St. Mark’s Episcopal Church has been the home of St. Mark’s Dance Studio for over 60 years, founded by the late Mary Craighill. St. Mark’s Dance Studio continues her legacy with Rosetta Brooks as Emerita Director (2023), and newly appointed Dorothy “Dot” Walker, Artistic Director, and Studio Manager. The dance studio offers classical ballet, jazz, pilates, and chair exercise for preschoolers through adults.
St. Marks Dancers have toured abroad in Russia and the Czech Republic, as well as being recognized throughout the Washington metropolitan area. St. Mark’s is the dance studio on Capitol Hill! Interested, come join us for a drop-in class or purchase a 10-class card and try out the various levels of dance and style from our teachers! We offer classes 6 days a week!
We welcome you to “Dance at St. Mark’s.”
Dorothy “Dot” Rogers-Walker
Ms. Dot Walker joined St. Mark’s Dance Studio in 1983 teaching children and adults’ ballet and jazz. In addition, she served as a company member with St. Mark’s Dance Company under Mary Craighill performing throughout the DC metropolitan area. She began her dance training with Katherine H. Duffey, Incarnation Dance Group and later danced with Workshops for Careers in the Arts, the predecessor and driving force of today’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts created by Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Mike Malone. She received a scholarship to study at the prestigious Dance Theater of Harlem with Arthur Mitchell and Karl Shook prior to attending Point Park University. There she continued her studies in dance under Nicolas Petrov and Leonide Massine and performed with the Pittsburgh Ballet Company. She later returned to Washington, DC and joined the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet and the Capitol Ballet Company established by Doris Jones and Claire Haywood. While teaching at St. Mark’s Dance Studio, she traveled in 1995 as the company’s ballet mistress in Prague, Czech Republic.
Dot serves as a member of Beyond the Ballet Barre. Live. This group, formerly the Ballet Collective formed a collaboration with Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) and part of an ongoing partnership in October 2022, NBS sent six students on an exchange to Washington, DC to attend classes, visit studios and tour. In November 2022, she escorted eight exchange students from four different DC Dance Studios (The Washington Ballet, Jones-Haywood School of Ballet, Dance Institute of Washington, and St. Mark’s Dance Studio) to attend Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto, for classes and touring. Dot has served as a guest teacher several times at Canada’s NBS.
Rosetta “Rosie” Brooks, Emerita, In Memory…
Mrs. Rosetta Brooks peacefully passed away on July 15, 2024. A memorial service was held on September 21, 2024. Her legacy will live on. ‘
In recognition of her crucial role in leading the St Mark’s Dance Studio for many years, Rosetta Brooks was named Director, Emerita. Her lifelong dedication to dance, and her role over decades in teaching generations of students have shaped the Studio as it is today.
Rosie, as she was fondly known, was widely respected in the dance community, especially on Capitol Hill. In 2009 her distinguished service was acknowledged with a Community Achievement Award from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.
Rosetta Brooks, a native Washingtonian joined the St. Mark’s Dance Company in October 1964 performing in and around the Washington, DC area. In 1999 she became the Artistic Director after the death of the Founder, Mary L. Craighill. Rosie has taught ballet with over twenty grants from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation where she received an achievement award for distinguished service in the community in 2009. She has choreographed for several productions, e.g., Oklahoma and Little Mermaid for the St. Mark’s Players.
Rosie served as a dance consultant at the Suitland High School for the Arts, and as a guest instructor at the Jones & Haywood School of Dance. In addition, she taught for over 20 years at St. Peters on Capitol Hill and 10 years for the KIPP/DC Key Academy.
Rosie studied and trained with Florence Blackwell, Oleg Tupine, Caroline Tate, Ethel Butler, and Kathryn Mullowny. She attended Howard University.
Rosie’s spent 60 years at St. Mark’s Dance Studio. Her memory will continue.
Jessica Sloane
Jessica studied ballet and modern dance in Washington, DC, and at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was a member of “Impact Dance Company.” She has performed locally with Perlo Bloom and Company, Jan Taylor Dance Theatre and St. Mark’s Dance Company and toured the Mid-Atlantic region, Mexico, and Russia, where she served as ballet mistress. Jessica is also the Founder and Director of Takoma Dance, a children’s dance program based in Takoma Park, MD. Certified through Power Pilates and the Physical Mind Institute, Jessica teaches Pilates at St. Marks Dance Studio and Willow Street Yoga Center.
Heather Whyte
Dancing since the age of 4, Heather Whyte shares her love of dance with students of all ages. She has been dancing on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years, including as a member of St. Mark’s Dance Company and as a teacher at both St. Mark’s and CHAW. In 1995, under the direction of Mary Craighill, Heather traveled with St. Mark’s Dance Company to perform in the Czech Republic.
While in New York, Heather was a training company member of the Mid-Hudson Ballet Company. Later, she studied under the talented Annie Galle and Ed Collins, teachers of ballet, tap and jazz.
In a class with Heather, students feel welcome, moving to music and enjoying the camaraderie among dancers. Some of her adult students have participated in troupes she leads: 7th Street Tappers, Broadway Boomers and CHAWberinas. They have performed at various venues, including CHAW, Eastern Market and Hill Center.
One of Heather’s proudest dance moments was being named a 2013 DC Dance Awards Finalist, Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education for CHAWbaret, which featured CHAW’s 7th Street Tappers.
Whether she’s teaching tap, jazz or ballet, Heather both nurtures and inspires students through her passion for dance.
Teacher Assistants
Anne Maxwell Bryan
Anne Maxwell has been dancing at St. Marks since 2018 and has been a teachers assistant for 3 years. She is a senior in high school and plans on pursuing a similar position in college. Anne Maxwell has a passion for kids and loves babysitting in her free time. Combined with dance, she loves swimming and hanging out with friends and family. Being a part of the St. Mark's dance community is very special to her and she is excited to finish out her commitment to the studio on a strong note!
Kylie Benitez Pergola
Kylie has danced at St Mark's for 11 years. She has been a helper for two of those years. Kylie has danced Modern, Jazz, Hip Hop, African Contemporary, Ballet, Pointe, and Musical Theater. Her favorite dance styles include Ballet, Pointe, and Musical Theater. She enjoys helping the children learn dance and aspires to be a dance teacher when she graduates.
Kylie currently attends Duke Ellington school of the Arts with a focus on dance.