With over 20 years of experience in all phases of dance, BRENDA STYGAR’s credits include Dancer and Ballet Mistress of Ohio Ballet from 1980 through 1987, dancer with Berkshire Ballet, Bristol Concert Ballet, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Resident Dance Company, and Western Washington Concert Dance Company.

Her administrative positions have been Executive Director for the Tom Evert Dance Company, Development Director and Choreographer for Magical Theatre Company, and The Illusion Factory.  Ms. Stygar is the Director of the Northeast Ohio Dance Academy.  She also teaches ballet at Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts and taught Creative Movement at Discovery Montessori School.  She has choreographed for regional companies in Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, and Washington, and has taught master classes throughout the United States, South America, and Central America.  In 2001 she was awarded a special grant from the New York Council for the Art to create a new work for the Albany-Berkshire Ballet. 

Ms. Stygar holds a Bachelor's degree with a major in dance and a minor in education, graduating cum laude from Adelphi University outside New York City.  She earned her accreditation in teaching Dance K-12 from Kent State University.