland Ballet, Lexington Ballet, and Charleston Ballet. She performed in numerous off-Broadway musicals and plays
A seasoned educator, Mary has been on faculty at Broadway Dance Center, The Ballet Hispanico School, Barnard College, and The New School University. She is currently on faculty at Ballet Academy East and the world famous Steps on Broadway. Notably, Mary directed nine ballet classroom music recordings with Roper Records, covering creative movement through advanced ballet. She is a featured instructor in two DVDs for RizBiz Productions, namely "Budding Ballerinas" and "From Tights to Tutus." Mary's creativity shines through in her creation of "The Magical World of Ballet" DVD in collaboration with Roper, tailored for young dancers, teachers, and parents.
In addition to her dance Mary is certified in Pilates mat and Progressing Ballet Technique. As a master pointe shoe fitter with over three decades of experience, Mary has worked closely with dancers from prestigious companies like ABT, The Royal Ballet, and NYCB. Noteworthy engagements include delivering pointe shoe lectures at esteemed summer programs for ABT/JKO, Dance Theatre of Harlem, NYSSSA, and Oklahoma Summer Arts in Quartz.
Mary's influence extends beyond the studio; she served as a panelist on pointe shoes alongside Misty Copeland, coached Julia Stiles for her role in the film "Save the Last Dance," and assisted NYCB principal dancer Jenifer Ringer with pointe shoes for Oprah Winfrey's television appearance. Her expertise is highlighted in the last video project by the late master teacher David Howard, titled "I'll Be Seeing You" on Vimeo. In 2015, Mary launched her YouTube channel, "Dancewithmary NYC," offering monthly segments where she shares her pointe shoe expertise.
Continuing to push boundaries, Mary's latest venture involves collaborating with Metropolitan Opera Ballet pianist Steven Mitchell on music for his music app, Balletrax. As a featured master teacher for adult beginners on Dancio.com, Mary invites enthusiasts to experience her virtual ballet classes. She is a contributing writer at danceinforma.com for their USA, UK, and AUS editions.
MARY CARPENTER
Mary trained at CCM/Cincinnati Ballet school, graduated with high honors from Butler University, and continued training on scholarship at the renowned David Howard Dance Center. Her acting training was developed at The National Shakespeare
THEATRE FACULTY
Lisa Franklin
BROADWAY CONCERTS: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Secret Garden - Lincoln Center. NYC Credits: The Real Desperate Housewives of Columbia County - Laurie Beechman Theatre, Velma in Hairspray - FSF Theatre, The Franklin Family in Concert - 54 Below, Manuel Versus the Statue of Liberty - NYMF.
REGIONAL CREDITS: Mother Superior in Sister Act - Arizona Broadway Theatre; Marie Lombardi in Lombardi - Dells Palace Theatre in Wisconsin, The Most Happy Fella - Broward Stage; numerous productions with CapRep, Mac-Haydn Theatre, Park Playhouse, SLOC and Sharon Playhouse. Lisa has taught at The New York State Theatre Institute and
has Musical directed at Park Playhouse and at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. Lisa has vocal studios in NYC and Albany and is the voice teacher of many of today’s young Broadway Stars. Lisa’s students have performed in more than 40 Broadway Shows and National Tours. Her proudest accomplishment is her four children, Julia, Charlie, Emily & George - all who have appeared in Broadway or Off-Broadway shows, Radio City Music Hall and National Tours.
THEATRE FACULTY
Sammy Wilson
Sammy Wilson is a theatre educator, with a passion for inspiring creativity and fostering artistic growth in performers of all levels. With a BA in Theatre and minors in Musical Theatre and Film Studies, Sammy has studied various acting and movement techniques, such as Meisner, Stanislavski, and Laban. She has worked with multiple theatre companies and educational institutions, helping actors develop their skills, confidence, and love for the stage. Sammy's most recent directorial credits include: Six (CDAI), Footloose (Not So Common Players), and Clue: On Stage (Shaker High School). With the exceedingly supportive and talented team
at CDAI, Sammy is so excited to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for the performing arts, guiding students on their journeys to becoming confident, intelligent, and versatile performers.
THEATRE FACULTY
Nick Contois
Nick Contois is a class of 2018 Shaker graduate, born and raised in the heart of Latham. After high school he studied at Rider University where he received his BA in Musical Theatre Performace with a minor in French in 2021. Since then he has stayed involved with the capital district theatre community, playing featured roles in productions such as The Trunchbull in Matilda (SLOC) and music directing productions such as Footloose (Not So Common Players). Nick has always had a passion for sharing the language of music and he strives to foster an inclusive environment where his students feel encouraged to do their best work.
DANCE FACULTY - Performance Connection
JJ Papielion
JJ is a fitness enthusiast specializing in sport-specific functional movement. His background in coaching reaches a variety of individuals, and he has earned certifications as a USA Weightlifting Coach and Crossfit Level 1 Trainer. He has competed at the highest level of Crossfit competition, so he understands how to get to the top and will help you maximize your body’s performance potential to do the same. While he isn’t coaching, training, or studying taxation, he can be found watching sports.