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Alecia Good, KCYB Director
Pam Pease, School Administrator
Emily Simpson, School Administrator
Ann Dubois, Administrative Assistant
Kansas City Ballet Guest Staff
William Whitener, Artistic Director
James Jordan, Ballet Master
Karen P. Brown, Ballet Mistress
Faculty
Christina Burton
Tess Butterfield
Tamara Carson
Kimberly Cowen
Kelly Dacey-Miles
Noelle Dowma
Sean Duus
Kim Gatchell
Alecia Good
Tracy Terstriep Herber
Leslie Kelly
Flo Klenklen
Susan Lewis
Caitlin Mack
Natalie Millard
Jennifer Owen
Peter Pawlyshyn
Suzanne Ryan
Tamara Sanders
Erin Sexton
Emily Simpson
Lisa Sirridge
Rose Taylor Spann
Leanna Uniak
Lisa Thorn Vinzant
Pianists
Brian Bates
Samuel Beckett
Steven Brenn
Inna Daniels
Jennifer Edmondson
Loretta Pang
William Puckett
Jeffrey Ruckman
Velma Tyson
Christina Burton, Teacher
Ms. Burton is a graduate of UMKC with a BFA in Dance Performance with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. Some of Ms. Burton's Musical Theatre credits include: Damn Yankees – Gloria Thorpe, Into the Woods – The Witch, Children of Eden – Father, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – Smitty, Pippin – Player, Cats – Exotica, Grease – Cha-Cha, Working – Cleaning Woman, Footloose – Urleen, The Most Happy Fella – Chorus, The Man of La Mancha – Aldonza; Kiss Me Kate – Hattie; 1776 - Hewes. Ms. Burton has been a guest artist for Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Co. and has worked with choreographers such as Robert Battle, Donald McKayle, Jennifer Medina. Ms. Burton continues to study with fellow professionals at Broadway Dance Center in NYC. Ms. Burton has performed in numerous venues all over Kansas City and Carnegie Hall in NYC. Ms. Burton has choregraphed for numerous local studios and musical productions and is the choreographer for Starlight Theatre's STARS program. Ms. Burton has choreographed the shows A Christmas Cabaret, Jekyll and Hyde, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Blood Brothers, Working, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed..., The Most Happy Fella, and Grease. Christina is a certified ZUMBA fitness instructor.
Tess Butterfield, Teacher
A native of Kansas City, Ms. Butterfield received a dance scholarship at the University of Missouri-Kansas city with the honors of receiving the UMKC Conservatory Chancellor’s Scholarship and graduated with a BFA in Dance. She has also received scholarships to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Gus Giordano and was accepted into the MidAmerica Dance Company. Ms. Butterfield has dance in ballets such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker and Carmina Burana. She has performed and competed nationally earning awards for her dancing and choreography. She has also appeared in the theatrical productions of Guys and Dolls and the Wizard of Oz. She has studied with Tatiana Dukoudovska, Mary Pat Henry, Paula Weber, Laura Reinschmidt, Gus Giordano and the late Leni Wylliams.
Tamara Carson, Teacher
A graduate with distinction from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Dance Division & L’Academia del Arte-Barcelona, Spain, Tamara has been an Artist-in-Residence for the University of Kansas and the Leavenworth public school system, as well as a faculty member of the American Dance Center from 1980-96, Saint Mary University 1988-90, the Conservatory of Music UMKC 1994-2007 and began workshops at City In Motion since 1988. Because of her experience as an educator and working artist, she was appointed to the Missouri Arts Council from 1994 to 1999 and served on the Alumni Board of the Conservatory of Music at UMKC from 2004-2009.
Her performance resume includes work with the Frankfurt Opera of Germany, the Kansas City Lyric Opera, Salina Symphony and Kansas City Symphony, the Kansas City & St Louis Guitar Societies and numerous festivals. She’s worked for over a decade throughout the area and region as a presenter of flamenco and the Spanish culture through the auspices of Young Audiences, Inc. of KC and later the Spanish Cultural Kaleidoscope. Her choreographic works include time spent with the Kansas City Lyric Opera and the Chamber Ballet of Williamsburg, Virginia, the Universities of Kansas and Missouri. Tamara is currently on the Missouri Arts Council Touring Artist Roster and performs as a guest artist with Viva Flamenco!
This is her fourth year teaching flamenco at both campuses of the Kansas City Ballet School.
Kelly Dacey-Miles , Teacher
Miss Kelly is a native of Florida. She received her BFA degree in dance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Kelly currently owns and operates, Healthy Bodies Healthy Minds, LC, a dance program offered to pre-school aged students in the Kansas City area. Kelly has performed as a member of The Brockus Project Dance Company, in Los Angeles as well as a member of City in Motion, in Kansas City. Kelly has studied at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City, and apprenticed with The Williams Henry Danse Theatre, Kansas City. Kelly worked with choreographer Mia Michaels, of “So You Think You Can Dance”, on the dance piece “Life”. Kelly’s other credits include performing in “The Spectrum Light Parade” at Disney World. Kelly also loves teaching at the Kansas City Ballet School.
Noelle Dowma, Teacher
Noelle originally received her dance training in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma, and danced with the Oklahoma Festival Ballet. Knowing she had an innate interest in dance medicine, Noelle received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of Miami School of Medicine. Pilates has been a part of life since Noelle experienced a dance injury in 1992. This interest has blossomed into being Nationally Pilates CertifiedTM and today Noelle works as a Polestar Pilates principal educator, teaching courses in Kansas City and across the country. Her dance medicine experience spans from Broadway shows to being on the Miami City Ballet therapy staff before moving to Kansas City in 2006.
Sean Duus, Teacher
Sean Duus, a native of Mesquite Texas, began teaching in the Kansas City Ballet School in 1987. Sean received his early dance training from George Skibine, Marjorie Tallchief and Kevin Brown, and received scholarship offers from The School of American Ballet, Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Sean was a principal dancer in the Kansas City Ballet from 1986- 2001.He danced the principal male role in numerous ballets including: The Nutcracker, Coppelia, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Apollo, Con Amore, Combat, Sleeping Beauty, Serenade, The Still Point, An American in Paris and Firebird. He had the great opportunity to work with many great choreographers such as Todd Bolender, Alvin Ailey, Margo Sappington and Ann Reinking. Sean was certified as a teacher in Jacques D'Amboise's National Dance Institute teacher training program in Santa Fe in 2000, and teaches the Kansas City Ballet's "Reach Out and Dance" program which brings dance education into public schools in Missouri and Kansas. He is a frequent teacher of master classes and Ballet workshops throughout the United States.
Tracy Terstriep Herber, Teacher
Bio to come.
Kim Gatchell, Teacher
Kim trained as a company dancer with Somerset Ballet under the direction of Jane Pierce through high school, and under the direction of Dianne Maroney at Louisiana Tech University in musical theater while earning her degree in early childhood education. Her experience has included performance for PIECES Contemporary Dance Company in Dallas and choreography for Shawnee Mission’s Theatre in the Park. In addition to KCBS, Kim enjoys teaching and choreographing for children at Trilogy Cultural Arts Centre, and working as a Pilates instructor and personal trainer. Her new project is choreographing local kids’ rocker Funky Mama’s “Moo Juice: The Musical.”
Leslie Kelly, Teacher
Leslie Kelly studied ballet at the Somerset Ballet Centre in Prairie Village until graduating from high school. She continued her training in Topeka, KS at the June Landrith School of Ballet while completing her Bachelor's degree at Washburn University. She has attended the Joffrey Midwest Workshop summer program as well as dance workshops taught by David Howard and Rebecca Wright. She has danced with the Metropolitan Ballet of Topeka, Evansville Dance Theatre and Louisville Ballet. Leslie has been teaching ballet in Kansas City since 2000 and Prairie Village Campus Manager since 2004. Previously she was on the staff at Evansville Dance Theatre teaching Pre-Ballet through Advanced ballet students.
Flo Klenklen, Teacher
Flo Klenklen began her work with the Kansas City Ballet as a charter member in 1976. She was invited to teach in the Kansas City Ballet School by Todd Bolender in 1982 and continued as Administrator and Instructor until 2000. Upon retirement, Flo was asked to organize the Kansas City Ballet Summer Intensive in Crested Butte Colorado where the company was performing at the Crested Butte Music Festival.
In the past several years Flo has returned to the classroom to work with her faviorite age group in their second year of serious training.
In addition to her classes at the Kansas City Ballet, Flo teaches yoga at Inspire Yoga in Prairie Village and works as house manager for the Paul Mesner Puppets.
Susan Lewis, Teacher
Susan Lewis began her ballet training in Massachusetts under the direction of Jaqueline Cronsberg of The Ballet Workshop. She spent four summers studying at the School Of American Ballet before attending full time at age sixteen. Susan was hired by Todd Bolender to join the Kansas City Ballet in 1985 where she spent her entire career dancing various roles as a principal with the company. Susan began teaching for the Kansas City Ballet School in 1991, and continued teaching upon retirement with the company in 1996. This marks Susan's 25th year Anniversary with the Kansas City Ballet organization.
Natalie Millard, Teacher
Natalie Millard is from Little Rock, Ark., where she trained under Antonio Mesa starting at the age of 6. With Antonio, she danced the lead in Don Quixote, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty. Natalie also started teaching at the age of 14 to help pay for her tuition there. She moved to Kansas City in 1996, where she earned a BFA in Dance at UMKC. During her time at school she received an internship at Kansas City Ballet. After her internship, she joined the company and started teaching at their school. In her four years with them she performed many ballets including: The Four Temperaments, Serenade, Paquita, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. While continuing to teach for KCB Natalie then joined the Störling Dance Theater, where she danced for three years. Her performances with them included The Prodigal Daughter and Butterfly. Throughout her career, Natalie has taught: at KCBS for 6 years, as an adjunct professor at UMKC for a year, Steppin'Out for three years, at Saundra Lee's Dance for three years, and at various other schools throughout the metro area. Natalie has spent the last five years raising her three boys Josh, Eli, and Sam with her husband, David. She is now very excited to return to KCBS!
Jennifer Owen, Teacher
Jennifer Owen's ballet career has taken her around the globe. After training with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and had the unique experience of appearing as a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan. Notable roles Jennifer has danced include the title role in “Giselle,” Kitri in “Don Quixote,” principal roles in George Balanchine's “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux” and “Donizetti Variations,” and the central pas de deux in Todd Bolender's “Arena.” Jennifer is currently artistic director, dancer, and choreographer for the Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she founded with composer Brad Cox in 2006. She has choreographed numerous works for the Owen/Cox Dance Group, as well as nine works for Kansas City Ballet's “In the Wings”choreographic workshop, a piece for Quixotic Performance Fusion, and a winning entry for the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project. Jennifer is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Honorarium.
Suzanne Ryan, Teacher
M. Suzanne Ryan studied under Todd Bolender, Flo Klenklen, and Una Kai at the Kansas City Ballet. At the age of 19 she had her first professional dance job under Neil Hess in Texas. At 21 she studied contemporary dance (Limon and Evans) and toured with the Bill Evans Dance Company. Suzanne studied with Armando Duarte, George de la Pena, Alan Sener, David Dorfman, Tyrone Aiken, and Bella Lewitsky. Suzanne holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography from the University of Iowa, where she taught modern dance for 3 years. Her choreography has been performed in eight states and internationally.
Tamara Sanders , Teacher
Bio to come.
Erin Sexton, Teacher
Erin Sexton fell in love with dance at age 3, realizing she could make her Mom laugh to the point of tears just by shaking her hips.
Sidetracked when her studio closed at age 11, Erin fell in love with dance once again as a Theatre Major in College. She began studying
with Natalie Rast and at Joel Hall in Chicago while performing with the Piven Theatre Workshop and at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Since then, Erin has taught dance and yoga and led dance theatre workshops for students of all ages. Erin feels blessed to be teaching at KCBS!
Lisa Sirridge , Teacher
Bio to come.
Rose Taylor-Spann , Teacher
Rose Taylor-Spann is returning to Kansas City after dancing with Houston Ballet Academy. While teaching at Houston Ballet, Rose trained under and developed several early childhood programs with Priscilla Nathan-Murphy and Cheryne Busch. Rose also served as Associate Artistic Director for Claire School of Dance in addition to developing several after school programs in the Houston area. Originally from Kansas City, Mrs. Taylor-Spann trained with Jane Pierce at Somerset Ballet School, School of American Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and served as a Student Apprentice for Kansas City Ballet. Rose continues to dance professionally and is eager to share her experience and love for the art form with the students of Kansas City Ballet School.
Leanna (Doughty) Uniak, Teacher
Leanna (Doughty) Uniak is a graduate from the University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music where she was a dance major and received her BFA (bachelor degree of fine arts). At the University of Cincinnati Leanna studied classical ballet and modern dance, under the instruction of Carol Iwasaki, David Blackburn, Oleg Sabline and James Truitte.
Leanna has been teaching in Kansas City since 1996 years. She began teaching with Jane Pierce at Somerset Ballet School which was later acquired by the Kansas City Ballet School. Leanna is currently at the Johnson County campus. She greatly enjoys teaching ballet and choreographing for school performances.
Emily Simpson, Teacher
Emily Simpson is a native Kansas Citian and a product of the University of Kansas Fine Arts Department, with a major in Dance. While studying at KU she performed with the University Dance Company and choreographed student works. She has taught and choreographed for KCBS, Camellot Academy Performing Arts Camp and the former Somerset Ballet under Jane Pierce. She designed and implemented a dance education program at Blue Valley Montessori and is happy to be returning to teach at KCBS this fall.
Lisa Thorn Vinzant, Teacher
Ms. Thorn was Associate Ballet Mistress for Kansas City Ballet from fall 2004 to spring 2008. She
received the majority of her training as a scholarship student at North
Carolina School of the Arts. While dancing at the School of American
Ballet in the summer of 1988, Mr. Bolender asked Ms. Thorn to join the
Kansas City Ballet. During her career as a dancer with the Kansas City
Ballet from 1988 to 2005, she danced in a variety of principal roles,
created by choreographers such as Ailey, Balanchine, Bolender, Tharp,
Cunningham, and DeMille. She has also performed professionally with the
Albany Berkshire Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre,
Starlight Theatre, The Lyric Opera and ylliams/Henry Danse Theatre.
Brian Bates, Pianist
Mr. Bates is a songwriter/arranger who studied at UMKC with Gerald Kemner (composition) and Ruth Ann Rich (piano.) Mr. Bates brings a unique creative energy to the ballet classroom in that he has composes many of the pieces he uses in class. His standard repertoire is drawn from a large source of influences and styles in order to give students a variety of musical experiences. Mr. Bates also serves as the Assistant Choir Director /Accompanist for the Center School District and is the pianist for the First Baptist Church of Independence. He has played for KCBS since 1999.
Sam Beckett, Pianist
If you’ve ever wondered who sings that “Shawnee Mission Kia!” commercial, Sam does. A graduate of William Jewell College with a Bachelor of Science in Theory/Composition and Piano Performance, he has also written music for numerous TV/Radio spots as well.
As a composer, he has published two instrumental works with several more being prepared for submission. As a pianist, for six years he accompanied the Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts’ Ballet Department, with even more time invested into church music from the age of 12. He is an accompanist with the Lyric Opera Education Office and continues to play for various vocal studies, recitals, festivals, contests and concerts. During the summers out at Kauffman Stadium, pay special attention to the house organist! Sam lives in the Brookside area of Kansas City with his wife, Ana, and their four teenage children.
Steven Brenn, Pianist
Steven Brenn, a Kansas native, completed his Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at Wichita State University, and was offered a Teaching Assistant position at the University of Arizona to complete his Masters Degree in Dance Accompaniment. In 2003, Mr. Brenn was the first recipient of a Masters of Music in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Dance Accompaniment from an American University. He has worked extensively with Houston Ballet, Houston Repertory Ballet, Margo Marshall’s School of Dance, the Joffrey Ballet and Tulsa Ballet. He has just recently relocated to Kansas City, accompanying at both Kansas City Ballet Studios and working with the ROAD outreach program. Mr. Brenn has been guest/requested accompanist for many of the world’s top dance instructors such as David Howard, Lauren Anderson, Jefferson Baum, James Clouser, Jory and Melissa Lowe-Hancock, Bonnie Mathis, Mark Schneider, Trinette Singleton, Stanton Welch, Marcello Angelini, Clara Cravey, John Magnus, Liudmilla Polonskaya, and Ben Stevenson. As a composer, Mr. Brenn has produced many original compositions for ballet classroom use and performance, along with some of his orchestrations which have been used in conjunction with the Tulsa Ballet.
Inna Daniels, Pianist
Ms. Daniels earned her masters degree from the Azerbaijan State Conservatory, Baku (of the former Soviet Union.) Ms. Daniel’s principal training was in solo piano, accompaniment and music instruction, with further studies in composition. Prior to moving to Kansas City, she was the principal pianist at the National Academic Theatre and School of Ballet, Yerevan, Armenia. Ms. Daniels joined Kansas City Ballet in 1993 and works as a pianist for both the company and the school. For the past 17 years she has dedicated herself to working in ballet. She plays and improvises classical, modern, jazz music and has worked with Hubbard Street Dance Company and the Joffrey Ballet.
Jennifer Edmondson, Pianist
Bio to come.
Loretta Pang, Pianist
Ms. Pang has graduated from the University of Kansas, where she received her Bachelor in Music in piano performance. She is also a Licentiate of Trinity College of Music (LTCL) holder and a member of Mid-America Music Association (M.A.M.A.). She has been the pianist for the Metro Philharmonic Youth Choir in Singapore, Singapore Lyric Opera, Woman’s Chorale in the University of Kansas, Opera Kadopera in Kansas, and currently Kansas City Ballet School and Avila University. As a performer, Ms Pang has won numerous awards in music competitions in Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. She was also the Singapore National Arts Council Bursary Award (Overseas) recipient in 2000 and later obtained a Music and Dance Scholarship from the University of Kansas. Furthermore, Ms Pang teaches piano lessons to all ages and levels.
William Puckett, Pianist
Mr. Puckett has been performer in many musical venues from the Classical Concert stage to the Rock Music Arena, and has worked with several ballet schools in Santa Cruz, CA and the University of California. A working musician for over 30 years, he is also a Studio Owner/Engineer in North Kansas City and a Sound Designer supporting the Electronic Music Industry. A composer as well as a pianist, Will has many original pieces, arrangements, and music for dance and film ranging from whimsical to more serious moods.
Jeffrey Ruckman, Pianist
Bio to come.
Velma Tyson, Pianist
Ms. Tyson grew up on a farm in SW Kansas and after graduating from Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS went on to study at the Conservatory of Music at UMKC earning a M.M. degree in Piano Performance, having studied with Dr. Ruth Anne Rich. She has taught private piano for over 40 years and enjoys teaching all ages with various levels of skill. Music/Arts Institute in Independence includes Ms. Tyson as one of their contracted accompanists. In addition to her accompanying and teaching career, she continues to enjoy solo performances at the Independence Music Club and as the accompanist for the Jacomo Chorale. She considers it an honor to have been involved in the well-known Multiple Piano Festival in Independence for four years as a teacher, coach, and parent of students in performance. Her community involvement includes accompanying several classes at the renowned K.C. Ballet School and for the Jacomo Choral. Besides the joy of musical interaction with gifted and inspiring musicians, Ms. Tyson enjoys being a part of the KC Ballet School because it allows her to observe the developing personalities and progress of the Pre-Ballet and Children’s classes.
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