Alex Hersh
Choreographer
Ashley Ellis Spencer
Musical Director
Louisa Hersh
Assistant Director
Our Directors
Alex began dancing at the age of six when he joined the Slavjane Folk Ensemble with his two siblings. He also spent time with the Ambridge Junior Tamburitzans and Jadran Beaver Valley Junior Tamburitzans, playing the clarinet and Tambura in addition to dance. Alex attended Duquesne University, where he graduated in 2019 with a degree in English. Throughout college he was a member of the formerly Duquesne University Tamburitzans. He has performed for a variety of groups outside of tammies, including various productions of the Nutcracker, Folklore Ensemble Ljeljo, and Otets Paissii Performing Folk Ensemble. Alex currently lives in Aliquippa and works as a Sales Representative. This is his first year as Dance Director for Jadran Beaver Valley Juniors, and he hopes there will be many more to come. He is especially honored to work alongside his fellow directors, Ashley and Louisa.
Assistant Director, Louisa Hersh, has been an active member in Tamburitzan Junior Groups for most of her life. Starting at the age of 8, her love for music and dance grew year after year. She was a member of the Slavjane Folk Ensemble for 14 years, Ambridge Junior Tamburitzans for 1 year, and Jadran Beaver Valley Junior Tamburitzans for 3 years. A graduate from La Roche College, Louisa resides in Hopewell Township. She works at NationalLink, an appraisal management company for PNC mortgage, where she works as an account executive. Louisa is also a member of Saint George Byzantine Catholic Church in Aliquippa. After taking a short break from junior groups after graduating, she travelled with JBVJT to Croatia in 2018 where her love for the song and dance of the culture was renewed. Since then, she has been a director with JBVJT and has loved teaching the kids each year.
Ashley graduated in 2008 from Duquesne University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. After four years of performing with the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, she began teaching several different Junior Tamburitzans groups.She taught Trafford Junior Tamburitzans from 2006-2013 as their junior and then senior music director. She also joined Slavjane Folk Ensemble's family of directors as an assistant instructor. After performing with Jadran Junior Tamburitzans for fourteen years, she began teaching them and is now on her 14th year as part of the director team. Ashley is a member of both Sevdah and Sveti Nikola adult tamburitza groups.
Past Directors
1957-58 Walter Kolar Joseph Bilich Don Knezevich C. Danjanic
1958-59 Don Knezevich C. Danjanic
1959-60 Don Knezevich C. Danjanic
1960-61 Don Knezevich John Srsic
1961-62 Missing
1962-63 Don Knezevich John Srsic
1965-66 John Provich
1966-67 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka John Srsic
1967-68 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka
1968-69 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka
1969-70 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka
1970-71 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka
1971-72 Don Knezevich Douglas Gerovac Jack Poloka
1972-73 Doug Gerovac Emily Gerovac
1973-74 Doug Gerovac Emily Gerovac
1974-75 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka
1975-76 Frank Yurkovac Dave Vinski
1976-77 Missing
1977-78 Ivan Babich Jack Poloka
1978-79 Ivan Babich Joanne Baburich
1979-80 Ivan Babich Joanne Baburich
1980-81 Ivan Babich Joanne Baburich
1981-82 Ivan Babich Joanne Baburich
1982-83 Ivan Babich Joanne Baburich
1983-84 Steve Namesnik Joanne Baburich
1984-85 Steve Namesnik Jack Poloka
1985-86 Steve Namesnik Jack Poloka
1986-87 Don Knezevich Jack Poloka Tom Ellis
1987-88 Don Knezevich Theresa Schroth Tom Ellis
1988-89 Don Knezevich Stacy Vesloich Tom Ellis
1989-90 Don Knezevich Bryan Jeffers Tom Ellis
1990-91 Mark Poloka Bryan Jeffers Tom Ellis
1991-92 Tom Ellis Bryan Jeffers
1992-93 Bryan Jeffers Tom Ellis
1993-94 Bryan Jeffers Tom Ellis
1995-96 Tom Ellis Dean Poloka
1996-97 Tom Ellis Dean Poloka
1997-98 Tom Ellis Dean Poloka
1998-99 Tom Ellis Dean Poloka
1999-00 Tom Ellis Jack Poloka
2000-01 Tom Ellis Jack Poloka Chris Olszewski
2001-02 Tom Ellis Jack Poloka Chris Olszewski
2002-03 Tom Ellis Jack Poloka Chris Olszewski
2003-04 Tom Ellis Jack Poloka Chris Olszewski
2004-05 Zeljko Jergan Beth Stafura Mark Stafura
2005-06 Zeljko Jergan Beth Stafura Mark Milanovich Meredith Razo
2006-07 Zeljko Jergan Beth Stafura Mark Milanovich Meredith Razo
2007-08 Zeliko Jergan Beth Stafura Don Knezevich C. Faltenovich
2008-09 Zeliko Jergan Beth Stafura Ashley Ellis C. Faltenovich
2009-10 Zeliko Jergan Beth Stafura Ashley Ellis C. Faltenovich
2010-11 Zeliko Jergan Ashley Ellis C. Faltenovich
2011-12 Terry Vucina Rocca Ashley Ellis Katie Bushaw
2012-13 Terry Vucina Rocca Dushan Rocknage Ashley Ellis Katie Bushaw
2013-14 Dushan Rocknage Ashley Ellis Spence Katie Bushaw
2014-15 Dushan Rocknage Ashley Ellis Spence Katie Bushaw
2015-16 Dushan Rocknage Ashley Ellis Spence Julia Knihnicky
2016-17 Ashley Ellis Spencer
2017-18 Ashley Ellis Spencer Julia Knihnicky Kordesich
2018-19 Ashley Ellis Spencer Julia Knihnicky Kordesich
2019-20 Ashley Ellis Spencer Julia Knihnicky Kordesich Louisa Hersh
2020-21 Ashley Ellis Spencer Julia Knihnicky Kordesich Louisa Hersh
2021-22 Ashley Ellis Spencer Alex Hersh Louisa Hersh
2022-23 Ashley Ellis Spencer Alex Hersh Louisa Hersh