Maine State Ballet School Faculty
Jessica Bartlett
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
A ballerina since age 3, Jessica has been dancing at the Maine State Ballet School for over a decade. As a Maine State Ballet company member her favorite roles include Demi Soloist Flower and Marzipan Corps in The Nutcracker, Titania’s Attendant in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and dancing as a soloist in Paquita. After participating in an Early Study Aspirations program during her final two years of high school, Jessica is now majoring in Environmental Science at the University of Southern Maine. In 2015 she began training through the MSB teacher training program, and has been assisting and substituting ever since.
Barry Brinker
Instructor
For the past 25 years, Barry has been sharing the joy of dance with thousands of students throughout the country. Before she became a teacher, Barry was a professional dancer in New York City and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Education from The University of Maryland. She is the proud recipient of numerous grants awarded by The National Endowment for the Arts and has taught with Jacques D'amboise for The National Dance Institute. Students are enthralled by Barry's loving, kind, and energetic nature, but it is her compassion and contagious enthusiasm that most inspires her students.
Gail Csoboth
Associate Director, Production Designer, Instructor
Ms. Csoboth studied classical ballet in New York City at the American Ballet Theatre with such teachers as Valentina Perejslavic, Igor Schwetzoff and Robert Joffrey. She became a member of the American Ballet Theatre Choreographer's Showcase and performed with them in New York. Gail finished her education in New York City as an art major, receiving awards and grants for her work. Gail has designed and staged full length classical ballets in Portland for the past 20 years. She has received rave reviews for her costume and scenic design for the Maine State Ballet's productions of Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Le Corsaire, The Little Mermaid, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Hansel and Gretel, and of course, The Nutcracker. Gail has also been costume designer for the Portland Opera Repertory Theatre and designed the Opera's productions of Carmen, Madame Butterfly, Tosca, La Traviata, La Boheme, Rigoletto, Lucia de Lammermoor and Pagliacci. Gail provides classical ballet training and coaching to Maine State Ballet's upcoming company dancers.
Emma Davis
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Soloist
Emma is a graduate of Maine State Ballet's Assistant Teaching program and has taught at Musical Theater and Very Young Dancer Workshops. She has also taught at a Falmouth Community Center summer workshop and is currently a youth leader at her church. As a Maine State Ballet Soloist, her favorite roles include Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Guardian Angel in Hansel and Gretel and Spring Fairy in Cinderella.
Glenn Davis
Assistant Director, Instructor, Choreographer, Maine State Ballet Principal
A Maine native and All-State athlete, Mr. Davis brings athleticism to his work as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Favorite MSB roles include Franz in Coppelia, Conrad in Le Corsaire, Basilio in Don Quixote, and the Prince in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. For 20 years, he graced the stage as the Nutcracker Prince and Cavalier in The Nutcracker. Audiences have also seen him perform professionally in musical theater productions at Maine State Music Theatre. His direct training in the Balanchine style under New York City Ballet’s Linda MacArthur Miele and Adam Luders led him to a love of neoclassical ballet, teaching, and choreography. He has choreographed dozens of smaller pieces and several full-length ballets, including Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and The Little Mermaid. His love of travel and teaching ballet has led him to teach around the United States and at ballet schools in Sweden and Wales. Mr. Davis has a B.A. in History, Education, and French from the University of Maine and is a certified K-12 teacher. He is currently studying for his Master’s in Business Administration.
Janet Davis
Assistant Director, Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
Maine State Ballet's most prolific ballerina, Janet epitomizes the dream of every aspiring young dancer. Audiences have applauded her as Sugar Plum Fairy in
The Nutcracker, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Firebird in Maine State Ballet's premiere production of The Firebird and many other roles. Equally comfortable teaching tap, jazz and ballet, Janet has choreographed for musical productions and for “Best of Broadway”. She studied piano and music theory under MSB Orchestra Conductor, Karla Kelley and has conducted choirs around the State. This extensive understanding of music is passed on to her dancers through phrasing and choreography. Her philosophy of “If you can, you should” inspires confidence in her students and helps them reach their full potential. Janet is married to principal dancer Glenn Davis and has a daughter, Emma.
Katie Desantis
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
Katie was trained exclusively with Maine State Ballet and was accepted into notable summer programs such as Boston Ballet, The Rock School and Julliard. After high school Katie danced at Marymount Manhattan College in NY and at Steps. After returning to Maine she studied nursing at SMCC and now has certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant and group fitness instructor. Katie's versatile style enables her to perform diverse roles such as the beautiful Princess Elena in The Firebird and the Gypsy Queen in Don Quixote. Her additional repertoire includes the Dark Angel in Serenade, the Spanish Princess in Swan Lake, and the Fourth Movement soloist in Miele's Bach Concerti.
Roberto Forleo
Guest Instructor
Roberto was born in Italy and trained at Scuola di Balletto Classico Cosi-Stafanescu and at Ecole Atelier Rudra Béjart Lausanne where he studied with Azari Plisetzki, Sulamith Messerer, Suzanne Farrell, David Howard and Colette Milner. He has taught and performed with companies in Brazil, Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North Africa, North and South America. He is certified in the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, and is currently on the teaching faculty at The Florida Ballet.
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Kallee Gallant
Instructor, Maine State Ballet First Soloist
A product of Maine State Ballet, Kallee spent two summers dancing with Miami City Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. Kallee is now studying at the University of Souther Maine. Her credits as a Maine State Ballet First Soloist include Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy and Marzipan Shepherdess in The Nutcracker, Buttercup in Alice in Wonderland, Woodland Glade and Silver Fairy in Sleeping Beauty and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Rebecca Galli
Instructor
Rebecca is a full time Kindergarten teacher for the Cumberland School Department. She has a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine, a Master of Science Degree in Education from the University of New England and her Teacher Certification from the University of New England. Mrs. Galli joined the staff of Maine State Ballet in 2010 with a focus on our younger students. She has been a dedicated dance student for many years and performed in several recitals. Her wealth of experience as a dancer and a classroom teacher make her a valuable addition to the faculty.
Rose Hutchins
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
A graduate of Utah Valley University, Rose Hutchins holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance with a Ballet Emphasis. For more than a decade Rose has taught across the nation, earning the respect of students, peers, and directors for her technical knowledge, work ethic, and artistry. In addition to her skills as a teacher and performer, Rose has gained recognition as a choreographer and in the academic community. Her most notable achievements include her award-winning choreography Degas, and her choreographic work Embark, which was featured at Regional Dance America/Pacific.
Lori Johnson
Instructor
Lori is very excited to return to Maine State Ballet after a brief hiatus. She spent many years here not only teaching, but watching her two ballerinas, Kirby and Julia, dance from the time they were 3 years old. Lori has performed in many musical theater productions at both Lyric Theater and Portland Players in South Portland. In addition she has been on stage at Maine State Music Theatre from 1993 - 2007. Prior to dancing on the stage, Lori was on a frozen stage for 10 years with the Ice Capades.
Juliette Lauzier-Bridges
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
Juliette is a founding member of Maine State Ballet. Known to her young dance students as "Miss Juliette," her style is elegant and graceful. She is sought after all over Maine as a dancer, choreographer and teacher, most recently guest teaching at the Maine Dance Teacher's Workshop. She won critical acclaim for her choreography and performance of Broken Trust, an original modern piece. She continues to be a wonderful asset to the Company.
Julia Lopez
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
Julia has been part of Maine State Ballet since she was an infant, coming to the theater with her stage manager mom before she could walk. After high school, she attended the University of Vermont and missed her Maine State Ballet family so much, she recently transferred back to UNE to continue dancing. Since her return to Maine, Julia has taught here at Maine State Ballet and other area dance schools. As a Principal with Maine State Ballet, her credits include Sugar Plum and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Mercedes in Don Quixote, Slumber Fairy in Hansel and Gretel and Hermia in A Midsummer's Nights Dream.
Christine Marshall Dow
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
Christine graduated from Skidmore College with a Bachelor's in Theater and English. Along with the many character roles she has perfected for Maine State Ballet, Christine is a Narrator for The New Yorker Online and the Artistic Director of Mad Horse Theatre Company. She developed the theater curriculum for the Maine State Academy for the Performing Arts and has been teaching ballet, tap and jazz for nearly 20 years at Maine State Ballet. Her creative style gives unique perspective to her students. She and her husband Mike reside in South Portland.
Jonathan Miele
Director, Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
Mr. Miele started dancing at the Dorothy Mason School of Dance here in Maine, which is now the Maine State Ballet School for the Performing Arts. After brief training at Boston Ballet School, Jonathan went to New York City where he had a successful career on Broadway dancing with such notable stars as Carol Channing, Jane Powell, Bernadette Peters, Gower Champion and Robert Preston. Mr. Miele has directed and choreographed shows for Lyric Theater, Portland Players, Windham Center Stage Theater and many area high schools. His exuberant style of dance has made him a favorite among students who want to experience the excitement of big, Broadway-style choreography.
Linda Miele
Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer, Instructor
Ms. Miele started to dance at age 3 in Boston. At age 11 she moved to New York to further her studies where she was accepted into George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. At age 14, she was the youngest member accepted into the New York City Ballet Company. She has toured the world, dancing in such places as Paris, Rome, Athens, Venice, Jerusalem, London, Dubrovnik, Tel-Aviv, Florence, Salzburg, and Montreal. Most of her performances however, were at Lincoln Center at the New York State Theater. Having worked closely with George Balanchine, she moves into the area of choreography naturally and maintains the legendary versatile Balanchine Style. Adding to her long-standing rights to Balanchine's Nutcracker choreography, she was granted permission to stage Serenade from The George Balanchine Trust. Mrs. Miele is a notable college lecturer, Church Choir Director and the past President of the Women's Relief Society in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Adrienne Pelletier
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
Adrienne has grown up dancing with Maine State Ballet. She is a graduate of Southern Maine Community College with a degree in Culinary Arts. As a Principal with Maine State Ballet, her roles include Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and Coffee from Arabia in The Nutcracker, The Bird in Peter & the Wolf, Cupid in Don Quixote, The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, and Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty.
Rhiannon Pelletier
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
Rhiannon is a graduate of St. Joseph’s College and a Principal dancer with Maine State Ballet. She has been our student since age 8 and has attended American Academy of Ballet and Boston Ballet’s summer programs. Her dance credits include Swanhilda in Coppelia, Kitri in Don Quixote, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. She has taught for both Maine State Ballet and CenterStage in Raymond (entering her sixth year with CSPA) and enjoys working with students of all ages.
Ali Spurgin
Instructor
Ali began dancing at the age of eight and quickly found a passion for dance. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Business Administration minor. Ali has worked with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co, American Ballet Theatre, Trisha Brown Dance Co, Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. She performed and choreographed in numerous dance productions including the American College Dance Association. She has taught dance for eight years in the Nebraska area while traveling to elite dance competitions. Ali is excited to join the Maine State Ballet staff where she is dedicated to providing a professional learning environment that promotes positivity, creativity and technical excellence.
Christina Williams Grygiel
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
Christina is an Art Teacher with South Portland Public Schools and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art Education from the University of Southern Maine. She began her dance training at Maine State Ballet at the age of three, and has performed with us for over 20 years. After working her way through Maine State Ballet’s Company, Christina earned her status as Principal Soloist in 2011 and danced many diverse roles including classical favorites such as Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, as well as many other prominent roles in full-length classical ballets and contemporary works. She now enjoys inspiring her students as a dedicated educator in the visual and performing arts.
Teacher Assistants
(Back Row - L to R)
RubySkye Maze
Elizabeth Chmielewski
Abigail Dillavou
Madeline Smith
Paige Gelhar
Madeleine Belcher
(Front Row - L to R)
Ava Alberetti
Kate Bender
Elizabeth Chadbourne
Abigail Beaucaire