FACULTY AND GUESTS

Ms. Major has a BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University where she attended with a full Artistic Merit Scholarship and graduated cum laude.  Her training includes the School of Ballet West, and the American Academy of Ballet which included an exchange program with the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in Riga, Latvia.  Ms. Major's training also included notable summer programs at Balletmet and the School of Hartford Ballet.  Ms. Major now brings her knowledge and experience, combined with a great love for dancing and teaching, to Ballet North West Academy.

Ms. Major's performing experience includes classical ballets Swan Lake, Nutcracker (Sugar Plum, Dewdrop, Marzipan Shepherdess), and Pas de Deux from Flower Festival in Genzano, and Grand pas Classique.  She has also performed neoclassical works including George Balanchine's Serenade, and she has originated lead roles in Robert Scevers' Septet, and Jaun Valqui's Dances and Airs of Ireland.  Her experience includes diverse repertory, such as Elaine Gardner's modern Celtic Creatures, San Diego Ballet's contemporary Dances of Love and Laughter, and musical theatre including Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, and theater repertory, Dickens A Christmas Carol.  She has performed for San Diego Ballet, Ballet du Soliel, Texas Musical Drama, Western Chamber Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, City Ballet, and Pacific Repertory Ballet and productions of the Southern Methodist University Dance Department.  She has also appeared with Pittsburgh Ballet.

Ms. Major's experience enables her to prepare some students of Ballet North West Academy for careers in the ballet and others for years of enjoying the love of ballet as educated audience members and joyous participants in dance.  Her students enjoy success with scholarships to pre-professional training programs and university dance programs and at auditions for acceptance into the country’s most prestigious intensive study programs including American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Oleg Briansky's Briansky-Saratoga Center, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory and Burklyn Ballet Theatre.  Ms. Major provides only the highest quality lessons, facility, and customer service to the families of the Eugene / Springfield area, while at the same time providing artistic enrichment to the community through outreaches, performances, and workshops.

Saryn Kirk - Academy Administrator
Director of Essential Arts for Preschoolers
saryn@bnwa.net

Ms. Saryn Kirk has just recently joined our BNWA family after graduating in the Spring 2011 with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Sociology at the University of Oregon. She has nannied for many families over the years, including Ms. Michele Major’s children. She coached color guard at Sheldon High School for 2 years, participated in color guard for 4 years, as well as dance team, including high school and college. Participating in these different groups has afforded her a wealth of experience in ballet, hip hop, jazz, and enabled her to paticipate in various performances nationwide.

Ms. Saryn is attending George Fox University to earn her Masters in Education along with her Reading Endorsement, and is excited to pursue her dreams of teaching. She thoroughly enjoys children and teaching them how to master both educational and life learning experiences. Ms. Saryn is thrilled to join our Ballet North West Academy family as Academy Administrator, Director of Essential Arts for Preschoolers, and teacher.

Margaret Dixon- McDonald- Assistant Administrator
margaret@bnwa.net

Ms. Margaret grew up in Monmouth, Oregon then moved to Eugene to begin her higher education at the University of Oregon majoring in Dance. She soon realized her fascination with learning about the human body and how she can directly apply that knowledge to movement. Ms. Margaret has since transferred to Lane Community College to participate in the Physical Therapist Assistant program with plans of earning a double degree as a Registered Nurse. She aspires to obtain the career option of a Surgical R.N. In Physical Therapy, she hopes to work closely with dancers and other athletes, likely with a concentration in vestibular balance and gait rehabilitation.

Ms. Margaret is passionate about beginning her new path of education, career, and joining our family here at BNWA!

Dejah Hobbs- Assistant Administrator
dejah@bnwa.net

Ms. Dejah Hobbs has just recently joined our BNWA family after graduating in the Winter 2012 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology at the University of Oregon. She has worked for years in customer service including her position as Administrative Assistant for a medical office. She is an active volunteer at Ophelia’s Place, a non-profit center for girls, where she mentors adolescent girls from the community at the drop-in center and co-facilitates presentations on important topics for youth in middles schools and high schools.

Ms. Dejah hopes to continue her education and pursue a Masters Degree in Couples and Family Therapy so she can serve the community by healing families and preventing mental disorders at the developmental stage. She loves working with young people and values family life as an important foundation for a healthy community. Ms. Dejah is excited to become a part of our Ballet North West Academy family.

Diane Huffman has been costume mistress at Ballet Northwest Academy since 2005. Ms. Huffman is a third generation tailor and has over 15 years experience as a seamstress. Beginning at age 7 with embroidery, Ms. Diane learned this timeless talent from her mother at their family tailoring shop, Tailoring Express. Her experiences have included alterations for Steve James production of “PRE” and Arthur Allan Seidelman’s production of “Sisters”. Ms. Diane has also worked on many costumes for local productions and schools. As costume mistress, Ms. Diane is appreciated for preparing costumes for production, designing and creating professional grade costumes. Ms. Diane is looking forward to collaborating with Miss Michele on some new costume designs in the coming year.

Ms. Kathryn is back.  Commonly called the best tap teacher in Oregon, Ms. Kathryn brings her talents back to BNWA. Kathryn Irsfeld studies tap privately in Los Angeles and with various tap choreographers across the nation.  She has also studied with Charon Aldredge and Jason Bernard of the national touring company of Riverdance, and master tap teachers Debbie Dee, Chris Finn, Mark Goodman and Thommie Retter.  Kathryn won the Oregon State Fair talent contest, a prize of $2000.00.  She has toured the Pacific Northwest with the Eugene Ballet Company's Nutcracker.  In 1998 she attended the American Theater Dance Workshop on Long Island, NY. Ms. Kathryn has appeared in commercials and print ads for Valley River and LTD.  She has also done print work for Medic-Aid.

Claire Maederer began training seriously at the age of 9, when Ballet North West Academy first opened. While training in ballet, modern, tap, jazz, musical theater, and hip hop, she has attended summer dance intensives such as Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center, Boston Ballet, and Anaheim Ballet. In addition to her primary ballet training at BNWA with Miss Michele, and Kathleen and Howard Epstein, she has trained with renowned teachers including David Howard, Oleg Briansky, Amanda McKerrow, John Gardner, Larry Rosenburg, Mansur Kamaletdinov, Susan Jones (ballet mistress of ABT), and James Wallace (artistic director of the David Taylor Dance Theater).

Ms. Claire has performed in the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker in Salem, as Spanish Chocolate and a butterfly, has won a Gold Award at the Onstage New York dance competition, and was invited to the 2011 Youth American Grand Prix finals workshop in New York City.

Macy Brigham began her training at Ballet North West Academy at the age of 8. She has trained in Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, and Musical Theater, and she has attended summer dance intensives such as Burklyn Ballet, Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center, and American Ballet Theater (ABT). In addition to her training at BNWA with Miss Michele, and Kathleen and Howard Epstein, she has trained with instructors such as Oleg Briansky, Amanda McKerrow, John Gardner, Susan Jones (Ballet Mistress of ABT), Mansur Kamaletdinov, James Wallace (Artistic Director of the David Taylor Dance Theater), Wes Chapman (Artistic Director of ABT II), and Susan Zadoff. Macy has also performed in the Moscow Ballet’s Nutcracker in Salem as Spanish Chocolate, and Russian Trepak. She is studying at the University of Oregon and dancing in the UO’s Dance Department.

Lou Moulder is from Dallas, TX and began dancing at the age of three. She is currently a dance major at the University of Oregon.  She began teaching at Ballet Northwest Academy in the summer of 2008 and teaches Adult Ballet, Adult Tap, and Modern. She also performs and choreographs a variety of movement projects at the University of Oregon and in the community as Administrative Director for Busking Theatre Company, a local performing troupe.

Ms. Lou is a huge asset to our department for both adult ballet and musical theater. She is motivating, energizing, creative, and patient with our students. She is dedicated to provide enjoyment in the classes she teaches for both the parents and students.

At three years old, Madeleine began ballet classes at a studio much like Ballet North West Academy in her hometown, Spokane, Washington. She graduated from her Royal Academy of Dance training of sixteen years with other focuses (including modern, tap, jazz, and musical theatre). In addition, Madeleine had the pleasure of accompanying Alberta Ballet Company's production of The Nutcracker. Although a dancer at heart, Madeleine is also very passionate about theatre. She has been in many award winning musical theatre productions, including Chicago, Little Shop of Horrors, Miss Saigon, and Seussical! among others. Her involvement in theatre and dance includes training in improvisation, voice, children's theatre, and historical or classical work. She has studied under the styles of Stanislavski, Meisner, Shurtleff, and traditional Commedia Dell'arte.

Madeleine is currently a student at the Honors College in the University or Oregon, pursuing a degree in Theatre Arts and Dance. She is the recipient of three scholarships, including the merit-based Dean's Scholarship and the Anna Boyd Reed Scholarship for Musical Theatre. At the University she has recently been involved with the touring production of Annelie in the Depths of the Night and Mad Duckling Children's Theatre. Madeleine now brings her experience in theatre and dance to the students at Ballet North West Academy, with the hopes of sharing her joy for dance, her love of performing theatre, and her experience in how musical theatre is conducted in the professional world.

Ursula received her Bachelor of Arts Degree majoring in music (voice and piano) from Augustana University College. She completed her A.R.C.T. Teacher and Performance Diplomas for piano with the Royal Consevatory of Music. In December of 2002 she completed her Master of Music Degree in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Oregon. During her graduate studies, she continued to study voice. She has a warm, endearing personality which encourages the children she works with to strive for excellence and share in her enthusiasm.

Ms. Ursula has taught piano and voice for 17 years privately, as well as taught as an adjunct instructor at Eugene Bible College for 5years. She has accompanied vocalists and instrumentalists for 21years, and workedfor churches as pianist and vocalist for 23years. Ms. Ursula currently works at Trinity United Methodist Church as sub-pianist and organist, and at Harmony Roadhouse Studios, LLC, co-director. At Ballet North West Academy, she proudly and enthusiastically directs the music program, as well as teaching piano and voice lessons.

Michael McCarthy - Guitar & Saxophone
michael@bnwa.net

A unique music educator and performer, Michael Jay McCarthy contributes notably to the music community in Eugene, Oregon. Michael can be seen performing in various genres all over the Northwest with The Essentials, Calango, The Illusionists, and The Chorus. He has just joined the Ballet North West Academy as our guitar instructor, and he also has notable experience in saxophone which we are happy to accommodate. Michael also composes, arranges, engraves, and transcribes for all of the ensembles in which he is involved.

Prior to residing in Eugene, Michael taught both publicly and privately in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. From Philadelphia's University of the Arts, Michael earned a Masters in Music Education and a Bachelor in Music Composition. He has also earned his certificate to teach in both New Jersey and Pennsylvannia.

Melissa Davey - Piano & Strings Instructor
melissad@bnwa.net

Melissa Davey teaches piano, viola, violin, and fiddle to studetns of all ages and abilities. She has a Bachelors of Music from Western Oregon University and a Master of Music in Viola Performance & String Pedagogy from the University of Oregon. Although playing viola with chamber ensembles and orchestras was her main focus during her college career, she also enjoyed accompanying and teaching group violin classes through the pedagogy program. Currently, she performs music for weddings, recepetions, church services, art openings, and many other events throughout the community.

As a teacher, she encourages her students to perform music for others whenever the opportunity arises. During lessons, she emphasizes proper posture and technique, relaxation while playing, note-reading, ear training, music theory, and performance etiquette.

As both premier danseur and choreographer, Mr. Briansky has performed with such renowned companies as the Ballet des Champs-Elysees, the Ballet de Paris, London Festival Ballet (English National Ballet) the New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet, the Munich Opera Ballet, the Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires and the Chicago Opera Ballet.  During his career he has also partnered many leading ballerinas Margot Fonteyn, Maria Tallchief and Violette Verdy to name a few.  Internationally respected, Mr. Briansky has served on the jury of the Prix de Lausanne and ballet competitions in Nyon, Switzerland, Osaka, Japan, and Jackson, Mississippi.

Mr. Briansky served as the Associate Artistic Director of the Ballet de Rio de Janeiro, and Artistic Director of "Children of Theatre Street," the feature documentary film and Academy Award nomination about the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in Leningrad.  He has also translated "100 Lessons in Classical Ballet" by Vera Kostrovitskaya of the Vaganova Institute and "Classes in Classical Ballet" by Asaf Messerer, ballet master of the Bolshoi Ballet.

An international teacher and coach, Mr. Briansky has directed principal dancers from the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Boston Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada.  His ballet "Scheherazade", "The Firebird", are in the repertory of the Ballet Memphis and the Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando.

Mr. Wallace is currently the artistic director of David Taylor Dance Theatre in Denver, Co.  James Wallace graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in dance performance and choreography from Arizona State University.  He has danced professionally for the San Diego Opera, Kim Robards Dance, David Taylor Dance Theatre, City Ballet of San Diego, and Company C Contemporary Ballet of San Francisco.  He has danced in works by Twyla Tharp, Lynn Taylor-Corbet, Tom Ruud, Charles Moulton, Patrick Corbin, Paul Taylor, and George Balanchine.

While apprenticing at Colorado Ballet, he choreographed two major works, Carmina Burana and Inversion, which received excellent reviews.  In addition, he was choreographer in residence for David Taylor Dance Theatre, and has created works for American National Ballet, Boulder Ballet, and Ballet Nouveau.  The Ballet Builders award for new choreography was given to James by New Choreographers on Point and his piece, Suspect Lines, was given a New York City premiere.  Mr. Wallace has been lauded as a “daring and original dancemaker” (Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News) and his choreography has been described as “vibrant, innovative and richly diverse... one of the brightest new choreographers on the horizon.” (Glenn Giffen, The Denver Post)

Olga Balbocean - Soloist, Moscow Ballet

Olga Balbocean is a professional ballerina from Chisinau, in the former Soviet republic of Moldova. At age 9, she was already dancing professionally. She graduated with a degree in ballet dance from the Choreographical College of the Republic of Moldova in 2001.  After that, she danced with the National Opera and Ballet Theater of Moldova and with Ballet Russe in the United Kingdom. She has performed in concert tours in Holland, Germany, Romania, Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Greece.  Her special honors include the National ballet concours "Oleg Danovski" in Romania 1999, the First International festival on classical dance - Sergei Diagilev diploma in Moldova 1998, and the International ballet concours in Austria 2002.

Miss Balbocean's repertoire includes the Pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty, the Pas de Sklarf and Pas de deux from Le Corsaire, the Pas de trios fropm Swan Lake, the Peasant Pas de deux from Giselle, the Mazurka from Les Sylphides, Pas de trios from Paquita, the Pas de quatre by Fokin, as well as several character dances from the Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake, La Fille male, Gardee, Don Quixote and The Muse by Dylan Thomas.  Now, she works with the Moscow Ballet, the company that hosts the summer program and performs the annual Great Russian Nutcracker in more than 82 cities across the United States.

Boris Baskakov - Soloist, Moscow Ballet

Born in Russia in 1975, Boris Baskakov is a graduate of Russia's renowned National Academy of Theatrical Arts - GITIS Moscow, which was founded in 1878 by theater pioneers Konstantin Stanislavsky and V. Nemirovich-Danchenko.  GITIS' ballet department was founded in 1946 under A. Gorsky, R. Zakharov and Leonid Lavaovsky of the Bolshoi Ballet with equal state funding to the Bolshoi.  Formed as a training ground for choreographers and directors, it continues its mission to preserve the heritage of Russian classical ballet.

A soloist with Moscow Ballet since 2000, Mr. Baskakov was featured in the Trepak (Russian) variation in the Great Russian Nutcracker in 2001.  His repertoire also includes principal roles in Swan Lake and Carmine.  He has been praised by the American press for his "awesome grace and ability."

Natalia Polyakova - Soloist, Moscow Ballet

Natalia Polyakova was born January 5th, 1983 in Moscow Russia.  From 1992 to 1999 she studied at the Ballet Academy of Dance in Moscow.  She graduated in 1999 and became a soloist at Moscow City Ballet.  In 2002, she became a solo dancer at the Moscow State Children Musical Theater named after N.Sats.  Since 2000, she studied at the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts.  Ms. Polyakova has worked with Moscow Ballet for the past three years as a dance teacher coordinator and soloist.

Her repertory including such roles as: Chinese, Spanish and Russian dance in Nutcracker; Autumn fairy in Cinderella; Neapolitan bride and small swans in Swan lake and many others.