Ann Williams, Director, has a BA degree in Dance and Mass Communications from the University of Minnesota. She has been dancing and performing for over 20 years and has taught for over 15 years at several different studios in the Twin Cities area. She studied jazz with Zoe Sealy, Billy Siegenfeld, and Danny Buraczeski, the latter being regarded as the most prominent jazz choreographer in the world at this time. Ann studied tap with Zoe Sealy, Char Weiss, LaVaughn Robinson and Brenda Buffalino. She attended and performed at the Jacob’s Pillow dance festival in Becket, MA, the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago and other commercially-based conventions and work-shops and continues to do so. She has performed in Zenon Dance School’s summer scholarship program in a piece choreographed by Matt Jenson, as well as with the Just Can’t Stop Dance Group. Prior to opening BALLAREteatro, Ann was the Jazz Program Director at Dance Works Performing Arts Center in Lakeville, where she was artistic director of the annual Jazz Festival in honor of Black History Month. Ann is involved in the community as a member and former co-chair of the Longfellow Business Association and board member of the Longfellow Community Council as the business representative. Ballare Teatro owner, she teaches Music and Movement, Creative Dance, Tap and Jazz.

Mackenzie Beck-Esmay graduated summa cum laude from the U of M BFA Dance Program. She recently returned from Ghana, West Africa were she studied the creative arts. Mackenzie worked with Linda Talcott Lee on Bloomington Civic Theatre’s 2009 production of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" with the funding of a UROP grant. She has performed in the University Dance Theater’s 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 productions of "Dance Revolutions," as well as in "Missa Brevis" with the Limón Company. She has also performed with Nautilus Music-Theater's "Rough Cuts" in a piece choreographed by Nancy Nair. Currently, Mackenzie is teaching dance to enthusiastic students at Ballareteatro and Tonka Danceworks, and working in group homes with vulnerable adults. This fall she is performing in Bloomington Civic Theatre’s “City of Angels” and Table Salt Productions “Vampires! Horror!”. In the spring she will be performing a collaborative piece choreographed by Erinn Liebhard.

Molly Breen received her BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities in 1997. At the U, Molly trained with Lise Houlton, Zoe Sealy, Erin Thompson, Danny Buraczeski, and other local and national choreographers. She performed in the works of David Parsons, Mel Wong, Doug Varone, Zoe Sealy, and others. Professionally, Molly has danced locally in industrial shows and at Chanhassen Dinner Theater in their productions of Can-Can and Oklahoma. She was on the teaching staff of Zenon dance company and school for five years, has taught at a variety of arts camps and workshops, choreographed for school musicals, and has over 15 years experience teaching dance to all ages. Molly is also a licensed and certified Musikgarten® instructor and she leads an early childhood music and movement program in St. Paul. She lives in the Como area with her husband and three children. Molly will be teaching Jazz and leading the student dance company: The Company B.

Brenna Brelie has a BA from the University of Minnesota and has been dancing since the age of 4. Brenna has been teaching youth and adult tap classes at Ballare since 2004.  Locally, she has performed with Kaleena Miller of Rhythmic Circus, Ellen Keane and Cathy Wind of Keane Sense of Rhythm, and Joe Chvala and Karla Grotting of the Flying Foot Forum.  She has attended and performed at the Chicago Human Rhythm Project where she has had the opportunity to study with tap masters Lane Alexander, Sam Weber, Dianne "Lady Di" Walker, and Jason Samuels-Smith, among others. In addition to her “day job” in public relations, Brenna choreographs and teaches tap at a few studios in the Metro area.

Aleutian Calabay has been dancing and performing since he was a wee lad. He has studied ballet, jazz, and lyrical, although his specialty is tap. Aleutian is a charter member of the Keane Sense of Rhythm Youth Tap Ensemble. He has performed in the Chicago Human Rhythm Project JUBA Festival and at Rhythm Explosion in Montana. As part of the KSR International Touring Company, he performed in Poland in 2006 and in Beijing, China as well as Amori, Japan in December 2007. Aleutian has studied with many tap masters, including Lane Alexander, Dianne Walker, Gene Medler, Sam Weber, Jimmy Slyde, Savion Glover, Jason Samuels Smith and others. Aleutian loves to share his passion with others through teaching and performing.

Rachel Freeburg holds a BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota. A native of central Wisconsin, she began her dance training early on at the Central Wisconsin School of Ballet. Rachel spent her high school years at the rigorous dance conservatory Interlochen Arts Academy with summers at the American Ballet Theater and Milwaukee Ballet.  She has preformed works by Marge Maddox, Zoe Sealy, Pat Graney, Uri Sands, and Anna Sokolow, and has studied with the Limon Institute as well as the Bates Dance Festival. Rachel currently dances with the acclaimed Minneapolis-based modern dance company, Arena Dances as well as independent choreographers, Kaleena Miller, Jessica Briggs, and Alanna Morris.

Karla Grotting is a founding member, principal dancer and artistic associate with Joe Chvala and the Flying Foot Forum, now in her 19th year with the company. She first began performing with Zoe Sealy's Minnesota Jazz Dance Company in the 1970's and continued her career in New York City eventually spending 7 years with JAZZDANCE by Danny Buraczeski. She has performed in a wide range of styles including works by Max Pollak, Off-Leash Area, Diane Waller's Visual Performance Theater, Cathy Young Dance, Billy Siegenfeld, Lynn Dally, Lane Alexander and Keane Sense of Rhythm. Karla has begun creating her own works which blend the unique styles of her tap, jazz, modern and percussive dance experiences. Karla received her B.F.A. in Dance and B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota, where she currently teaches courses in tap and jazz dance. In 2006, she was awarded the University of Minnesota Student's Choice Award for Outstanding Teacher in the College of Liberal Arts. Karla is a recipient of a 2007 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Dancers.

Mary Harding is the department head of the dance program at the Arts High School, a component of the Perpich Center for Arts Education. In her position since 1990, Ms. Harding created the curriculum for the current dance program. She has contributed to a video on assessment for the Minnesota FACS (Framework for Arts Curriculum) project and has presented at the Minnesota Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference, the International Network of Performing and Visual Arts Schools conference, the National AAPHERD convention and at the Dance Educator's Coalition summer workshop. In her dance career she has performed professionally with ballet, jazz and modern companies in repertory ranging from Pas de Quatre to works by Bebe Miller. While a member of the Zenon Dance Company, Ms. Harding taught master classes and dance residencies in schools across the nation. In addition to her work at the Arts High School, she continues to freelance as a choreographer, performer and teacher in the Twin Cities. Ms. Harding received the SURDNA Arts Teachers Fellowship for 2002 and studied at Bates Dance Festival as a result of this fellowship. She is honored to have received the National Dance Teacher of the Year for 2002 from the National Dance Association and Sportime. She has her Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the College of St. Catherine.

Ellen Keane has been a professional performer since 1981, she has appeared on the nationally syndicated show “Dance Fever” and has toured nationally with “The Muppet Babies Live” as Baby Kermit. She has performed in shows with “Sir” Jimmy Slyde, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Dianne Walker, Heather Cornell and many others.

She has taught rhythm tap for universities and at dance schools around the Midwest and is currently on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Theater & Dance Department. She is sought after as an instructor at music and dance festivals throughout the region. She has taught school residencies for the Ordway, the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and the East Side Arts Council in St. Paul.

Choreography credits include two decades of Musicals for high schools, community and professional theaters. Collaborations include the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Misora Taiko and most recently the Chicago Human Rhythm Project’s production of Tap Dance in Beijing China, featuring 6 youth Tap Ensembles and internationally known professionals.

In the past 12 years her tap company “Keane Sense of Rhythm” performances have ranged from the street, to the rooftop and from outdoor venues to professional theaters, we have performed for over 100,000 people, many of which were free to the public.

Productions include 3 Minneapolis Human Rhythm Projects and dozens of National Tap Dance Day Events since 1997. This year’s celebration was at the Mall of America Rotunda on May 24^th, , 2009.

For the past 10 years her focus has been mainly rhythm tap, one Broadway gypsy claimed that every class with Ellen is a master class.

Ellen is most proud of the creation of the Youth Tap Ensemble in 2002. Dancers age 8-18 audition for placement annually. She especially enjoys working with talented and passionate youth in master classes, workshops and residencies.

Aneka McMullen is a native of Minneapolis and graduated with a BFA in Dance performance from Ohio State University. She has been a featured artist in the Late Night series curated by Laurie Carlos at Pillsbury Theater. She performed a solo for Mary Easter at the Minnesota Black Arts Ball and has been featured in two trios choreographed by Leah Nelson and performed at Varsity theater. Aneka is the Artistic Director of Epitome-No Question, which strives to return the focus of Hip Hop to it’s community based roots through dance-theater while utilizing the five elements of Hip Hop culture: Dance, Emcee, DJ, Graffitti & Overtanding. Epitome-No Question represents the ‘Old School’ style of hip hop dance because it best reflects it’s West African roots. Hip Hop with the “Hop” in it! Myspace.com/epitomenoquestion.

Kaleena Miller is a Minneapolis-based tap dancer, choreographer and teacher. She currently dances with Rhythmic Circus Production's Feet Don't Fail Me Now! and Keane Sense of Rhythm. Kaleena has choreographed for groups such as: Rhythmic Circus, Keane Sense of Rhythm's Youth Tap Ensemble, and St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, and also hosts the live music and tap dance project The Cutting Board. In addition to being a former member of Ten Foot Five's Buckets and Tap Shoes, Kaleena has shared the stage with Heather Cornell and Roxane Butterfly. She is a graduate from the University of MN with a BFA in Dance and is a 2007 Sage Award Winner for People's Choice.

Kenna Sarge began her dance training on the sidelines of my mother’s dance classes. After much training she attended the University of Minnesota, where she studied dance and Elementary Education. She studied African dance intensely, attending classes with local greats such as Morris Johnson, Patricia Brown, Baraka De Soleil, and Ateya Ball-Lacey. She taught dance for We Win Rights of Passage with Titilayo Bediako, the Lyndale School Kwanzaa Program, The Old Arizona Bridge Project, and the African American Academy for Accelerated Learning. She also founded the West Central Academy Dance Company, made up of intermediate students at WCA (now W. Harry Davis Academy). Professionally, she was a member of Dance Roots, an African dance company led by Ateya Ball-Lacey. She has been blessed with numerous performing gigs at community events and locations such as Juneteenth, Urban League Family Day, and Legacy Village, performed under the choreographic direction of Aneka McMullen in Helluva Journey at the Walker Art Center’s Choreographers’ Evening. It was after this show that she stumbled upon the idea of Black Choreographers’ Evening; the first dance show she have ever curated independently. She was awarded a Community Arts grant from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council (MRAC). She is a member of the MRAC board of directors. She is the artistic director of Voice of Culture West African Dance and Drum.

Jessica Schilling graduated from the College of St. Catherine with a B.S. in Accounting. She has been dancing since the age of 4. She has trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip hop, house, and break dancing. She was on the competitive line at the White Bear Dance Center (fka Dancin’ Star Studio). She was a co-capital and choreographer for the Dance Team at The College of St. Catherine. She spent two years on the semi-pro dance team, Ascending Stars Performing Line (fka The Lumberjacks Dance Team). She co-choreographed and performed in First Ave’s 2008 Solid Gold New Years celebration, and has performed in pieces by local choreographers Kaleena Miller and Arturo Miles. Her primary focus is break dancing and can be seen competing at b-boy battles around the Twin Cities.

Karis Sloss graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Dance and Theatre Arts. She has been studying dance for over 25 years in the styles of jazz, ballet, pointe, tap, hip hop and modern. Zoe Sealy, Lewis Whitlock, Cathy Young, Maria Slutiak and Danny Buraczeski are some of the very talented artists that Karis has been fortunate enough to work with over the years. She is the Artistic Director of the theatrical jazz dance company Eclectic Edge Ensemble who has had successful productions at The Ritz Theatre, MN Fringe Festivals, Intermedia Arts, Illusion Theatre and Hopkins Center for Performing Arts. Her choreography credits include work at SteppingStone Theatre, Children’s Theatre, Loring Playhouse, Illusion Theatre, University of MN and Saint Catherine/Saint Thomas. Karis is very excited to be starting her eighth year teaching at Ballare Teatro; her home away from home. This year she will be teaching creative dance, ballet, jazz and tap.

Please check out Eclectic Edge Ensemble’s website for more information on her dance company: www.eclecticedgeensemble.com

Christopher Watson was a member of the New Dance Ensemble of Minneapolis and has performed with the Chicago Moving Company, Harbinger Dance Company of Detroit, and Joanna Haigood's Zaccho Company in San Francisco, dancing in works by Pearl Lang, David Gordon, Dan Wagoner, Linda Shapiro, Kathryn Posin, Doris Humphrey, and Margaret Jenkins, among others.

Christopher received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Coe College and a Master of Science degree in journalism from Northwestern University prior to beginning his dance training. He began dance study at the Houston Ballet Academy and subsequently trained with the Chicago Moving Company and at the Merce Cunningham and Joffrey Ballet studios in New York. Christopher then received a Master of Fine Arts in dance from the University of Michigan. From 1978-1982, he co-directed the Dance Theatre 2 Company and School in Ann Arbor, MI.

As associate director of American Inroads and Theater Artaud in San Francisco, he produced a wide range of dance, music, and theater events, including the concert premiere of John Adam's Opera Nixon in China, a concert version of Phillip Glass' Liquid Days with Linda Ronstadt, and the first annual Black Choreographers Moving showcase, as well as performances by noted artists Bebe Miller, Susan Marshall, Stephen Petronio, and the Kronos Quartet, among many others. He founded the Christopher Watson Dance Company in Sacramento, CA in 1991 after performing as an independent choreographer and dancer for several years. Mr. Watson returned to Minneapolis in the fall of 1994.

A former member of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Dance Alliance, Christopher has served on committees and panels for the Michigan Dance Association, Dance Bay Area in San Francisco, and the Sacramento Area Dance Alliance. He has served as a consultant for local arts agencies and organizations including the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

A distinguished teacher, Christopher has served as a guest artist at Eastern Michigan University, California State University Sacramento, University of California at Davis, University of Minnesota Duluth, the Sacramento Visual and Performing Arts High School, and the Pinole Valley Arts Magnet School in the San Francisco Bay area.

Christopher’s choreographic work has been supported through grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts, the New Works Program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the Jerome Foundation through the SpaceSpace Co-Project, the Linden Hills UCC Fund, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the Lyndale Neighborhood Association, Minneapolis Arts Commission, the Minnesota Dance Alliance, and Mervyn's.

Linda Talcott Lee
On Broadway, Linda performed in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, JEROME ROBBINS’ BROADWAY, SEUSSICAL, and THE GOODBYE GIRL. Among her regional credits are Maggie in “A Chorus Line”, Anybodys in “West Side Story”, Electra in “Cats”, Mae in “The Wild Party”, and the Apache dancer in Donny Osmond’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Currently she is an Affiliate faculty member at the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Catherine. She also teaches for the Guthrie, CTC and the Spotlight program. Linda has acted as the Artistic Director and Choreographer for the Bravo Channel’s “On With The Show”. Her other choreographic credits include BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, A CHORUS LINE, HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, DAMN YANKEES, 7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, SEUSSICAL, 45 MINUTES FROM BROADWAY, URINETOWN, HORMEL GIRLS, CINDERELLA, DONKEYS AND ELELPHANTS (U of M commissioned concert piece), STREET SCENE, Celebrity Cruise Lines, BLUE IN THE FACE (with Harvey Keitel), SALSA (Assistant to the Choreographer), and BRIGID BODIN (A & M Records). Most notably, Linda earned an Emmy Award for her work in THE COMEDY HALL OF FAME with Jason Alexander. You can find out about her future projects at: ltldanceworks.com.

Heather Annis has been dancing for 20 years and is excited to be teaching for her second year! She loves working with and learning from her students, while using fun and educational activities. Heather has had the pleasure of working with and teaching at Mulberry Junction and The Dance Factory. She has also done workshops and substituting at Tonka Danceworks and Ballare Teatro Performing Arts Center. Other than teaching, Heather enjoys performing and serving on the board of Eclectic Edge Ensemble, as well as helping with EEE's new outreach program! She has had the privilege of working with talented choreographers such as Karla Grotting, Zoe Sealy, and Karis Sloss. Heather graduated with a BA in dance from the University of Minnesota. In her free time, Heather enjoys spending time with her husband Joey and her cat Chloe. She is thrilled to share the joy of dancing with you and your children!

Jacob Melczer, a native of the Chicago-area, recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Dance. While there, he had the pleasure of performing works by Shapiro and Smith, Uri Sands, Louis Falco, and Jose Limon. Growing up, he had rigorous training injazz, ballet, and modern. He is currently a full-time company member with Mathew Janczewski’s ARENA Dances and is excited to join the staff of Ballare Teatro.

Coming Soon: Bio for Catie Hawk.

Substitute Teaching Staff

Emily Broeker having grown up dancing at BallareTeatro, is pursuing her B.A. in dance from the University of Minnesota. She has performed the choreography of Karis Sloss, Kaleena Miller, Erinn Liebhard, and Judith James Ries at such venues as the Ritz Theater, the Bedlam Theater, Intermedia Arts, and Patrick’s Cabaret. She has been a member of Eclectic Edge Ensemble, a Minnesota-based jazz company, for five years. She is particularly interested in dance as it relates to rhythm, culture, and overall health. Recently, she has been exploring Body Mind Centering and Somatics with Sheryl Saterstrom, among others. In her spare time, she enjoys eating food (any kind is great), and playing four-square.