International Dance Day - Celebrate Diversity!

vicki.parsons@balletaustin.org

As Director of Ballet Austin’s Butler Center for Dance & Fitness Vicki helped design and develop programming that now offers dance and fitness classes to over 11,000 adults each year. Health, fitness, and overall wellness are a priority, and through classes, community-based programs, and FREE workplace wellness talks she helps promote the value of life-long health and well-being in the Austin community. 

Vicki joined Ballet Austin in 1997. She has over 25 years of experience working in the field of Long Term Care, specifically in direct care as a Recreation Therapist, using therapeutic recreation as a treatment intervention to improve overall wellness. Vicki taught at Austin Community College for 13 years and worked with several non-profit organizations to develop and present workshops on lifelong health and wellbeing. Promoting physical activity and wellness to people of all ages continues to be one of her greatest interests and passions.

She holds current certifications as a Senior Fitness Instructor, a Youth Fitness Specialist, a Group Exercise Instructor, and in Advanced Sports Nutrition. She is also a certified Fitness Business Manager. Vicki developed curriculum for, and teaches the Better Balance & Movement Workshop, a falls prevention program for adults. In 2015 Vicki implemented the free BeWell Healthy Living Talks, and is a requested speaker at several area businesses, organizations, and conferences such as the Austin Women’s Club, Austin’s Business Group on Health, DELL, St. David's Foundation, the Girls Empowerment Network We Are Girls Conference, and more. Her presentations are practical and inspirational, and are presented with humor and passion, motivating her audience to change their attitude, their mind, and their life. 

Her advice is simple, "Find your recreation! It's your life, your health, YOU are in control. Be active. Be resilient, Be well!"

Follow Vicki:

Twitter @VickiBeActive 

Instagram Vicki_BeWell  

vlada.sheber@balletaustin.org

Originally from the Ukraine, Vlada Sheber received her training in classical ballet from the State Classical Ballet College of Russia (Voronezh.) Vlada performed as a soloist in the Donetsk Ballet Theatre before immigrating to the United States. She was a company member with Ballet Austin from 1992-2003.

In 2002, Vlada received her diploma as a Certified Core Connections® Pilates Instructor from the Core Connections® Comprehensive Teacher Training Program at the Pilates Center of Austin. There she studied under Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle.

In 2007 Vlada was named Program Director for Ballet Austin’s Pilates Center, participating in both the original design of the Center and expansion in 2015.

In 2009, she attended a training under Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle and Michele Larsson providing insight and approaches into working with older clients. In 2010 Vlada attended the Pink Pilates Program training in Houston, Texas and became a certified Post-Rehabilitative Breast Cancer Exercise Specialist. Having worked with breast cancer survivors continuously since 2010, she further developed a specialized rehabilitative workout for breast cancer survivors to include humor and compassion; Ballet Austin’s Pink Pilates.

Vlada also has trained extensively in a physical therapy clinic under Allison Bennett (Women’s Health specialist) which expanded her knowledge of anatomy and Pilates rehabilitation. She has developed Pilates workouts specifically for osteoporosis, scoliosis, and chronic back pain.

In 2005 she was acknowledged as a "Pre-eminent Purveyor of Pilates" by Austin Monthly Magazine. In recognition of Ballet Austin's commitment to excellence, Ballet Austin’s Pilates Center has been chosen as “Best Pilates Studio in Austin” by Rare Magazine and Austin Fit Magazine. Vlada's knowledge and approach to her practice of Pilates make her a highly requested master Pilates instructor.

stephanie.albrecht@balletaustin.org

As senior manager of the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness and the Pilates Center, Stephanie is responsible for the day-to-day management of programs, operations, and customer experience. Her goal is to ensure the overall organizational effectiveness and efficiency of these areas, while optimizing the customer's experience. Stephanie teaches POUND – Rockout. Workout® classes at the Butler Center and is a certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP).

Stephanie joined the Ballet Austin team in 2013 bringing with her over 10 years of hands-on experience in customer relations and project management. Prior to joining Ballet Austin, she performed similar duties for the Bullock Texas State History Museum and The University of Texas at Austin. She is a native Austinite and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from The University of Texas at Austin.

Jenny graduated from SUNY Buffalo where she received her BA in Dance. While in school, Jenny had the opportunity to perform and choreograph in numerous concert dance shows in styles ranging from jazz to contemporary to modern. She was given the opportunity to collaborate her choreography with Digital Poetry media as well as choreograph for the Department's second company. Jenny has studied with artists from Jazz Dance World Congress, River North Jazz Dance Chicago, Paul Taylor Company, Doug Varone and Dancers, LehrerDance, Urban Bush Women, San Francisco Ballet and Giordano Dance Chicago.

She is a certified Zumba Instructor and is working towards her Personal Trainer Certification. Jenny has also taught children's dance classes and especially loves working with young children. In addition to teaching at Ballet Austin, Jenny works with schools and youth around Central Texas. She is extremely passionate about dance and fitness and is very excited to share her knowledge at the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness.

Toni Bravo is originally from Mexico City and holds a Master's Degree in Theatre History and Criticism, with a minor in Dance Pedagogy from the University of Texas. Since 1975, she has taught and performed as a professional dance artist in Mexico, England, Israel, Costa Rica, Germany, Spain and throughout the United States. Toni began teaching for the Ballet Austin Academy in 1990 and the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness in 2007. Toni teaches modern dance and movement classes, and designed the Body Sculpting class to keep adults of all ages active and moving longer.

Orlando Julius Canova began his ballet training in Southern California with Lawrence and Sarma Rosenberg at the Anaheim Ballet School. At age 16 he moved to New York City to train at the School of American Ballet. There, he received a full tuition merit scholarship and was sponsored by Debbie Allen. Orlando furthered his ballet training with Miami City Ballet School. In 2001, Orlando became an Arpino Apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago and in 2003 he joined as a full company member. While at Joffrey, Orlando played the part of apprentice in Robert Altman's movie, The Company.

At Ballet Austin Orlando has danced lead roles in The Nutcracker, Cult of Color: Call to Color, Truth & Beauty: The Bach Project, Romeo & Juliet, Nine Sinatra Songs, silence within silence and The Magic Flute. He has worked with such choreographers as Stephen Mills, Twyla Tharp, KT Nelson, Dominic Walsh, Nicolo Fonte, Sonya Delwaide, Toni Bravo, Michelle Thompson, Reginald Harris, and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Orlando has also had the pleasure of dancing for Molly Lynch’s National Choreographers Initiative in 2012 and 2013. There he worked with Darrell Moultrie, Melissa Barak, Val Caniparoli, Frank Chavez, Kitty McNamee, and Susan McCullough. In addition, Orlando teaches dance at the Ballet Austin Academy, the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness, Saint Mary’s Hall, Austin City Ballet, and Alamo Heights High School.

As Ballet Austin's Community Education Director, Pei-San Brown is responsible for developing and implementing dance- and arts-based curricula and programs for Central Texas schools, providing professional development for teachers in dance education and arts-based teaching strategies, researching and preparing historical and contemporary information about ballet repertory for audience education, and helping to develop and implement Ballet Austin's Strategic Plan.

Pei-San is currently on faculty as a dance instructor at Ballet Austin's Butler Center for Dance & Fitness. She has danced with Disney Entertainment Arts (Los Angeles), Third Coast Jazz (Austin), Austin Musical Theatre (Austin), Halau Ho'ola Ka Mana O Hawai'i (Dallas and Houston), and as a featured dancer in the movie Miss Congeniality (2000). She taught undergraduate and graduate education courses at The University of Texas at Austin's College of Education and was the co-founder of an educational research firm. She has been involved in research funded by The Wallace Foundation, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the National Institutes for Child and Human Development (NICHD), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Her publications include The Developmental Benefits of Playgrounds (2004), the CPSC's Age Determination Guidelines: Relating Children's Ages to Toy Characteristics and Play Behavior (2002), as well as numerous chapters and articles in the field of early childhood education.

Brown holds a Master of Arts in Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Texas at Austin, and has completed her doctoral course work in the same field. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance Pedagogy and a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine. She has also holds the title of Kumu Hula, which is equivalent to a graduate degree in the study of hula.

Hannah is originally from Southwest Louisiana where she fell in love with the art of dance at age 13. Hannah trained and competed in dance until she went to Northwestern State University of Louisiana where she earned her BA in Business & graduated Magna Cum Laude. During university, she also studied modern dance and composition extensively. Hannah has continued to train and expand her passion and knowledge through various intensives and classes spanning the country from New York to Los Angeles. She has found a new home in Austin where she is able to share her passion and style with the community as an instructor and choreographer, as well as the Artistic Director of Verge Dance Company. She is excited to work more closely with Austin's beautiful and artistic community through Ballet Austin's Butler Center for Dance & Fitness.

Dane was raised in northwest Oregon where he started dancing at the age of 10. After high school, he was awarded a scholarship to Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. He trained there for several years, preparing him for the performance industry. Dane has worked with choreographers such as Mandy Moore, Malaya, JT Horenstein, Terri Best and many more. He has worked with MTV, danced on the NBC show "American Dreams" and has performed and choreographed numerous live shows around the L.A. area. In 2008 he ended a 5 year run working with Tremaine Dance Conventions and he has been traveling the U.S. judging for Creations Dance Championships.

Dane currently lives in Austin, TX where he teaches dance and choreographs for private studios and local high schools. He was a part of the professional development of Austin Independent School District dance teachers. He has also helped in the production of live shows benefiting charities around the U.S. He is enjoying sharing his talents with the dance community of Austin.

Alexa Capareda received her early training in classical ballet and contemporary dance at the Philippine High School for the Arts in her native Philippines. After moving to Texas, she continued her training in Texas at Ballet Austin and in Canada at Ecole Superieure de Ballet Contemporain de Montreal before joining Mario Radacovsky’s Balet Bratislava in Slovakia, where she had the privilege of performing Jiri Kylian’s Falling Angels and Six Dances. She began exploring her own choreography before leaving Europe, winning 3rd prize at the 2013 Festival of Choreographic Miniatures in Serbia for her choreographic debut. Capareda is currently rehearsal assistant for Ballet Austin II, where she has assisted in restaging ballets by Stephen Mills, Nelly van Bommel, Nick Kepley, and Thang Dao. She also works as a dance artist with ARCOS Dance, Jennifer Hart’s Performa/Dance, BLiPSWiTCH, Jennifer Sherburn, and Magdalena Jarkowiec. She is co-producer and performing artist with Frank Wo/Men Collective and her dance creations as a solo artist have been featured in collaborations with sound artists/musicians Steve Parker, Brent Baldwin, Lynn Lane’s Houston-based Transitory Sound and Movement Collective, and Austin Camerata. In 2017, Capareda received an Austin Critics Table Award for Excellence as Dancer. She has a Bachelor of Arts in  English and a minor in Theater and Dance from the University of Texas-Austin.

Lisa began her dance studies at the Margo Marshall School of Ballet and the Cleveland San Jose School of Ballet. She continued her training as a Heywood “Woody” McGriff Presidential Scholarship student at the University of Texas at Austin where she received her BFA in Dance. She also studied classical piano and violin for many years and in her later years Pilates, Yoga, Tai Chi, qigong, Droznin System, Vipassana Meditation, and the Feldenkrais Method® of movement education.

Lisa has danced professionally in the Philippines with The Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Bayanihan. She currently is a member of DA! Theatre Collective and Sheep Army/Elsewhere Dance Theatre, and also performs her own solo work, along with independent choreographers, locally, nationally, and internationally. She has taught and choreographed at the Dougherty Arts School, the McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy, Tapestry, and The Texas Arts Project at St. Stephen's Episcopal School. Lisa is thrilled to be teaching at the Ballet Austin Academy and Ballet Austin's Butler Center for Dance & Fitness.

Danielle began training professionally in 2001, including summer intensive studies at Inland Pacific Ballet, The School of American Ballet in New York, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, and Ballet Austin.
 
Danielle trained in Ballet Austin's prestigious Fellowship program from 2013-2014.

Danielle is experienced teaching ballet to both children and adults.

Defne Enç is a dancer and choreographer with over 20 years of experience. She began her flamenco training and professional career in the San Francisco Bay Area, performing and teaching throughout the U.S. and abroad. In 2005 she moved to Madrid, where she spent a decade working with some of the top artists in Spain and furthering her own studies. She has performed as a featured soloist and company member in a number of internationally touring flamenco companies based both in the U.S. and in Spain and has been invited to participate in numerous dance festivals as both a dancer and as a choreographer, including Dance Under The Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA, Certámen Coreográfico DanSalt in Girona, Spain, Certámen Coreográfico de Danza Español y Flamenco in Madrid, Spain, Fuego Flamenco Festival in Washington, D.C., Flamenco in the Sun in Miami, FL and the ODC Pilot Program in San Francisco, CA.

Throughout the years she has continued her dedication to teaching, and she has only recently returned to the U.S., where she is thrilled to become a member of Ballet Austin’s Butler Center for Dance & Fitness family and share her love of flamenco with the dance community in Austin.

An avid student of Brazilian dance since 1995, Rebekah continues to study and share the dance traditions of Rio, Bahia and beyond. Since 2000, she has been teaching students how to samba "like they do it in Brazil," focusing on footwork, technique, and the Brazilian spirit of "alegria e charme"—joy and charm. Rebekah has worked in the United States and the United Kingdom as a performer, choreographer, and teacher of Brazilian dance for all ages and skill levels. In addition to teaching ongoing classes in the community, she has worked as choreographer and dance director for the Austin Samba School, one of the largest samba schools in the U.S. Rebekah is also a licensed Zumba® Fitness instructor and an AFAA-certified group fitness instructor. She enjoys transforming her exercise classes into a dance-party workout while having fun with students on the dance floor. She has trained in Brazil and the U.S. with Rosangela Silvestre, Nildinha Fonseca of the Balé Folclórico da Bahia and members of DanceBrazil. In addition to showing her students just how fun Brazilian dance and dance fitness can be, she also works as a translator.

James Fuller is from Irvine, Calif., and was trained at Ballet Pacifica Conservatory. In 2004, James received a Youth America Grand Prix scholarship to study at the Boston Ballet School, where he completed his final year of training. James apprenticed with Oregon Ballet Theatre for a year before enrolling at Harvard University. At Harvard, James performed works by choreographers such as Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Alvin Ailey. In the summers, James studied modern dance with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, American Dance Festival, and Beijing LDTX. James directed the Harvard Ballet Company in 2009 and graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of the Arts in Philosophy, a secondary field in dramatic arts, and a language citation in Urdu-Hindi. Since joining Ballet Austin, James has performed in original works by Stephen Mills, including Luminaria and Though the Earth Gives Way, danced in Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, performed with the National Choreographers Initiative, and choreographed for Houston City Dance.

Emily Furillo began her training in Irish Step Dancing at Inishfree school of Irish dance from 2001 to 2006, where she studied under the direction of World Champion Irish step dancer, Neill Regan TCRG. She then began her training in Sean-nós dancing in 2012. She has also studied English waltz clogging, American flatfooting, and English country and border dance with various instructors.

Emily performed Irish step dance with Grammy winners The Cheiftans under the choreography of Neill Regan, and has performed in Celtic shows and has performed Sean-nós in a variety of places. Emily is excited to be bringing Sean-nós to Ballet Austin, a traditional form of Irish dancing that originated in the Connemara region of Ireland.

Oliver is a dancer with Ballet Austin.  Originally from Marlboro, Vermont, he received his early training at the Brattleboro School of Dance and Burklyn Ballet Theatre. 
 
Oliver graduated with a BFA from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase where the program included pedagogy courses. He received the award for Outstanding Senior in Modern Dance and also choreographed several contemporary pieces during his time at Purchase. While at school he danced works by Cunningham, Lar Lubovitch, as well as many choreographers currently working in NYC.
 
After graduation Oliver joined Lar Lubovitch’s company before coming to Ballet Austin.

Oliver has taught both modern and ballet since High School with most experience coming at Burklyn Ballet Theatre.

Tyler has had a passion for fitness and nutrition all her life. Her involvement in athletics and interest in clean eating habits led her to pursue a Personal Training certification through ACE. After graduating from SMU with a degree in Journalism, Tyler moved to Austin and began her career in fitness, teaching boot camps, spinning classes, and creating customized programs to help clients reach their goals.

Tyler began her advancement in Pilates training through PEAK Pilates in 2009 while continuing her personal training pursuits. She is an education enthusiast who loves learning about the body and what techniques help each client find their ideal level of fitness and performance. Tyler has an understanding and compassionate approach to fitness. She enjoys challenging her clients and tailors each workout regimen carefully to ensure that she is meeting the particular needs of each client.

In 2013, Tyler took a leap to follow her passion of health and attended The Natural Gourmet Culinary Institute in New York. There she gained an understanding of the fundamentals of human nutrition and the connection between food and wellness. This 619 hour program excelled her to start helping clients not only with fitness, but also with food and lifestyle choices. Tyler makes herself available to her clients at all times to answer questions, motivate, and help each client reach their true potential.

Jared teaches hip hop to both kids and adults at Ballet Austin. 

He started learning hip hop when he was 13 and has continued to dance ever since. His passion to learn and perfect dance for himself helps him to teach.  He has a unique style and an enthusiastic energy he brings to class every time.

Amir has been dancing since he was 5, all self taught. At 18 he found his joy in life through dance. When he moves you can see the passion and drive. Amir has learned various styles of dance but focuses on Hip Hop and contemporary. He blends Hip Hop with various genres to create fusion movements and stories that you normally don't see in Hip Hop to push himself and others to try new things.

Amir is self-proclaimed as weird. He loves to create a fun environment but also build people's confidence in dance as well as in life! Amir has been featured on Austin 360 news, been in a few music videos and performed many times. His most favorite achievement was opening up for Tory Lanez and K-Camp on stage. "It is the greatest feeling when dancing!" and "dancers are the coolest people to meet!" When you are around Amir, you can't help but smile.

Arletta began her relationship with Ballet Austin as a guest dancer in 1992. She has been on faculty since 1996, when the Austin Dance Academy (ADA), which she co-owned from 1986-1996, merged with the Ballet Austin Academy.

During her career, Arletta has focused on artistic direction, teaching, performing and choreographing for such establishments as Austin Ballet Theatre, Austin Conservatory of the Arts, San Angelo Civic Ballet and Northcross Mall's ice skaters. As a performer, she danced for institutions including Ballet Austin, Austin Ballet Theatre, Incarnate Word College Ballet in San Antonio, Corpus Christi Concert Ballet, Victoria Ballet Theatre and Beaumont Civic Ballet.

Her professional experience, as well as the education she received as an aspiring dance pupil, helped to shape her distinctive approach to teaching dance. Arletta trained with the Royal Academy of Dancing Majors, earning various awards and accolades for her ballet technique. She has also studied with Oklahoma City Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and several other schools and companies. Arletta enjoys making ballet available to both professional and non-professional dancers through her instruction at the Butler Center for Dance & Fitness.

Vivian was born in Honolulu, Hawaii where she began taking hula lessons from her mother, a hula teacher. These lessons eventually grew into a deep love of Hawaiian dance and culture. Vivian currently studies hula with Kumu Hula Keli'i Chang's Halau Ho'ola Ka Mana O Hawai'i in Houston, TX. She has also studied with Kumu Hula Ellen Gay Delarosa (Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, HI), Kumu Hula Keith Awai (Polynesian Cultural Center, Laie, HI), Kumu Hula Lorraine Daniels (Honolulu, HI), Kumu Hula Paul Ho'omanawanuiikana'auao Apo (Honolulu, HI), and Joyce Flaugher (San Antonio, TX). She competed in the prestigious Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in April 2006 with Kumu Chang. She is a founding member of the Island Rhythms Hula Company in Austin, TX, and is its current Artistic Director. Vivian is active in film, television, print, and runway in Austin, TX and is also an avid salsa dancer.

Jean-Claude was born and raised in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in West Africa. He began dancing professionally at age 15, and performed with the Dante Theater Company for five years before touring the U.S. as principal dancer with Ballet Jolem. He regularly performs and teaches at dance camps and festivals throughout the U.S. He produced a special event for children at the Kennedy Center, performing masked dances from his own village. During the past 10 years, he taught at Lisangua Ya Bato Dance and Drum Camp in Woodstock, New York and worked with students and faculty at Goddard College, Saint Michael’s College, Middlebury College and Norwich University in Vermont. For the past three years, he has choreographed and taught classes at “Africa in the Ozarks”, a West African dance camp in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He was also the lead choreographer for the Lannaya West African Drum and Dance Ensemble in Austin. Today he works regularly with high schools and dance studios around Austin to choreograph professional and student performances.

Mia Moi is currently a student at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Communication and Leadership as well as Psychology. She was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where she trained with BalletForte under Michael Banigan and Dianne Jarrell. Beginning dance at age 3, she has numerous years of experience in classical ballet, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and tap. She was also captain of the acclaimed Dulles Dolls Dance Team under the mentorship of Angela Hayes. As an undergraduate student, she teaches multiple choreography workshops around campus and is the general manager of the UT Steel Dance Company.

Mia aspires to follow her passion for dance throughout her future career and is grateful to give back to the Ballet Austin community.

Prakash Mohandas is the founder of Agni Performing Arts based in Austin, TX . He is trained in Bollywood, Hip Hop, and Jazz. He is also a filmmaker, entrepreneur, actor, and musician and is also the founder of  Agni Entertainment, film and theatre production company. 

His theatre project Lanka, was a touring stage production that combined theatre, dance and martial arts . 

Prakash is a favorite at the annual Rhythm on Stage Bollywood Dance Night and enjoys teaching Bollywood choreography.

Christian is an Austin native who’s been training in dance since he was 13. He studied under Austin’s finest such as RDC Alumni Aminya Houston, Quinton Weathers and Shepherd Allen to name a few. He has competed with teams such as The Renegades In Dallas, as well as The Venmo Project and ACA Hip Hop whole out in Los Angeles. Along with his competitive background he’s also choreographed for shows and national competitions all across the country.

Christian has a strong commercial background from his time training in Los Angeles, and loves incorporating elements from different styles into his movement. He is excited to be teaching Hip Hop at Ballet Austin. 

April is a Minnesota native who was introduced to Pilates about 15 years ago when she was on a quest to gain more energy, flexibility and strength. Not only did she see a positive
transformation of her body but also truly looked forward to working out. In 2014 April began her journey to become certified Pilates instructor by taking the STOTT Pilates Mat and Reformer
courses. She loves to teach both group and private lessons and share her passion for mindful movement with others to help them reach their goals and improve their wellness.

Currently April is certified in all levels of Pilates Mat, Reformer and Barre. Her goal is to continue taking courses and workshops to expand her knowledge of Pilates and improve as an instructor.
When not teaching, April enjoys studying and learning about nutrition, holistic healing and alternative medicine. She also loves traveling, music (especially 80’s New Wave), animals, cooking, reading and spending time with her family.

Selena Offenberg is originally from Munich, Gemany, and enjoyed a 14 year professional career at Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and Nuremberg City Ballet, Germany, at Paul Henry Dance Company, London, at Concert Dance Theater, Munich, and at Michael Mao Dance and Dance Imprints, NYC.

Selena worked with choreographers Royston Maldoom of the Scottish Ballet and Mauricio Wainroth of Les Ballet Jazz de Montreal. She also trained with Batsheva Dance Company in Tel Aviv, with Ballet Rambert and Michael Clark in London, and with David Parsons and Alvin Ailey School in NYC. Selena was also a dance model in fashion shows with Nike, Reebok, Goldwell, Wella, and Mercedes Benz. She has worked as a personal trainer with members of the HBO Fitness Center, NYC, and in Miami.

From 2007 to 2013, Selena was ballet mistress, instructor (all ages) and administrative director with the New Mexico Dance Theater School and Performance Company.

Lauren has danced ever since she could walk. Originally from Austin, she studied Dance at Skidmore College in Upstate New York. While at school, Lauren had the opportunity to perform in many shows and to teach dance in the local community. She has studied an array of styles including Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Ballet, Salsa, and Tap. Lauren has taught hip hop and jazz in both New York and Austin and has experience teaching all ages. Lauren has a passion for dance which she loves imparting to students of all ages. She is excited to be a member of the Ballet Austin Butler Center for Dance & Fitness Faculty.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Sara began her dance training at the Peabody Preparatory under the direction of Carol Bartlett and Barbara Weisberger, founder of the Pennsylvania Ballet. She studied both classical ballet and contemporary dance and spent her summers studying at renowned summer intensive programs such as The Washington Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The School of American Ballet, Ballet Austin, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Spectrum Dance Theater, and The Northwest Dance Project.

Sara has performed professionally with Ballet Austin’s Professional Trainee Program, Ballet Austin II, and became a founding member of Wideman/Davis Dance under the direction of Thaddeus Davis and Tanya WidemanDavis. Both in New York and on tour, she performed principal roles in Davis' work. She has also performed works by Stephen Mills, Thang Dao, Gina Patterson, Michelle Ulrich, David Justin, Robert Moses, Ohad Naharin, Alex Ketley, Alessio Silvestrin, Bobbi Jene Smith, and Magdalena Jarkowiec. She continues to perform as a freelance artist.

Sara currently teaches students of all ages and levels at Ballet Austin where she has been teaching since 2013. She is also a ballet instructor at the University of Texas at Austin, her alma mater, in the Department of Theatre and Dance. She hold a B.A. with Special Honors in Psychology. At UT, Sara teaches ballet technique to both non-majors and B.F.A. candidates.

Bollywood and Bollywood Fitness instructor.
 
Rohit graduated with a distinction in Attakkalari’s Diploma in Movement Arts and Mixed Media, and he has studied & trained in Bharatanatyam, Ballet and Contemporary dance techniques.
 
He has great energy and teaches a super-fun class!

Lucy Record received her B.A. in Dance at the University of Texas in 1977. Lucy was awarded summer scholarships to American Ballet Theatre, performed with the Houston Allegro Ballet Company, the European tour of "The International Festival of Youth Orchestras and Ballet," Austin Ballet Theatre, New York's modern company, Facets, and New Jersey's The Whole Theatre's Modern Company. She has been a musical theater choreographer in more than 50 musicals. She has recently been teaching ballet in the Los Angeles area and is excited to be teaching at Ballet Austin's Butler Center for Dance & Fitness
 

Morgan Stillman is one of Ballet Austin's Pilates instructors.

He is originally from Fort Wayne, Ind., and joins the Ballet Austin company for the 2017/18 season after dancing two years with Nevada Ballet Theater where he was featured in a variety of classical and contemporary roles. Morgan received most of his formal training at Indiana University Ballet Theater under the guidance of Michael Vernon, Violette Verdy, Jacques Cesbron, Guo Pin Wang, Victoria Lyras, and Shawn Stevens.

Morgan is also a certified Pilates instructor where he received his training and certification at Las Vegas's Classical Pilates Comprehensive Pilates Training Program.

Ramsay has taught many forms of movement for more than 15 years. She began teaching spin classes in 2001 and then ventured into Pilates and yoga. In the last few years, Ramsay has expanded her fitness repertoire to teach dance fitness classes, fusion classes, and barre. She is a registered Yoga teacher (E-RYT 200), a certified mat Pilates instructor, a certified barre instructor, a licensed Dance-Fit instructor, and has a general group exercise certification through AFAA.

Her primary goal is to make her students feel at home, happy, and healthy in her classes. She takes pride in doing so, and loves what she does! You will enjoy her upbeat and personal teaching style.

Kelsey, born and raised in Chicago, IL, began her formal training at Visceral Dance Center under the direction of Nick Pupillo. At the age of 16, she got a jumpstart with her professional career when she was hired on as a Lead Character Performer at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL.

Kelsey went on to receive her BFA in dance from The University of Arizona. Throughout her schooling she apprenticed for River North Dance Chicago and received additional training from Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, The Movement Invention Project and Keigwin+Company Summer Intensive Programs.

Immediately following graduation, Kelsey joined Odyssey Dance Theatre in Salt Lake City, UT where she was able to tour internationally in Germany and Switzerland. After two seasons with the company, Kelsey relocated to Los Angeles, CA and signed with the Movement Talent Agency. She has spent the last year traveling the US/Canada with The National Broadway tour of 'Dirty Dancing' where she was a member of the female ensemble as well as the Penny and Vivian understudies.

Kelsey moved to Austin, TX in June of 2018 to be closer to her family. She is thrilled to be joining the Ballet Austin team where she hopes to share her love of dance with the entire community of this beautiful city

Born in Houston, TX, Taylor began her ballet training under the direction of Gilbert Rome & Margo Marshall, founder of City Ballet of Houston. She also studied under Victoria Vittum, now director of Ballet Center of Houston. Taylor was involved with the Southwest Regional Ballet Festival for 7 years.

Her performances include many independent works as well as the classics such as Pas de Quatre, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, & Les Sylphides. She received numerous scholarships including Dance Aspen, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Southern Methodist University, and The University of Oklahoma. Taylor spent her summers studying at renowned summer intensive programs at Ballet Austin, Joffrey Ballet, International Ballet Competition Dance School, and Summer Wind at OU.
Taylor attended college at The University of Texas and accepted an apprenticeship as a trainee with Ballet Austin. Taylor later danced with Austin Contemporary Ballet and then after transferring and graduating from Auburn University, continued dancing as a company member of Festival Ballet of Atlanta. She began teaching ballet at Briarwood Ballet in Birmingham, AL and then had the opportunity of studying and teaching under David Keary at Ballet Mississippi, with Kirt & Linda Hathaway at The Hathaway School of Ballet in Dallas, TX, Dallas Contemporary Ballet, Encore Dance School in Stillwater, OK, and at Oklahoma State University. 
 

Boo Wong began dancing at the age of 3 where she trained in tap, hip hop, jazz, and ballet until the age of 12 when she entered the pre-professional training program at Ballet Austin under Artistic Director Stephen Mills. After graduating from high school, Boo worked professionally in the commercial and contemporary dance worlds in Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, and Spain. She began teaching hip hop, jazz, breaking, and contemporary styles in 2000 and began her second career in Pilates in 2007. Boo opened the Ballet Austin Pilates Center with Master Instructor Vlada Sheber in 2008. As a dance and fitness educator, Boo believes deeply in the importance of self-acceptance and love in order to find one's "voice" in movement. Her hope is that dancing with her will feel therapeutic.

Carla Wright received her training at the renowned Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. In 2000, she joined Pacific Northwest Ballet's Professional Division program on a full scholarship, performing in many PNB productions. Carla began teaching at Ballet Austin Academy in 2005. She has also taught adults and children of all ages at the Ballet Performing Arts Center in El Paso, Texas, and has enjoyed teaching ballet off and on for years at Ballet Austin
 
One of her favorite classes to teach is Absolute Beginning Ballet for adults.
 

Terri Lynn Wright received her early training with Barbara Carson and Stanley Hall in Austin, Texas. She studied with Robert Joffrey, Patricia Wilde, Kristen Ralov, Kirsten Simone, and Peter Appel during summers in the U.S. and Europe. Terri began her professional dance career in Wiesbaden, Germany, followed by ten years with the North Carolina Dance Theatre where she became principal dancer, as well as an assistant to director Salvatore Aiello. She enjoyed Dance Theatre's diverse repertoire that included works by choreographers such as Salvatore Aiello, Oscar Ariaz, George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Bill Evans, Lambros Lambrou, Luk de Layress, Robert Lindgren, Lar Lubovich, Susan McKee-McCullough, Elisa Monte, Vincente Nebrada, Marius Petipa, Helgi Tomasson, Mel Tomlinson, Norbert Vesak, Mauricio Wainrot and Alvin Ailey.

She danced leading roles in Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, Scotch Symphony, Glinka Pas de Trois, Pas de Dix and Valse Fantasie were coached by Melissa Hayden and Marina Eglevsky. Terri has taught master classes while touring with NCDT throughout the U.S. and Europe, for summer sessions at North Carolina School of the Arts, and was a guest teacher at the Arts Magnet School in Dallas. She continues to help care for works choreographed by the late Mr. Aiello. As a teacher, Terri's methods evolve with Ballet Austin, the students' needs and the ever increasing demands put upon the professional dancer.

Erick started dancing at the age of 16. Self-taught in hip hop, he began taking dance classes at Burnet High School where he learned the principal elements of dance. From the moment he started, he fell in love with dance and entered into his first of two dance competitions. He placed top ten overall in both of them and received performance/showmanship awards along with a scholarship to New York Dance Experience. This provided multiple opportunities as an instructor and a performer.

Erick has performed as a dancer in House of Torment, numerous music videos, and Premios Texas with multiple artists like Gloria Trevi, Chingo Bling, Grupo Treo, and Danie Pearl just to name a few. Erick is an instructor at various studios throughout the Austin area and continues to spread his love for dance with others.