PEDAGOGY + LEADERSHIP

 

Assistant Artistic Director and Rehearsal Director                                                    January 2022-Present

Ballet Lubbock

•  Researching, Designing, Revamping and Implementing School Curriculum

•  Teaching Technique, Pointe, Variations, Conditioning, Dance History, and Biomechanics to all levels

•  Rehearsal Director:

o   Assisting choreographers and producers in the staging of new work.

  • Trey McIntyre, Wash Cycle, for Ballet Lubbock

  • Yvonne Racz Key, Cinderella, for Ballet Lubbock

  • Yvonne Racz Key, The Nutcracker, for Ballet Lubbock

o   Recording and documenting changes in choreography as required. 

o   Maintaining standards of existing repertoire, maximizing dancers’ technical and artistic capabilities.

o   In the absence of the original choreographer or producer, being fully conversant with the choreographer's artistic intentions including preparation and learning of these works using videos and/or notation scores provided.

•  Creating and setting choreography for productions.

•  Displaying the ability to lead, teach, and inspire dancers.

•  Creating weekly rehearsal schedule.

•  Monitoring stage rehearsals and performances to ensure all choreography is accurately reproduced and    artistic and professional excellence is maintained.

•  Assisting with and amending casting.

•  Attending all artistic team, staff, and select board meetings.

•  Keeping updated on schedule, artistic vision, upcoming productions, rehearsals, and performances.

•  Checking emails often and sending/receiving/filing emails for digital documentation.

•  Auditioning and recruiting new dancers. Providing feedback on auditionees.

•  Monitoring individual dancers’ professional standards in rehearsal and performance, providing feedback and guidance. Providing regular performance feedback. Providing input for dancers’ evaluation meetings.

•  Assisting with effective management to maintain a high level of professional excellence and morale.

•  Assisting in developing and maintaining effective team-working and ethic within and between departments.

•  Sustaining a strong collaborative artistic partnership with the Artistic Director and team.

•  Attending professional development/management training which supports the role.

•  Showing a broad knowledge of the international dance scene, a strong work ethic and excellent communication skills.

•  Being an ambassador and representative for the company. Acting in the best interest of the company.

•  Attending Development and Fundraising events.

•  Respecting confidentiality of all parties and communication.

•  Participating in the provision of a safe working environment.

•  Attending an Annual Evaluation meeting with the Artistic Director.

•  Assessing and communicating rehearsal requirements to dancers and leading rehearsals.

•  Teaching Ballet for Dance Connect and Community Youth Ballet (community outreach programs).

Instructor                                                                                                                           2022-Present

Texas Tech University, J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts

School of Theatre and Dance

•  Teach advanced ballet and contemporary dance.

•  Participate in recruitment efforts.

•  Lead auditions for prospective students and provide input.

•  Create a robust local dance ecosystem by involving and collaborating with venues, vendors, and artists for site-specific student work.

 

Repertory Coach, Instructor, Choreographer                                                                          2013-2023

The Ballet Institute New York (UNESCO, International Dance Council)

•  Teach ballet, variations, mixed repertory, Pilates, jazz, and choreography composition.

•  Choreograph for yearly productions.

•  Coach pre-professional students for auditions and performances.

 

Artist in Residence and Associate Professor of Dance                                                               2017-2023

Abilene Christian University (ACU), Department of Theatre

•  Spearheaded BFA dance track.

•  Designed and taught beginning through advanced ballet, tap, modern, jazz, conditioning and workshops.

•  Choreographed for mainstage and concert performances, as well as dance for film, Shakespeare, and site-specific work.

•  Participated in recruitment, fundraising, and outreach efforts.

 

Guest Instructor                                                                                                                              2021

Lynch Dance Institute

•  Taught ballet, tap, and jazz.

•  Taught private lessons and coached pre-professional dancers for performances, auditions, and competitions.

•  Choreographed for school performance.

 

Instructor                                                                                                                               2020-2021

Ballet Together

•  Taught Open Level Ballet, Beginner Adult Ballet, Pilates, and Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Tap.

 

Instructor                                                                                                                                        2020    

New Mexico State University, Department of Kinesiology and Dance

•  Taught Ballet I.

 

Instructor, Repertoire Coach                                                                                                  2018-2021

Abilene Ballet Theatre

•  Taught ballet, pointe, and variations. Coached pre-professional students for performances and competitions.

 

Founder and Instructor                                                                                                          2016-2017

Ballet Antwerpen

•  Developed, designed, and taught children’s ballet (ages 3-9), pre-professional ballet, beginner-advanced      Adult Ballet, Open Level Tap, and Turn Up/Turn Out (Ballet-Based Workout).

 

Teaching Assistant                                                                                                                  2008-2009            

School of American Ballet (SAB), Preparatory Division

•  Assisted in teaching children’s ballet classes by observing SAB course curriculum, demonstrating exercises and assisting in correcting students.

 

PROFESSIONAL DANCE EXPERIENCE

 

Opera Ballet Vlaanderen (formerly Royal Ballet of Flanders)                                                   2016-2017

•  Repertoire available upon request.

 

PDX Contemporary Ballet                                                                                                      2015-2016

•  Repertoire available upon request.

 

Ballet Next                                                                                                                             2012-2014

•  Repertoire available upon request.

 

New York City Ballet                                                                                                             2009-2012

•  Repertoire available upon request.

EDUCATION

 

School of American Ballet                                                                                                       2001-2010 Ballet Academy East                                                                                                               2006-2008 Pacific Northwest Ballet                                                                                                          2008, 2007

Central Penn. Youth Ballet                                                                                                            2007 American Ballet Theatre                                                                                                         2007, 2006

Hungarian National Ballet                                                                                                             2006

 

NOTABLE MENTORS

 

Ballet: Peter Boal, Wilhelm Burmann, Albert Evans, Darla Hoover, David Howard, Nikolaj Hubbe, Finis Jhung, Katrina Killian, Darci Kistler, Sean Lavery, Peter Martins, Kay Mazzo, Francis Patrelle, Francois Perron, Susan Pilarre, Suki Schorer, Jock Soto, Natalya Stavro, Sheryl Ware, Deborah Wingert

 

Jazz / Musical Theater: Sheila Barker, Frank Hatchett, Diana Laurenson, Luigi, Lainie Munro, Ann Reinking

 

Tap: Savion Glover, Germaine Goodson, Chuck Kelly, Mike Minery

 

GUESTINGS + COLLABORATIONS

Ballet Lubbock

The Nutcracker

Yvonne Racz Key

Sugar Plum

2013

Moonlight Musicals

CATS

Gerald Dolter

Cassandra

2013

White Birch Ballet

Flutter in the Dovecote

Joshua Beamish

Principal

2013

White Birch Ballet

Species, Interrupted

Constance Cooke

Soloist

2013

Dance Theater of Harlem

White Shirt…

David Fernandez

Soloist

2013

Performa 11

Cockaigne

Charles Askegard

Soloist

2012

NY Choreographic Institute

Atonement

Joshua Beamish

Soloist

2009

NY Choreographic Institute

Klavishi Pianino

Yury Smekalov

Soloist

2009

 

CHOREOGRAPHY

Ballet Lubbock

CLICK!

 2023

Ballet Lubbock

The Nutcracker

 2022

ACU Theatre

The Little Mermaid

 2022

Ballet Lubbock

Encore

 2022

Paramount Theater ABI

Hello, Dolly!

 2022

Ballet Lubbock

Cinderella

 2022

ACU Theatre

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

 2021

Beltway Park

Champion

 2020

ACU Theatre

One Night Only Encore

 2020

ACU Theatre

Beauty and the Beast

 2019

Paramount Theater ABI

Newsies

 2019

ACU Theatre

Bright Star

 2019

ACU Theatre

One Night Only

 2019

ACU Theatre

An Evening of Gershwin

 2019

ACU Theatre

Wonderful Town

 2019

ABI Shakespeare Fest

Merry Wives of Windsor

 2018

ACU Theatre

Sense and Sensibility

 2018

ACU Theatre

James and the Giant Peach

 2018

ACU Theatre

An Evening of Tchaikovsky

 2017

ACU Theatre

CATS

 2017

SAB Choreographic Workshop

 

Road Movies

 2010

For Film

Beyond Star Films

Dangerous Ones

 2021

 

ACU Theatre

Cinderella

    2020

Personal

Can’t Bring It with You

 2020

 

 

SPEAKING EVENTS

Ballet Lubbock                                                                                                                              2023

“Balanchine vs Petipa” with Cynthia Dragoni, founder of Ballet Institute NY      

•  Spoke about the intersectionality and differences between Petipa and Balanchine.

 

Texas Tech University College of Architecture                                                                                2022

ARCH 3602 // Architectural Design Studio VI with Jeremy Wahlberg

•  Spoke about theater architecture as related to dance, with a tour of Buddy Holly Hall and an improvisational dance class for architecture students focused on stage layout, spatial usage, and stage design. Joined Studio Review to critique students’ final projects.

 

Abilene Christian University                                                                                                           2020

Physics Department Honors Colloquium

•  Created and presented “Physics, Mechanics, and Structure in Biological Organisms as Found in Ballet”.

Featured demonstrators included Alexander Maryianowski of the Paris Opera Ballet, as well as ACU students.

 

Abilene Christian University, Department of Sports Medicine                                                         2019

•  Co-presented “Diagnosing Hip Injuries in Dancers” with Adam Ybarra.

 

 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

 

CPR/AED Certified, Certified Mat Pilates Instructor, National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer

 

REFERENCES

Available upon request.