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Summer Intensives Faculty
	New York	North Carolina	Alabama	Texas	California	Bermuda	Collegiate

NEW YORK SUMMER INTENSIVE

Melissa Allen Bowman (Artistic Director of Summer Intensives) began her classical ballet training at age six with Lois Ellyn, formerly of New York City Ballet, and at age eleven began training with Stanley Holden and Margaret Graham Hills, both from The Royal Ballet in London. At age fifteen, she was invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre, where she danced for the next seven years. During that time, Bowman began her own ballet company, the Emerson Dance Theatre, which featured up-and-coming ABT dancers. From 1981 to 1988, Bowman also appeared in several of ABT’s Great Performances in America. In 1988, she moved to Europe to join the Bern Ballet in Switzerland and then the Zurich Ballet with Uwe Scholz. In 1990, she followed Scholz to Leipzig, Germany, where she danced many soloist and principal roles and became his associate director. Bowman returned to the United States in 1999 to join the staff of the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, where in 2000 she became resident choreographer and associate director. While at PYB, she choreographed many pieces for their youth company that were performed not only at the Regional Dance America festivals but also for the Pittsburgh Symphony. Since 2001, Bowman has taught at ABT Summer Intensive in Detroit and, in 2007, became an advisor to ABT’s National Training Curriculum committee. She has also been an adjudicator for the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts for the past two years. In 2004, she established, with her husband Richard, Danse Conservatory and California Danse Theatre Youth Ballet and served as the Artistic Director for five years. Ms. Bowman is currently the Assistant Principal of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT as well as Artistic Director of Summer Intensives.

Ethan Brown was born in New York City and received his training at the School of American Ballet. He joined the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre in 1981, was promoted to soloist in 1988. Brown danced a wide range of ABT’s repertoire through 2004. He is on the faculty of the ABT Summer Intensives in New York City and Bermuda and also guest teaches with the main Company. He is on the faculty of The School at STEPS and regularly guest teaches at STEPS on Broadway in New York City. Brown judges ballet competitions for Youth America Grand Prix and regularly guest teaches and coaches for Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

Gabrielle Brown began dancing at the age of five with former Ballet Russe dancer, Vera Nemtchinova, in New York City. At the age of twelve she was awarded a scholarship to the American Ballet Theatre School where she studied with Patricia Wilde, Leon Danielian and Michael Maule. In 1980, she joined ABT as a member of the corps de ballet, achieving the rank of soloist in 1991. At ABT, Brown performed soloist and principal roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Jardin Aux Lilas, Fancy Free, La Bayadère, Airs, The Leaves Are Fading, Swan Lake, Theme and Variations, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Mat Ek’s pas de deux Grass and many others. After retiring from ABT in 1996, Brown began teaching ballet, bringing sixteen years of experience as a ballerina to the classroom. Since embarking on her new career, Brown has enjoyed teaching at a number of distinguished ballet schools and programs including ABT Summer Intensive Programs in New York, California, and Alabama, North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Summer Program, UCLA, California Institute of the Arts, Pasadena Dance Theatre, State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara and the Anaheim Ballet. Brown is currently the resident ballet teacher at the Viewpoint School in California.

Leslie Browne received her early training from her parents, Kelly and Isabel Brown, who were both former members of American Ballet Theatre. She also spent summers studying at the ABT School and with Walter Camryn and Bently Stone. Browne joined the School of American Ballet at age fourteen on scholarship. At sixteen, she joined New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine. At seventeen, she was cast in the role of “Emilia” in the motion picture The Turning Point. Browne joined American Ballet Theatre in 1976 as a Soloist and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1986. Since leaving ABT in 1993, Browne has enjoyed teaching and choreographing throughout the United States. She is currently on faculty at The School at STEPS in New York City and enjoys guest teaching and giving master classes.

Harriet Clark is a native New Yorker though she began her training at the Houston Ballet School. She received her professional training at the School of American Ballet. While still a student at the school she was chosen to perform with Makarova and Company on Broadway, and danced as a soloist in ballets with Cynthia Gregory, Anthony Dowell, Fernando Bujones, as well as Natalia Makarova who was the Artistic Director. Later that year she joined American Ballet Theatre, then under the directorship of Mikhail Baryshnikov, where she performed not only the classics, but also in the works of George Balanchine, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Anthony Tudor, and Twyla Tharp. Clark went on to dance as a soloist at The Pacific Northwest Ballet. For many years Clark performed as the Dance Captain and Swing of the Broadway Production of The Phantom of the Opera. As such she was in charge of teaching and rehearsing all of the choreography and much of the musical staging in the show as well as covering and performing every female ensemble role (dancers as well as singers) and a few of the male roles as well. Clark currently teaches for the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre and is on the ABT Artistic Board of Examiners.

Franco De Vita (Principal of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre) graduated from the Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Charleroi, Belgium, and was awarded the “Premier Prix” and Gold Medal. De Vita made his professional stage debut at age 9 and began his career as a professional ballet dancer at the age of 15. He danced with several European companies, in ballets of the classical repertoire, and by choreographers such as Peter Van Dyk, George Skibine, Antony Tudor and George Balanchine. In Europe, he performed in musical comedies and operettas such as Hello Dolly, Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady. After retiring from performing, De Vita acquired the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma and the highest teaching degree given by the Italian Ministry of Education through the “Accademia Nazionale di Danza”, Rome. He is a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London. In 1983, he directed, together with Raymond Lukens, the Hamlyn School of Ballet in Florence, Italy. He was President and co-founder of the Associazione Nazione Coreutica Enrico Cecchetti (the Italian Cecchetti Society). In New York City, De Vita was a faculty member at The Ailey School, The Ailey/Fordham BFA program and a guest company teacher for The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Ailey II. He was company teacher for Hartford Ballet and principal faculty member of the School of Hartford Ballet and the BFA dance program of the University of Hartford. In Hartford, he was part of the task force that revised Hartford Ballet School’s curriculum. Before joining American Ballet Theatre, De Vita was Dean of Faculty and Curriculum of the Boston Ballet School and company teacher for Boston Ballet. De Vita has been a guest teacher for Virginia School of the Arts, Peridance International, Dance Connecticut, Dance Educators of America, Youth America Grand Prix and for Alberta Ballet Company and School. De Vita’s students have won prestigious international dance competitions including the Prix de Lausanne and have danced in many of the world’s major companies such as London’s Royal Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, The English National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Boston Ballet.

Olga Dvorovenko is a former principal dancer and ballet mistress for the Ukrainian State Academic Dance Ensemble. She was the Recipient of the Honored Artist Award of Ukraine, given by the President, has performed in practically every country of the world, and has taught master classes in Canada and France. Dvorovenko came to the United States in 1996 and turned her focus towards teaching and sharing her wealth of knowledge with the next generation of dancers. In 2002, she was invited by American Ballet Theatre to dance the role of Madame in Antony Tudor’s Offenbach in the Underworld. Currently, Dvorovenko is also on the faculty of Ballet Academy East, the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre and the ABT Studio Company.

Carmela Gallace is a former principal dancer with The Moiseyev Dance Company and former soloist with Riverdance The Show. Additionally, she has performed as a guest artist for The Miami City Ballet, The Kirov Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet. Carmela is also a graduate of the NYU-Masters program in Dance Education/ABT Pedagogy, The Bolshoi Ballet Academy (Moscow), and the Pinellas County Center for the Arts. She is ABT Certified (Primary-Level 7) in the National Training Curriculum and is currently teaching ballet, pointe and character dance at the JKO School atthe American Ballet Theatre and other dance schools throughout the city.

Joe Istre’s unique approach to teaching combined with his understanding of the art keeps him in demand all over the country. He has danced in such shows as 42nd St, Chess, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and was part of the Dirty Dancing Tour. Istre assisted with the West End show Hot Mikado in London, the Tony nominated Broadway show Ain’t Broadway Grand, and the German version of Beauty and the Beast. Most recently Istre workshopped the show Contact for Lincoln Center choreographed by Susan Stroman. Istre has choreographed shows for HBO, Midas Muffler, American Express, and Merle Norman Cosmetics. He teaches for many universities, dance companies, and conventions throughout the U.S. as well as at home in the New York area.

To critical acclaim, Jessica Lang is known for her inventive vision, deep artistry and emotionally spellbinding choreography. Lang has created work on companies including Colorado Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Washington Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Saint Louis Ballet, ABT II, Ailey II, Hubbard Street 2, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Ballet de Monterey, and New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute, among others. Her choreography has been performed throughout the U.S. and abroad including Japan, France, Mexico, and South Africa. She has also received unique commissions from the Dallas Museum of Art to create a new work for their Henri Matisse Exhibition as well as from The Juilliard School for its Centennial Celebration Concert. Currently, ABT Principals Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky are performing her work Splendid Isolation III in ballet galas around the world. Commercially, Lang has choreographed for BMW International Industrials as well as for Cirque du Soleil when she served as the evaluator for their NYC auditions. She has received numerous grants for her choreography including three NEA grants in sole support of her new creations on Richmond Ballet and Colorado Ballet in 2007 as well as for Milwaukee Ballet in 2008. Lang has taught and choreographed at universities and prestigious institutions including The Juilliard School, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, The Ailey School/Fordham BFA Program, Texas Christian University, Bucknell University, Princeton University, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts, Interlochen Arts Academy, Kaatsbaan International’s Extreme Ballet, Perry-Mansfield and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She is on faculty at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre as well as for ABT’s summer programs in NYC. Jessica Lang is a graduate of The Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. She became a member of Twyla Tharp's company "THARP!" where she performed in major dance festivals around the world. She also worked with Tharp in her Diabelli Project that premiered in Palermo, Italy in 1998. To learn more, visit www.jesslang.com.

Raymond Lukens has been a faculty member of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (JKO) School since 2005. He was director of Boston Ballet II and Ballet Master for Boston Ballet. In New York City, he has also taught for American Ballet Theatre, the ABT Studio Company, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School, Peridance International, Marymount Manhattan College and Dance Theatre of Harlem. Lukens has taught in North and Latin America, Australia, Europe, Japan and South Africa. He was Ballet Master for Hartford Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, and Alberta Ballet. As a dancer Lukens toured extensively, and performed the works of Van Dyk, Balanchine, Petipa, Bournonville, Lifar, Nijinska and Skibine among others. He obtained the highest qualifications as a pedagogue in London with the Cecchetti Society. Lukens is ballet teacher for the Dance Educators of America (DEA) Teacher Training School and choreographed the set exercises and variations for DEA’s Ballet Competition. Lukens together with JKO School Principal Franco De Vita directed the Hamlyn School of Dance in Florence, Italy; and authored the ABT National Training Curriculum. Lukens created the syllabi for the New York University Masters Degree program in ABT Ballet pedagogy.

Kate Lydon, born in Berkeley, California, began ballet and movement classes at the age of three. Her professional training includes American Ballet Theatre’s School of Classical Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School. She danced with San Francisco Ballet for five years before joining American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in 1995. Her repertoire with ABT includes Polyhymnia in Apollo, the pas d’action in La Bayadère, the Spring Fairy in Cinderella, Prayer in Coppélia, Zulma in Giselle, and The Rancher’s Daughter in Rodeo. Lydon’s teaching credits include American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive programs in New York and Bermuda, ABT’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and ABT’s Ballet for the Young Dancer program in Greenwich, CT. In late September 2008, she taught a professional development workshop at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance program. Lydon is currently Editor-in-Chief of Dance Spirit Magazine and is on the ABT Artistic Board of Examiners.

Erika Pujic was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she began her dance training at the School of Cleveland Ballet. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Juilliard School where she was the recipient of the Martha Hill Award. Upon graduation, Pujic danced with Gloria Marina’s Spanish Dance Ensemble performing in New Jersey Opera’s Carmen. She was a principal dancer and rehearsal director for Henning Rubsam’s SENSEDANCE for seven years. Pujic was a founding member and rehearsal director for Battleworks Dance Company during its 10-year span. She has been an integral part of the creation of many works for Robert Battle and she has been dancing and setting his works for the past 20 years. She is currently teaching at The Ailey School, an adjunct professor at Queensborough Community College and a guest teacher at Marymount Manhattan College and Skidmore College. Pujic is also working with the American Dance Legacy Institute (ADLI).

Rosanna Seravalli was born in Florence, Italy where she began ballet classes at the School of Daria Collin. Shortly after her arrival in the U.S. she joined the Joffrey Ballet, then moved to American Ballet Theatre where she spent the next eleven years, reaching the rank of soloist. Seravalli is currently professor of ballet in the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College – SUNY. She has staged works and taught for the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and the National Institute for the Arts in Taiwan, the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Beijing Academy of Dance, Ballet Philippines, Ballet Municipal de Santiago, the Guangdong Modern Dance Company in China, the University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts, and the Queensland Institute of Technology (Australia), in Spain and in her home country of Italy, as well as throughout the United States. She has received a SUNY Research Foundation grant to develop methods for adapting Russian Classical training for American dancers, and in 1995 was a recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to Chile (Santiago) and neighboring countries. For the past three years, Seravalli has been a regular guest faculty member for the National Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore where she has also staged a piece each year for the graduating seniors in ballet. In addition, she recently was a guest instructor at the School of the Houston Ballet.

Lupe Serrano had a distinguished performing career as a leading ballerina with American Ballet Theatre for two decades, beginning 1953. She began her teaching career at the University of Milwaukee and later served as Assistant Director at The National Academy of Dance in Illinois. In 1974, she joined The Pennsylvania Ballet as company teacher and head of the apprentice program. She also directed the school for eight years. In 1988, Serrano joined The Washington Ballet as artistic associate where she taught and coached the company and the advanced students. Currently, Serrano teaches company class for American Ballet Theatre, ABT Studio Company, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre.

Richard Toda performed on Broadway and with the National Touring companies of The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Hal Prince. Prior to the many Phantom years, he danced Jerome Robbins’ choreography of West Side Story, Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line, Oklahoma, My Fair Lady and Guys and Dolls at Indiana Repertory Theatre, and Annie Get your Gun at North Shore Music Theatre. Toda’s association with ABT began as a rehearsal assistant for Agnes de Mille as she set and revived two ballets for the Company: The Other and Tally Ho. Toda began his professional training at Syracuse University, where he holds a BFA in Music Theatre. While working in regional theater and opera company productions and waiting for his Broadway break, Toda continued his training in Jazz technique with Lynn Simonson and Michael Shawn. He received scholarships and professional support from David Howard and his ballet faculty, and studied with many of New York’s ballet teachers notably Tina Bernal and Simon Dow. Toda assumed his position in the Education Department after five years of facilitating ABT’s Make a Ballet programs and developing a range of educational outreach programs. During these performing and teaching years, he also grew his classes at the The Ailey School and worked as a teaching artist for Jacque D’Amboise National Dance Institute and the New York City Ballet. Toda is certified to teach the first four levels of ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Toda is the Artistic Coordinator of the Young Dancer Program for Bermuda’s National Dance foundation. As an educator Toda has participated in the development of ABT’s centerpiece program Make a Ballet facilitating the program in New York’s Metropolitan area public schools and hub cities across the country. He represents ABT in studio master classes and many educational partnerships and special events.

New York Summer Intensive faculty will also include special guest teachers:

Kevin McKenzie (Artistic Director of ABT), a native of Vermont, received his ballet training at the Washington School of Ballet. In 1972, McKenzie was awarded a Silver medal at the Sixth International Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He was a leading dancer with both the National Ballet of Washington and The Joffrey Ballet before joining American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in March 1979. McKenzie was appointed a Principal dancer the following December and danced with the Company until 1991. As a Principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre, McKenzie danced leading roles in all of the major full-length classics including Solor in La Bayadère, Don Jose in Carmen, the Prince in Mikhail Baryshnikov's production of the full-length Cinderella, Franz in Coppélia, the Gentleman With Her in Dim Lustre, Basil and Espada in Don Quixote (Kitri's Wedding), Albrecht in Giselle, a leading role in The Garden of Villandry, Her Lover in Jardin aux Lilas, the leading role in The Leaves Are Fading, the Friend in Pillar of Fire, the leading role in Raymonda (Grand Pas Hongrois), a featured role in Requiem, the Champion Roper in Rodeo, Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Prince Desire in The Sleeping Beauty, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, James in La Sylphide and the leading roles in Other Dances, Paquita, Les Sylphides, the Sylvia Pas de Deux and Theme and Variations. He created the role of Amnon in Martine van Hamel's Amnon V'Tamar and a leading role in Clark Tippet's S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. During his performing career, McKenzie performed as a guest artist in cities throughout the world, including Spoleto, Italy, Paris, London, Tokyo, Havana, Moscow, Vienna and Korea, dancing with, among others, the London Festival Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba and the Universal Ballet in Seoul. In September 1989, McKenzie was appointed a permanent guest artist with The Washington Ballet, and, in 1991, assumed the position of Artistic Associate of that company. He has also acted as Associate Artistic Director of, and a choreographer with, Martine van Hamel's New Amsterdam Ballet. McKenzie was appointed Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre in October 1992. His choreographic credits include Groupo Zamboria (1984) and Liszt Études, now called Transcendental Études, (1991), both for Martine van Hamel's New Amsterdam Ballet, Lucy and the Count (1992) for The Washington Ballet, and the full-length classic The Nutcracker (1993), Don Quixote (1995) in collaboration with Susan Jones, and a new production of Swan Lake (2000), all for American Ballet Theatre.

Susan Jones (ABT Ballet Mistress) was born in York, Pennsylvania and began her early dance training there. She continued her studies with Lucille Hood at the Rockville School of Ballet, Rockville, Maryland, and with Mary Day at the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, D.C. In 1969, she accepted an apprenticeship with the Joffrey Ballet, dancing with the original Joffrey II, and made her professional debut with the New York City Opera, Robert Joffrey, choreographic director. Jones joined American Ballet Theatre in 1971 and danced with the Company for eight successive seasons. Among her roles were the Cowgirl in Rodeo and Lizzie Bordon as a child in Fall River Legend. Her transition from dancing to staff began in 1976 when she assisted Twyla Tharp with Push Comes to Shove. She was appointed Assistant Ballet Mistress in 1978. Retiring as a dancer at the close of the 1979/80 season, she was appointed Ballet Mistress in the spring of 1980 and Regisseur in 1982. Jones has returned to ABT after a three-year absence during which she mounted Natalia Makarova's full-length La Bayadère for the Ballet del Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Mikhail Barysnikov's production of Don Quixote (Kitri's Wedding) for The Royal Ballet.

Clinton Luckett (ABT Ballet Master) was a dancer with American Ballet Theatre for ten years. His professional career spanned fifteen years and began at the National Ballet of Canada. As a dancer he created roles in original works by Glen Tetley, William Forsythe, John Neumeier, and James Kudelka among others and appeared in featured roles in most of the full-length ballets in the classical repertoire. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his dance training there, and after two years of study at the National Ballet School in Toronto, joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1987. In 1992 Luckett came to American Ballet Theatre where he was featured in the works of Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Agnes De Mille, Jiri Kylian, Lar Lubovitch, Kenneth MacMillan, Mark Morris, and Antony Tudor. He appeared on television in the PBS/Dance in America programs ABT Now and Le Corsaire, and in the CBC/Rombus Media productions of Glen Tetley’s Alice and La Ronde. A faculty member of the ABT New York Summer Intensive since 2001, Luckett assumed his position as the Artistic Associate for Education and Training in 2002 where he taught, rehearsed, and coordinated ABT Studio Company and also served as a Company Teacher at ABT and as the Artistic Coordinator of ABT’s first Bermuda Summer Intensive in 2005. Luckett has been a guest teacher for the Alvin Ailey company and taught ballet at New York University.

Nancy Raffa (ABT Ballet Mistress) was born in Brooklyn, New York, and received her early training with Madame Gabriella Darvash. In 1980, she became the youngest and first American female to win the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne competition in Switzerland. The same year, Raffa joined Makarova and Company on Broadway and, at age 16, became a member of the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre. She joined Ballet de Santiago in 1985 as a principal dancer and was also a principal dancer at Ballet National Française de Nancy. In 1992, she became a principal dancer with Miami City Ballet. She began her teaching career in Miami at the New World School of the Arts and joined the staff of the Miami City Ballet School in 1994, becoming the coordinator for the School’s summer intensive program and Ballet for Young People program. Among her many awards, Raffa was twice awarded a special teacher’s recognition from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts and won a grant from the United States Information Services to act as a cultural ambassador and teacher for the company and school in Honduras. Raffa holds an Ace certification in exercise physiology and graduated magna cum laude in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Thomas University. Raffa was appointed Ballet Mistress with American Ballet Theatre in June 2007.

David Howard received his early training from the Cone-Ripman School, now the Arts Educational School in London. At the age of 17, he was awarded the Adeline Genee Medal, the highest honor a British dance student can receive. Working as a principal dancer at London’s Palladium Theatre he was honored by appearing in a Royal Command Performance before Queen Elizabeth II. He later joined Sadler’s Wells Theatre Ballet, now The Royal Ballet and was promoted to soloist status. After a successful performing career, Howard came to New York at the invitation of Rebekah Harkness in 1966 to teach and later direct the Harkness Ballet School. With the Harkness Ballet Company, he held the positions of principal teacher and ballet master. David Howard has been a mainstay in the professional training of many notable dancers. In addition, he teaches class, twice a week, at the New School University, Eugene Lang College. In 2000, he was Artistic Director of the First World Congress of Ballet and Contemporary Dance in Mexico. He has worked with theatre, television and motion picture stars, most recently Mary Tyler Moore and John Lithgow. In addition to being the 2007 Education Spokesperson for National Dance Week, David Howard is also the recipient of a Dance Masters of America Award and received a Doctor of Performing Arts Honorary Degree from Oklahoma City University. He served as President of the National Association of Regional Ballet in America and is prominent on the board of many dance-affiliated companies and dance publications.

NORTH CAROLINA SUMMER INTENSIVE

Alaine Haubert (Artistic Coordinator), a fourth generation Californian, has the unique distinction of having been associated with America’s three major companies. She received her training from age fifteen at the School of American Ballet in New York City where she studied with George Balanchine and his illustrious post-Diaghilev faculty. After graduation from high school, she performed with San Francisco’s Pacific Ballet, and then joined the national touring company of Camelot. In 1965 after a year on the road with Camelot, Haubert joined American Ballet Theatre, where she performed corps de ballet, soloist and principal roles. She was coached during this period by such diverse and exciting choreographers as Antony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Jerome Robbins, Elliot Feld, Birgit Culberg, Herald Lander, and Glen Tetley, and also danced the classics. In 1969 Haubert joined the Joffrey Ballet as principal dancer performing leading roles in many ballets including The Green Table, The Dream, Feast of Ashes, The Moor’s Pavane, The Still Point, The Three Cornered Hat, Cakewalk and Le Bleu Danube. After nearly a decade with the Joffrey Ballet, a serious back injury ended Haubert’s performing career, and she began teaching and coaching in such wide-ranging locations as Europe, Japan, Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. In 1986, Haubert moved to Hawaii where she was on faculty at the University of Hawaii for seven years. In 1993, Haubert was invited by Kevin McKenzie to return to New York as Ballet Mistress for American Ballet Theatre, where she instructed, coached, and rehearsed the world’s leading dancers for four years. She now makes her home in California where she was on faculty at California State University, Long Beach for six years. She continues her association with ABT and annually travels the U.S. auditioning dancers for the ABT Summer Intensives. She has been Artistic Coordinator of the ABT Detroit Summer Intensive for thirteen years. In spring, 2002, Haubert had the honor of adjudicating the Pacific Region for Regional Dance America (RDA) and in 2003 was adjudicator for the Southwest Region. Haubert continues to travel worldwide, offering master classes and workshops and scouting for future ballet professionals.

Warren Conover, a former Soloist with American Ballet Theatre, performed a wide range of roles from classical to demi-character to modern in more than fifty ballets. He has also appeared on several Live from Lincoln Center broadcasts; a Dance in America presentation and he performed a feature role in the television broadcast of Baryshnikov’s The Nutcracker. He was a faculty member at the Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance, the Gus Giordano Dance Center and the Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago for thirteen years. For ten years, Conover was the Artistic Associate/Ballet Master for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, touring extensively throughout the United States, South America, and Europe. In 1994, Conover joined the faculty of the University North Carolina School of the Arts, where he is Assistant Dean/School of Dance. Since that time he has staged and choreographed numerous ballets for the School of the Arts. In February 1997, he returned to American Ballet Theatre to restage Frederick Ashton’s Les Patineurs, which had been absent from their repertoire for twelve years. Conover continues to guest teach nationally, including the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive program, the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association, the Regional Dance America Northeast Festival as well as a long association with Chicago Dance Masters of America.

Ted Kivitt is a former Principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, International Guest Artist and Artistic Director of The Milwaukee Ballet. On stage, Kivitt was known throughout the world as one of American Ballet Theatre’s danseurs nobles. After dancing with ABT from 1961 to 1979, he made the challenging transition from performer to director, teacher and administrator of the Milwaukee Ballet, which he led to national acclaim. Kivitt has performed world wide, partnering many of the world’s leading ballerinas, including Cynthia Gregory, Eleanor D’Antuono, Lupe Serrano, Michelle Lucci, Carla Fracci, Gelsey Kirkland, Marianna Tcherkassky, and Natalia Makarova. In addition to his many appearances with ABT as a Principal dancer, he has also been a popular guest artist and teacher throughout the world. His performances in Russia, England, Spain, Italy, Japan, France, Cuba and Central and South America have received standing ovations and critical acclaim. In 1975, he was the first American male dancer invited to dance in Cuba. In the summer of 1977, Kivitt was invited to perform with Cynthia Gregory at a “Command Performance” at the White House for President Jimmy Carter in honor of the President of Venezuela. Currently, Kivitt is an Associate Professor in the Conservatory of Dance at Purchase College.

Robert La Fosse was born in Beaumont, Texas, and received his ballet training at the Marsha Woody Academy of Dance. He continued his studies in New York with David Howard at Harkness House and Stanley Williams at The School of American Ballet. He joined American Ballet Theatre in 1977, where he danced as a Principal Dancer for nine years. In 1986, He joined New York City Ballet as a Principal Dancer. Throughout his career, he has danced leading roles in many full-length ballets including Albrecht and Hilarion in Giselle, James inLa Sylphide, Franz and Dr. Coppelius in Coppélia, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (Act II), Solor in La Bayadère and the U.S. premiere of Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet. His enormous repertory includes leading roles in works by world-renowned choreographers, including Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Anthony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lila, Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, The Little Ballett, Deuce Coupe,The Golden Section and Nine Sinatra Songs. With the New York City Ballet, Mr. LaFosse has danced in George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, Ivesiana, Prodigal Son, Scotch Symphony, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Union Jack, Vienna Waltzes and Who Cares?, Jerome Robbins’ Afternoon of a Faun, Brahms/Handel (choreographed with Twyla Tharp), The Concert, Dances at a Gathering, Fancy Free, Fanfare, The Four Seasons, Gershwin Concerto, The goldberg variations, I'm Old Fashioned, In G Major, Interplay, Ives, Songs, Other dances, Piano Pieces, Opus 19/The Dreamer and Watermill, and Peter Martins’ Concerto for Two Solo Pianos. He originated roles in Jerome Robbins’ Quiet City, Piccolo Balletto and West Side Story Suite, Twyla Tharp’s Bach Partita, Octet and Sextet, Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk, and Peter Martins’ A Fool for You and Tea-Rose. In addition to his work in classical ballet, Mr. La Fosse has also starred in Broadway productions of Bob Fosse’s Dancin'’ and Jerome Robbins' Broadway, for which he received a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1992 he was a guest artist with Twyla Tharp and Dancers at City Center. He also serves as Artistic Director of “Stars of American Ballet,” a small touring group consisting of principals and soloists from American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. In addition to performing, LaFosse is also a choreographer. His first ballet, a pas de deux, choreographed in 1985, Rappacini's Daughter , was created for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Company’s tour. For the School of American Ballet Workshop he choreographed Yesterdays (1987). For the New York City Ballet’s American Music Festival, he choreographed Woodland Sketches (1988). In 1989 he was awarded a grant from the New York State Council of the Arts to choreograph a work to Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E Flat. In 1990, at the invitation of Lincoln Kirstein, he created the ballet Puss in Boots to a commissioned score by Larry Spivack, for the School of American Ballet. In that same year he created Gretry Pas de Deux for the New York City Ballet. In 1991 he received the Mae L. Wien award for choreography, and choreographed Waltz Trilogy for the New York City Ballet. He was then commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum’s “Works in Process” series to create new worksOsiris and Four for 4. In 1992 he choreographed I Have My Own Room for NYCB’s Diamond Project. In 1993, he choreographed a pas de deux, October as part of “A Demand Performance,” for the Design Industries Foundation for AIDS (DIFFA). In the same year, he collaborated with John Kelly and Company in Light Shall Lift Them for Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival. In 1994 he choreographed Adrian Lecouvrear for the Metropolitan Opera, Rags for the Bavarian State Opera Ballet and Danses de Cour for NYCB’s Diamond Project. In 1995 he choreographed the musical Splendora at the American Place Theatre. In 1996 he choreographed Stars & Stripes Forever for Les Ballets Trocadero de Monte Carlo and a pas de deux The Duel. LaFosse choreographed Concerto in Five Movements for the Company’s Diamond Project in 1997 and Tributary for the company’s 2000 Diamond Project. In 2001, he choreographed the dance sequences for Carousel at the Paper Mill Playhouse. LaFosse’s television appearances include “American Ballet Theatre in San Francisco,” Anthony Tudor’s Jardin aux Lilasand Lynne Taylor Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk , the ABT "Live from Lincoln Center” broadcast dancing Kenneth MacMillan’s Triad, and in “Baryshnikov Dances Tharp,” in Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove. LaFosse appeared in the “Live from Lincoln Center” telecast of “Ray Charles in concert with the New York City Ballet” in the role Peter Martins created for him in his ballet A Fool for You and the “Dance in America” program, “Balanchine in America” in Western Symphony. For"Great Performances’ 20th Anniversary Special” he danced with Kyra Nichols in Peter Martins’ Not My Girl. In the winter of 1993, LaFosse appeared as Dr. Stahlaum in the film version of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, produced by Elektra Entertainment/Reency Enterprises. In 1987 Robert LaFosse wrote his autobiography entitled Nothing to Hide published by Donald I. Fine.

Colleen O'Callaghan danced with American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Lucia Chase and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She trained on scholarship with the schools of the Louisville Ballet, the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. Before joining American Ballet Theatre, she danced with ABT’s Ballet Repertory Company under the direction of Richard Englund and Gage Bush. O’Callaghan received a Bachelor of University Studies degree from the University of Utah. She has been teaching ballet for over 23 years and has been a faculty member of the University of Utah, Ballet West, California State Long Beach, California Institute of the Arts, the Stanley Holden Dance Center, Westside School of Ballet, Louisville Ballet and many other nationally recognized schools. For over five years she was the classical dance director for the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA). Currently, O'Callaghan is a faculty member for the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive programs. Most recently, she taught for ABT II and for the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City. She continues to teach for South Bay Ballet and California Dance Theater. She is a certified Yoga instructor and has developed a Yoga program for children in pre-K through grade 8 that has had much success throughout Southern California. The uniqueness of this situation is that the highly experienced teachers travel to the students, allowing the dancers to stay close to home and experience a professional and positive dance intensive. O'Callaghan lives with her husband and three children in Ventura, California.

ALABAMA SUMMER INTENSIVE

Carla Stallings Lippert (Artistic Coordinator) began her training with Marquerite Phares in Sacramento, CA. In 1974 and 1975, she was awarded scholarships at New York's School of American Ballet. In 1976, she received a scholarship to the then American Ballet Theatre School. Later that year she joined ABT II, and in 1977 was named to the corps of ABT. Lippert won the Bronze Medal in the Senior Division at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS in 1982. In 1983, she was promoted to the rank of Soloist at ABT by Mikhail Baryshnikov and danced with the Company in this position for another four years. In 1987, Carla joined Boston Ballet as a principal dancer, where she performed for nine years. She has danced as a guest artist with Baryshnikov and Company, Nureyev and Friends, the Pacific Northwest Ballet, and the Royal Danish Ballet. She has guest taught for the Boston Ballet company and school, the Boston Ballet Summer Dance program, the Harvard Summer Dance program, Capital Ballet of Sacramento, the Sacramento Area Dance Alliance, and Fort Worth City Ballet. She currently teaches at the Severance School of Dance in Fresno, CA. Her teaching specialties include classical ballet, including technique, pointe, and variations; hair and make-up for the stage; and re-staging the major works of the classical ballet repertoire. She lives in Fresno with her husband and four children.

Pamela Booth Bjerknes Born in Wilmington, Delaware, .Bjerknes began her studies with former Ballet Russe ballerina Helena Antonova and James Jameison. At age of 12, she received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to study at the School of American Ballet. Following her studies at SAB, she studied at American Ballet Theatre School and began her professional career with ABT II, (Ballet Repertory Company), under the direction of Gage Bush and Richard Englund. She later joined Houston Ballet, under the direction of Ben Stevenson, where she danced soloist and principal roles. Joining ABT under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Bjerknes danced all the classics from Swan Lake to La Bayadère along with ballets by Anthony Tudor, Agnes DeMille, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Following her career at ABT, she served as Ballet Mistress for the Universal Ballet Company in Seoul, Korea. Upon her return to the states, she founded a young dancers program, Ballet Ecole, in Bethesda Maryland. In addition to teaching at Ballet Ecole, she taught for the Maryland Youth Ballet and Washington Ballet. Joffrey Ballet requested she train the children for their first performances of The Nutcracker at the Kennedy Center and continued her work with Joffrey as a faculty for their Summer Intensives. In September 2000, Bjerknes and husband Michael Bjerknes founded the American Dance Institute in Rockville Maryland. In addition to teaching at the Institute, Bjerknes holds the position of Artistic Director Emeritus and is currently working on a degree in Elementary Education at Montgomery College.

Melissa Hale Coyle grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she received her early training from Roman Jasinski and Moscelyne Larkin. She studied as a scholarship student for two summers at American Ballet Theatre with Leon Danelion and Patricia Wilde. After graduating from high school, she joined American Ballet Theatre as a company member for three years. Hale later joined Cincinnati Ballet Company where she performed in principal roles and Tulsa Ballet Theatre where she was a principal dancer for six years. For the past 20 years, Hale has lived in Charlotte, North Carolina where she is on the faculty and Artistic Director of the Ballet Program at Sullivan Dance Centre, Artistic Director of Charlotte City Ballet Company, part-time faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and teaches company classes at North Carolina Dance Theatre. She has been a guest choreographer for the Charlotte Philharmonic Orchestra, Carolina Voices, Atlanta Dance Theatre, The Dance Collective, Ballet San Antonio, Civic Ballet of Chicago, South Carolina’s Governors Summer School and Orange County Performing Arts High School. In 2001, The North Carolina School of the Arts awarded Hale “Best Dance Teacher of North Carolina”.

Orlando Molina began his training at the age of ten in Cuba. In 1996, he directed and performed with Trujillo Ballet in Peru. In 1998, Molina was a competitor in Jackson International Ballet Competition, Mississippi, and the same year he was offered a contract for Cleveland Ballet. In 2000, Molina joined Orlando Ballet under the direction of Fernando Bujones. For the 2002-2003 season, he was appointed ballet master. In 2003, Molina coached Joseph Gatti, gold medal winner at the Youth American Grand Prix and recent gold medal winner at the New York International Ballet Competition. He has been a guest teacher with Spartanburg Ballet, Texas Christian University, Alabama Dance Theatre, Jackson Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, and most recently at Kowa Ballet in Okayama, Japan, and Ohio Dance Theatre. Orlando Molina 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.

Samantha Shelton has been on the ballet faculty for the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Detroit for the past ten years; teaching, setting ABT repertoire and choreographing new works for the final performance. She has also taught and choreographed for the professional ballet program at the Walnut Hill School in Boston, directed by former ABT Principal Michael Owen. Shelton was on faculty for three summers at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and an adjunct professor of ballet at Wayne State University in Detroit for seven years. Shelton received her professional training from the Joffrey Ballet School in New York and has performed extensively in both classical and contemporary ballets. Shelton holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan and two master’s degrees, a M.F.A. in Dance from the University of Michigan and a M.A. in Performing Arts Administration from New York University.

Lisa Slagle began her professional dancing career at the age of eleven when she appeared as a solo dancer in the Elvis Presley movie Clambake. She performed as a Soloist and Principal Dancer with the Joffrey Ballet in New York in the 1970’s. In the 1980’s, she performed as a Soloist with the Ballet du Grande Theatre de Geneve in Switzerland, and as a Principal Dancer with Tulsa Ballet Theatre. She brings to her students a wide range of training styles, having studied with world-renowned teachers in the Russian, Cecchetti, and Bournonville techniques. She and her husband, Tom, direct the Ballet Academy of Texas school in the Dallas, Texas area, where they have received the “Outstanding School” award from the Youth America Grand Prix organization’s Semi-Final in the Southwest for 2005, 2006, and 2007, as well as the “Outstanding Teachers” award in 2006. They are also directors of the pre-professional company, Ballet Ensemble of Texas. Ms. Nicholson has been a Master Teacher in the summers for Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Joffrey San Antonio Workshop, American Dance Institute in Washington, D.C. and the Orlando Ballet School in Florida. She is a consultant in American Ballet Theatre’s new Curriculum and Teacher Training program.

TEXAS SUMMER INTENSIVE

Wes Chapman (Artistic Coordinator), a native of Union Springs, Alabama, joined American Ballet Theatre in 1984 as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 1987 and to Principal Dancer in 1989. With ABT, Chapman performed all the leading roles in the ballet repertoire and in works by many of the twentieth century’s master choreographers, including George Balanchine, Agnes de Mille, Twyla Tharp and Antony Tudor. He also created leading roles in Clark Tippet’s Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 and Twyla Tharp’s The Elements. In 1993, he joined the Bavarian National Ballet as a principal dancer before returning to ABT in 1995. In 1996, Chapman was named Artistic Director of Alabama Ballet. During his leadership, the company grew from 16 to 44 professional and apprentice dancers. He also founded the Alabama Ballet School, the apprentice pre-professional training program and the Alabama Ballet Summer Program. Mr. Chapman returned to ABT as ballet master in 2006 before being named Artistic Director of ABT II in 2007. He also serves as a national spokesperson for Regional Dance America and as dance advisor for Angelina Ballerina©.

David Justin is steadily revealing himself as a dynamic producer and curator of exceptional dance. Possessing an eclectic contemporary taste founded in classicism, Justin successfully draws the people and elements together from dance, music, scenic and lighting design to create a beautiful, meaningful experience for audiences. Whether it is his own choreography or the work of a great master, Justin's attention to detail within the broad artistic stroke is perfectly balanced. As Artistic Director of American Repertory Ensemble, Justin combines his experiences to present a community organization founded on excellence in the pursuit of communication through art. Formerly a Principal Dancer with Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), a Soloist with San Francisco Ballet (SFB) and Boston Ballet, Justin has toured extensively across the globe performing at Lincoln Center, NY, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, Paris Opera, Paris as well as major houses in Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and South Africa. His repertoire is vast, spanning many eras and genres of dance. He has performed principal roles from many of the classics; Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppéllia, La Fille Mal Gardée, Le Corsaire, Don Quixote and others; to the Champion Roper in Agnes DeMille's Rodeo, and the Husband in Robbins' The Concert, Pulcinella in Caniparoli's Pulcinella, King Arthur in Bintley's Arthur, and Gaveston in Edward II. Justin has also been privileged to dance Principal roles in many 20th century choreographers' masterpieces including the works of Balanchine, Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, Val Caniparoli, Stanton Welsh, Jiri Kylian, James Kudelka, Hans Van Manen, Kenneth MacMillan, Paul Taylor and William Forsythe among many more. Justin's dancing has been described as 'alluring and mercurial', 'polished', 'brilliant', and 'fearless'. With a choreographic career over fifteen years and a performance career over thirty years. He has created works on dancers from around the world including New York City Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet de Monte Carlo, Atlanta Ballet, Alberta Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, American Repertory Ensemble and others. Justin travels regularly as a guest teacher to work with ballet companies and schools including Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Royal Ballet School of London, and Salzburg International Ballet Academy. Justin's critically acclaimed Solemn Opus: The Journey of Lost and Found has been performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, in Greece at the 20th World Congress on Dance, UNESCO, and at the Ballet Builders Choreographers' Showcase in New York City. He has also choreographed for the Commonwealth Games, and the Lord Mayor of London Parade in the United Kingdom. Justin holds a Master of Arts degree from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom and serves as the Dance Program Head. He is an Associate Professor of Dance at UT, and Co-Producer of The University Co-op Presents the Cohen New Works Festival, the largest festival of performance related student generated art in the country.

Amy Rose joined American Ballet Theatre in 1979 at the age of sixteen and danced with the Company until 1992, rising to the rank of Soloist. During that time she also performed with Mikhail Baryshnikov in Spoleto, Italy, as well as Patrick Bissell at Jacob’s Pillow and Wes Chapman in Manila. From 1992-1997, she danced as a soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet. After freelancing several years as a guest artist, Rose settled down to teaching fulltime. She is on full-time staff at four different schools in the Chicago area and also guest teaches for the professional companies in the city.

Christine Spizzo-Serrano trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts and at the School of American Ballet in New York. She first performed professionally with the National Ballet of Washington (DC) and Ballet Repertory Co. (NY), before joining American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist in 1975. She appeared in many of ABT’s Live From Lincoln Center and Dance in America programs and the Herbert Ross movies The Turning Point (1977) and Dancers (1987). She was a principal dancer with Ballet Arizona (1988, 1990) and with the Nureyev and Friends North American tour in 1990. She performed on Broadway in The Phantom of the Opera for ten years before retiring from the stage. She is on the dance faculty at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and was the original Artistic Coordinator of ABT’s Summer Intensive Programs (1996 and 1997). She has remained a primary teacher for all subsequent ABT Summer Intensives in NYC and Austin.

Roger Van Fleteren, a native of Michigan, began his dance training at the age of twelve with Charmaine Schick. Two years later, he was offered a scholarship to study with Madame Nathalie Krassovska in Dallas. In 1982 he joined ABT and became soloist in 1990, where his repertory included works by Antony Tudor, Kenneth Macmillan, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Jir¹í Kylián, and Frederic Ashton among other. He was chosen by Agnes de Mille to dance the principal role in her final ballet, The Other. Van Fleteren has appeared as a guest artist with companies throughout the United States including Wes Chapman's American Ballet in 1991-1992. Van Fleteren has also performed throughout Europe at major Opera Houses including the Paris Opera and the Coliseum Theatre in London. He has also performed in productions of 42nd Street, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the television series The Equalizer and in the film Dancers starring Mikhail Baryshnikov. Van Fleteren joined the Alabama Ballet Company from the London City Ballet in 1996 where he served as principal dancer at the renowned Sadler's Wells Theatre. His repertoire included Giselle, TheSleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelia, Don Quixote pas de deux and works with Royal Ballet stars David Wall and Leslie Collier. While at the Alabama Ballet, Van Felteren has been featured as Albrecht in Giselle, Drosselmeyer in Nutcracker, Herr Stahlbaum in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, as well as principal roles in Bolero and Swan Lake. Van Fleteren continues to be closely affiliated with American Ballet Theatre. In the summer of 1998 and 1999, he was appointed Administrative Coordinator of the ABT Summer Intensive in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and was on the teaching staff of the intensive in Detroit, MI. In 1998, he co-choreographed Dracula, and in the 1999-2000 season Wes Chapman and Van Fleteren choreographed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In 2001 he choreographed the Alabama Ballet's one- act full-length Romeo & Juliet and the full length Cinderella, and in 2003 he created original choreography for Swan Lake. In 1999, he won the Panoply Award for best overall choreography for Tickling the Ivories, in 2001 for Bach Variations. In the 2002- 2003 season he choreographed Be Major. Van Fleteren is one of the principal instructors in the Alabama Ballet School, and an Artist in Residence at the Gorham's Bluff Institute's Summer Residency.

ORANGE COUNTY SUMMER INTENSIVE

Deirdre Carberry danced with American Ballet Theatre for 12 years, and remains the youngest member to have been accepted into the Company at the age of 14. She was the youngest Company member to have performed solo and principal roles. Carberry received her early dance training at the American Ballet Theatre School, Miami Conservatory, David Howard & Elena Tchernichova. She was accepted by the School of American Ballet on scholarship, and she also attended the Harkness House Ballet & David Howard Studio on scholarship. At the First U.S. International Ballet Competition held in Jackson, Mississippi, Carberry was the youngest competitor and won a silver medal, in a year in which a gold medal was not awarded. After her 12 years dancing with ABT under the artistic direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov, she was also a principal dancer with the Atlanta Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Ballet Memphis, and the Miami City Ballet. While with American Ballet Theatre, Twyla Tharp cast her as the leading ballerina in a new ballet she choreographed called The Little Ballet partnered by Baryshnikov. She then debuted as Kitri in Baryshnikov’s Don Quixote partnered by Kevin McKenzie (currently ABT Artistic Director) and then partnered by Patrick Bissel. Fernando Bujones invited her to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy opposite him in SUNY Purchase, NY. Carberry has appeared in several PBS Great Performances programs for television & video: Baryshnikov Dances Balanchine, Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra and More with ABT, in both her partner was Baryshnikov. She is also featured in several Dance in America television programs & videos: ABT at the Met and ABT in San Francisco. The following seasons she demonstrated a quality of technique, style, presence and artistic interpretation that inspired ABT to promote her to increasingly important and prominent roles. Some of her other partners have been Wes Chapman (currently Artistic Director of ABT II), Robert LaFosse, Johan Renvall, Robert Hill, and Ross Stretton. She has toured three times with Baryshnikov & Company, toured with Alexander Godunov & Stars of the American Ballet, she has danced extensively throughout the USA, Europe, Israel, Japan, Central & South America, Mexico, Denmark and Toronto. Carberry had the great honor to have been coached by Dame Margot Fonteyn, Natalia Makarova, Fredrick Franklin, and Baryshnikov. Several works were created on her: Common Ground by Toni Pimble, Carmen by Nigel Burgione, Elements by Dennis Poole, Rigaudon by Clark Tippet, Taming of the Shrew and Diane Corbin Bruning contemporary work. While still performing she had taught at: Atlanta Ballet School, Cincinnati Ballet School, and the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, master classes for Emory University in Atlanta, The Washington Ballet School, and numerous workshops throughout the USA and Europe. Carberry was the ballet teacher and judge for American Idol’s Paula Abdul Company Dance Conventions & Competition. This included being televised on ESPN from Disney Florida. Carberry was also a judge for the Star Search Finals in Atlanta. She has been a ballet mistress for the Columbia City Ballet and ballet instructor for the school. Some of the ballets she has staged on students include Cinderella, Don Quixote, La Slyphide, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita and Swan Lake. As part of her workshops she has included educating the students in stage makeup and nutrition awareness. Most recently Carberry was a guest instructor for several months at the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham. She was also a faculty member at American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive in Detroit for 2008.

Yan Chen was born in China where she started her dance training at the Shanghai Dance School. She later continued her studies at the San Francisco Ballet School and was a prizewinner at the 1987 Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. Prior to joining American Ballet Theatre in 1993, Chen was a principal dancer with the Washington Ballet. As one of ABT's most lyrical and versatile dancers, Chen performed many demanding leading roles. She received critical praise from The New York Times for her "refined and exuberant" rendition in all pieces.

Lorin Johnson danced with the San Francisco Ballet before joining American Ballet Theatre in New York in 1987 under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov. Johnson performed at ABT until 1995, creating original roles in ballets by Ulysses Dove, Clark Tippet, and Agnes De Mille, among others. He has also worked with some of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century including Glen Tetley, Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, and Jerome Robbins. His choreography has been commissioned in the United States and abroad, and in 2003 he choreographed and produced an evening of dance at the renowned dance festival at the Fabbrica Europa in Florence, Italy. Johnson has been on faculty of the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensives program since 2004. In 2005, he directed the Ballet Pacifica Academy in Southern California. In 2006, Mr. Johnson became an Assistant Professor of Dance at California State University, Long Beach, where he teaches courses in ballet technique and dance history. Johnson has published several articles and has both B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Southern California.

Andrew Vaca has been teaching at California State University, Long Beach, for seven years after teaching at UCLA, Scripps College, California State University, Sacramento, and the Orange County High School of the Arts. He holds a B.A. degree in Communication Studies from CSUS and an M.F.A. in Dance from UCLA. A native of Sacramento CA, Vaca began dancing with Dale Scholl in the Jazz-ee Dance Company, and later in Jazzworks and Dale Scholl Dance/Art. Vaca is known in the worlds of both entertainment and concert dance. For over 15 years, he has choreographed dance material for NBA and NFL dance teams across the country. He has also choreographed halftime shows, award-winning material for dance teams in California, Idaho, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah, and presented at numerous professional dance team conventions. Vaca has been professionally associated with the United Spirit Association for 22 years as a head instructor, adjudicator, and director of dance, and has taught their USA Pro camp for the last two years.

BERMUDA SUMMER INTENSIVE

Brian Reeder (Artistic Coordinator) was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania and began his dance training with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. After attending American Ballet Theatre's Summer Programs, he then studied at the School of American Ballet. Before joining American Ballet Theatre (1994-2003), Reeder performed as a soloist with William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt (1990-1993) and also danced with New York City Ballet (1986-1990). As a choreographer Reeder has created nine original works for ABT II and a pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala (2007), accompanied by world-renown concert pianist Lang Lang. Reeder was the recipient of a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship Grant (2005) in collaboration with the Washington Ballet, where he has done several works on the main company as well as their second company. He has also created and restaged his ballets on Pacific Northwest Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Grandiva and Ballet Pacifica. A new piece for Sacramento Ballet will be presented thanks to the generous gift of a Jerome Robbins Foundation Grant. In addition, Reeder's work has been produced three times by the Works and Process series at the Guggenheim Museum, one of which was done in collaboration with modern choreographer, Pam Tanowitz. Reeder has taught and choreographed at multiple ballet academies, regional dance companies and prestigious universities including Brown University, Emory University, Barnard College and The Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Also, this Fall Goucher College will perform a new work by Reeder. Reeder was involved with the ABT Education Department's Make a Ballet program (2004-2006), is currently on staff at ABT's Summer Intensives in NYC and is the Coordinating Director of Dance Bermuda, ABT's International Summer Dance Intensive. He has been a guest teacher at several institutions: The Alvin Ailey School, School at STEPS, Studio Maestro, Orange County High School of the Arts, Newark Arts High School, Icelantic National Ballet Company, Peridance Capezio Center and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company. Reeder had the pleasure of creating the choreographic sequences for the independent film "American Primitive". He also recently made the dance moves for a music video, "Brit Slap", performed by American Idol contestant, Norman Gentle. Reeder was honored to let his work process be the focus of Elliot Caplan's unconventional 18 hour documentary project, 15 Days of Dance: The Making of Ghost Light. Selected sections of the film have been screened at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and will also be shown in venues to be announced in the near future.

COLLEGIATE SUMMER INTENSIVE

Brian Reeder was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania and began his dance training with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. After attending American Ballet Theatre's Summer Programs, he then studied at the School of American Ballet. Before joining American Ballet Theatre (1994-2003), Reeder performed as a soloist with William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt (1990-1993) and also danced with New York City Ballet (1986-1990). As a choreographer Reeder has created nine original works for ABT II and a pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre's Spring Gala (2007), accompanied by world-renown concert pianist Lang Lang. Reeder was the recipient of a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship Grant (2005) in collaboration with the Washington Ballet, where he has done several works on the main company as well as their second company. He has also created and restaged his ballets on Pacific Northwest Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Grandiva and Ballet Pacifica. A new piece for Sacramento Ballet will be presented thanks to the generous gift of a Jerome Robbins Foundation Grant. In addition, Reeder's work has been produced three times by the Works and Process series at the Guggenheim Museum, one of which was done in collaboration with modern choreographer, Pam Tanowitz. Reeder has taught and choreographed at multiple ballet academies, regional dance companies and prestigious universities including Brown University, Emory University, Barnard College and The Columbia Ballet Collaborative. Also, this Fall Goucher College will perform a new work by Reeder. Reeder was involved with the ABT Education Department's Make a Ballet program (2004-2006), is currently on staff at ABT's Summer Intensives in NYC and is the Coordinating Director of Dance Bermuda, ABT's International Summer Dance Intensive. He has been a guest teacher at several institutions: The Alvin Ailey School, School at STEPS, Studio Maestro, Orange County High School of the Arts, Newark Arts High School, Icelantic National Ballet Company, Peridance Capezio Center and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Company. Reeder had the pleasure of creating the choreographic sequences for the independent film "American Primitive". He also recently made the dance moves for a music video, "Brit Slap", performed by American Idol contestant, Norman Gentle. Reeder was honored to let his work process be the focus of Elliot Caplan's unconventional 18 hour documentary project, 15 Days of Dance: The Making of Ghost Light. Selected sections of the film have been screened at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and will also be shown in venues to be announced in the near future.