YEAR-ROUND FACULTY
The Long Beach Ballet Academy is dedicated to a professional classroom atmosphere that provides each student with the optimum opportunity to progress to his or her full potential. The faculty is comprised of skilled and highly motivated instructors, each of whom instills the highest standards of classical ballet and goals of the school.
David Wilcox, Artistic Director
Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, David Wilcox began studying the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus at the age of eleven under the instruction of Yvonne Cusack. Having successfully completed all exams through Advanced level, he continued his studies with Stanley Holden and Patricia Stander in Los Angeles and then Anna Northcote and Andrew Hardie in London. At the age of nineteen he began his professional career with the Heidelberg Ballet in Germany, and then moved on to the Nuremberg Ballet and finally the Berlin Ballet where he performed all of the classics under the direction of Gert Reinholm. Returning home in 1978, he co-founded Long Beach Ballet Arts Center in 1981 and the Los Angeles Classical Ballet in 1982, which became Southern California’s most successful ballet company for 15 years. Many of Mr. Wilcox’s students have gone on to compete at international ballet competitions and joined major companies. Over the past several years he has toured companies of dancers to Taiwan and China, and in 1999 was asked to stage his production of “The Nutcracker” on the Classical Ballet Guangzhou China, making him the first American choreographer to stage a full length ballet in China. He is a prolific choreographer and has created numerous full-length ballets for the school as well as the Los Angeles Classical Ballet.
Roberto Almaguer
Mr. Almaguer received his training from the National Ballet of Cuba before becoming a principal dancer of the company. In 1989 he received the Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Peru and defected to America in 1993 to become a principal dancer with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago where he danced leading roles in such ballets as Giselle, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Almaguer has worked with such world-renowned choreographers as Agnes de Milles, Alicia Alonso, Jiri Killian and Vecente Nebrada. In 2005 he received the First Place Award for Choreography at the Youth America Grand Prix.
Shani Englert
Ms. Englert began her training with Audrey Share at the age of five and continued her training with David Wilcox at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and marketing at Cal State Long Beach while continuing her ballet training with Rebecca Wright
we buy any house and Colleen O’Callahan, both former dancers with American Ballet Theatre. She is a principal member of the LBBAC faculty and co-founder of Long Beach Ballet Theatre, the school’s resident junior performing company, for which she was acting artistic director for eight years.
Hilde Byrne
Ms. Byrne (“Miss Hilde”) received her original training from the Norwegian Ballet Academy. She continued her training in Rome and Paris, going on to perform featured roles in West Side Story, Cats and Chorus Line. After arriving in the United States, she taught for several ballet schools and then opened her own school for five years. In 1995 she joined the Long Beach Ballet faculty and currently instructs the Pre-Ballet, and all Children’s levels. Her skills also include costuming and theatrical hair and
sell house fast make-up.
Nicole Wilcox
Nicole received her ballet training from her father and mother beginning at the age of four. She performed lead roles in several of her father’s ballets and also danced with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet as a student performer. At Orange County High School of the Arts she majored in classical dance before changing to technical stage direction. Over the past three years she has stage managed Long Beach Ballet’s productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. In 2001 she performed in Aladdin on a three week tour of mainland China. Besides teaching, Nicole has recently begun assisting her father with choreography.
Melissa Watson
Melissa began her training at the age of five and continued uninterrupted at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. She received scholarships to such schools as Houston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, and was awarded second place in the Music Center’s Spotlight Competition and 1995. She performed the role of Clara in The Nutcracker with Los Angeles Classical Ballet for three years and in 1997 and 1998 she toured with the Company to Taiwan and China. In 1999 she joined the Milwaukee Ballet, performing soloist roles and touring with that company for four years. In 2001 Melissa accompanied Mr. Wilcox once again on a three week tour of mainland China performing in Aladdin. Melissa now dances freelance with the Los Angeles Opera and local dance companies.
Part Time and Guest Faculty (in alphabetical order)
Patricia Barker
Patricia Barker has been a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet since 1986. She joined PNB as an apprentice in 1981, became a full company member in 1982 and was promoted to soloist in 1984. Barker trained with Lynne Williams-Mullins prior to studying at PNB School on scholarship. Miss Barker has been regularly featured in Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine and is considered one of the world’s finest ballerinas.
Da’Venche Burks
Mr. Burks developed his unique contemporary style as a principal dancer with Spectrum Dance Theatre in Seattle. He has since performed with many celebrated companies and has been a guest artist with Long Beach Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Mr. Burks has also been a ballet master for “Ballet Folklorico” and has successfully coached many dancers for international ballet competitions.
Mark Bush
For five years a favorite teacher and choreographer at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center’s Summer Programs, Mr. Bush brings a fresh and exciting exuberance to classical ballet training. A former soloist with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, he went on to become ballet master of Ballet Austin, toured to Taiwan and China as ballet master of Los Angeles Ballet Ensemble, and has choreographed numerous ballets for national ballet festivals.
Thordal Christensen
Thordal Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and trained at The Royal
Guitar Scales Danish Ballet School and The School of American Ballet. He was a soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet from 1989-1992 before returning to the Royal Danish Ballet as a principal dancer. He was promoted to Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet in 1999 and was made a Knight of Dannebrog by Her Majest Margrethe II of Denmark in 2002. This year he moved to Southern California with his wife Colleen Neary.
Alaine Haubert
Alaine Haubert received her training from age 15 on at the School of American Ballet in New York City, where she studied with George Balanchine. In 1965 Alaine joined American Ballet Theatre, where she performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles. In 1969 she joined the Joffrey Ballet as principal dancer. In 1993, Alaine was invited to return to New York as Ballet Mistress for American Ballet Theatre. She is currently director of the ABT Summer Intensive Program in Detroit.
Colleen Neary danced as a soloist with New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine from 1969-79. She has been on faculty at ABT and was a company teacher for New City Ballet for four years before joining the Zurich Ballet as Ballet Mistress. In 1984 Miss Neary was invited to be principal guest artist for Bejart’s Ballet of the 20th Century and in 1986 joined PNB as principal ballerina. She has also served as ballet mistress for the Royal Danish Ballet and has staged dozens of Balanchine ballets around the world.
Rebecca Thompson
Miss Thompson began her ballet training at the age of eight with Salwa Rizkalla. She began studying at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center at the age of 13 and joined
anything goes diet the Los Angeles Classical Ballet in 1993 at the age of 17. Later she danced with Pittsburgh Ballet and State Street Ballet, where several ballets were created for her by such renowned choreographers as Robert Sund. In 2003 she assisted Mr. Wilcox in China for seven weeks, staging the ballet “La Bayadere” for the Guangzhou Classical Ballet of China.
YEAR-ROUND FACULTY
The Long Beach Ballet Academy is dedicated to a professional classroom atmosphere that provides each student with the optimum opportunity to progress to his or her full potential. The faculty is comprised of skilled and highly motivated instructors, each of whom instills the highest standards of classical ballet and goals of the school.
David Wilcox, Artistic Director
Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, David Wilcox began studying the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus at the age of eleven under the instruction of Yvonne Cusack. Having successfully completed all exams through Advanced level, he continued his studies with Stanley Holden and Patricia Stander in Los Angeles and then Anna Northcote and Andrew Hardie in London. At the age of nineteen he began his professional career with the Heidelberg Ballet in Germany, and then moved on to the Nuremberg Ballet and finally the Berlin Ballet where he performed all of the classics under the direction of Gert Reinholm. Returning home in 1978, he co-founded Long Beach Ballet Arts Center in 1981 and the Los Angeles Classical Ballet in 1982, which became Southern California’s most successful ballet company for 15 years. Many of Mr. Wilcox’s students have gone on to compete at international ballet competitions and joined major companies. Over the past several years he has toured companies of dancers to Taiwan and China, and in 1999 was asked to stage his production of “The Nutcracker” on the Classical Ballet Guangzhou China, making him the first American choreographer to stage a full length ballet in China. He is a prolific choreographer and has created numerous full-length ballets for the school as well as the Los Angeles Classical Ballet.
Roberto AlmaguerMr. Almaguer received his training from the National Ballet of Cuba before becoming a principal dancer of the company. In 1989 he received the Gold Medal at the International Ballet Competition in Peru and defected to America in 1993 to become a principal dancer with the Cleveland San Jose Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago where he danced leading roles in such ballets as Giselle, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet. Mr. Almaguer has worked with such world-renowned choreographers as Agnes de Milles, Alicia Alonso, Jiri Killian and Vecente Nebrada. In 2005 he received the First Place Award for Choreography at the Youth America Grand Prix.Shani Englert
Ms. Englert began her training with Audrey Share at the age of five and continued her training with David Wilcox at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and marketing at Cal State Long Beach while continuing her ballet training with Rebecca Wright and Colleen O’Callahan, both former dancers with American Ballet Theatre. She is a principal member of the LBBAC faculty and co-founder of Long Beach Ballet Theatre, the school’s resident junior performing company, for which she was acting artistic director for eight years.
Hilde Byrne
Ms. Byrne (“Miss Hilde”) received her original training from the Norwegian Ballet Academy. She continued her training in Rome and Paris, going on to perform featured roles in West Side Story, Cats and Chorus Line. After arriving in the United States, she taught for several ballet schools and then opened her own school for five years. In 1995 she joined the Long Beach Ballet faculty and currently instructs the Pre-Ballet, and all Children’s levels. Her skills also include costuming and theatrical hair and make-up.
Nicole WilcoxNicole received her ballet training from her father and mother beginning at the age of four. She performed lead roles in several of her father’s ballets and also danced with the Los Angeles Classical Ballet as a student performer. At Orange County High School of the Arts she majored in classical dance before changing to technical stage direction. Over the past three years she has stage managed Long Beach Ballet’s productions of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. In 2001 she performed in Aladdin on a three week tour of mainland China. Besides teaching, Nicole has recently begun assisting her father with choreography.
Melissa WatsonMelissa began her training at the age of five and continued uninterrupted at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center. She received scholarships to such schools as Houston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet, and was awarded second place in the Music Center’s Spotlight Competition and 1995. She performed the role of Clara in The Nutcracker with Los Angeles Classical Ballet for three years and in 1997 and 1998 she toured with the Company to Taiwan and China. In 1999 she joined the Milwaukee Ballet, performing soloist roles and touring with that company for four years. In 2001 Melissa accompanied Mr. Wilcox once again on a three week tour of mainland China performing in Aladdin. Melissa now dances freelance with the Los Angeles Opera and local dance companies.
Part Time and Guest Faculty (in alphabetical order) Patricia BarkerPatricia Barker has been a principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet since 1986. She joined PNB as an apprentice in 1981, became a full company member in 1982 and was promoted to soloist in 1984. Barker trained with Lynne Williams-Mullins prior to studying at PNB School on scholarship. Miss Barker has been regularly featured in Dance Magazine and Pointe Magazine and is considered one of the world’s finest ballerinas.
Da’Venche BurksMr. Burks developed his unique contemporary style as a principal dancer with Spectrum Dance Theatre in Seattle. He has since performed with many celebrated companies and has been a guest artist with Long Beach Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker. Mr. Burks has also been a ballet master for “Ballet Folklorico” and has successfully coached many dancers for international ballet competitions.
Mark BushFor five years a favorite teacher and choreographer at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center’s Summer Programs, Mr. Bush brings a fresh and exciting exuberance to classical ballet training. A former soloist with Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, he went on to become ballet master of Ballet Austin, toured to Taiwan and China as ballet master of Los Angeles Ballet Ensemble, and has choreographed numerous ballets for national ballet festivals.
Thordal ChristensenThordal Christensen was born in Copenhagen, Denmark and trained at The Royal Danish Ballet School and The School of American Ballet. He was a soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet from 1989-1992 before returning to the Royal Danish Ballet as a principal dancer. He was promoted to Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet in 1999 and was made a Knight of Dannebrog by Her Majest Margrethe II of Denmark in 2002. This year he moved to Southern California with his wife Colleen Neary.
Alaine HaubertAlaine Haubert received her training from age 15 on at the School of American Ballet in New York City, where she studied with George Balanchine. In 1965 Alaine joined American Ballet Theatre, where she performed corps de ballet, soloist, and principal roles. In 1969 she joined the Joffrey Ballet as principal dancer. In 1993, Alaine was invited to return to New York as Ballet Mistress for American Ballet Theatre. She is currently director of the ABT Summer Intensive Program in Detroit.
Colleen NearyColleen Neary danced as a soloist with New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine from 1969-79. She has been on faculty at ABT and was a company teacher for New City Ballet for four years before joining the Zurich Ballet as Ballet Mistress. In 1984 Miss Neary was invited to be principal guest artist for Bejart’s Ballet of the 20th Century and in 1986 joined PNB as principal ballerina. She has also served as ballet mistress for the Royal Danish Ballet and has staged dozens of Balanchine ballets around the world.
Rebecca Thompson
Miss Thompson began her ballet training at the age of eight with Salwa Rizkalla. She began studying at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center at the age of 13 and joined the Los Angeles Classical Ballet in 1993 at the age of 17. Later she danced with Pittsburgh Ballet and State Street Ballet, where several ballets were created for her by such renowned choreographers as Robert Sund. In 2003 she assisted Mr. Wilcox in China for seven weeks, staging the ballet “La Bayadere” for the Guangzhou Classical Ballet of China.
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