Dance Alumni Testimonials
Janet Strukely-Dziak
Janet Strukely-Dziak graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mercyhurst in 2004 with a B.A. in Dance, performance concentration. After graduation, she danced with the Saint Louis Ballet under the direction of Gen Horiuchi and continued to perform as a guest artist and choreographer after returning to her hometown outside Cleveland, OH. In 2016, Strukely-Dziak founded North Pointe Ballet, a non-profit organization with the mission to make classical ballet accessible. As executive artistic director of NPB, she continues to manage mission-based initiatives and programs, as well as choreograph and direct full-length ballets. Strukely-Dziak has served as an adjunct faculty member of Oberlin College and Baldwin Wallace University, as a guest teacher for various organizations, and is on staff at Jillian Rian Dance School. She holds a teaching certificate through the National Dance Institute and is also certified to teach Physically Integrated Dance through Dancing Wheels. Strukely-Dziak currently serves on the board of directors for OhioDance as the chair of its Education and Community Engagement Committee. She lives in North Ridgeville, OH, with her husband and two children.
The training she received at Mercyhurst set her up to not only achieve her goal of dancing with a professional regional ballet company but also provided her with a solid foundation as a leader in the arts community. The rigorous academic work and high expectation of excellence that the department demands of all dancers allowed Strukely-Dziak to develop the management skills necessary to not only direct and produce full-length theatrical events and community engagement programs but also to conduct business and gain respect among peers in industries that extend beyond the arts. She is forever grateful for not only the education she received at Mercyhurst but the incredible lasting relationships that developed with mentors and friends in the Dance Department.
Justin Hogan
Justin Hogan started his dance training at 12 in his hometown of Cincinnati, OH. Towards the end of high school, the option to join a professional company’s training program or go to college was one Hogan and his family wrestled with before choosing Mercyhurst University. Without hesitation, this decision is the primary reason Hogan has enjoyed a 15-year career full of choreographic opportunities and theatrical successes.
During Hogan's four years at Mercyhurst, he had the incredible opportunity to work with renowned ballet superstars like Laura Alonso and Bruce Marks – experiences he never received elsewhere. Combined with the tutelage from a phenomenal faculty, Hogan has enjoyed a career full of soloist and principal roles like the Cavalier in The Nutcracker, the Jester in Swan Lake, and Franz in Coppelia, among others. The chance to expand his training with classes in modern, jazz, and other dance styles taught Hogan to adapt to any choreography and has made him a sought-after dancer for contemporary works throughout his career.
The choreography concentration Hogan graduated with has also proven invaluable. Developing his unique movement vocabulary, learning to collaborate with other creatives, adapting to unforeseen circumstances, and finding comfort at the front of the studio are all skills he took away from his education. He has been fortunate to receive commissions from three different professional companies, a number of schools/academies, and even Mercyhurst University itself.
Of all the things Hogan is most grateful for as an alum, it is the community that surrounds the Dance Department. It’s hard to go more than a couple of months without hearing from someone associated with the department – from current students, to faculty, to alumni that predate him. Hogan credits the Dance Department for not only making him the dancer he is but the person as well.
Sarah Sumbrum (Hricko)
Sarah Sumbrum (Hricko) graduated from Mercyhurst University in 2011 with a dual major in Dance, as well as Strategic Communication. Upon graduation, Sumbrum started teaching ballet and choreographing for The Dance Centre by Heidi Glynias in Rocky River, OH, and working for DANCECleveland in the role of Administrative Coordinator. DANCECleveland presents some of the best modern and contemporary dance companies from across the world in Northeast Ohio and is one of only a few dance-only presenters left in the United States. She later worked at DANCECleveland as the group sales and marketing manager.
Sumbrum was named marketing and artistic director at DANCECleveland in Cleveland, OH, in 2021. She received her master’s in Nonprofit Administration from John Carrol University in 2017. Sumbrum accounts much of her training and readiness for a career in dance education and administration to her time at Mercyhurst University. “Mercyhurst prepared me for a wonderful career in the arts. I was exposed to visiting artists and performance opportunities with dance companies such as SoMar Dance Works while in college, as well as the ability to double major and add to my skill set to prepare me for an arts administration career path. I’m so thankful for all my professors and experiences both on and off the stage.”
Trevor Sones
The training and mentoring Trevor Sones received from Mercyhurst University’s Dance Department has allowed him to navigate a successful career in the entertainment industry. While studying at Mercyhurst - Sones trained in a variety of dance styles, received the tools and resources to be an independent artist, and was provided many opportunities as a dancer, choreographer, director, and performer. The faculty work together to create an environment that is nurturing, challenging, and empowering. It is because of his training at Mercyhurst that he became confident, adaptable, and passionate. Sones is lucky enough to say that the Dance Department has provided him with several teaching opportunities to come back and share his experiences and knowledge with current students. Sone's mentorships and friendships with the faculty have extended beyond his four years of studying – and that is why he is forever grateful for them!
Originally from Clearfield, PA – Sones received a B.A. degree in Dance from Mercyhurst University. National Tour Credits: CATS, Beauty and the Beast. TV/Film Credits: ZIPS Dry Cleaners, The Knot, CATS National Tour commercial, “Step Up 3D,” Good Morning America, “Do You Dance, Ms. Parker?” Sones has worked extensively with Royal Caribbean as a dancer/dance captain (Hairspray, MAMMA MIA), associate choreographer (GREASE, Name That Tune), and director (Bada Bing Bada Boom). He then worked with RWS Entertainment Group in NYC as a dancer/dance captain, casting assistant, associate choreographer, and director/choreographer. Currently, Sones is a regional director/guest teacher for Encore DCS and on Faculty, as well as a regional director for REVEL Dance Convention! Most recently, he toured Germany, Switzerland, and Dubai with SweetBird Productions "Rock the Ballet X" and "Romeo and Juliet" as a dancer/dance captain. Follow his journey at @trevorsones.
Erin Alarcon
Upon graduation from the Mercyhurst University Dance Department, Erin Alarcon joined the American Midwest Ballet (AMB), where her career was able to flourish because of the experience she gained at Mercyhurst. Not only did the department’s dance curriculum prepare Alarcon for the varied choreography she performs at AMB, including ballet, modern, and jazz, but it also prepared her for arts administration and choreography opportunities that arose throughout her career. During Alarcon's third season with AMB, she was asked to take on the role of grant writer, and two seasons later, she became operations manager. Alarcon was able to choreograph several shorter works for the company, as well as realize her goal of choreographing a full-length ballet, The Wizard of Oz. Most recently, Alarcon was asked to be the ballet master for AMB, and she believes she would not be able to confidently step into this role without the preparation and guidance she received from the faculty and staff within the Dance Department.”