Christi Matheson
Teaches:
Clogging, Tumbling, Tumbletyme, and Combo
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Christi
has been dancing since she was 4 years old. She is a former student of
Jeanne's. She has been teaching dance at Jeanne's for 24 years. Christi
teaches tumbling and clogging. Her clogging groups have brought home
the Grand Champion Title. Christi has been married to her wonderful
husband for 18 years. They have one son who is a blessing to their
lives. Her son races soap box derby competitions and Christi enjoys
going to every competition. Christi's inspiration is Jeanne. She loves
to see the students grow up and become stronger dancers.
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Aliece will be teaching Beginning Ballet, Ballet I, and Ballet II on Wednesdays.
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Christina Hampton
Teaches:
Ballet
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Christina
teaches ballet at Jeanne's Mesa and Queen Creek dance studios. She
loves teaching and introducing children to ballet. Seeing their eyes
grow wide with excitement makes her feel she is achieving her goals.
She was a professional ballet dancer for 20 years. During her dance
career, she was also a ballet teacher. Christina was a guest instructor
at Jeanne's in 2005 and she joined Jeanne's faculty in 2006.
Christina
Hampton trained with Bejart soloist Daniel Lambo, Tidewater Ballet,
Virginia State Ballet, Chicago City Ballet and Star Dancers Ballet in
Tokyo, Japan. She performed 10 years as a principal and soloist dancer
with Minnesota Ballet and Hartford Ballet. Christina danced eight
seasons with Ballet Florida, and has enjoyed working with many
wonderful coaches and choreographers. Christina has been featured in
Glen Tetley's Sphinx, Ben Stevenson's Esmeralda Pas de Deux and Jeronme
Robbins' In the Night. She believes that these three ballets have been
the most challenging and rewarding of her career.
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Donna
teaches modern classes. She has studied everything from ballet, tap and
voice to tahitian dance, but found her home when modern dance was
introduced to her 15 years ago. She is Artistic Director for Skyline
Prep & Arts Academy and Vector Dance Company; and she is entering
her 7th year as Production Manager for Ballet Etudes.
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Natalie Cesano
Co-Director, Mesa PowerForce Dance Company
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Jennifer Roberts
Co-Director,
East Mesa Powerforce Dance Company
Teaches:
Company Tap
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Jennifer
began dancing in Jeanne's garage studio when she was 2 years old. She
has grown up participating in dance and performing groups that have
toured across the country. She has danced in groups at MCC, Dixie
College and BYU Hawaii. Jennifer has been a State, Regional and
National Lifting Champion and has been involved in group fitness for 20
years. Jennifer is also involved in the fitness routine for the Arizona
Junior Miss Pageant each Spring. Jennifer is the Director of the East
Mesa Studio, Teaches combo and tap classes and co-directs the Power
Force Dance Company. She says the best thing about teaching dance is
the girls, their smiles and their unconditional love. She adds, "I love
to watch these girls grow up, develop talents and confidence, and turn
into outstanding young women. I have the best job in the world."
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Jenny
Bawden-Olson received her Masters Degree from the University of Utah in
Ballet Teaching and Choreography. While there she served as Ballet
Mistress for Utah Ballet and Rehearsal Director for dancers involved in the Utah Opera and Symphony. She received her Bachelors Degree, in Ballet Performance, from Brigham Young University.
Jenny's
dance career has taken her to many venues throughout the world. She
danced the principal role of Cinderella in the Edinburgh Arts Festival
Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. She traveled to Moscow, Russia with
Legacy Dance Theatre to perform in the government's Moscow Days Celebration.
Jenny has created may new choreographic works including, Firebird, Hansel and Gretel, and Degas, which is was performed at the gala unveiling of the Degas Bronze Sculpture Exhibit at the Phoenix Art Museum.
Teaching dance has always been a love of Jenny's. She is pleased to be teaching ballet classes at Jeanne's.
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Kellan Taylor Meko
Teaches:
Ballet
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As
a Ballet Etudes company member from 1994—2002, Kellan performed
many roles including Clara, Dew Drop Fairy, and Spanish in The
Nutcracker, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, and Mad Hatter in Alice in
Wonderland. With the company, Kellan also had the opportunity to
perform at a Phoenix Suns basketball game, the Arizona Celebration of
Dance, at concerts with The Phoenix Boys Choir, The Phoenix Symphony,
and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony as well as annual galas for The
Phoenix Symphony and The Arizona Opera. She also auditioned for,
and was cast in, original choreographic works by Leslie Browne
(American Ballet Theater) and Dane LaFontsee (Milwaukee Ballet).
A graduate of the University of Arizona, Kellan continues working with
Ballet Etudes as the marketing director, webmaster, rehearsal assistant
and also teaches ballet at Jeanne Wright’s School of Dance.
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Leah will be teaching Hip Hop classes on Tuesday evenings.
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Mele teaches tumbling classes on Tuesday evenings.
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Nick teaches hip hop classes at the Chandler and Mesa studios. He has been teaching at Jeanne's since 2007.
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Sharon Seder Meko
Ballet Etudes,
Artistic Director
Teaches:
Ballet
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Sharon:
As its founder and Artistic Director, Sharon Seder Meko has been the
driving force and inspiration behind Ballet Etudes since 1986. Her
foresight and vision are responsible for the company's tremendous
growth and development and the artistic accomplishments of its dancers.
Due to her efforts, many of the company's dancers have been accepted at
the most prestigious schools and companies throughout North America.
Ballet Etudes' stature in the southwestern United States has been
achieved because of the dedication to excellence and the exceptional
professional abilities of this most talented woman.
Sharon
began her training in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with the Schuykill
Valley Regional Dance Company. She then continued her formal ballet
training in Philadelphia and later trained as an auditioned student
under Edward Canton at the Pennsylvania Ballet. She continued her
dancing career as a soloist and principal dancer. Some of her roles
include: Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz and Mirlitons in Nutcracker, Kitri in
Don Quixote, Blue Bird, Lilac Fairy and Spanish in Sleeping Beauty, and
roles in Coppelia.
She
has studied and taken master classes with teachers Margaret Craske,
Hector Zaraspe, Pearl Land and Martha Graham. In Denver she continued
her professional career with the Colorado Concert Ballet Company and
Ballet Now.
Since
1979, Sharon has pursued her love of Ballet in Arizona. She danced with
the Mesa Civic Ballet (presently Ballet Arizona) and has choreographed
for the Arizona Metropolitan Ballet Junior Company and served as a
guest teacher. She was on the faculty of the Dance Department at
Arizona State University. A teacher of ballet for 20 years, Meko is
presently Director of Ballet at the Jeanne Wright Dance Academy.
Sharon Meko was honored by the Mesa Chamber for Commerce and by Arts in Mesa when she was named "Artist of the Year" for 1991.
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Susan Sharkey
Ballet Etudes,
R.A.D.,
Ballet Mistress
Teaches:
Ballet
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Mrs. Sharkey began her dance studies in California where one of her most influential teachers was Eugene Loring.
In
junior high school she was accepted on scholarship at Colorado
College's Dance Department, studying with Professor Norman and Dorothea
Cornick, formerly principals with the Memphis Ballet. She was a soloist
in the college's performing company.
Susan
began her training with American Ballet Theater under Francisca and
Dimitri Romanoff the company's Regissuer. She went on to perform in
American Ballet Theatre's corps and was later promoted to soloist. As a
soloist, her repertoire included the ballets Les Sylphides, Les
Patineurs, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Giselle.
After
coming to Arizona she completed her exams in the Dance Education
Syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dancing and now is a registered
teacher of the Royal Academy of Dancing, London, England. In
addition to being the Ballet Mistress for Ballet Etudes, she is also a
teaching member for the Royal Academy of Dancing. Susan gives
guest seminars in pointe technique and has been invited to teach pointe
technique as a member of an international delegation's teaching tour of
China. She also has a B.A. in English Literature.
View her lecture demonstration "Right to the Pointe".
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Tara Duffin
Teaches:
Lyrical
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Tara
has been performing in music, dance and theater productions all of her
life. She majored in Dance Performance at Northern Illinois University.
She has danced in several professional ballet productions including:
Coppelia, Les Sylphides, and the Nutcracker. She has also performed in
Hawaii, Disney World and on various cruise ships. Tara has also taught
extensive voice training and has performed in several professional
musical productions including: The Music Man, Annie, West Side Story,
Annie Get Your Gun, and Guys and Dolls. Tara has been enjoying working
at Jeanne's and loves working with all the girls. Tara enjoys being a
mom to her 20 month old son and is expecting a girl in October. She teaches lyrical classes.
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Whitney Ajeman
Teaches:
Pre Co Tap & Jazz, Beg Tumbling and Beg Combo
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Whitney
has been involved with dance, music and theater performance her entire
life. She began her training at the Safford Dance Academy under many
talented, professionally-trained teachers. She also participated in
Snow Choir and Varsity Spiritline in high school where she was the head
choreographer. Whitney went on to major in Dance Education at Arizona
State University where she has the opportunity to study under many
renowned professors and choreographers. She has been an competitive
gymnastics coach at Desert Lights Gymnastics in Chandler for the past
five years. Whitney teaches combo, jazz, tap, clogging, tumbling and
musical theater and will begin teaching ballet and contemporary this
summer. She adds, "working here has given me the chance to inspire
these dancers just as my mentors have inspired me. I look forward to
many years at Jeanne's." .
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Whitney Deering Vance
Teaches:
Combo
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Whitney
has been performing in singing and dancing for as long as she can
remember. Her dancing career began at the age of 3 and, of course, at
Jeanne's. Whitney soon after found her love for music and singing. She
began taking vocal lessons and was in musical performance groups. She
has been singing for 15 years and loves every minute of it. Whitney has
performed in several musical productions such as Newsies, Pirates of
Penzance, and had the leading role in Bye Bye Birdie. Whitney also
assists in musical theater classes called "That's Entertainment." She
loves nothing more than spreading the joy of music and dance to
children of all ages. She loves the children she teaches and
appreciates the happiness they bring into her life.
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Breanna Adams
Teaches:
Ballet
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Breanna will be teaching Ballet IV on Mondays starting at 4:00 pm.
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Alysa Bevington
Office Manager
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Alysa is office manager for the Mesa studio. You can reach her during office hours at 480-497-4646.
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