Aydmara Cabrera +–
School Director
Aydmara began her ballet studies at the age of nine at the National Ballet School in Havana and became a principal dancer at the National Ballet of Cuba , under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Ms. Cabrera’s professional dance experience includes international ballet festivals and worldwide tours, performing lead roles in all classical and contemporary ballets with the National Ballet of Cuba and Ballet Hispanico of New York. She studied with iconic teachers such as Alicia Alonso, Loipa Araujo, Josefina Mendez, Joaquin Banegas, and Ramona de Saa. In the course of her career, Ms. Cabrera partnered with some of the most famous male dancers of our time, including José Manuel Carreño, Carlos Acosta, Orlando Salgado, Lienz Chang, Jorge Vega and José Zamorano, before moving to the United States and directing her own school in Miami. She has also been invited to teach at many internationally recognized schools, including Princeton Ballet School, developing a training curriculum that incorporates much of her Cuban roots.
Carol Bellis +–
Principal, Cranbury Studio | Coordinator, Summer Intensives
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
Cheryl Whitney +–
PBW Administrator
Cheryl Whitney (PBW Juniors Ballet Master, PBW Administrator) received an M.S. in Ballet from Indiana University and a B.A. in English Literature and Music from St. Lawrence University. She was trained and performed professionally in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area. For more than 25 years, she has taught in Princeton Ballet School’s Student Division also serving as rehearsal director for the ARB productions of The Nutcracker. Guest teaching credits include Brandywine Ballet, Peabody Conservatory and NJ Governor’s School. Her teaching in academic settings includes Princeton University, Howard University, Indiana University, The Lawrenceville School, Foxcroft School and Latin School of Chicago. She is an associate professor in the dance program at Rider University. Ms. Whitney has received grants from the New York and New Jersey State Councils on the Arts, and is the 2008 recipient of the Audrée Estey Award for Excellence in Dance Education. She is Artistic Director of Reverence Dance Company.
Rachel Allen +–
Modern/Contemporary
Rachel Allen began her dance training at the age of three, studying ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, and baton twirling at The Starmaker School in Clinton, NJ. She trained there for 15 years, 10 of which she spent as a member of the school’s competitive dance team, where she competed regionally and nationally. She also performed featured roles in musical theatre productions and ballet productions of childhood classic tales. Ms. Allen trained at New Jersey School of Ballet throughout middle and high school for ballet and pointe training as a part of its intensive program each summer until she graduated college. She also trained at the French Academie of Ballet for one summer during her college career.
Ms. Allen attended Rutgers University with a double major, in dance and chemistry, where she trained at Mason Gross School of the Arts. In her time at Rutgers, she was also the head choreographer of the university’s largest student run club, Rutgers Performing Dance Company. She also set works on other students that were performed at Rutgers.
Recently, Rachel was enrolled in Broadway Dance Center’s summer program where she learned from Kristen Sudeikis, Sheila Barker, Derek Mitchell and others. For the past three years she has been setting pieces and teaching skills to the dancers at Prestige Dance Academy. Her contemporary classes focus on finding movement that originates from the ground up. Feeling the floor and remaining grounded throughout movement not only allows for a more fluid and elegant motion but also provides stability and increases the realm of shapes the dancer can create. With this base, the dancer can find energetic pathways within the body to generate movement and create shapes and ideas. Mobility of the spine is also emphasized in these classes. Having a relaxed spine, which includes the head and neck, increases the freedom with which the dancer can express him/herself. In addition to these principles, Ms. Allen helps dancers hear and find the rhythmic patterns in movement, be it staccato or simply ambiguous movement.
Valerie Amiss +–
Ballet
Valerie Amiss is a ballet instructor at Princeton Ballet School, focusing on beginning ballet along with Primary A, B, C and Level 1 Conservatory classes in Princeton. She also teaches open enrollment ballet to adults in the school’s Cranbury studio. Ms. Amiss has taught ballet and pointe classes and has been a guest instructor at schools throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She was co-ballet mistress for the Academy of Ballet NJ and is also a faculty member of The School of Pennsylvania Ballet. Ms. Amiss was a senior lecturer at the University of the Arts, where she taught several ballet classes, and a guest lecturer at Drexel University where she was asked to speak about Balanchine repertoire for the Philadelphia Museum of Dance at the Barnes Museum. She has also taught ballet at Croft Farm in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as well as ballet classes for children with Down syndrome and special needs. Ms. Amiss was a soloist with Pennsylvania Ballet for more than 15 years. As a professional dancer, she performed numerous principal roles, including Titania and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Odette in Swan Lake, and the Sugarplum Fairy and Dew Drop in The Nutcracker. She also danced featured roles in such works as Giselle, Paul Taylor’s Company B, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum, among others.
Kristyna Cardenas +–
Elvis Ferrera +–
Modern and Contemporary Dance
Elvis Ferrera studied at the National Art School of Santiago de Cuba. He is a former dancer with Danza Contemporanea de Cuba and The Folklorico Nacional de Cuba, two major dance companies in Cuba.
Shaye Firer +–
Ballet
Shaye Firer was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She received her early training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and attended various intensive programs such as The National Ballet of Canada, Alberta Ballet, Kaatsbaan International Dance Centre, Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, and Ellison Ballet. Shaye joined the inaugural class of ARB/Princeton Ballet School’s Trainee program. As a Trainee, she performed company roles in Nutcracker, Our Town, and Glazunov Variations, as well as the lead role of Swanhilda in Princeton Ballet School’s production of Coppélia. Shaye has received choreographic awards from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and was chosen as one of five choreographers in Houston Ballet Academy’s collaboration with the American Festival for the Arts. Since she joined ARB, she has performed as The Chosen One in Douglas Martin’s Rite of Spring, Titania in Martin’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featured roles in works by Patrick Corbin, Kirk Peterson, and Trinette Singleton.
With ARB: 2011
Hometown: Vancouver, British Columbia
Jennifer Gladney +–
Ballet
Jennifer Gladney (Ballet), an alum of Princeton Ballet School and American Repertory Ballet, graduated summa cum laude from Rider University in 2006, and received a B.A. in Elementary Education, Early Childhood Education and Dance, as part of the Rider University/Princeton Ballet School Dance program. She was a member of our Professional Training Program throughout high school, and was part of a trainee program, ARB Ensemble, during the 1999-2000 season. As a freelancer she danced lead roles such as Aurora, Sugar Plum Fairy and Cinderella. She’s worked as a freelance dancer and choreographer with Mercer Dance Ensemble, Rider Dances and Teamwork Dance, and was a company dancer with ARB during the 2010-2011 season, where she performed in works by Twyla Tharp, Kirk Peterson, Philip Jerry and ARB Company Director Douglas Martin. She has also been in numerous world-premiere works by ARB Resident Choreographer, Mary Barton. Ms. Gladney is a certified NJ Educator, preschool to fifth grade.
Samantha Gullace +–
Ballet
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.
Lisa Heyer +–
Tap
Lisa Heyer is an experienced artistic director and dance instructor. For more than 30 years, she was the owner of a performing arts academy in central New Jersey that offered quality training in the art of dance to nearly 300 students per season. She was also a tap instructor for SCAN (Senior Citizens Activity Network) for five years, where she developed a tap program for senior citizens in Monmouth County, NJ.
She trained in tap under Germaine Salsberg and Crystal Chapman. Her ballet training included former Princeton Ballet School member Patricia Webber, New York City Ballet members Anne Crowell-Inglis and Robert Christopher, Alvin Ailey member William Chaisson, along with open enrollment at American Ballet Theatre. Several of Ms. Heyer’s students have continued on to become successful professionals in the world of dance, including such roles as dance educators, performers and studio owners.
Rachael Kosch +–
Ballet
Rachael Kosch trained at the Joffrey Ballet School and was in a number of off-off Broadway plays as a child. After studying acting at The High School of Performing Arts, she went to New York University to major in Drama. At Bennington College, she studied dance composition, and she graduated from Columbia College with a degree in Choreography and Teaching. Since returning to her native New York City, Rachael has been teaching for the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the New York Theatre Ballet. She was co founder, choreographer, costume designer, and performer for The Kangaroo Garden (music and dance troupe for children) and The Rachael Kosch Dance Company, which performs annually at Metropolitan Playhouse. Ms. Kosch created the dance curriculum for the Rosenwald School in Chicago and the Theatre Arts curriculum for Gold Material School in New York City. She teaches pedagogy at the Martha Graham School and has recently joined the faculty at Princeton Ballet School.
Rebeca Maso +–
Ballet
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.
Amy Megules +–
Ballet
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.
Kathleen Moore +–
Ballet
Kathleen Moore trained with Dame Sonia Arova and Thor Sutowski at the Alabama School of Fine Arts (ASFA) and attended summer intensives at the School of American Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) School. She graduated from ASFA as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and moved to NY to join ABT II in 1980. Invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to become a member of the corps of ABT in 1982, Ms. Moore was appointed soloist in 1988 and Principal dancer in 1991. Her work included roles across the classical, dramatic, modern and contemporary repertory. Agnes de Mille, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris and other respected choreographers created roles for her and she was a member of the premiere tour of the White Oak Dance Project under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris in 1990. Ms. Moore has appeared in several dance documentaries, the Herbert Ross movie Dancers, and was interviewed on The Charlie Rose Show. Ms. Moore began teaching for Princeton Ballet School in 1993 as a guest teacher and has worked with ARB since 2006. She is also a member of the ballet faculty at the Lewis Center of the Arts at Princeton University. Ms. Moore is certified to teach all levels of ballet through the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Ana Novoa +–
Ana's repertoire includes all the classics in the company such as Giselle in Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Swanilda in Coppelia, Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Paquita in Paquita, Lisette in La Fille Mal Gardee, Nikiya and Gamzatti in La Bayadere, Medora in Le Corsaire, lead female in Les Sylphides, and the sylph in La Sylphide. These were performed alongside many notable male dancers including Jose Manuel Carreno. Ana also danced many modern, contemporary pieces by Cuban and International Choreographers. She performed in Havana and all throughout Cuba and also toured extensively worldwide with the company, dancing on all the renowned stage of the major capitals of the world including Bolshoi in Moscow, Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, Kennedy Center in Washington DC, Liceu in Barcelona, Champs Elysees in Paris, Colon Theater in Argentina and many others.
Shari Nyce +–
Susan Tenney +–
Ballet Modern Dance
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.
Erikka Reenstierna-Cates +–
Dancer
A California native, Erikka Reenstierna-Cates received her training under Leslie Ann Larson and Rene Daveluy. She started dancing professionally with Central West Ballet in 2009, and in 2015 joined Oklahoma City Ballet. Erikka will also be dancing with Ballet Ireland in the fall and winter of 2016. Ms. Reenstierna-Cates has been featured in a variety of roles including: Indian Maiden in Paul Vasterling’s Peter Pan; Harem Dancer in Dennis Spaight’s Scheherazade; Soloist Spanish Chocolate in Robert Mills’ The Nutcracker; both a soloist and principal in George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Valse Fantaisie and Serenade; a soloist in Ronn Guidi’s Trois Gymnopedies; Myrtha in Giselle; performed as a soloist in Val Caniparoli’s Songs and Violin; the Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, Flower Queen and Arabian Coffee in Rene Daveluy’s The Nutcracker; Pas de Trois in Swan Lake; the Fairy Godmother in Daveluy’s Cinderella; the Enchanted Garden Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty; and highlighted in Daveluy’s Romeo and Juliet and Peter Pan. Erikka has also performed in many original ballets created by Ms. Reenstierna-Cates, and worked closely with both renowned and emerging contemporary choreographers. Additionally, Erikka is also an up-and-coming choreographer, having created pieces for bills alongside names such as Balanchine and Caniparoli.
With ARB: 2016
Hometown: Modesto, California
Nanako Yamamoto +–
Dancer
Nanako Yamamoto was born and raised in Japan where she began her training at the Geijutsuza Ballet Studio “Jardin des Arts”, performing such roles as Clara in The Nutcracker, Rose Adagio inThe Sleeping Beauty and the title role in Cinderella. In 2005, she was selected to attend the prestigious Royal Ballet Summer School, then was accepted to the Elmhurst School for Dance in Association with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. While a student, she performed in the Birmingham Royal Ballet’s National Tour of Firebird, Fokine’s Petrushka, Petipa’s Raymonda and David Bintley’s Beauty and the Beast. She performed for his Royal Highness Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and for the grand re-opening of Birmingham’s town hall. Since graduating in 2009, she has performed with New Tampa Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Tampa, Ballet Fleming, in Giselle with Boca Ballet Theatre alongside Julie Kent and Marcelo Gomes, and as soloist in La Bayadere with Gillian Murphy and Jose Manuel Carreño. Since joining ARB, she has danced featured roles in Nutcracker, including Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen, and in Gerald Arpino’s Confetti and Sea Shadow, Kirk Peterson's Carmen and Glaznov Variation and many other featured roles in works by Douglas Martin, Kirk Peterson and Mary Barton.
With ARB: 2013
Hometown: Shizuoka, Japan
Aldeir Monteiro +–
Dancer
Aldeir Monteiro began his training at the Centro de Arte e Dança de Campo Grande in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, coached by Daniel Mendéz and directed by Alice Arja. Aldeir won the Bronze Medal at the “XVIII International Dance Seminar of Brasilia” , in 2008. He continued his training at the Miami City Ballet School and joined the Miami City Ballet in 2012 under the direction of Edward Villella, followed by Lourdes Lopez. Aldeir performed in the original cast of Euphotic choreographed by Liam Scarlett for the Miami City Ballet in 2013. His repertoire includes Alexei Ratmansky’s Symphonic Dances, Sir. Frederich Ashton’s Les Partineus, Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Serenade, La valse and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Paul Taylor’s Piazolla Caldera, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet and others. Since joining ARB in 2016, Aldeir has performed features and principal roles such as “Cavalier” in The Nutcracker, “Lysander” A Midsummer Nights Dream, “Matador" in Kirk Peterson's Carmen, “Franz” in Coppelia, Paul Taylor’s Airs, José Límon’s There is a Time, Gerald Arpino Sea Shadow and “Jean de Brienne” in Kirk Peterson’s Glazunov Variations. Recent Credits: “Albrecht” in Giselle, Trey McIntyre’s Blue Until June, Septime Webre’s Fluctuating Hemlines and Riccardo De Nigris’ Beyond the Normal.
With ARB: 2016
Hometown: Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
Ryoko Tanaka +–
Dancer
Ryoko Tanaka was born and raised in Japan where she began her training at Masaru Akamatsu Ballet School. In 2013, she was selected to be in the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II Program from the Milwaukee Ballet School Summer Intensive. She performed in Michael Pink’s Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker with Milwaukee Ballet. In 2017, she joined the trainee program with American Repertory Ballet and soon moved up to ARB II. Since joining ARB II, she has danced featured roles in Nutcracker, including Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen and other lead roles, Jane Bennet in Douglas Martin’s full length ballet Pride and Prejudice, and Kirk Peterson’s Eyes That Gently Touch and his Carmen, and featured roles in works by Mary Barton. This is her second year as a full company member and she is looking forward to this coming season.
Hometown: Wakayama, Japan
Lindsay Cahill +–
Access & Enrichment and DANCE POWER Coordinator
Lindsay Cahill began her career at American Repertory Ballet in 2009 as a Dance Power Teaching Artist. Now in her new role as Access and Enrichment Coordinator she is excited to combine her love of the arts with her students, families and entire New Brunswick community. As a dance and gymnastics instructor for over 17 years, her passion of the arts shine through in her strong, patient and encouraging teaching style. Her past community partnership experience working in the City of New Brunswick's Mayor's Office and with New Brunswick City Market, her new role offers the ability to strengthen and improve the great City of New Brunswick she also calls home. Lindsay is looking forward to the opportunity to continue her work with the talented staff at ARB.
Email: lcahill@arballet.org | Phone: 732.249.1254, ext. 19
Rachel Stanislawczyk +–
Lead teacher
Rachel Stanislawczyk began her dance training at Princeton Ballet School in 2003. She recently graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. Rachel Stanislawczyk is a certified instructor of the Elemental Body Alignment System, and a Lead Teacher for the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Dance for PD program. She recently earned her Masters in Dance Education from Rutgers University.
Jessica Totaro +–
Contemporary Teacher
Jessica Totaro is a Contemporary and Choreography Skills teaching artist from Asbury Park, NJ. She received her BFA in dance from Rutgers, Mason Gross School of the Arts. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Movement Arts Project; a student-based, educational dance company based in Brielle, NJ that focuses on preparing students who want to further their education at a collegiate level. Jessica is currently a teaching artist for Derling Dance Arts, 10 Hairy Legs and Dance New Jersey’s Young Audiences. Jessica was featured in Dance Studio Life Magazine for her choreography methods and program. She continues to teach master classes and choreograph throughout the tri-state area at various studios and performing arts schools. Her teaching method is to not dictate but guide each dancer deeper into their own creative ability and communicate authentically through movement.
Lindsay Jorgensen +–
Teacher
Lindsay Jorgensen’s Contemporary/Modern class is designed to improve technique, flexibility, stamina, and artistry. Inspired by her training in Horton and Graham-based modern techniques, she combines her modern training with contemporary and postmodern movement to help students take risks and explore freedom within their bodies. Her class explores tempo, movement range, rhythmical pattern, and dynamic accents. Strong attention to the expressiveness of the core and torso.
Below are the descriptions of the techniques:
Horton techinique - created by Lester Horton, technique designed to fortify, stretch, and strengthen the human body; has a very anatomical approach to movement. Every muscle of the body is lengthened, and each section of the body is isolated. Utilizes all spatial planes and movement levels. Exploration of tempo, movement range, rhythmical patterns, dynamic accents. Strong attention to the torso.
Graham-based modern - codified by Martha Graham; Fundamental principles in Graham Technique include contraction and release, opposition, shift of weight and spirals (although I have been trained by original Martha Graham teachers and company members, since I am not a company member or former company member of Martha Graham, I cannot call what I teach “Graham technique” but must instead call it “Graham-based modern”)
Postmodern (Contemporary) - Combines precision leg work with an ease and fluidity in the torso. It emphasizes and develops proper body alignment, strength and flexibility, rhythmic and musical phrasing, and self-expression. Technical floor work is also involved.
Madison Elizabeth Egyud +–
Madison Elizabeth Egyud was raised in Newtown, Pennsylvania and began her formal ballet training at the Princeton Ballet School at the age of 6. In 2012, she attended American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive in New York City on full scholarship, awarded by Philadelphia Dance Access. That summer, she was invited to study year-round at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT where she continued her training for the next five years under the direction of Franco DeVita and Cynthia Harvey. It was here
she had the honor of performing pieces such as Alexei Ratmansky’s Rondo Capriccioso in ABT’s 75 th Anniversary Gala, and participated in the development of Jeremy McQueen’s Garden of Dreams, which premiered at the Kennedy Center in Ballet Across America. She danced as a trainee with American Repertory Ballet for two seasons before joining ARB2.
John Barrella +–
Hip hop
John “Comix” Barrella is an educator, choreographer, performer and consultant with nearly 20 years of hip hop/street dance experience. He is the owner and director of The Redef Movement, a dance company based in New Jersey that performs primarily throughout the tristate area. Barrella also travels the globe to set pieces and train dancers as well as teachers. He offers a technique-focused approach to hip hop with emphasis on hip hop as an art form, giving students the tools necessary to build upon themselves while staying rooted in hip hop. Also trained in ballet, modern dance, jazz, musical theater, mime and more, Barrella educates and enriches dancers with proper dance technique and choreography in a structured and professional environment. His work has been recognized for his unique approach, music choice and dynamic movement. Many of his former students are now teachers, performers and choreographers.
Julia Hambrecht +–
Ballet
Julia began taking dance at age 6 and studied ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hip-hop, tap, and acrobatics. She began competitive dance at age 8 and won regional and national awards. Based on her dancing at competitions, she was selected to perform with Team Rave NY. Ms. Julia then went onto to Raritan Valley Community College continuing her studies of dance. She received her BA degree in dance at Rider University where she studied dance history, choreography and laban movement. She also studied ballet and modern through Princeton Ballet School. While attending Rider she did student teaching at Princeton Ballet School and began her teaching career at a local dance studio. Ms. Julia currently teaches dance at First Position School of Dance in Milltown, Play S.A.F.E in New Brunswick, and is a Dance Power Teaching Artist. She has a passion for dance and love for working with children.
Katherine Corbett +–
is originally from North Carolina, where she grew up and studied to received her BFA in Dance Performance at East Carolina University. She performed in works by Galina Panova, as well as guest artists from the Carolina Ballet. She began teaching and setting work on young dancers in the NC area shortly after. Over the years, Kat has trained and worked with choreographers at BodyTraffic, Koresh, Rubberband Dance, and OM Grown dancers summer intensives and workshops. Katherine now resides in Philadelphia and is performing with JUNK, Asya Zlatina and Dancers and Alchemy Dance Company.
Kristine Liwag +–
Development Associate
Michael Nickerson-Rossi +–
Modern/Contemporary
Michael Nickerson-Rossi, founder of Nickerson-Rossi Dance, is a dynamic dancer/choreographer/master teacher. Nationally, he has premiered work in San Diego, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, Tempe, Miami Beach, Palm Springs, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Los Angeles, New York, and internationally, Belize and Italy. In July 2014, Nickerson-Rossi Dance created and performed “Deeply Rooted” in the Cape Cod Dance Festival in Provincetown, MA alongside the Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor, American Ballet Theater, Boston Ballet and others. In February 2015, the company premiered “CHECKMATE”, their evening length work at the Helene Galen Performing Arts Center in Rancho Mirage, CA. In 2016, Michael produced “Past and Present,” a performance in the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, where he also served as the Creative Director of Dance 2015/2016. Michael transitioned to the east coast, where he served as Creative Director of Dance and resident dance company for the, Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center, in Chester County in 2016/2017.
Michael's work was commissioned in the: Alex Theater, McCallum Theatre, Annenberg Theater, Marsee Theater - Center for the Arts, Royal Theater (Teatro Regio, Torino, Italy), New York Live Arts, Barclay Theater, among many others.
Nickerson-Rossi's extensive teaching experience has focused among 22 universities and community colleges such as: Johns Hopkins University-Peabody Conservatory of Dance, California State University Fullerton, Drexel University, Fresno State University, College of Charleston, Muhlenberg College, Arizona State University, Texas State A&M University, Loyola Marymount University, Santa Monica Community College, and many more. He was also a guest instructor of multiple American College Dance Association (formerly American College Dance Festival).
Commissioned commercial industries: Porsche, Maserati, Marshalton Inn, and Anthony's Cucina and Fresca.
Lastly, Michael is ardent about the company’s outreach program, entitled uNdeRstanD, which is a platform of education for youth designed to provide both physical and emotional liberty through the medium of dance. Students are given the opportunity to perform alongside professional dancers. Michael’s work has been recognized as profound and it is with this passion he founded the Palm Springs Dance Festival. (www.PalmSpringsDanceFest.com)
Nancy Dow +–
Ballet
Nancy Dow received her ballet training in New York City, where her earliest
teachers included Vladimir Dokoudovsky and Nina Stroganova, charter
members of American Ballet Theatre. She studied and performed with
Wilson Morelli during high school, and then attended Smith College,
graduating with honors in Dance. While at Smith, Ms. Dow directed the
Children’s Ballet Program. She was also a soloist with the Five College
Moving Company, a group of dance faculty and accomplished students,
who performed throughout New England. While injuries precluded a full
performing career, Ms. Dow loved to teach. She completed courses in
ballet pedagogy with Don Farnworth, and taught at his school in New York
City. Members of the Paul Taylor and Jose Limon dance companies took
her classes there. Ms. Dow taught, created and directed ballet programs for
ten years in Manhattan, and has continued to do so in Central New Jersey
for more than 25 years. She enjoys, and has expertise with all levels of
ballet students, from 5 year olds through adult professionals. Former
students went on to dance with New York City Ballet, American Ballet
Theatre and PDX Contemporary Ballet. She was featured in the July 2015
issue of Dance Teacher Magazine. Nancy Dow is an ABT® Certified
Teacher, successfully completing the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in
Pre Primary through Level 7 of the ABT National Training Curriculum.
Rubén Rascon +–
Dancer
Rubén Rascon began his training in Santa Fe New Mexico at 7 years old. He studied at the National Dance Institute and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet School. He attended The University of North Carolina School for the Arts and studied at East Street Ballet in Massachusetts. He has been a scholarship student at summer programs with Boston Ballet, ABT and The Rock School. In 2011 Rubén went to The Bolshoi Ballet Academy and received a certificate of completion after completing exams with top marks in every category with the Russian graduating class. Rubén has danced with New Jersey Ballet Company from 2012-2018. Rubén joined American Repertory Ballet in August of 2018.
With ARB: 2018 Hometown: Española, NMSam Smith +–
Ballet Teacher
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Sophie Johnson +–
Ballet
Sophie Johnson received her training from an early age at Princeton Ballet School, where she performed in Graham Lustig's The Nutcracker as well as in numerous school productions. During college she was an intern in the Education and Outreach Department of American Repertory Ballet. After graduating summa cum laude from Rutgers University, she received an internship in the Education Department of American Ballet Theater in New York City, and became a counselor for the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School's Young Dancer Summer Workshop. She went on to work as an English teacher in France, where she also assistant-taught ballet classes at Créa Danse. Sophie has been a substitute ballet teacher at Princeton Ballet School since 2013.
Supriya Hariprasad +–
Bharatanatyam
“Natyamayuri” Vidushi Supriya Hariprasad is an award-winning dancer and teacher of Pandanallur style of Bharatanatyam. She has been an active contributor to the field for over three decades as a learner, performer, guru, choreographer, director and an organizer of the art and has more than 500 performances to her credit on prominent platforms. Ms. Hariprasad is acquainted with dance forms of Kuchipudi, Bhangra, Dandiya, salsa, contemporary and freestyle. She has conceptualized, choreographed and directed several dance dramas that are based on the themes of mythology, folk, contemporary and patriotic; these were well received for their choreographic excellence, execution and presentation. She is also involved in academic research in the field of folk and classical art forms, in particular the art forms of coastal Karnataka.
Zoya Pavlovsky +–
Ballet
Zoya is from Ewing, New Jersey and her dance training mainly consists of 15 years at Princeton Ballet School. She performed the major roles of Carabosse in the Sleeping Beauty and a big swan in Swan Lake. Zoya has also had the privilege of performing Myrtha in Giselle, as well as mother ginger, snow, flowers and marzipan in the Nutcracker.
Brianna Colwell +–
Hip Hop
Brianna Colwell, of Point Pleasant NJ, graduated from Rider University in May 2015 with a B.A. in Dance Performance and a minor in Arts Administration. She started dancing when she was three years old at Dance For Joy in Brielle, NJ. She was trained in many different dance genres including ballet, tap, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and hip-hop. She continued her dance studies at Rider University in the Fall of 2011 taking classes at the Princeton Ballet School. While studying at Rider, Brianna was signed to the Trenton Freedom Xtreme Dance Team in January 2014 where she danced on the team for two years. Brianna also performed in Rider’s annual show Rider Dances for four years. After graduating from Rider, Brianna taught for one year at New York City Performing Arts Center. Brianna also taught at Shore Dance Center in Pt. Pleasant NJ and Manasquan Music and Dance from 2015 to present.
Chien-Ming Lin +–
Ballet
Mr. Lin completed the first ground-breaking Master of Arts degree in the United States in Teaching Dance in Higher Education and the Professions with a concentration in American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Ballet Pedagogy in Steinhardt School at New York University (NYU).
Mr. Lin is certified with American Ballet Theatre® (ABT®) National Training Curriculum (Primary to Level 7). He also successfully presented students at the affiliate exams up to level 4B, and achieved the Affiliate Teacher status with ABT® National Training Curriculum. He also holds an M.A. degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Steinhardt School at NYU.
Mr. Lin started his dance training in both ballet and traditional dance in Taipei, Taiwan. He was a participant in Kitakyuuyshuu Dance Competition for ballet and traditional dance divisions in Japan. He was a first prize winner for Traditional Dance in Senior division, and received the best technique award in the national traditional dance competition in Classical traditional dance category in Taiwan. Mr. Lin has performed in Taiwan, Malaysia, Japan and New York City. Mr. Lin has served as ballet program director at Dance Vision in Johnston Iowa, from August 2010 to August 2017, where he oversaw the ballet program for 130 students.
Before coming to New York for his master degrees, Mr. Lin has taught and staged works for students aged from 10 to 16 years old for performances and competitions in both ballet and Traditional dance form. He has been invited as a guest teacher in schools in Chicago, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Maine, and Florida.
Princeton Ballet School has more than 30 specialized faculty members. Many have attained graduate degrees in dance education and have won major teaching awards. All are committed to our philosophy of dance education and to helping students achieve their best. Members of our outstanding faculty have performed professionally with companies including:
- American Ballet Theatre
- Joffrey Ballet
- New York City Ballet
- American Repertory Ballet
- Cuban National Ballet
- English Ballet
