Directors

Stephen Mills, Ballet Austin Artistic Director (Bios)
Cookie Ruiz, C.F.R.E., Ballet Austin Executive Director (Bios)
Michelle Martin, Ballet Austin Associate Artistic Director (Bios)
William Piner, Director of Schools, Ballet Austin Academy and Butler Community School (Bios)
Lynne Short, Academy Principal (Bios)
Vicki Parsons, School Director of Administration, Ballet Austin Academy and Butler Community School

Vlada Sheber, Pilates Program Director
Toni Bravo, Leaps & No Bounds Program Director
Joan Wolfe, Creative Movement Director

Faculty

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Lynne Short, Principal
Lynne Short is the Principal of the Ballet Austin Academy. In this role, she is responsible for the Ballet Austin Academy's syllabus and working with the faculty to implement an integrated curriculum. Ms. Short joined the Ballet Austin Academy in 2002.

Before moving to Texas, Ms. Short was a faculty member at Pacific Northwest Ballet from 1984-2000. During this time and under the guidance of Francia Russell, director of Pacific Northwest Ballet School (PNBS), the ideas of dedicated colleagues with various backgrounds were formed into a unified, cohesive syllabus. Ms. Short was instrumental in developing the syllabus into a written format and overseeing any revisions that were made. Much of the success of the training at PNBS is attributed to the syllabus and the collaborative efforts of its teachers. She was closely involved in the Dance Chance Program, which brings ballet training and opportunity to talented, underprivileged children in the Seattle School District.

Ms. Short's experiences while dancing with the Memphis Ballet, Hartford Ballet, First Chamber Dance Company and Pacific Northwest Ballet gave her deep appreciation of and interest in the art of teaching. She had her own school for several years after retiring from performing where she developed a mode of teaching that she continues to enrich.

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Toni Bravo, Leaps & No Bounds Program Director
Maria Antonieta (Toni) Bravo is the Leaps and No Bounds Program Director. Ms. Bravo is originally from Mexico City and holds a Master's Degree in Theatre History and Criticism, with a minor in Dance Pedagogy (University of Texas, 1987). 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. Ms. Bravo began teaching for the Ballet Austin Academy in 1990 and, since 1991, the City of Austin has funded her performance and educational projects. In 1991, 1992 and 1998, she received awards from the Texas Commission on the Arts for her workshop projects with the Travis County Juvenile Court and Austin Housing Authority Education Department. Ms. Bravo spearheaded Ballet Austin's in-school movement programs, which are currently conducted in a number of school districts throughout the Greater Austin area. She continues to develop curriculum as well as train and monitor Academy faculty.

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Vlada Sheber, Pilates Program Director & Certified Core Connections® Pilates Teacher
Originally from the Ukraine, Vlada performed as a soloist in the Donetsk Ballet Theatre before immigrating to the United States. Vlada was a member of Ballet Austin from 1992-2003 and danced a variety of classical and contemporary roles, including the original Lady Capulet in Stephen Mills' Romeo and Juliet. In 2002 Vlada joined the Ballet Austin Pilates Studio as an instructor and in 2005 was acknowledged as the "Pre-eminent Purveyor of Pilates" by Austin Monthly magazine.   

She has continued to develop a loyal following at Ballet Austin and looks forward to her new role as director.

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Joan Wolfe, Creative Movement Director
Joan Wolfe is the director of the Creative Movement Division at Ballet Austin Academy. In this role she guides children ages three through five in her thematically based Creative Movement classes, as well as oversees and trains Ballet Austin Academy instructors in her creative movement curriculum. In partnership with Ballet Austin Academy and the University of Texas, Ms. Wolfe also advises Dance majors in a six week Creative Movement pedagogy practicum.

Ms. Wolfe's teaching methods center around the needs and sensitivities of the young child, an insight gained through her extensive experience as an early childhood educator. In the summers, Ms. Wolfe and her husband, composer Billy Wolfe, write and direct original musicals for their program, KIDSTAR Performing Arts Camp, held at Ballet Austin Academy.

Prior to moving to Austin, Ms. Wolfe resided in San Francisco and the Bay Area teaching in private preschools and dance studios, as well as performing with independent choreographers. Ms. Wolfe received her BFA in Dance from the University of Colorado at Boulder and continued her studies in Dance Therapy at JFK University in Orinda, California. Ms. Wolfe joined Ballet Austin Academy in 1997.

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Teresa Bessette, Yoga Instructor
Ms. Bessette found yoga after twenty-two years of competitive sports, ranging from triathlons, biking, running and company dance. After four years of nearly daily practice, she began to teach in San Francisco and completed a 500 hour Bikram certification program. After moving to Austin, Teresa opened Yogagroove, Bikram Yoga Austin, in 2001. Six years and three children later, Teresa sold Yogagroove, which continues to thrive, and has pursued personal as well as professional goals.

She has this to say about her philosophy:
As a competitive athlete, I always felt I needed to do a 'real' workout and yoga class would just be icing on the cake. After my last triathlon and a rather serious bout of plantar faciitis, I finally walked into a yoga class that changed me forever and certainly changed my view of yoga as being exercise for an easy day. I continue to practice Bikram Yoga regularly, and in the years since selling Yogagroove I have been allowed to spread my yoga wings and really gain a much greater appreciation and understanding of the spirit and true essence of yoga and what it continues to become for me.

Today I am thrilled to be part of Ballet Austin's offering to the community. Austin has such a unique blend of personalities and passions. Offering the people of Austin so many opportunities to move and be moved is truly amazing!

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Margot Brown, Ballet Instructor
A native of Austin, Margot Brown began her training with Stanley Hall at the Austin Ballet Theater. She later studied at the schools of the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Hungarian State Ballet. As a member of Ballet Austin, Ms. Brown has danced a variety of roles by such choreographers as George Balanchine, David Parsons, Septime Webre, Peter Pucci, Ulysses Dove, Dwight Rhoden, and Stephen Mills. Her favorites include principal roles in Mills' Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream , George Balanchine's Concerto Barocco , Giselle , and Dwight Rhoden's Ave Maria. Additionally, she has performed twice in the New York Showcase Ballet Builders and at the Sixth Rencontres Chorégraphiques Internationales in Paris.

Ms. Brown retired from the stage in 2006 and has since enjoyed her new role as a mother and regular faculty member.

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Pei-San Brown, Hula Instructor
Pei-San Ka'ua Brown hails from the island of Oahu, where she first studied hula at the age of 5 years. She has also studied ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and other Polynesian dance styles. She began teaching and choreographing in ballet and jazz at age 17, and won several national solo titles as a member of her high school dance team. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and a Bachelor of Science in Biology at the University of California at Irvine in 1994, as well as a Masters degree in Education at UT Austin in 1999. She is a published author and is currently Director of Community Education at Ballet Austin. She is also the Artistic Director of the Island Rhythms Hula Company, Austin's premiere professional hula company.

In addition to the Island Rhythms Hula Company, Pei-San has been a member of several dance companies, including the Kinard Ballet Company (Houston, TX), Disney Entertainment Arts (Los Angeles, CA), the Raul Cruz Dance Company (Orange County, CA), Third Coast Jazz (Austin, TX), and Austin Musical Theatre. She debuted on the silver screen as Miss Alaska, a principal dancer and top ten finalist in the movie Miss Congeniality.

Ms. Brown holds the rank of po'opua'a (lead dancer) in Kumu Hula (hula master) Frank Keli'i Chang's Halau Ho'ola Ka Mana O Hawai'i. 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 (Magic Hula Studio, Honolulu, HI) , Kumu Hula Paul Ho'omanawanuiikana'auao Apo (Honolulu, HI), and Joyce Flaugher (San Antonio, TX) . In April 2006, she was honored to compete with Kumu Chang and Halau Ho'ola Ka Mana O Hawai'i in the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival, the world's most prestigious hula competition.

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Jeremy Carroll , Yoga Instructor
Jeremy Carroll received his yoga certification from the Yoga Yoga Teacher Training program in 2007, where he participated in the work/study program. He was a Yoga Instructor at Goodwill Industries from 2006-2007.

Mr. Carroll has also been a Yoga Instructor and Assistant Trainer for the Vision Training Mind-Body-Spirit camp in Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Carroll's path to yoga began 5 years ago. After playing football and baseball at Amherst College in Massachusetts, his passion for yoga was ignited while taking acting classes in New York City in the summer of 2003. He has cultivated his yoga education and training here in Austin, Texas since 2005. Mr. Carroll's approach to yoga involves bringing fun to the practice, while encouraging students to listen to the teacher within.

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Cheryl Chaddick, Modern Instructor
Cheryl Chaddick taught modern dance in San Francisco from 1983 until moving to Austin late last year. Starting in 1985, she also had her own modern dance company, Company Chaddick. In 1991 Alonzo King invited her to teach at his studio and she was on faculty there until she and her husband moved to Austin, in her home state of Texas.

Ms. Chaddick has been trained in all styles of dance with emphasis on modern and ballet, which are reflected in her movement and choreography. In the Bay Area she was on the faculties of the University of California, Berkeley; San Francisco School of Theater and Arts; Alonzo King's Pre-Professional Summer Program; and Summer Lee Rhatigan's San Francisco Conservatory of Dance.

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Laura Evans, Yoga Instructor
Ms. Evans discovered yoga through her dance conditioning in 1999. She holds a BA in Dance and has a 200 hour Hatha yoga certificate and is certified to teach prenatal, Vinyasa Krama, and Ahstanga yoga. She has studied under Srivatsa Ramaswami and David Swenson and is currently working on completing her 500 hour certification. Laura has performed professionally with many modern and Ballet companies both in Dallas, TX and San Francisco, CA .

She has this to say about her philosophy:
"I explore the challenges of our bodies, minds and hearts with enthusiasm and compassion. My teaching is eclectic, passionate, detailed and intuitive. I aim to challenge, inspire, heal and delight. For as much as I have learned about the body from dance, continued anatomy study, and consistent and passionate study with myself and others, Yoga continues to be for me a seeking of the calm, highly livable and meditative state of awareness that does not idolize the body's accomplishments.

We seek refreshment of our faith in ourselves and others and use our practice as a tool for that consciousness. Nevertheless, the body will become accomplished, and health and happiness will ensue."

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Thaddeus Davis, Artist in Residence/Modern Instructor
Thaddeus Davis was born in Montgomery, Alabama where he began his studies with The Montgomery Civic Ballet and The Carver Creative Performing Arts Center. In 1993 he graduated from Butler University with a BFA in Dance and, since then, has worked with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Fukuoka City Ballet, Atlanta Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY (Dance Galaxy) and Donald Byrd/The Group where he also served as Donald Byrd's creative assistant. He was featured in Dance Magazine's January 2002 issue as one of “25 to watch” in the world. The premier of his first work, Once Before Twice After, was named one of the top ten moments in dance for 2002 by The New York Times. As a teacher and choreographer he has done residencies at The Julliard School, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Butler University and Arizona State University.

Together with his wife, Tanya Wideman-Davis, Davis currently directs and performs with Wideman/Davis Dance. Currently based in New York City , the mission of Wideman/Davis Dance is to stimulate dialogue about the human condition. The company uses dance-based performance and education programs to address themes of social justice and bridge cultural gaps. Through a commission from the Auburn University Center for Diversity and Race Relations, Wideman/Davis created The Bends of Life, a dance theater project that chronicles the experience of an African American couple and honors the quilt makers of Gees Bend, Alabama. Most recently, the company completed the Black Belt Tour through a sponsorship by the Education Department of the Alabama State Council of the Arts. This tour brought The Bends of Life, both performance and educational programming, into underserved communities of Alabama.

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Jennifer Hart , Ballet Instructor
New to the faculty this year, Jennifer Hart comes to Ballet Austin from Minnesota Dance Theatre. Ms. Hart trained with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Maggie Black and Toni Pierce of Alvin Ailey. She danced professionally with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Ballet of the Dolls, L.A. Chamber Ballet and numerous independent choreographers. She has been commissioned for choreography by: Minnesota Dance Theatre, the Walker Art Center for its Momentum Series, James Sewell Ballet as part of the Jerome Foundation Grant, Ballet Arts Minnesota's Springboard program, and Metropolitan Ballet in Minneapolis/St. Paul. She has also been selected twice by New Choreographers on Point in New York to present work as part of their Ballet Builders series. In the spring of 2007, she choreographed a full-length production of A Midsummer Night's Dream for Metropolitan Ballet.

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Greg Easley, Ballet Instructor
Mr. Easley began his ballet training with Eugene Slavin & Alexandra Nadal at Austin Civic Ballet. After performing there for two seasons, he continued his training with Austin Ballet Theatre under the direction of Stanley Hall. He co-directed Texas National Dance Theater before joining the Atlanta Ballet where he studied under Robert Barnett and Tom Pazik. He returned to Austin and was a guest performer with Ballet Austin before accepting the directorship of Austin Contemporary Ballet.

Mr. Easley's choreographic accomplishments include “Five Guys Named Moe”, “School House Rocks” “Nunsense” & “Das Barbeque” for Zachary Scott Theater as well as "Don Giovanni" and the upcoming "The Bat" for Austin Lyric Opera. Mr. Easley has also choreographed the past eight musicals for the Westlake High School Choir.

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Danny Herman, Jazz, Theatre Dance, Tap, Hip Hop and Triple Threat Instructor
Danny Herman is an internationally recognized director, choreographer, actor and teacher. Mr. Herman appeared in the original Broadway and Off-Broadway productions of Contact, and was Mike Costa on Broadway in A Chorus Line. He also appeared in the original Broadway production of Leader of the Pack, the original New York City Opera production of Die Soldaten and the original Off-Broadway production of Big Bad Burlesque. Mr Herman was in the first national tour of Song and Dance, toured Europe in Broadway Tonight, was featured in the Chicago company of Sophisticated Ladies and began his career as the Purple Panda on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

As associate choreographer for Michael Bennett's Pre-Broadway Workshops of Scandal, Mr. Herman recognized his passion for creating original works, and has since collaborated as a director and/or choreographer on numerous world premier productions in New York and nationally.

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Arletta Howard-Logan, Ballet Instructor
On faculty since 1996, Arletta Howard-Logan enjoys making ballet available to both professional and nonprofessional dancers through her instruction in the Butler Community School. Ms. Howard-Logan co-owned Austin Dance Academy (ADA) from 1986 to 1996. In 1996, ADA merged with Ballet Austin Academy and joined the Ballet Austin Academy faculty. She began her relationship with Ballet Austin as a guest dancer in 1992.

During her career, Ms. Howard-Logan 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. Ms. Howard-Logan 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.

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Libby James, Ballet Instructor
Libby James graduated magna cum laude with a B.F.A. in Ballet from Texas Christian University. She danced with the Colorado Ballet for two years, performing in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet , The Sleeping Beauty , Serenade , Stars and Stripes , and Alvin Ailey's The River . Ms. James was a member of Texas Ballet Theater (formerly Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet) for three years. She performed roles such as the Spring Fairy in Cinderella , Clara in The Nutcracker , and one of the couples in Ben Stevenson's Four Last Songs .

This is Ms. James second season with Ballet Austin Academy.

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Vivian Kaw, Hula Instructor
Ms. Kaw was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She began taking hula lessons from her mother, a hula teacher. These lessons eventually grew into a deep love of Hawaiian dance and culture.

Ms. Kaw 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.

Ms. Kaw is active in film, television, print, and runway in Austin, TX. She is also an avid salsa dancer.

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Mysti Pride, Creative Movement Instructor
New to the faculty this year, Mysti Pride joins the staff of Ballet Austin Academy after many hours of extensive training with Creative Movement Division Director, Joan Wolfe. Ms. Pride graduated with honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and is currently working on completing her Associate Degree in Dance from Austin Community College.

Ms. Pride has this to say about being a Creative Movement teacher: "I want to teach creative movement to children because I myself have never been good at learning technique, but have always loved to dance. I took ballet and jazz sporadically here and there throughout my life growing up, but always quit because I never felt successful at it. It was not until I was an adult that I was fortunate enough to take a creative movement class. When I took creative movement, everything changed for me. I view creative movement as dance through problem solving not dance through technique. I find creative movement invaluable and I want to make sure that children do not have to wait until they are adults to find the value in dancing creatively as well as with technique.

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Elisa Rodriguez, Flamenco Instructor
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Elisa Rodriguez began dancing ballet at age 15. By age 19 she had enrolled in Ballet Austin’s Academy where she trained at the professional level for four years and performed in several ballets with the company. Ms. Rodriguez discovered Flamenco and after graduating from The University of Texas in Austin, she moved to Seville, Spain where she lived and perfected Flamenco for seven years. She has studied with many amazing artists and choreographers such as Manolo Marin, Manuel Betanzos, Pilar Ortega, Adela Campallo, Pastora Galvan, El Torombo, La Canela, and completed workshops with Javier Latorre and Maria del Mar Moreno.

Ms. Rodriguez toured Canada in 2003, as the guest soloist in the production Spain Meets Canada II, under the direction of Kari Alba. As a belly dancer, she also studied in Seville with Barbara Baretto from Brazil, and has performed in several Moroccan establishments in Spain and in the USA. Ms. Rodriguez continues to incorporate Middle Eastern dance in her own choreographies.

Ms. Rodriguez holds her Pilates certification with Polestar Education, and through the University of Nevada taught by Ann Arnoult. Now in Austin, not only does she perform Flamenco and Middle Eastern dance with well-known musicians such as Oliver Rajamani, her mission is to teach Pilates and her Flamenco inspired dance classes to promote health through movement.

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Lisa del Rosario, Pre-Ballet Instructor
Lisa del Rosario 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 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, Vipassana Meditation, and the Feldenkrais Method® of movement education. Lisa danced professionally in the Philippines with The Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Bayanihan. She currently dances with independent choreographers in Austin and is in her fifth season with local modern dance company, Moving Voices Dance. Lisa has taught and choreographed at the Dougherty Arts School, the McCallum High School Fine Arts Academy, and the Texas Arts Project at St. Stephen's Episcopal School. Lisa is thrilled to be in her fouth season teaching in the Pre-Ballet Division of the Ballet Austin Academy. Her training to become a certified practitioner of the Feldenkrais Method® is nearing completion.

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Boo Ruiz, CPFT, Pilates, Jazz and Hip Hop Instructor
Boo Ruiz has 19 years of dance training in a variety of mediums. She was in the pre-professional program at Ballet Austin from 1996-1999 where she studied under Stephen Mills, Ekard Hiendrich, and T.L. Wright. She has trained in jazz, hip-hop, and lyrical all over the country in studios such as The EDGE PAC(West Hollywood, CA), The PAC Annex(Van Nuys, CA), Broadway Dance Center (NYC, NY), and Steps (NYC,NY). She has studied under several highly respected teachers such as: Terri Best, Doug Caldwell, Scott Hilsop, Mandy Moore, Leslie Scott, Jayson Wright, Wade Robson, Joe Lanteri, Michèle Assaf, Jeff Amsden, and Kim Willett. In 2003 she was ranked as the number three competitive soloist in the nation (National Dance Finals in Orlando, Florida) and was part of the overall second ranked dance team in the nation. Ms. Ruiz was awarded a number of dance scholarships including a scholarship with Tremaine (LA, CA). Ms. Ruiz began teaching hip-hop, lyrical, and jazz in 2001.

As a dancer Ms. Ruiz has experienced first hand the benefits of Pilates, not only for rehabilitation purposes, but also for maintenance and fine tuning. Ms. Ruiz has recently completed the certification process as a Certified Pilates Fitness instructor. She has studied under Pilates Program Director Vlada Sheber since 2000. Her understanding of the human body, the knowledge lent from her mentor Ms. Sheber, and countless hours on the equipment provide dynamic tools that Ms. Ruiz utilizes to create an independent program for each client. Her focus is on form, proper alignment of the body, and helping her clients trust their bodies so that they achieve their personal goals and reach their fullest potential. “Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential” -Winston Churchill

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Jerry Schwender, Ballet Instructor
Jerry Schwender is a dance instructor for the Ballet Austin Academy and Butler Community School. His classes focus on intermediate and advanced ballet technique as well as partnering. He comes to the Ballet Austin Academy from his former position as ballet master and occasional guest artist of Ballet Austin.

Prior to joining Ballet Austin in 1997, Mr. Schwender taught dance and performed with the Richmond Ballet in Virginia for 16 years. Previously, he worked as a faculty member and a principal dancer with Seattle's Pacific Northwest Ballet. Recognized in the dance community for his partnering skills, he has also worked as a principal dancer for companies such as Pennsylvania Ballet, Houston Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet and Ballet International of London.

Mr. Schwender graduated from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. His passion for the art form and love of the students spurs him on in his teaching career.

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Heather Taylor, Ballet Instructor
Ballet has always been a passion for Ms. Taylor who began teaching at Ballet Austin in 1996. Ms. Taylor has a degree in Ballet Performance from Indiana University and a Texas Teaching Certificate in Life/Earth Science. Originally from El Paso, Ms. Taylor studied intensively with Ingeborg Heuser of the Berlin Opera Ballet and later with Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Jacques Cesbron of the Paris Opera Ballet. Ms. Taylor dances with the Louisville Ballet, Ballet El Paso and Ballet Austin. At Ballet Austin, Ms. Taylor has been mentored by and has worked extensively with Michelle Martin and Stephen Mills.

Ms. Taylor performed a variety of roles with Ballet Austin including the Arabian Dance In The Nutcracker, the Bluebird Pas de Deux in Sleeping Beauty, the role of Nanine in The Lady of the Camilias, and was russian girl in Balanchine's masterpiece, Serenade. She also danced various roles in Stephen Mills' choreography including Red Roses, and Mozart's Requiem.

Each of Ms. Taylor's teachers instilled in her a great appreciation for the theater and its history, inspired artistry, precise musicality and fierce technical execution. These are the qualities that Ms. Taylor emphasizes in each of her classes.

When not in the studio, Ms. Taylor enjoys spending time with her husband, Hal, her six-year-old son, Brooks and her dogs, Fenway and Comet.

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Suzanne Taylor, Jazz Instructor
Suzanne Taylor has danced professionally in Los Angeles after being awarded a scholarship at Dupree Dance Academy. She danced at Disneyland in both Tokyo and California, and has appeared in numerous musicals including 42 nd Street, My One and Only, Guys and Dolls, Oklahoma, Good News, How to Succeed in Business, and the critically acclaimed Los Angeles review Club Indigo, Memories in Blue. She has danced with Tommy Tune at the Hollywood Bowl, was on staff at the USC drama department, and is a member of Texas Association Teacher of Dance, Inc.

Suzanne loves working with young dancers from studio to stage and has spent the last 15 years in Austin doing just that.

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Rocker Verastique, Jazz, Theatre Dance, Hip Hop and Triple Threat Instructor
Rocker Verastique appeared in the original Broadway companies of Contact, Chicago, Victor/Victoria and Carousel. Mr. Verastique's other Broadway credits include Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera and Ziegfeld Follies of 1936, as well as the world premiere productions of Heart's Desire, Jekyll and Hyde, Spirit and the Broadway workshop of Fosse. Mr. Verastique's other credits include Paul in A Chorus Line, Konstantine Morrisine in On Your Toes, Sophisticated Ladies, Feld Ballet, Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, six years with American Ballet Theatre, the television pilot and four years on the television series Fame and the male lead in the award winning music video, Nasty, opposite Janet Jackson.

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Robin Williams, Ballet Instructor
Robin Williams studied classical ballet and modern dance at her mother's dance school, Chamberlain School of Ballet, in Plano, TX. There she trained with many sought after instructors and international guest instructors including Truman Finney. Ms. Williams also received advanced training from the Houston Ballet Academy and the Pacific Northwest Ballet School.

In 2004, Ms. Williams graduated from the University of Texas at Austin where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with Liberal Arts and University honors.

Ms. Williams is very excited to be part of Ballet Austin's Butler Community School, where she will share the art and discipline of ballet with students young and old.

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Terri Lynn Wright, Ballet Instructor
Ms. 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. Ms. Wright 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. Leading roles performed 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.

Ms. Wright 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, Ms. Wright's methods evolve with Ballet Austin, the students' needs and the ever increasing demands put upon the professional dancer.

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