Bio Coming Soon!

Ms. Katie Wilcox,  began her dance education at the age of 2.  She attended her first competition at the age of 6 brining home awards both regionally and nationally for for talent and performance through out her youth. At 12 years old, she began traveling to a variety of prestigious schools around the country to expand her education.  She attended Ballet Chicago, Ruth Page Foundation School of Ballet, Gus Giordano Dance Center, Lou Conte Dance Center, Joffrey Ballet New York and Ballet Magnificat, to name a few. She performed several leading roles in productions, including the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen in the Nutcracker.

Upon high school graduation, Ms. Wilcox moved to Chicago IL, where she earned her BFA at Columbia College Chicago. She continued her dance training through out the city, studying with company members of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Chicago and Gus Giordano.  Due to a spinal injury, she set her performance career aside, and discovered her true love of choreography and teaching. She taught at several schools in the Chicagoland area before relocating here to Plano in 2005 to open The Plano Dance Theatre, (Now PDT Dance Arts).

Since Ms. Wilcox began teaching, she has earned countless awards and accolades for teaching and choreography.  More importantly, she and the other PDT staff members have raised many students in the arts that have won countless awards themselves for their outstanding work & technique. Many have gone on to colleges & careers in the performing arts with scholarships and accolades for their excellence.  

Ms. Wilcox is also an adjudicator for national talent competitions, sharing her knowledge with students across America.  She is the primary choreographer for the Plano East Senior High School show choir and provides freelance choreography for corporate performances. Ms. Wilcox maintains personal relationships with many of the students that have grown through PDT and she finds her purpose in positively effecting the lives of young students.  

Ms. Wilcox's primary focus is to ensure that all students know they have a place on the stage, that each child can learn self expression through the arts and that through dance they have a voice.  Her passion is to help young students grow, gain a healthy sense of self worth and learn life lessons to carry them successfully throughout their lives.

Niesha grew up dancing since the age of two. She started dancing at the local dance studio in Plano,TX. She did competitive dancing from the ages of five to fifteen. Winning numerous scholarships and awards. From there she was accepted into the prestigious arts school, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. At that point, she decided to leave competitive dancing to focus more seriously on her dance training and learning at BTWHSPVA. She studied concert dance and danced on a company. Upon graduating, she was given the opportunity to travel with the dance convention The Pulse On Tour assisting top choreographers such as Brian Friedman, Laurie Ann Gibson, Dave Scott, Gil Duldulao and Tyce Diorio. After this life changing experience, she decided to move to Los Angeles and begin dance professionally full time. She has danced in numerous music videos, concept videos, television shows and live stage performances. She has danced for artist such as Jason Derulo, Kimberly Cole, Justin Bieber and Pentatonix. She has danced on shows such as American Idol and The American Music Awards. During her time in Los Angeles, she discovered Bodywork. She holds certifications in Classical Pilates and Vinyasa Yoga. While dancing professionally, She taught Classical Pilates and Yoga to many different body types to understand the methods better. Through self-practice and teaching she has developed her own bodywork method that helps dancers and athletes achieve more strength, mobility and flexibility. She has the ability to choreography multiple styles such as hip hop, heels, contemporary, jazz funk, contemporary ballet and jazz technique. She is excited to share her choreography, love for dance and knowledge about the body with the Dallas Area! 

Lauren Davis is a Texas native with a BFA in Commercial Dance from Hussian College Los

Angeles: In Studio. Lauren is trained in all styles of dance, including ballet, jazz, hip hop, jazz funk, heels,

lyrical, contemporary, ballroom, and acro. Lauren grew up with a strong ballet foundation before

transitioning to competition dance and the commercial side of the industry, winning countless awards

and scholarships in various genres of dance, training under Geralyn del Corso Garner, Alex Patrick, and

Bree Hafen. She attended summer programs such as American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey NY (ballet), Joffrey

Southwest (jazz and contemporary), Burklyn Ballet Theatre (scholarship), and the Glenda Brown

Choreography Project (scholarship) as a choreographer. She traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland to perform

in the Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the world, portraying “Alice in Wonderland’s” Mad

Hatter and the White Rabbit. Afterwards, she danced in LA for four years, performing in LA Dance Fest, a

national Apple Inc. commercial, modeled for CBS’s “Star Trek Discovery,” and numerous collegiate

productions before graduating summa cum laude. While studying dance and acting for film and

television in college, Lauren had the privilege of training with Ambrose Respicio III – Lady Gaga, Janet

Jackson, and Taylor Swift dancer, SYTYCD resident choreographer Joe Brown, as well as Leslie Stevens,

Matthew Shaffer, James Tabeek, Marvin Browning Jr., Todd Flanagan, Cat Cogliandro, and Jonette

Swider.

Currently, Lauren teaches in the DFW area, specializing in technique and jazz funk, while

continuing her career as a dancer and actor. Most recently, she was in a Choctaw Casinos & Resorts

commercial as a principal performer, she has done guest artist work for studios/choreography

showcases throughout the area, and she is a second year veteran on the Frisco Fighters Bombshells

squad, the #1 pro dance team in the IFL. Lauren will be performing in the State Fair of Texas’ 2023

“Illumination Sensation” for the third year in a row, last year serving as dance captain. Lauren will

continue to spread her love for dance and children through performing and mentoring young dancers

with compassion and the experience she continues to gain as a current industry professional.

Originally from Rome Opera, Mr. Agliata received his formal dance training and performed extensively. Later in his career he moved to New York City, where he danced and performed professionally for over 20 years. He danced at the Metropolitan Opera, served as a ballet master and movement coach for the new NYC Opera, worked in contemporary companies, motion pictures and as an extra dancer in the Royal Ballet production of Cinderella for the Lincoln CenterFestival at the Metropolitan Opera. Mr. Agliata also danced as a guest for Nevada Ballet Theater in Beauty and the Beast at the Smith Center and finished the season as a ballet master for the Nevada Ballet Academy. I taught the boys’ program and choreographed their piece in the final spring performance of La Fille Mal Gardée, which was also performed at the Smith Center. Most recently, he danced in a newly choreographed production of Camelot with Pacific Festival Ballet in Los Angeles. Furthermore, he taught ballet, contemporary and classical jazz at Pasadena Dance Theater, Westside Ballet, California Dance Theater, Burbank Dance Academy, Pasadena Civic Ballet, Long Beach Ballet, Millenium Dance Complex, Connecticut Ballet and Woodbury Ballet.  PDT Dance Arts Conservatory is proud to welcome him to our staff this year.

Born and Raised in Chicago,IL 

George “Gmo” Patterson has performed and taught all over the globe. He started his journey with Chicago’s world-renowned Jesse White Tumblers. He is from and represents the Sammy Dyer School of Theater in (Chicago), which is also responsible for Ted Levy, Idella Reed, Bril Barrett, Jumanne Taylor, and Cousin Donnetta “Lil Bit“Jackson. 

After graduating from high school, George immediately moved to NYC to join Savion Glover’s Broadway show, Bring in Da Noise Bring in Da Funk, which won 4 Tony Awards and 4 Drama Desk Awards. During his time with the show, he worked alongside Jason Samuels Smith and Dulè Hill, star of the television shows Psych and The Wonder Years (2022).  George starred in The American Millennium Celebration at the White House w/ Bill Clinton, Hoofing and Banging the tour with Baakari Wilder in Frankfurt Germany, and Supper Club, the Broadway show, with Larry Marshall in New York and Sweden. He has had the honor to perform and share the stage with countless greats; Savion Glover, Gregory Hines, Jimmy Slyde, Arthur Duncan, Dianne Walker, Reggio the Hoofer, Ernest "Brownie" Brown, and Harold "Stumpy" Cromer, to name a few. He recently performed in Nico Rubio’s J Dilla Tribute performance in Chicago.

Some of his teaching credits include St. Louis Tap Festival under the direction of Robert L. Reed II,

LA Tap Festival (Debbie Allen Dance Studio), Broadway Dance Center (NY), Steps on Broadway (NY), NewYork City Dance School in (Stuttgart Germany) and many more!