Vermont Ballet Theater School

VBTS Instructors- page 2
	Alexander Nagiba continued- During his career, Mr. Nagiba has had the opportunity to work with well known dancers, teachers, coaches, directors and choreographers from around the world. Thes include Patricia Wilde, Terrance Orr, John Tarras, Victoria Simon, Marianna Tcherkasky, Bruce Wells, Ben Stevenson, Lynn Taylor Corbett, Ib Anderson, Helgi Thomasson and Michael Baryshnikov, as well as others. In 1996, Mr. Nagiba won the first annual Excellence in Arts Award for dance from Pittsburgh Magazine. Mr. Nagiba has been teaching all age levels including professional company classes for the last nine years. He has taught for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School and for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Point Park College, Rogers School of Dance and many others. With his 30 years of experience, Mr. Nagiba's goal is to continue the high quality of education at VBTS and lead the students towards a professional standard while teaching them artistry, integrity and the love of dance.
	Kirsten Nagiba began ballet lessons in Boston at age 5. She studied with Boston Ballet and later performed with New York City Ballet in Saratoga Springs for three consecutive summers.Kirsten joined Boston Ballet II in 1984 at age 16 where she also performed with the main company as an apprentice.From 1986-1988 Kirsten danced with the Omaha Ballet Company. In 1988, she joined Pittsburg Ballet Theater where she spent nine years performing numerous corps de ballet, soloists and principal roles. With a performing career of 20 years, encompassing a wide range of roles, choreographers and styles, Kirsten's goal is to pass on her knowledge and experience to her VBTS students.
	Cat Earisman A career in fitness spanning three decades-- from running, personal training and bodybuilding, kickboxing, aerobics, and step, to her current focus on Yoga, Pilates, Senior Fitness, Aqua Fitness, Massage Therapy, and Bellydancing. The depth and breadth of Cat's experience give her a unique perspective on the body, mind, spirit, and health. Cat teaches her clients to have a thorough understanding of their bodies from an anatomical standpoint, but also to practice ‘radical self-acceptance’, and above all, enjoy yourself!! In all her classes, if she hasn’t made you laugh, she hasn’t done her job well enough. Cat will educate, motivate, AND entertain you! In massage therapy, she incorporates elements of Thai massage, Swedish-Esalen massage, and Deep Tissue massage according to the needs and wants of the individual.
	Michele Fodero began her ballet training in New Hampshire under the direction of Barbara Mullen and the Royal Academy of Dance from London England. She spent summers away at the Boston Ballet, Hartford Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Banff School of Fine Arts. Her professional career, with the Hartford Ballet and the Fort Worth Ballet, gave her opportunities to perform works by many different choreographers such as Balanchine, Bournonville, Hartford Ballet’s Artistic Director Michael Uthoff and Fort Worth Ballet’s Artistic Director Anthony Salatino. Michele’s teaching career began while still performing in Texas, teaching classes with the Professional school of the FWB, and continued upon her return back to New England with her former ballet school, where she instructed and led students through examinations in the curriculum of the Royal Academy of Dance. While teaching Michele took and successfully completed her Advanced RAD exam, becoming an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. Michele hopes to develop her students both physically and artistically in the beautiful art of dance and feels confident that they will be able to use their years at VBTS to successfully launch themselves into a career in dance, if so desired, or any career they choose, as well as becoming life long supporters of the arts.Michele lives in Jericho with her husband John and children Anna and John.
	Mel Hendrix has been involved with very young children for over 20 years in many different capacities, and always with music and movement. Mel has studied and consulted with Camille Vickers, Carol Dunlop, and Linda Marceau and has taken years of movement classes for early curriculum. She helps to bring to children in dance a sense of accomplishment with his or her whole self. Mel's favorite focus is body awareness, balance and imitation through fantasy. She is especially pleased to be teaching at VBTS due to the high standards and goals of the school. Mel has three children, lives in Essex and pursues gardening, cooking, and reading to relax.
	Linda Marceau is a happy individual who has been teaching children over 20 years. She trained with Joyce Hurley, Meridth Baylis, Perry Brunson, Nolan Dingman and the Briansky's. She has performed with Carol Hill and Company.
	Pamela Harnish was born in New Jersey were she received her initial training at the Shore Ballet School. At twelve she attended Walnut Hill School before continuing on full scholarship at the National Academy of the Arts. She spent her summers studying with David Howard, Cherie Noble, Alexander Bennett, Robert Barnett, Joffrey Ballet, San Antonio and Burklyn Ballet Theatre. Upon graduating with the prestigious dance magazine award Pamela joined the Hartford Ballet for two years under the direction of Michael Uthoff. She then joined Ballet de Montreal where she was quickly promoted to soloist. After a soloist position with Omaha Ballet, she was contracted to the Basil Ballet under the direction of Heinz Sporelli; however, a career threatening injury precluded her completion of this contract. Pamela is thrilled to be able to bring her love and commitment of the art to young dancers. She came to Vermont two years ago with her husband and young daughter and is in her third season with the Vermont Ballet Theatre.
	Danielle Parisi began her dance training with Virginia Jackstadt at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Danielle studied the Vaganova and Balanchine methodology under Virginia for 20 years. From 2001-2005 Danielle attended the University of Hartford where she studied ballet and modern under several renowned dancers from the American Ballet Theater, Royal Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Martha Graham Co. In 2005 Danielle graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance Performance. She is looking forward to sharing her knowledge of dance with VBTS students.
	Annette Urbschat was born and raised in Germany where she studied ballet with Alan Howard (formerly of 'les ballets russes') and modern dance with Gundel Eplinius (formerly a Mary Wigman dancer) at 'Hochschule fuer Music und Theater' in Hannover. She emigrated to Canada where she received her BFA in dance performance and composition from York University in Toronto. She performs as an independant dance theater artists regionally as well as in Canada. Annette has taught ballet and creative movement to children and adults for the last 26 years. She has developed a unique approach to teaching the rigors of classical ballet to young dancers through songs, games and imaginary play.
.	Carla Codera Wuthrich grew up in a home filled with music and dance. She obtained her training at the School of American Ballet in New York City and at the American Ballet Academy under the direction of Carol Sumner. Carla became a member of the professional company at a young age, dancing soloist roles in Balanchine’s /Western Symphony/, /Steadfast Tin Soldier/, and /Valse Fantasie/, to name a few. Ms. Wuthrich then pursued an engineering degree at Cornell University. She continued to feed her passion for dance as director, choreographer and dancer for the Cornell dance company. While working as an engineer for IBM in New York, she danced for two regional companies and was commissioned for her contemporary and classical choreography. She has had the opportunity to train as student and teacher in classical ballet, modern, jazz and character dance. One can find elements of the many disciplines of dance and engineering in her teaching and choreography. In 1997, she moved to Vermont, worked with the University of Vermont’s dance program and found a home at the Vermont Ballet Theater School. She lives in Hinesburg, VT with her husband, Ryan and her two young boys. She enjoys solving the multi-dimensional puzzles of music, movement and space and strives to make something exciting and significant happen for those in the audience and those on stage.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 8147 Essex, Vermont 05451 Phone: (802)878.2941 FAX: (802)879.7001