Summer Ballet Intensive Monday, July 30 - Friday, August 17
A Summer Ballet Program
for Beginning to Advanced Levels
This year's summer ballet program offers three different levels of instruction to accommodate students with as little as one year of training through advanced ballet students.
There is no better way for a student to keep improving as a dancer in body and mind than to participate in a "summer intensive."
With our outstanding faculty of highly regarded teachers, TCAB's program offers a summer intensive that students will only find in larger cities with major companies.
The Summer Intensive will include these dance disciplines and more.
Ballet
Pointe
Jazz
Musical Theatre
Character
Hip Hop
Theory
Acting
2018 Faculty (subject to change)
Robert Kelley
Robert Kelley received his formal dance training at the School of American Ballet, San FranciscoBalletSchool and with Alonzo King. He danced professionally with Charleston Ballet Theatre, Sacramento Ballet and Fort Wayne Ballet, where he also served as Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer. As a dancer, he had many works choreographed especially for him by choreographers, such as Jill Eathorne Bahr, Philip Jerry and Ron Cunningham. Robert has performed every major classical role and was known for his onstage charisma and sublime partnering abilities.
Robert's choreography lives in the repertoires of many regional and professional companies across the United States, including his full length "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast." His choreography has earned several awards and two of his works are in the Regional America Choreography Plan. He was the Artistic Director of San Jose Dance Theatre, where he implemented several ongoing community programs. Robert has choreographed over thirty ballets for the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. His "Linear Context" won the RDA Choreographic Excellence Award in 2006, and his "The Condition Hereafter" won the same award in 2008.
In addition to his work for the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Robert sits on the Tannery Arts Center Board and represents Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre as an Associate of the Cultural Council of Santa Cruz County. Robert teaches all levels of students at The Studio of Classical Ballet, of which he is also co-director. Robert and Diane were honored in 2009 with a Gail Rich Award for their contribution to the Santa Cruz arts community, and Robert is the recipient of the 2010 Artist of the Year Award, given by the Santa Cruz County Arts Commission.
Kameron Saunders
Kameron N. Saunders was born in St. Louis, MO. He is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City with his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. He graduated from Metro Academic & Classical High School while doing his dance training at COCA (Center of Creative Arts). There he studied ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, and choreography as a part of their Pre-Professional Program. Kameron is currently a principal dancer with Afriky Lolo; a West-African dance company in St. Louis, MO under the direction of Diadie Bathily. Kameron has choreographed for the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Washington University, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, The Big Muddy Dance Company, Consuming Kinetics Dance Company, MADCO, and COCA. He has also choreographed for Tony award-winning actor Ken Page for his original play for dance, Sublime Intimacy, which premiered in December of 2015. In January of 2017 Kameron started his own project-based dance company, Kambré Contemporary Dance Company. In addition to that he has returned to COCA to teach dance and now serves as the student company Rehearsal Director to former Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater principal dancers, Antonio and Kirven Douthit-Boyd.
Maggie Rupp
Maggie Rupp began dancing at the early age of 3. She started her training at Westside Dance Academy where she studied not only ballet, but tap, jazz, modern, contemporary, and theatrical dancing. She then decided to pursue ballet and studied for one year at Oregon Ballet Theatre, and then at The Portland Ballet from 2008-2012 where she got to perform many principal roles such as "Titania" in John Cliffords A Midsummer Night's Dream, "The Blue Fairy" in John Clifford's La Boutique Fantasque, Val Caniparoli's Street Songs, "Odette" in Swan Lake, as well as many Balanchine excerpts. Maggie joined the Sacramento Ballet as an apprentice dancer in 2012, and was promoted the next year to The Company and has been there ever since. While at Sacramento Ballet, she has performed roles such as "Tinkerbell" in Ron Cunningham's brand new production of Peter Pan, "Myrtle Wilson" in Ron Cunningham's The Great Gatsby, "Snow Queen" in Ron Cunningham's The Nutcracker, "1st Lead Regiment Girl" in George Balanchine's Stars & Stripes and also "Blue Girl/Just Right" in Ron Cunningham's Carmina Burana. Along with dancing, Maggie has also modeled for Oliver Endahl's Ballet Zaida, such as photos and his short film Nesoi, and has also modeled for Richard Giorla's Cardio Barre, and Adidas. Maggie also loves to sing and act!
Jeanne O'Connell
Jeanne O'Connell is a teacher, choreographer, and performer who has worked in all areas of entertainment. She has performed in Broadway shows such as 42nd Street, Joesph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sweet Charity, and Singing in the Rain, appeared in national television shows and commercials, worked as a magician's assistant, and danced in numerous productions at Disneyland. She has choreographed for schools, performing compnaies and professional theaters across the country and has trained dancers who have gone on to dance in professional ballet companies and Broadway shows.
Jeanne is a technician and her teaching focuses on the technical side of dance. She is also a dynamic performer and incorporates a lot of style and personality into her choreography. She is encouraging and nuturing in her approach which provides a positive environment for her students. Most importantly, Jeanne strives to bring out the best in each student. Currently, Jeanne is the director of The O'Connell's Performing Company, a dance and theatrical company located in the Chicago area. She is also a busy wife and mother of three kids, all of whom are performers!
Melanie Haller
Melanie Haller received her training at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under world renowned teacher, Marcia Dale Weary, and with other prestigious mentors such as Darla Hoover, Alan Hineline, Leslie Hench, Richard Cook, and Melinda Howe. Over the course of a decade, her training included the annual participation with RDA/Northeast, the International Ballet Competition, in 2004 and 2008, representing the Northeast region, and attending the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program for four consecutive years in the highest level under the direction of Devon Carney.With Darla Hoover’s affiliation with New York City Ballet, Ms. Haller grew up performing Balanchine works such as Concerto Barocco, Divertimento #15, Harlequinade, La Source, Raymonda Variations, Serenade, Star and Stripes, Valse Fantasie, and Walpurgisnacht. At the age of eighteen, she joined the Sacramento Ballet as an apprentice and was immediately given principal roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Her Balanchine repertoire expanded and was highlighted in Allegro Brillante, Agon, The Four Temperaments, Scotch Symphony, Tarantella, Western Symphony, Who Cares?, and Ron Cunningham’s productions of The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, Carmina Burana, Hamlet, A Street Car Named Desire, The Tempest, The Firebird, Carmen, Rite of Spring, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. After six years with the company, she retired and began teaching in the Sacramento community. California Musical Theatre credits include playing Tintinabula in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She has also worked with The Sacramento Opera and choreographed their productions of Otello and The Marriage of Figaro. She was the Principal of The School of the Sacramento Ballet and the Artistic Director of their Sacramento Ballet Youth Ensemble.
Erin Zintek
Erin Zintek is originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she started her training under Kellie Plathe from Accent On Dance. Erin graduated from the University of Iowa with a BFA in dance. Pre-professionally and professionally Erin has danced with Charlotte Adams and Dancers, David Dorfman and Dancers, Poetic Rebound Co., and Bill Young. During the summer of 2008, she traveled to Brazil to study capoeira and dance with the company Bale Folkloric. Besides teaching dance, Erin is a certified pilates instructor, certified yoga instructor and is the co-creator of The Ellové Technique. She currently teaches at BodyVox Dance Center, Nike World Headquarters and Multnomah Athletic Club where she is also the head coach to the pre-professional dance company. Erin also serves on the executive board for Oregon Dance Educators Organization.
Lisa Buchmiller
Lisa Buchmiller began dancing at an early age at Tri-Cities Academy of Ballet in Richland, WA. Classically trained in ballet, tap and jazz she performed with Mid-Columbia Ballet under the artistic direction of Debra Pearse Rogo. In college, Lisa discovered her true passion - teaching movement. Lisa is a certified personal trainer, certified yoga instructor, dance instructor, co-creator of The Ellové Technique and the yoga supervisor at Multnomah Athletic Club. Whether working with clients individually, or teaching a class, Lisa combines her expertise in many different disciplines to help students prevent injury and find synergy in their bodies. Lisa currently teaches at Multnomah Athletic Club, Nike World Headquarters and BodyVox Dance Center. She also serves on the executive board for Oregon Dance Educators Organization.
