Faculty & Staff

 Email: tmalinkine@milwaukeeballet.org

A native of Ukraine, Tatiana Jouravel-Malinkine is a graduate of the National Ballet School of Ukraine and is Russian/Vaganova trained.

After working as a professional dancer with Hartford Ballet 1992-1994 and Boston Ballet 1994-2001, Tatiana joined Milwaukee Ballet as a principal dancer in 2003 and danced for 8 seasons.

Tatiana’s repertoire includes Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Marie and Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote, Odette in Swan Lake, Lucy in Michael Pink’s Dracula, Titania in Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Kingdom of Shades in La Bayadere, Carmen in Carmen, Divertissement in Raymonda, Cinderella in Michael Pink’s Cinderella, and Tiger Lily in Michaels Pink’s Peter Pan. She has danced in Twyla Tharp’s Waterbaby Bagatelles, George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Rubies, Serenade, and Symphony in C, Allegro Briliante, the lead in Agon, Paul Taylor’s Company B and Lila York’s Celts and Coronach. She has also danced in works by  Kenneth MacMillan, Antony Tudor, Mark Godden, Trey McIntyre, Christopher Wheeldon, Adam Hougland, Petr Zahradnicek,  Michael Corder, and Kirk Peterson.

Tatiana was awarded the Grand Prix Prize at the Competition of the Soviet Union Ballet Schools in Minsk, Belarussia in 1992. In 1996, she won a silver medal at the New York International Ballet Competition.

Tatiana has taught ballet classes at Boston Ballet School, Chautauqua Ballet (New York), Atlanta Ballet School, and many other schools and, since 2003, at Milwaukee Ballet School & Academy part-time and, after her retirement in 2010, full-time. Tatiana also taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and for Milwaukee Ballet II for five years.

Tatiana is a Pilates Certified Instructor since 2003.

 Email: aandrews@milwaukeeballet.org

Alyce Andrews danced with the Nashville Ballet for three seasons before joining the Milwaukee Ballet from 1991-2002. She was trained by her mother, Pat Gillispie, with Classical Ballet Memphis. She studied at the ballet schools of Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Atlanta Ballet and received scholarships for the San Francisco Ballet School as well as the National Academy of the Arts. In the summer of 1995, she completed the advanced examination for the Royal Academy of Dance and was one of two dancers in the United States to be awarded the coveted Solo Seal of the Academy.

Andrews joined dancers from all over the world to dance at the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel with the International Christian Embassy. Most recently, Alyce was the founder and director of the Steps of Grace Ballet from 2003-2018.

 Email: vstevenson@milwaukeeballet.org

Victoria Stevenson is originally from Chino Hills, California where she received her ballet training at Inland Pacific Ballet. She continued her training at Pasadena Dance Theatre and performed various demi-soloist roles. Stevenson received multiple summer scholarships to study at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and Orlando Ballet. At seventeen she was offered a contract to dance with Nevada Ballet Theatre where she performed in Le Patineurs, Who Cares?, Rubies, and Serenade, to name a few. In 2009, Stevenson joined the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II (MBII) Program. As an MBII, she performed with Milwaukee Ballet in Michael Pink’s Esmeralda, Snow and Flowers in The Nutcracker, Mazurka in Coppélia, and as a Summer Fairy in Cinderella. Stevenson has worked as the répétiteur for Septime Webre’s ALICE (in Wonderland), Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker, Beauty and the Beast, Swan Lake and Peter Pan. She also worked as a faculty member for Milwaukee Ballet’s highly esteemed Relevé program for 10 years. Stevenson is currently the Head of Training for the Student Division and the Riverpoint Branch Manager.

 Full-Time Faculty

Email: sbastidas@milwaukeeballet.org

Sejain Bastidas was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She started her ballet training at the age of seven, at the Freddy Reyna Ballet and Music School and finished her training and graduated as a professional ballet dancer at Fundación Gustavo Franklin Ballet Arte School. She has been part of many professional ballet companies, including Ballet Contemporaneo de Caracas (2009), The Metropolitan Ballet in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2010-2011), the Nina Novak Ballet (2011), Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas (2012-2013), and the Compania de Ballet del Teatro Teresa Carreño de Caracas (2013-2016). She has also danced as a soloist dancer with the National Ballet of Ecuador (2016-2017) and The National Ballet of Peru (2017-2022). Sejain participated in the opening gala of the 2019 PanAmerican Games, the World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Florida, and she has been featured in dance history books in her home country of Venezuela. She was involved in a social media campaign with the United Nations about arts and immigration in Latin America and also had a mini documentary made about her story as an immigrant artist on the Ecuadorian television show “Cara a Cara con Rosalía.”

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: malexander@milwaukeeballet.org

Originally from Port Washington, WI Melissa Alexander began her dance training studying at many Milwaukee area dance institutions. Ms. Alexander’s professional career began at the age of 14, performing in the Russian Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”. Ms. Alexander was also an original member of DanceWorks II company, a second company to the contemporary Milwaukee dance company.  Melissa went on to pursue and earn a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Hunter College CUNY. While in New York City, Ms. Alexander was an original cast member of the off-Broadway musical “Bellevue Sketches” where she was a collaborating choreographer.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: pbrasservos@milwaukeeballet.org

New York City native Parker Brasser Vos trained at American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School where he was coached by renowned artists  Edward Ellison, Lupe Serrano, Susan Jaffe, and Ethan Stiefel. While there, he created lead roles in Jessica Lange’s Inspired by, Kirk Peterson’s Renaissance Suite, and Leslie Browne’s Breakthrough and Doubleplay, as well as being awarded a full scholarship to study the neoclassical style and repertoire of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins at the School of American Ballet.

While a member of the Nancy Einhorn Milwaukee Ballet II program, he danced principal repertoire, notably, Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Twyla Tharp’s Push comes to Shove,  the title role of Othello, and Thom Dancy’s To Venture from the Norm, which won the silver medal at the 15th McCallum Theater Choreographic Festival.

As an Artist with the Milwaukee Ballet, Mr. Brasser Vos has been featured by esteemed guest choreographers’ works including Mathew Neenan’s Something Borrowed, Vincente Nebrada’s Our Waltzes, Trey McIntyre’s A Day in the Life, and Val Caniparoli’s Lamberena, as well as the roles of the White Rabbit of Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland), The Genie of Kathryn Posin’s Scheherazade, Gurn in La Sylphide as staged by Dinna Bjorn, and Oberon in Bruce Well’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. He has had the honor of performing in numerous Michael Pink ballets and World premieres including Karl and Fritz in The Nutckracker, Shaunard in La Boheme, Prince Gustav in Mirror Mirror, and Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake.

Full-Time Faculty, School Operations Coordinator

Email: ndellutri@milwaukeeballet.org

Part-Time Faculty

Email: kdelverne@milwaukeeballet.org

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: rfochs@milwaukeeballet.org

Fochs’ professional training began with Wisconsin Dance Ensemble (now Madison Ballet) under the direction of W. Earle Smith and A Step Above under the direction of Maelanie Kuzma. Fochs continued her training with some of the best schools in the country including Ballet Chicago, under the direction of Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair. While at Ballet Chicago, she performed a large repertoire of Balanchine ballets as a soloist and principal dancer.

Her professional career began with Sacramento Ballet and continued with Madison Ballet, where she performed soloist and principal roles until her retirement in 2016. Following her retirement she became Ballet Master and School Director for Madison Ballet. Fochs began teaching while a student at Ballet Chicago, and has continued to develop her comprehensive and compassionate teaching style throughout her professional career. Mrs. Fochs encourages dancers through a curriculum of ballet training with an approach that includes focus on muscle and bone alignment. Currently, she spends most of her time learning and growing with her son, Xavier, and teaches throughout the Madison area.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: tgrubor@milwaukeeballet.org

Tali Grubor has been dancing since she was three years old, and she fell in love with the art form. Tali danced competitively at Accent On Dance Studio for 8 years and was trained ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary/lyrical, hip hop, and musical theater. She attended Pius XI Catholic High School and was a part of their dance program all four years studying underneath Kristin Dimmer, Tina Coe, and many guest artists. In addition, she was on the Pius XI pom pons team for one year.

During college, Ms. Grubor choreographed three musical theater productions for Merely Players Community Theater: Matilda, Cabaret, and Oklahoma in Mankato, Minnesota. Also, she created a tap piece called “Feel It All Over” that made it to the spring faculty showcase in 2023 at the Minnesota State University – Mankato where she completed her studies. Ms. Grubor holds a Bachelor of Science in Dance from MSU-Mankato. After graduation, Tali returned to Milwaukee to share her love for dance in the community and began her work with Milwaukee Ballet Community Engagement programs and MBSA in 2024. Ms. Grubor recently returned to Pius XI High School and choreographed the production of The Little Mermaid.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: ahartman@milwaukeeballet.org

Alyssa Hartman grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin where she began training at two years old. Throughout her childhood she trained in many styles including ballet, pointe, jazz, tap, musical theatre, contemporary, and lyrical. During this time, she performed as a part of her local studio’s recital along with competing at regional competitions across the Midwest. She has also attended multiple conventions at regional and national levels. Alyssa has been teaching and choreographing since 2021 and loves helping students grow to achieve their goals. She is currently attending school at Marquette University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Physiology within the direct admit Physical Therapy Program, along with a Dance minor. 

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: kkasky@milwaukeeballet.org

Kelsie Paige Kasky is from Shorewood, Illinois and is studying a variety of subjects at Marquette University. She is majoring in Secondary Education, English, and Theatre Arts and minoring in Dance. As a third-generation dancer, Kelsie has truly been dancing her whole life. Shirley’s Dance Studio, Times III Performing Arts Academy, and LOVV the Dance Studio complete Kelsie’s dance education family tree. She loves and cherishes the ability to create art, gather new experiences, and learn alongside her students! She has many passions in life and loves finding many ways to connect them all!

 Full-Time Faculty

Email: plapetra@milwaukeeballet.org

Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Pedro Lapetra began his training at Escuela Municipal de Danza under the direction of Cristina Miñana. From there he continued his training at Bartholin International Ballet Seminar in Copenhagen where he was awarded a scholarship to study Bournonville technique and work with master teachers such as Vivi Flindt, Johnny Eliasen, Robert Denvers, Laura Alonso, Lloyd Riggins, Nicolaj Hubbe, and David Howard, among others.

In 2001, Lapetra joined the European Ballet as a principal dancer to perform the role of Franz in Coppelia. He then went on to join the Norwegian National Ballet for the 2001/02 season where he performed pieces by Jiri Kylian, Paul Lightfoot, Michael Pink, and George Balanchine. In 2003, he joined the English National Ballet where he remained for 19 years performing principal and soloist roles in ballets such as Nureyev’s Romeo & Juliet, Macmillan’s Sleeping Beauty, Skeaping’s Giselle, Eagling’s The Nutcracker, Dean’s Alice in Wonderland, Dean’s Swan Lake, Macmillan’s Manon, and Pina Bauch’s Le Sacre du Printemps. He has also worked with major choreographers like John Neumeire, Russell Maliphant, Akram Khan, Christopher Wheeldon, and Tamara Rojo and performed on prestigious stages like Palais Garnier in Paris, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan, and Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens. Lapetra appeared in several international ballet galas, including the Genzano Flower Festival in Italy, and performed pas de deux from Don Quixote, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Flames of Paris, Le Corsaire, Coppelia, Satanella, Diana & Acteon, and La Sylphide.

Since Lapetra completed his Diploma of Dance Teaching from The Royal Ballet School in 2018, he has been a guest teacher with the English National Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet II, Rambert School of Dance, English National Ballet School, Escuela de Francisca Tomas (Palma de Mallorca), and Los Angeles Ballet Academy. Most recently, in 2022, Lapetra was Assistant of Choreography for Tamara Rojo’s Cinderella at Royal Swedish Ballet.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: glaurenzi@milwaukeeballet.org

Part-Time Faculty

Email: slogsdon@milwaukeeballet.org

Sloan Logsdon began her dance training in Overland Park, KS, where she studied multiple disciplines including jazz, contemporary, modern, ballet, tap and hip hop. At the age of 13 she was invited to join the Tremaine Performance Company, giving her the opportunity to travel with Tremaine Dance Conventions, assisting and performing across the country. She was a Tremaine assistant for 8 years, becoming a Pre-Pro assistant in 2018.  

In 2022, Sloan traveled to Paris with the USF Dance in Paris program, where she had the opportunity to work with various international choreographers and perform in the Paris Pride Show.  Sloan has been fortunate to work with and perform works by a plethora of choreographers, including Jennifer Archibald, Michael Foley,  Bliss Kohlmyer, Erik Swanger and Morgan Williams.

In the 2023, Sloan graduated summa cumme laude from the University of South Florida with a BFA in Dance as well as a minor in Mass Communications. Her collegiate achievements and recognitions include receiving the USF Green and Gold scholarship, the William Hug Dance Scholarship, the Miriam and Charles Fessler Endowed Dance Scholarship, and various talent grants. 

With a passion for teaching the next generation of dancers, Sloan is grateful for every opportunity she has teaching and choreographing at studios and schools in the Kansas City area, and she looks forward to expanding these relations.

In January of 2024, Sloan joined Water Street Dance Milwaukee. She is excited to start her journey with the company and become part of the Milwaukee dance community.

 Full-Time Faculty

Email: blucey@milwaukeeballet.org

Bri Lucey began her early training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary for 11 years. During her training at CPYB she performed in over 12 Balanchine Ballets including Serenade, Raymonda Variations, Stars and Stripes, Divertimento 15, Who Cares, and La Source, as well as classical ballets like Paquita, and La Bayadere.

After attending summer training in 2007 at the School of American Ballet, she was offered a scholarship to Boston Ballet as a trainee where she performed in Swan Lake and The Nutcracker with the company.

In 2008, she joined Orlando Ballet’s second company under Bruce Marks and Peter Stark. During her time with OBII she placed in top 12 for classical at YAGP, and 2nd in contemporary in Florida Regionals.

In 2009, Lucey was asked to join Orlando Ballet’s professional company by current director Robert Hill. During her six seasons with Orlando Ballet she performed many leading roles such as Odette from Swan Lake, Sugar Plum, Dew Drop, and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Ursula in The Little Mermaid, Witch from Snow White, Diane and Acteon variation, and Zulma from Giselle. She has also appeared in Touching Drops by Peter Chu, Again for the First Time by Abdur Rahim Jackson, and was featured in many new works from director Robert Hill.

In 2015, she joined Ballet Arizona under Ib Anderson. She performed in Balanchine’s Rubies, Walpurgisnacht, Symphony in 3, and original work by Ib Anderson.

From 2018-2020 she joined Madison Ballet as a guest artist. She performed Sugar Plum, Dew Drop, Snow Queen and Russian in The Nutcracker, Giselle act II pas de deux, the principle in Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie, she also performed in original works by W. Earle Smith, Restless Hours by Malichi Squires, and Spring by Sara Schumann.

She has also been a guest artist with Milwaukee Ballet for their 2018 production of Swan Lake, Hammond Ballet, Lake Arts Project, and Envision Ballet Theatre. Other career highlights include performing alongside Mariah Carey in Disney’s Christmas Parade and choreographing with Cirque Du Soleil for A Choreographer’s Workshop.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: jmaule@milwaukeeballet.org

Part-Time Faculty

Email: gmiller@milwaukeeballet.org

Grace began her dance training at Buffa’s Dance Studio in Burke, VA. Her background consists of a variety of styles; such as ballet, tap, modern, contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop. She attended many ballet summer intensive programs; including Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. In 2017, she was accepted into the Upper-Level Advanced Training Program at The Washington School of Ballet; training under Julie Kent, Xiomara Reyes, Monica Stephenson, Rinat Imaev, and Nancie Woods. Before graduating in 2019, Grace was cast in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker, and performed in a variety of outreach performances throughout the city; including The Washington Ballet’s Gala.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: lmoberly@milwaukeeballet.org

Lisa has been dancing since the age of 6. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point with a Bachelors of Arts in Dance. While in college, Lisa spent 2 summers in New York taking classes with the Nicolas Lois Summer Intensive and Alvin Ailey School. During the academic year, Lisa taught children dance classes and became the Assistant Director of Turning Point Dance Academy in Stevens Point.

After graduation, Lisa danced professionally for Kanopy Dance , under Artistic Director Chris Stevens, in Madison, Wisconsin. After moving to Milwaukee, she began performing with Dancecircus, under Artistic Director, Betty Salamun. Lisa has helped create children shows for the Symphony’s Artist and Children Education shows (A.C.E), as well as teaching masterclasses and still performing. Lisa moved to Chicago to continue learning and dancing. While living there, she did pick up performances for individual artists and taught advanced modern for Sherry Morray at Academy of Dance Arts pre professional students.

Because of her exposure to Pilates in college, Lisa chose to complete an 800 hour teacher training program while living in Chicago. She trained with Gary Calderone, Kathy Grant, Michelle Larsson, and Fran Ahrens. She has been fully certified since 1999.

In 2007, Lisa’s love of movement led her to GYROTONIC® and in 2013, she completed her level 1 training to become a certified trainer.

In May of 2017, Lisa completed a 10 month training for Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT) and is now a certified MAT Specialist. Adding this skill, allows Lisa to test range of motion in her clients and students, find a limitation, and strengthen the muscles not functioning to their best ability.

Lisa is thrilled to be sharing these skills with students at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Dance department where she teaches Pilates, the Milwaukee Ballet School, Danceworks Inc, where she teaches a variety of styles and ages dance, and at her own studio, Enhanced Body Movement, in Mequon.

 Full-Time Faculty

Email: anussear@milwaukeeballet.org

Aisling Nussear is native of Florida and started her ballet training at Mount Dora School of Ballet. In 2009, she began training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington D.C. under the direction of Marat Daukayev and Martin Freedmann. From there she moved on to train at Ellison Ballet in New York City under the direction of Edward Ellison and Erin Forrest. She preformed in various roles such as Swan Lake, la Bayadere, Coppelia, Don Quixote, and Le Conservatoire. Upon graduation, she pursed her degree in Business Administration through Ave Maria University and obtained her teachers certification through The Bolshoi Ballet Academy. She began teaching at Milwaukee Ballet in 2020.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: koeffling@milwaukeeballet.org

Katrina Oeffling received her formal ballet training at the School of Ballet Chicago and the Miami City Ballet. During the summers she trained at the School of American Ballet and Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell. She has performed with Miami City Ballet at the Kennedy Center’s Balanchine Celebration and at the Torino Danza Festival in Tourin, Italy. She has also performed with Milwaukee Ballet, where she performed ballets by Andre Prokovsky, Lisa de Ribre, Jimmy Gammonet, Simon Dow, Jean Paul Commelin, and Kathy Posen. Katrina can also be seen the films Save the Last Dance and The Company.

She has been on faculty with the School of Madison Ballet, and most recently, the Joffrey Academy of Dance. Her students have been accepted into year round and summer programs at Milwaukee Ballet School, the Joffrey Academy of Dance, the School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the School of Ballet Chicago, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Ailey/Fordham University.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: cottthompson@milwaukeeballet.org

Catey Ott Thompson, director of Catey Ott Dance Collective (CODC) since 2005, has a BFA and MFA in dance from UWM under the direction of Ed Burgess, Marcia Parsons, Janet Lilly, and Simone Ferro. Catey now resides in Milwaukee after dancing in NYC for 14 years for Soundance, Heidi Latsky, Allyson Green, Sean Curran, Bill Young, Li Chiao-Ping, Eun Jung Choi, Aviva Geismar, Chris Ferris, Shannon Hummel, Carrie Ahern, and many others. She toured to Slovakia and Budapest with Allyson Green and to France with Carrie Ahern. Catey studied ballet with Christine Wright for 12 years at Gibney Dance Center in NYC. In Milwaukee, she danced for Danceworks Performance Company, Wild Space, Milwaukee Opera Theatre, and others. Her company, CODC, has performed at a variety of prestigious venues in NYC and also throughout Wisconsin. She has been a personal trainer (AFAA), yogi, and Pilates (Kane School of Core Integration) instructor since 2000, and worked for Park Slope Yoga Center/Devi, Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and Brouk Moves in NYC for many years. Since 2012, Catey has been teaching contemporary modern, adult ballet, dance history, composition and choreography, improvisation, and repertory at Marquette University, Milwaukee Ballet, and Danceworks, while also directing MKE Dance Theatre Network.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: nposey@milwaukeeballet.org

Natasha Posey, a Georgia native, began her dance career performing with Augusta Ballet Company. She earned a BFA in dance from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has since performed with Lynda Martha Dance Company (Chicago), Wisconsin Ballet Theatre (Green Bay), Ballet Madison and Danceworks Performance Company. Natasha is a MPS Montessori-trained teacher who teaches at Fernwood Montessori School. She earned her teaching certification at UW-Madison where she graduated with honors. She has led teacher-training workshops through Very Special Arts-Wisconsin where educators are taught how to integrate movement with students of all abilities. Natasha has run the summer dance camps for young children with MBS for over 20 years. She stays active performing as a current member of Catey Ott Dance Collective.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: dspringer@milwaukeeballet.org

Dawn Springer is a choreographer who has worked throughout the country and abroad. Her choreography has been described as “mesmerizing” (Spin Magazine), “terrific” (Shepherd Express), “surging and lush” (Philadelphia Inquirer), “subtle yet striking” (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel), a “stand out” (Durham Indy Weekly) and “beautiful composition” (Milwaukee Magazine). Throughout her training and performance career, she was fortunate to perform with many wonderful choreographers including Helen Simoneau Danse, Camille A. Brown (Tony Award winner), Sara Hook, Jeff Slayton (Merce Cunningham Dance), Sarah Skaggs, Dahlia Nayar, and Aynsley Vandenbroucke Movement Group, among others. Her performances have included Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Venice Biennale Danza, New York Live Arts, and the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Her choreography for the Collection of Colonies of Bees was performed as the opener for Grammy Award winning and nominated artists Bon Iver and Sylvan Esso. She toured the United States as an adjudicator for the American Dance Festival and was an artist in residence for two consecutive seasons with Alverno Presents and for two years at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland.

She has choreographed, taught and lectured at The Ailey School, The University of the Arts, The Banff Center, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dickinson College, Beloit College, Lawrence University, Cardinal Stritch University, The American College Dance Festival Association, and at The Congress on Research and Dance and The Society of Dance History Scholars. Her writing is published in the Perspectives on American Dance Anthology by the University Press of Florida. She is a senior lecturer in the Peck School of the Arts.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: nstehly@milwaukeeballet.org

Natalie Stehly is a dancer, maker, and educator. She graduated with highest honors from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earning her BFA in Dance. During her time in Urbana, she had the pleasure of performing in works by Kendra Portier, Mauriah Kraker, Leah Wilks, Charli Brissey, Renée Wadleigh, Nico Brown, Linda Lehovec, Paige Cunningham-Caldarella and Rachel Rizzuto, and additionally working with faculty members Jennifer Monson, Abby Zbikowski, Kirstie Simons, Sara Hook, Tere O'Connor among others. Natalie is passionate about dance education and notably has taught at Dancewave, School at Peridance, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and La Crosse Dance Centre. She currently teaches at Milwaukee Ballet School and Academy and at Tamarack Waldorf. In addition to teaching dance, Natalie is a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher and certified Children’s Yoga Instructor. Her choreography and teaching practices are interwoven with her love for improvisation and somatic practices, such as the Alexander Technique. Her choreographic work has been presented at Current Showcase (Current Take.5 and Current Take.3 in Brooklyn, NY), Green Space's Fertile Ground Showcase (Queens, NY), Dancewave Community Showcase (Brooklyn, NY), through Dancewave Company Program at New York Live Arts (New York, NY), and her recent work “where you go” was selected to be performed at Wisconsin Dance Council’s Mini Dance Festival.

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: pmorganstrimple@milwaukeeballet.org

As a highly sought after choreographer, Peggy’s spectrum of work includes large scale musicals, visual adjudications, clinician workshops and a teaching artist for educational venues. In 2019 alone she averaged over 1000 performers trained under her direction in all levels of abilities. She was chosen as a primary teaching artist for Disney’s Musicals in Schools, and a multiple recipient for “Outstanding Choreography” for the Overture Center of the Arts’s Jerry Awards, achieving excellence in high school musical programming.

A Kids From Wisconsin Alumna, Peggy has proudly served the organization since 2014 as its Choreographer. The production shows are seen across the Midwest by 100, 000 people during the summer . Also for the organization, she designs and continues to coordinate the “Realize Your Dream” projects offering FREE experiential programming inspired by the performing arts.

She received intense dance education from the legendary Jean Wolfmeyer in Manitowoc, WI, while also studying as a scholarship student at the former National Academy of the Arts, Gus Giordano Dance and Lou Conte Dance Studio of Chicago. Peggy enjoyed over 15 years as a professional dancer/entertainer in multiple productions for Disney World, Las Vegas and cruise ships and revue shows around the world, commercials and films, mostly in featured roles and invited to collaborate and assist directors/choreographers in all aspects of the performing arts.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: gvolpendesta@milwaukeeballet.org

Garrett stepped into his first dance class at the age of six and never looked back. Dance has been his biggest passion ever since and when he started choreographing and teaching back when he was in high school and knew that it was his calling. Since then Garrett is going into his 20th year of teaching dance and molding young artists. During these 20 years he has spent teaching/coaching, directing, choreographing and outsourcing his services to several studios and companies throughout Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. Receiving most of his training from a local Wisconsin studio located in Delavan Wisconsin, working with several artistic minds with a range of professional achievements.  He has also received training from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and theater performance training under Barbara DelMastro.

Garrett’s performance career started as soon as  he started dancing and has performed in thousands of shows. Most of those shows have been through the corporate entertainment scene including the Six Flags Corporation where he has been a dance captain of four international award-winning shows that he also co-wrote and co-choreographed. Garrett was also nominated for the IAAPA for the best male entertainment performer back in 2017. During his years with the Six Flags Corporation he has also choreographed, produced, directed and written over a dozen shows for the corporation. Outside of corporate entertainment Garrett has been blessed with opportunities too with Neil Berg in his traveling  Broadway review show “100 Years of Broadway'', sharing the stage with multiple Broadway stars such as Brad Little and Tony Nominated Carter Calvert. 

Currently Garrett is the competitive teams director at The Academy of Performing Arts out of Oak Creek, Wi, serving his 4th season as the team's director.  Prior he worked with multiple studios throughout the seasons introducing new programs that have been excelling at each facility, coached multiple competition teams, and has served as a  judge for multiple dance competitions based out of Canada. Garrett used to run a young performance group called HYPE (acronym for Helping Young Performers Entertain). Although due to scheduling conflicts, Covid and direction changes he has discontinued this group, he hopes to revive it in the near future. His work and dancers he has trained have  performed all around the nation and appeared on television throughout the years. His competitive work continues to get recognition for its choreography and creative concepts.

In his spare time Garrett is supporting local artists and helping them book work as well as supporting his communities local performing art programs and opportunities.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: bweiss@milwaukeeballet.org

 Part-Time Faculty

Email: mwestreich@milwaukeeballet.org

Maddie Westreich is a choreographer, teacher, and performer attending the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Contemporary Dance Performance and choreography at UWM, Maddie has received training in Jazz, Modern, African, ballet, improvisation, applied anatomy, composition, Dance History, and more as well as performing and collaborating in several student choreographies and the faculty choreographies of Maria Gillespie, Deb Lowen, Mair Culbreth, and Simone Ferro and the guest artist works of Marina Magalhães and Kia Smith. Maddie is also a student research assistant at UWM, where she engages with the community through site-specific dance performances throughout the Sherman Park neighborhood with her team of fellow students led by Professor Simone Ferro. Through her teaching, Maddie utilizes her comprehensive dance education amongst a wide variety of techniques and movement traditions to demonstrate the versatility of movement in her students.

Part-Time Faculty

Email: mwilson@milwaukeeballet.org

Dancer, teacher, and visual artist Madyun Wilson is a first-generation Sudanese-American. With over 8 years as a professional artist, they have dedicated their entire spirit to the classical arts becoming an experimental movement artist and creative director in the process.

Madyun (they/them) began their pre-professional dance education when in high school at The Milwaukee High School of the Arts. While studying at MHSA, Madyun was awarded many merit based scholarships to continue their studies at Milwaukee Ballet, The Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Boston Ballet School, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Madyun studied abroad in France as a Student Professor de dans also in classical technique at the La Manufacture, Incubateur Choreographic in Aurillac where they received both a Ballet E.A.T. and a B.F.A. awarded by the Ministry of Culture in 2019.

Their first professional performance experience includes the following credits: Evinrude Motor Company Wisconsin’s Sports Event choreographed by Cedric Gardner. In addition, they have also performed in concert works by internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Vendetta Mathea, Christopher Rudd, Kham Saunders, Robert Garland, Andrew Winghart, and Suzette Brisset to name a few. Wilson has also worked with Chief Productions as a main dancer for Sam Smith’s “One Last Song” Music Video in the UK.

Today, Madyun is currently working with dance organizations such as DanceWorks Milwaukee on the classical faculty. Madyun is also the founder and director of Biopunk Dance, a Milwaukee based dance company founded on the pursuit of dance industry inclusion, research, and developing experimental performances utilizing conceptual sciences.