Faculty

Sherry Alban (Nutcracker Party and Battle Rehearsal Director) has taught at Princeton Ballet School since 1973. She has choreographed several ballets for PBII (now known as ARB Workshop), and served for many years as Rehearsal Director for Act I of Nutcracker, a role she returned to in fall 2010. Since 2004, Ms. Alban has annually staged the Act 1 children’s dances for Washington Ballet’s Nutcracker as well. Ms. Alban has been a recipient of a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Choreography Fellowship and has directed and choreographed numerous musicals for Plays in the Park of Edison, NJ; Rutgers Opera; and NJPAC. She also teaches ballet at Mason Gross School of the Arts, at Rutgers University.

Carol Bellis received her training on scholarship at the School of American Ballet, official school of the New York City Ballet. She danced with the Garden State Ballet and has taught for Garden State Ballet School, Gloria Govrin’s New Hope Ballet Academy, and the School of Performing Arts at Somerset Vo-Tech. She has been teaching here for more than 20 years, and is the principal of the Cranbury studio and the Coordinator of Princeton Ballet School’s summer programs. Ms. Bellis is also an Adjunct Professor of Ballet at Rider University. Email: cbellis@arballet.org   |   Phone: 609.921.7758, ext. 30

Kirk Peterson had a distinguished career for 17 years with American Ballet Theatre as principal dancer, choreographer, Artistic Director of ABTII, Ballet Master, Principal Character Artist and as Master Teaching Associate. Peterson was also Artistic Director of the Hartford Ballet for five years. As a choreographer, Peterson has created over 50 ballets including new versions of The Firebird and Le Sacre du Printemps. His choreography has been seen with San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, BalletMet, San Francisco Opera and The Royal Ballet School. He is a specialist in re-staging the full-length classical repertoire such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and Giselle utilizing original choreography and technique. He was nominated for the prestigeous Prix Benois de la Danse in Moscow for Othello, created for Alberta Ballet. Peterson was resident choreographer for Cincinnati Ballet for six years and he is also a repetiteur for the Antony Tudor Ballet Trust. American Repertory Ballet restaged Peterson’s Glazunov Variations for the 2010-2011 Season and The Eyes That Gently Touch for the 2011-2012 Season. In 2013, Peterson choreographed Tears of the Moon for American Repertory Ballet, fulfilling his long-held desire to create a work to music by Beethoven.

Laurie Abramson received her training at the Joffrey Ballet School and holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from New York University. She has also studied with Alfredo Corvino, David Howard and at The New Dance Group. In addition to her work at Princeton Ballet School, Ms. Abramson is a member of the ballet faculty at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and also at Montclair State University. Additional teaching credits include Stuart Country Day School, Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers University), Southern NJ Academy of the Performing Arts, Acrodanse Theatre Company and master classes at The American College Dance Festival. She has served as a dance evaluator for the NJ State Council on the Arts and helped construct and implement the exit exams for the performing arts schools throughout the state for the NJ Dept. of Education, Visual and Performing Arts. Choreographic projects include works for PBII (now known as ARB Workshop), Acrodanse Theatre Company and musical theatre work. She has been the recipient of an arts-in-education grant from the NJ State Council on the Arts. She has been teaching here since 1981.

Janell Byrne, a native of California, studied with Stanley Holden and Margaret Hills in Los Angeles. A graduate of the Juilliard School, where she studied with Alfredo Corvino, Ms. Byrne has taught at Mercer County Community College, Princeton University, The College of New Jersey and the Lawrenceville School. She has performed with DanceWorks and Teamwork Dance and is Director of Mercer Dance Ensemble, and has been teaching here for over 20 years.

Alma Concepcion is a former soloist with the San Juan Ballet and Antonio's Ballet of Spain. After receiving her early training in Puerto Rico, she came to study in New York at the School of American Ballet and at American Ballet Theatre. Ms. Concepcion is the founder of Taller de Danza, a children’s movement and dance grassroots organization based in Trenton. She has been teaching here for over 20 years and has also taught at Ballet Hispanico in New York for many years. She is a member of the Society of Dance History Scholars and has written many articles, mainly on Caribbean music and dance.

Pamela Day, (Ballet) completed her early ballet training with Ruth Petrinovic’ at the Academy of Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale. During her professional career, she performed soloist roles with the Israel Ballet, the Connecticut Ballet and Dancers (New York City). During her years as a professional dancer, she trained in New York City with Finis Jhung, David Howard and Robertson Denvers; in New Haven with Robert Vickrey, Rochelle Zide-Booth and Bruce Wells; and in Paris with Yves Casati. Ms. Day holds a B.A. from Albertus Magnus College, and an M.A. from George Washington University.

Geoffrey Doig-Marx (Jazz/Theater Dance)

 NAMED ONE OF “NINE DANCEMAKERS MAKING HISTORY” …Cover Story Dance Spirit Magazine

GDM- Is currently on faculty at Marymount Manhattan College (18 yrs), Montclair State University (7 yrs) and Rider/ARB’s Princeton Ballet School (18 yrs). He is a member of Actor’s Equity and an associate member of The Society of Directors and Choreographers. Geoff was the Artistic Director of The Mantis Project Dance Company (10 yrs). He holds a BA from SUNY Empire State in Dance with a concentration in Musical Theatre. As a performer, Mr. Doig-Marx appeared in the Equity National Tours and Regional Theater Productions of West Side Story, A Chorus Line, Dames at Sea, Cabaret, La Cage aux Folles, Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar and many others. As a Producer Geoffrey received a Certificate of Excellence in Cultural Achievement from the Manhattan Borough President office of The Mayor of New York City for his work as Artistic Director of The Elan Awards which has become a permanent part of the dance archives for The New York City Performing Arts Library. Geoffrey Doig-Marx was resident choreographer of Park Playhouse 8years. Choreography credits include Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, Hands on a Hardbody, The Producers, The Fantasticks,  “Kiss of the Spiderwoman” for Director Clay James and “Cabaret” was named one of the top 10 shows of 2012 by Bob Geopfert. GDM is also a Fine Arts Artist and is currently the resident artist at POSH NYC and the West End Club. His art hangs at Peridance and The Martha Graham School/Company space. He has painted and created art for Chita Rivera, Patina Miller, Allison Janney, Charlotte d’Amboise, Terrence Mann, Donna McKechnie and Vanessa Williams.

Samantha Gullace (Ballet), a graduate of Princeton Ballet School’s Professional Training Program, spent three years with the Joffrey Ballet as a Trainee after graduation from high school. She returned to New Jersey and joined American Repertory Ballet in the fall of 2010, and has been featured in many roles, such as Arabian in Nutcracker, Mrs. Gibbs in Our Town, part of the pas de deux couple in Viva Vivaldi, and as a featured soloist in Ann Marie DeAngelo’s Blackberry Winter. Ms. Gullace started teaching for Princeton Ballet School in the fall of 2012.

Amy Megules (Ballet) began dancing in her hometown of Vineland, N.J., with the Vineland Regional Dance Company. She went on to receive her BFA in dance from State University of New York at Purchase, where she received the Bert Terborgh Dance Award. She apprenticed with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago, and then danced with American Repertory Ballet. She has taught on the faculties of Princeton Ballet School, the National Dance Institute of Trenton, and Mercer County Community College. While living in Cincinnati, Ms. Megules taught and choreographed for the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet, the College Conservatory of Music Preparatory Division of the University of Cincinnati, and was the ballet instructor for the elite and accelerated gymnasts at the Cincinnati Gymnastics Academy.

Erika Mero (Ballet, PBW Juniors teacher) began her dance training at Princeton Ballet School. As a dancer in the Professional Training Program, she studied with Elisabeth Carroll, Septime Webre, Maria Youskevitch, Mary Pat Robertson and Douglas Martin. Ms. Mero was a member of Princeton Ballet II, a pre-professional company of the school, where she performed works by Sherry Alban and other members of the Princeton Ballet School staff.  Later, as a dancer in American Repertory Ballet Workshop, Ms. Mero appeared in the premiere of Graham Lustig’s Standstill as well as the ballerina role of Swanhilda in Coppélia.  During these years, she also attended The Juilliard School’s summer program for two years. In 2006, Ms. Mero graduated Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance Performance from SUNY Purchase. While in attendance at SUNY, Ms. Mero began teaching at American Repertory Ballet's Princeton Ballet School in 2003 and continues to do so as a ballet instructor. She is also a Dance Instructor with American Repertory Ballet's DANCE POWER in New Brunswick and was named the Curriculum and Assessment Supervisor for the Program. Erika's performance work includes two seasons with Stuart Loungway’s Terra Firma Dance Theatre, several opera productions with Opera New Jersey and as a featured dancer/choreographer in Capriccio at the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia.  In May 2010, Erika graduated with an MA in Dance Education with a concentration in ABT Ballet Pedagogy from New York University. Ms. Mero is an ABT® certified teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Erika has been on the faculty for ABT's Young Dancer Summer Workshop since graduation from NYU and is currently an adjunct instructor at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ as well as Rutgers University at Mason Gross School of the Arts.

Nora Orphanides (emerita) trained at the American Ballet Center, official school of the Joffrey Ballet in New York. She has also studied modern dance at the Erick Hawkins Studio. She received a B.A. from Hunter College. After moving to Princeton, Ms. Orphanides studied with Virginia Griffee at the Princeton Ballet School. She choreographed numerous spring musicals for Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart. She is a biographee in Who’s Who in American Women, Who’s Who in American Education and Who’s Who in Entertainment.

Susan Tenney (Modern Dance, Ballet, Choreography) began her dance training at Princeton Ballet School with Audree Estey. She received a B.F.A. in Dance from SUNY Purchase and danced professionally as a soloist for Jean Erdman, Andrew deGroat and Dancers, Novantiqua, Nat Horne Musical Theater and Muna Tseng. For PBS she teaches Ballet and Modern Dance to students from 4–82 years old, and teaches Choreography for the Summer Intensive Intermediates in Cranbury. Her fundraiser for Princeton Ballet School brought over 150 dancers, musicians and community members on to the fields of Princeton University for an outdoor performance of her choreography and structured improvisation. She has received commissions from the Coalition for Peace Action and Princeton Arts Council. Her choreography has been produced Off-Broadway, in regional theatres and in film. She is a three-time Award Winner for Outstanding Direction and Choreography from NYC’s Planet Connections Theatre Festivity.

Dr. Kim Chandler Vaccaro is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Dance program in the department of Theatre and Dance at Westminster College of the Arts, of Rider University. She became a professional dancer and teacher while earning a BA in Choreography and Performance from the University of California at Santa Barbara, a MA in Dance Education from UCLA, and an Ed.D from Temple University. During that time she performed in numerous modern dance companies, choreographed and produced her own work, and taught dance at colleges on both the east and west coasts. Dr. Vaccaro has taught at Princeton Ballet School since 1989, and she has also been an educational consultant to the organization. In addition to speaking at national conferences on dance education, Dr. Kim, as she is known at PBS and on campus, has choreographed over 50 dance pieces for the Ballet School and the Rider Dance Program where she is artistic director of the annual event Rider Dances. Dr. Vaccaro is the author of Jazz Dance Today with Lorraine Person Kriegel; the editor of Dance In My Life; a contributing editor to the award winning Core Collection in Dance and contributing author to Jazz Dance. Her current research is on focus, creativity and mindfulness in dance teaching. She is the creator and author of CoMBo: Conditioning for Mindbody.

Kel Vallery is a summa cum laude graduate of Rider University, where she received a major in dance (2014). While at Rider, she participated in the Rider University/Princeton Ballet School Dance Program, and performed with Rider Dances. Since graduation, she has been working for ARB as a Teaching Artist in the DANCE POWER program. Ms. Vallery joined the faculty of Princeton Ballet School in 2015. She also is the assistant to the Summer Intensive Juniors program and dances with Artistic Visions Dance Company.

Trisha Wolf (Beginning Dance, Ballet) received her ballet training at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and participated in summer courses at ABT and Joffrey Ballet School. Also an accomplished pianist, Trisha has played at Steps on Broadway, Nutmeg Ballet and has been accompanying classes here at Princeton Ballet School since 2008. Currently she is also on staff at Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts and is a company pianist at Pennsylvania Ballet and American Ballet Theater.

Rebeca Maso is a former ballet dancer from Cuba. She received her training at the Professional School of Ballet Arts in Cuba under the direction of Fernando Alonso. She also obtained her diploma as a Ballet Teacher in Cuba and has been teaching for more than 30 years. She was one of the founding ballet dancers of the Professional Ballet Company of Santiago of Cuba in 1990, under the direction of Maria Elena Martinez and choreographer and dancer Jorge Lefebvre, artistic director of Ballet Royal of Wallonie at that time. In 1994, she traveled to Venezuela as a guest ballet teacher to different ballet schools in the southern part of the country, working in regional ballet festivals and teaching Cuban ballet school methodology. In Venezuela, she was a member of the Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas for five years under direction of Zhandra Rodriguez, where she performed neoclassic and contemporary works by choreographer such as Jose Pares, Paulo Denubila, Dennis Nahat, Gabriel Castillo, Hector Montero, Maria Rovira among others, participating in European tour and International Ballet Festivals in Cuba. During her time in Venezuela she had the opportunity to perform with Metropolitan Ballet of Caracas by Artistic Director Keyla Ermecheo in different classical ballet productions like The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake (Pas de Trois) and Giselle. Ms. Maso also was invited from Metropolitan Ballet of Caracas to be part of the world premier “Dejando Rastro,” a modern dance created for four female ballet dancers by Carlos Orta, a leading dancer and teacher with the José Limón Dance Company and director of Corearte Dance Company of Venezuela. Ms. Maso came to U.S in 1999 as a guest artist of Metropolitan Ballet of Caracas participating in the international Ballet in Philadelphia and in a special ballet gala dedicated to Fernando Bujones. She also was part of Dance Theatre Southwest, Albuquerque, NM where she had the opportunity to be part of The Dracula Ballet production cast. Ms. Maso is currently a student at Saint Mary’s College (LEAP), an internationally recognized Bachelor’s degree program specifically designed for current and former professional dancers. Rebeca Maso is an ABT® Affiliate Teacher who is certified to teach the ABT® National Training Curriculum from pre-primary through level 3 and current ballet faculty of the Ballet Hispanico Dance School in NY.

Yuliya Rakova was born in Russia and began her ballet training at the age of ten at the Perm Ballet Schoo, home of the famed Russian ballet traditions. Her studies included Classical Ballet, Character, Historic dance, Pas de Deux, History of Theater, History of Art and Music, Acting, Stage Make-up, History of European and American Ballet. Upon graduating in 1995, she was invited to join the Perm Ballet Theater and danced with the company for five years before moving to Moscow, where she joined Moscow Dance Theater of Alexei Fadeechev. Mme. Rakova was featured in the modern dance choreographer Stanton Welsh `s world premiere Opus X. In 2001 she was invited to join Russian National Ballet and danced with the company until she moved to United States. She has worked with notable choreographers such as Trey McIntyre, Stanton Welsh, Ben Stevenson and Alexei Ratmansky. Her repertoire includes soloist roles in Swan Lake, Coppélia, Don Quixote, Chopeniana, The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide, Paquita, Raymonda, Cinderella and Nutcracker.

She currently lives in Philadelphia where she teaches and choreographs regularly around the area. She also travels to teach in New York, New Jersey, California, South Carolina and Russia. As an accomplished dancer and experienced teacher, Yuliya Rakova likes to share her knowledge with passion for young dancers.