Flat River Dance Company
5469 S. Greenville Rd.
Greenville, MI 48838
Flat River Dance Company
5469 S. Greenville Rd.
Greenville, MI 48838
Miranda Haywood - Executive Director & Dance Instructor
Ms. Miranda is a Choreographer, Ballet Mistress, Instructor, and Dancer for FRDC. Miranda is a native of Ada, MI, she received her dance training on scholarship with the Grand Rapids Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, WA. Miranda has also studied at the School of American Ballet in New York City, New York. As a senior in high school in 1999, she joined Grand Rapids Ballet as an apprentice in the company. She has performed professionally with the Grand Rapids Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre (now Charlotte Ballet), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Charlotte Total Theatre, Chautauqua Dance Company and the Moving Poets Theatre of Dance. She has also been a guest artist for Kansas City Friends of Alvin Ailey and Ablemarle Academy of Dance. While performing with professional companies throughout the country, she had the opportunity to dance Balanchine Works such as Western Symphony, Stars and Strips, Concerto Barocco, and Divertimento. In the summer of 2000 she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet's tour of A Midsummers Night Dream to Hong Kong, China & Istanbul,Turkey.
Ms. Miranda was the first dance team coach for Providence Day High School (Charlotte, NC) in 2003. From January 2011- 2015, Ms. Miranda Haywood was a professor of dance at Grand Valley State University. Since 1998, she has taught on the faculty for many of North Carolina and Michigan's finest ballet schools: the school of the North Carolina Dance Theatre, Charlotte School of Ballet, Community School of the Arts, Charlotte City Ballet, Miller Street Dance Academy, Weir Dancin', Las Americas, Turning Pointe School of Dance and Classic Pointe.
Most recently, Miranda has been a member of the Education Foundation of Greenville since 2019 as a Trustee. In just three years as the director and producer, along with her Dancing with the Locals Stars Entourage, they raised over $221,000 for mental health services and programs for the Greenville Public Schools. Pertaining to this acheivement, as of May 2024, Ms. Haywood is the recipient of the Womans Action Network Woman of the Year. She has two children Isadora and Cyrus and resides in East Grand Rapids, MI.
Joseph Curry - Artistic Director & Dance Instructor
Mr. Curry is originally from Greensburg, PA. He carries the title of Choreographer, Teacher, Ballet Master, and Studio Owner. He originally attended Laurel Youth Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet and Point Park Conservatory (all in PA) before training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, under the tutelage of Dr. Duncan Noble and Gyula Pandi. Mr. Curry’s professional career spans nearly two decades where he danced for The Charlotte Ballet (formally known as North Carolina Dance Theater) under Salivtore Aiello and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. He was a founding member of the Moving Poets Theatre of Dance. Directed by Till Schmdt-Rimpler and is also in Charlotte, NC. Mr. Curry also performed, choreographed and taught dance classes for, New York City Opera, Mia Ballet (Japan), Kunami Ballet (Japan), Augusta Ballet (GA), Greenville Ballet (SC), Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance (NC), Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (MA), Fairfax Ballet (VA), Roanoke Ballet (VA), and Charlotte Youth Ballet (NC).
Though out his career, Joseph performed dances by and worked with such notable choreographers as Maris Petipa, George Balanchine, Agnis DeMile, Jiri Kylian, Alvin Ailey, Arthur Mitchell, Alonzo King, Paul Taylor, Edward Stierle, Salvatore Aiello, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Till Schmidt-Rimpler and many others.
Joseph has also dedicated his life to working with children in dance by teaching and creating outreach programs for a number of schools which include North Carolina Dance Theatre, Moving Poets Theater of Dance, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, Roanoke Ballet, Savannah Dance Theatre, West Michigan Youth Ballet, Young Peoples Ballet (Flint, MI), and the Charlotte School of Ballet to name a few.
Since taking the lead as Artistic Director of the Flat River Dance Mr. Curry has created a number of stand out ballets and other choreographically works. His full length ballets for Flat River Dance Company including The Nutcracker, 12 Dancing Princesses, Good Night Moon, The Magical Doll Shoppe, The Grinch in Whoville, Peso’s Bill and the Cyclone, and The Wizard of Oz, Other works of standing are, "Red, Hot and Bluegrass", "Wicked Whatever !" , "Carmina Burana", and "TRIBUTE (conversations with soldiers)", a tribute to Sept.11and all its fallen.
Joseph would like to thank all his students, their parents (Past, Present and Future), the Greenville and surrounding communites, their schools and organizations for giving him the oppertunity to give back what he hold most dear to his heart... The Love of Dance. He would also like to thank his children Cyrus James Curry and Isadora Rose Curry for all their love and effection. "You are the true source of my insperation" - Love Dad
Alexandria Gilbertson - Dance Instructor
Alex is a dedicated and passionate dancer currently obtains a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance at Grand Valley State University as she graduated in December 2024. Alex has been dancing for 17 years (thanks mom and dad). Alex has honed their skills through rigorous training, notably with the renowned Flat River Dance Company.
As a multifaceted artist, Alex not only performs as a professional dancer, but is a choreographer and instructor within the Flat River Dance Company. Alex has had the pleasure to work with many companies and artists from across the country like KAOS LA and dancers on Broadway in New York City.
She was a pre ballet assistant from 2018 - 2021. She has performed in our regular productions and at Danish Festivals & Grand Rapids Festival of Arts. Alex is a 2020 graduate at the Greenville High School and was also a member of the National Honor Society. Ms. Alex is teaching Jazz, Hip Hop, Creative Movement, Elementary Ballet and Private Lessons for the 2023 - 2024 Season. Some of her featured roles include Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker and the Red Balloon in Good Night Moon.
Mary Beth Orr - Yoga Instructor & Music Teacher
As a professional, classically trained musician, Mary Beth was drawn to yoga for not only its stress relieving benefits and physical conditioning, but for the surprising mental and spiritual conditioning it began to provide as well. She began her journey with yoga in 2004 with her focus initially being in hatha yoga and gradually discovering the vast benefits of Ashtanga, and Vinyasa. Her training was through the traditional format of one on one guru to apprentice style, focusing specifically on enlightenment, alignment, and modification for all bodies and all abilities. In 2006 she received her yoga teaching certification totaling over 350 hours of training and 250 hours of supervised teaching from Flexible Health and Wellness specializing in Tri-Doshic yoga. This is a practice designed to balance the spiritual and physical needs of each class participant with the purpose of achieving balance between the three doshas we all possess. This practice would combine elements of ashtanga, vinyasa, pranayama, and guided meditation. She completed another 200 hr certification through Red Bloom with Kris Batzner in 2018 that has rekindled her passion in helping every student embrace their life journey through yoga. Furthering her studies and rehabilitation after a life altering auto accident, she completed the course work for another 300 hr RYT through MyVinyasaPractice in Austin.
She adamantly believes there is a style of yoga for everyone, and every BODY is a YOGA BODY. Her number one priority for every class she teaches is always the health and safety of every student! Yoga is empowering, healing, and most of all FUN, and Mary Beth strives to create an environment where this type of experience can flourish. She is currently 3rd Horn in the Grand Rapids Symphony while living on 10 wooded acres in Howard City with her husband and VERY energetic dogs.
Ms. Rylee Cortez - Dance Assistant
Ms. Rylee has been dancing at Flat River Dance Company for the past 10 years. She is a Senior at the Greenville High School. Some of her featured roles include Sugar Plum Fairy our production of the Nutcracker 2024, Arabian dancer in our 2021 Performance of the Nutcracker Suite - Clara's Magical Journey and Teeny Bunny in Good Night Moon.
Ms. Evelyn Helder - Dance Assistant
Ms. Evelyn has been dancing at Flat River Dance Company for the past 8 years. She is in 8th grade at Greenville Middle School. Some of her featured roles include Clara in The Nutcracker for our 2024 production with the Rockford Civic Symphony and Mouse in our production of Goodnight Moon.
Ms. Jessi Osterman - Office Manager
Ms. Jessi is in her first year as a Co-Office Manager at Flat River Dance Company. Since 2022, she has served as a Customer Engagement Manager, Corporate - Team Lead at Kaplan North America. Previously, she gained extensive experience as an Assistant Manager at a bank for nearly 12 years.
She holds a Master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Cornerstone University and a Master's in Finance from Purdue Global. She has received her FPQP (Financial Paraplanner Qualified Professional) designation from the College of Financial Planning and completed Kaplan Schweser’s Financial Modeling course. Ms. Jessi and her two children reside in Middleton, Michigan. Her two children are dancers with Flat River Dance Company; Steven has been dancing since Spring 2022, and Annalise since Fall 2021.
Ms. Elyse Peters - Dance Assistant
Ms. Elyse has been dancing at Flat River Dance Company for the past 7 years. She is a student at the Greenville Middle School.
