The Triangle's premier professional adult tap dance company

Whitney Goodman - Co-Artistic Director - grew up in San Francisco and Chapel Hill, and after years of living all over, loves being back in the Triangle area. In the past years she has explored the field of conservation biology and environmental education, worked with her mom making chocolate confections, and now loves being a teacher in Durham. Whitney has performed nationally and abroad with Gene Medler and the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, and joined Footnotes in 2007.

Zans McLachlan - Co-Artistic Director - began tap dancing with Gene Medler at age eight. He became a founding member of NCYTE (nee The Children's Tap Company) at ten, continuing with the company through high school. Since majoring in Dance and Biology at Swarthmore College, he has taught, choreographed, and performed in North Carolina, Chicago, and Russia. Zans has wide influences, including Honi Coles, Thelonious Monk, Michelle Dorrance, George Clinton, Sam Weber, Duke Ellington, and Gene Medler.

Carla Barcelos studied tap in her home country of Brazil from her youth through college with Susan Baskerville and also assisted in teaching tap. In 2006, Carla moved to the United States and danced with Caitlin Spencer, Director of the Rhythm Room in Greensboro, NC and guest artist with Footnotes. She joined the Ensemble in January 2008.

Rebecca Conley grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where her love of the language of rhythm was fostered by Gene Medler while she was a member of NCYTE. She graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill where she was a member of the varsity fencing team, an interest she also credits to Gene. After many adventures as an Irish Dancer, teacher, and graduate student in New York, DC, and Haiti she is thrilled to be returning home and dancing with Footnotes.

Ashley Klein is originally from Miami, FL. She started tap dancing at a young age, and at 13, began studying under Katherine Kramer. She received a BS in Psychology and Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University, where she was also a dancer and choreographer for the school's Dancer's Symposium. She has been a member of Footnotes since March 2012.

Whitney Lanier is from Cary, NC and began studying tap, ballet and jazz at an early age. She continued her dancing at East Carolina University where she received her BFA in Dance Education. Whitney became the 2009 recipient of the East Carolina University Outstanding Senior Award in the area of Dance Education. She continues to share her passion for dance as a teacher at Premier School of Dance and joined Footnotes in September 2010.

Shannon Mølhave is a native of Canton, Michigan where she danced tap, jazz and ballet for 10 years with the Dancin' Feet Company. She graduated from the University of Michigan School of Art & Design in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Graphic Design, a professional skill she has donated to Footnotes by designing their printed literature and website. A resident of the Triangle since June 2005, Shannon has studied with Mimi Benjamin and Gene Medler, and has been a member of Footnotes since April 2006.

Emily Jane Price is originally from Pennsylvania and moved south to attend East Carolina University where she earned her B.F.A. in Dance Education. Emily has always had a passion for performing, whether it be tap, or otherwise. She is very blessed to be able to share her love of dancing with the students at Eaton-Johnson Middle School, where she is the current dance instructor. Thankful for the chance to continue performing, she is excited to join Footnotes in this new chapter of her life.

Tracy Strong grew up in Manitowoc, Wisconsin where she began studying tap, ballet and jazz as a young child. She continued her dance training at Interlochen Arts Academy, Milwaukee Ballet School and University of Utah where she received a BFA in Ballet. After performing professionally with Ballet Idaho/Eugene Ballet for three years, Tracy "retired" from ballet and pursued a law degree in San Francisco. Tracy and her family relocated to Chapel Hill and she is currently working as an attorney. Tracy became a member of Footnotes in March 2012.

Anna Winslow is originally from Elizabeth City, NC where she began studying tap, jazz, ballet and hip hop at Albemarle Dance Centre at age 9. Anna graduated from North Carolina State University in 2010 with a BS in Aerospace Engineering. She recently moved back to the Triangle after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a MS in Aerospace Engineering. While in Pennsylvania, Anna performed with Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop's Fraser Street Dancers. Anna is currently working as an engineer in the Triangle and is thankful to be a part of Footnotes Tap Ensemble.

Tina Allen is originally from Alexandria, VA, and has been studying tap and ballet since age five. She received a BS in Computer Science as well as minors in dance and math from Duke University in 2002. While at Duke, she was one of the founding members of the rhythm tap group "On Tap" and a member of the ballet repertory ensemble. She is currently working as a software engineer and discovered Footnotes after taking classes from Gene Medler.

Mimi Benjamin - Footnotes Co-founder - graduated from Brandeis University in 1982 with a degree in Theater Arts. She began a career in Musical Theater in NYC with credits including Up In Central Park (Off-Broadway) and the National tour of Fiddler on the Roof. In 1987 she returned to school and received a MD degree in 1991. Mimi moved to Juneau, Alaska in 2010 to work for the Indian Health Service as a family physician. She continues to teach tap dance and performs with the Perserverance Theater in Douglas, Alaska. In 2012, Mimi performed with "Chicks with Chairs", who won "First Place Marching Group" in the 4th of July Juneau Parade and was featured briefly on an episode of Coastguard Alaska. None of it takes the place of dancing regularly with Footnotes Tap Ensemble, the most fantastic group of dancers in the world.

Erin O'Reilly began her dance training in Canton, OH and has a minor in Dance from SUNY Fredonia where she studied tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. She continued her ballet and jazz training at Indiana University where she received a minor in ballet along with her Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics. After moving to Durham, NC in 1998 Erin studied with Gene Medler, was a founding member of Footnotes in 2002 and has since choreographed many original dances for the Ensemble. Erin has studied tap with Michelle Dorrance, Josh Hilberman, Diane Walker, Dorothy Wasserman and Billy Siegenfeld among others.

Mary Fletcher Peña has danced since childhood, focusing in recent years on dance forms that put special emphasis on the feet - flamenco, Irish step dancing, and her favorite, rhythm tap. After studying under Gene Medler as a member of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble, Mary was afforded the opportunity to study European dance forms while working in the international arena.

Robin Vail - Footnotes Co-founder - received her training in jazz, tap and ballet in San Francisco and Los Angeles. She holds an undergraduate degree in Theatre Arts from UCLA and a minor in Music. In Los Angeles Robin studied with Jim Taylor and Jamie Pisano, and has studied with Gene Medler since 1995. Robin teaches tap, ballet and jazz at The Ballet School of Chapel Hill where she is a partner and the School's administrator. In 2009 her work was selected for the Choreographer's showcase as part of the NC Dance Alliance's Annual Event in Winston-Salem. She is the North Carolina Representative for the International Tap Association and is on the NCYTE board.