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News & Events Level Three IntensiveThe Creamery Arts Center Aug 01 to Aug 06 Open Registration DayThe Creamery Arts Center Aug 16, 2010 Ballet Supporters
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Staff and Faculty Katie Cornwell, Business Affairs Manager
Katie Cornwell has been involved in dance for more than 20 years as a performer, teacher, and choreographer. As a student, Ms. Cornwell attended summer intensive programs with the Milwaukee Ballet, South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory, Kentucky Ballet Theatre and the University of Oklahoma. A scholarship student, Katie graduated with distinction from the University of Oklahoma with a B.F.A. in ballet pedagogy in 2003. There she had the opportunity to study with Mary Margaret Holt (Houston Ballet, New York City Ballet), Dennis Marshall (American Ballet Theatre), Donn Edwards (Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet), Denise Vale (Martha Graham Dance Company), and Austin Hartel (Pilobolus). She performed in numerous productions and original choreographic works as a member of the Oklahoma Festival Ballet. As a senior, Katie was awarded a grant from the College of Fine Arts to conduct research on arts organizations in New York City under the tutelage of Dr. Camille Hardy, dance critic and historian.
Katie served as the director of annual giving at Drury University where she managed the annual giving drive garnering support from trustees, alumni, parents and friends, and faculty and staff. She was instrumental in establishing the university’s automated phonathon program, and continued to manage and develop that program until her departure in 2007.
Katie earned a Master in Business Administration from Drury University in 2009. She is thrilled to be able to combine her passion for ballet with her professional skill. Katie currently serves on the Arts Programming Sustainability Initiative (APSI) committee through the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Fine Arts Committee through Springfield Public Schools.
Katie also enjoys teaching advanced ballet to Springfield Ballet students. She and her husband Jesse have a two year old daughter, Melinda Hope (Millie), and are expecting their second child in December.
Ashley Paige Romines, School Director
Ashley Paige Romines, formally Ashley Paige Williams, began her dance training in Sevierville, Tennessee, and continued on to pre-professional ballet training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She then studied on scholarship at the University of Oklahoma, and in 2003, she graduated summa cum laude with a B.F.A. in ballet pedagogy. In 2005, Ashley Paige received her Pilates Mat Certification through Power Pilates.
Ashley Paige’s performance experience includes Oklahoma Festival Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, and Northern Ballet Theatre in New Hampshire where she danced professionally for three seasons. Her favorite roles include Dew Drop Fairy, Spanish, Chinese, Marzipan, and Columbine Doll from The Nutcracker; George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie; Fairy of the Song Bird from The Sleeping Beauty; Cygnet from Swan Lake; Pas de Trois from Paquita; and a witch in James Clouser’s Carmina Burana as well as multi-faceted roles in contemporary and modern ballets. She was also excited for the opportunity to tour internationally with Oklahoma Festival Ballet to Cancun, Mexico in 2002.
As of late, Ashley Paige has focused more on her teaching and ballet administration career which is where her true passion lies. She has taught all levels of classical ballet, creative movement, and Pilates at several pre-professional schools throughout the Northeast, and during summer 2009, she attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s Teacher’s Workshop. Ashley Paige has choreographed several original works in the classical and contemporary ballet styles has acted as rehearsal assistant for the staging of classical ballets. Since joining Springfield Ballet as school director in fall 2007, Ashley Paige has choreographed and staged The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Act II, The Firebird, Pas de Quatre, Peter and the Wolf, and original contemporary ballets. She is delighted to have the opportunity to share her passion for the performance art through the Springfield Ballet organization. Ashley Paige married her husband Frank this past May.
Vickie Giesen, Bookkeeper
Vickie Giesen joined the Springfield Ballet in January 2007 as part-time Bookkeeper and Office Administrator. Vickie enjoys art in many forms, but is particularly fond of performance art. She has worked behind the scenes for Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Little Theatre and the Vandivort Center Theatre assisting with props, costumes, ushering, etc. In 2007, Vickie made her first onstage appearance as Aida in Over the River.
Vickie has been happily married to Rick for 28 years and is mother to four 4-legged canine children: Rose, Dink, Bill and Keep. She loves to play golf, enjoys wine and cooking and spending time with family and friends.
Lauren Bonfanti, Instructor
Lauren Bonfanti began her dance training at the age of five in St. Louis, Missouri. She has trained in all styles of dance including pointe, ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, modern, and hip hop. She is currently a senior at Missouri State University pursuing a degree in Elementary Education with a Dance minor. While at Missouri State, she has had the pleasure of choreographing numerous dances and participating in student and faculty works as well. She has taught ballet, tap, jazz, and lyrical at schools in the St. Louis and Springfield area. Lauren is thrilled to be able to share her passion and love of dance at Springfield Ballet.
Marsha Butcher, Instructor and Children’s Rehearsal Assistant
Marsha Butcher began her dance training in Springfield, IL at Dance Arts Studio. While in high school she was a company member of the Springfield Ballet Company and a member of the Rochester Rockets pom squad. She also attended summer dance intensives with Nashville Ballet and David Howard. Marsha recently graduated from Illinois State University with a double major in Dance and Elementary Education. While attending ISU, Marsha was an active member of Illinois State Dance Theatre and president of Illinois State Dance Association. She also had the opportunity to perform works by a variety of guest artists including artists from Joe Goode Performance Group, Hubbard Street, Paul Taylor, Trisha Brown, Eddy Ocampo and Shelter Repertory Dance Theatre. In addition to performing Marsha was able to choreograph for student and faculty concerts, as well as perform and choreograph for American College Dance Festival. This past summer Marsha had the opportunity to teach ballet, modern and jazz at Interlochen Center for the Arts during their summer camp program. In addition to teaching dance, Marsha also works as a Speech Implementer for D.A. Mallory Elementary and performs part-time with Sheltor Repertory Dance Theatre.
Leah Carlisle, Instructor
Leah Carlisle is a sophomore at MSU majoring in Pediatric Nursing. She has studied dance for 16 years at studios near her hometown in Wentzville, Missouri, and trained in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, Modern, and Pilates. Leah was a member of the St. Peter’s Performance Company and participated in regional competitions. She studied with Alexandra Zaharias, Artistic Director of Alexandra Ballet Company. While attending Alexandra Ballet, she also studied with Petrus Bosman of the Royal Ballet, and performed in Cinderella. During her junior year at Timberland High School, Leah participated as a preschool teacher at the school’s non-profit preschool, where she prepared lesson plans and worked with the children three days a week. Leah is excited to continue with Springfield Ballet as an instructor for creative movement by combining her love and dedication of dance and children.
Berea Flatness, Instructor
Berea Flatness is a junior at Missouri State University majoring in Dance Studies and Art and Design Education. She has been a student at Springfield Ballet for 16 years. Berea has appeared in various productions such as Cinderella, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, La Fille Mal Gardee, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, A Special Place, Anti-congruence, Ballet through the Eras, and Peter and the Wolf & Other Stories. She has performed in several productions at Landers Theatre and Logan-Rogersville High School including South Pacific, Carousel, Annie, Peter Pan, Bye Bye Birdie, Hello Dolly, Fiddler on the Roof, Beauty and the Beast, and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She was given the opportunity to choreograph Fiddler on the Roof and co-choreograph Beauty and the Beast and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Logan-Rogersville High School. She was awarded a scholarship to attend the Missouri Fine Arts Academy at M.S.U. for dance in the summer of 2005. Her favorite performance roles include the Sugar Plum Fairy, Spanish, and Snow Queen in Springfield Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Courtney Heinlein, Instructor
Courtney Heinlein is a graduate of Winthrop University with a degree in Sociology/Criminology and Dance. Courtney has had the privilege to study extensively under/perform the works of Sandra Neels (Merce Cunningham), Karen Dugan (Graham School), and Amy Marshall (Paul Taylor). She has also trained with Patricia McBride (NYCB), Mary Beth Thompson Duke (Winthrop), Stacy Garrett McConnell (Winthrop), Tony Pierce-Sands (Alvin Ailey), and Shanti Guirao (Paul Taylor). In addition to the breadth of her training, Courtney’s dance is informed by a diverse movement background that encompasses live theatre and competitive athletics. As a modern dancer/choreographer Courtney has numerous university and professional credits, including solo and featured performances at ACDFA and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and a term as a full time company member of The Power Company under the direction of Martha Brim.
Carla Williams, Instructor and Choreographer
Carla Williams was born and raised in St. Louis where she began her dance study at age 3 and began teaching dance at 18. She graduated cum laude in 2005 from Missouri State University with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance. While at MSU, she had the pleasure of performing in faculty and student works, performing and presenting choreography at the American College Dance Festival, and touring with the University’s outreach company, Inertia. After college, Carla spent time dancing professionally with aha! Dance Theatre and has enjoyed opportunities to perform the work of Susan Dodge, Susan Rieger, Lon Gordon, Dan Stark, and Tina Kambour. She’s currently involved with teaching dance for Springfield Ballet and Missouri State University. Recently, Carla earned her Pilates certification through Polestar Pilates Education, and she currently teaches Pilates at Shape Shifters in Springfield, MO. It is a personal goal of Carla’s to bring more professional dance performance opportunities to the Ozarks area.
SuAnne Wolff, Guest Faculty
SuAnne Wolff began her dancing education at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She continued her training at School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre School and The Joffrey Ballet School. She toured the United States and Europe with Manhattan Ballet and Joffrey Ballet Concert Group. She went on to perform with Brenda Lee in Nashville, Tennessee. SuAnne also performed on the PBS special Antony & Cleopatra with the Chicago Lyric Opera. She then went on to teach and choreograph as the Ballet Mistress for San Antonio Dance Theatre. SuAnne is an accomplished instructor teaching novice level ballet through pre-professional instruction. SuAnne has instructed Patrick Swayze and other prominent dancers. SuAnne performed with Andy Williams, Jim Stafford and Celebrate America in Branson where she is currently living with her husband Tom and two children.
Elena Serykh, Guest Instructor
Elena Serykh began performing at the age of six with the Professional Dance Academy “School Years” Dance Troupe and continued with them for twelve years. Her training continued at the prestigious Russian Academy of Art, Theatre and Dance. She professionally entertained and choreographed with the Mosconcert Concert Organization and throughout Russia for seventeen years and continued in the United States with a successful career totaling twenty-two years of professional dance and acrobatics. Along with entertaining, she teaches classical ballet, international folk dancing, acrobatic Rock-n-Roll, and lifting composition for children, adults and professionals. Elena’s teaching experience includes her time as director and head instructor of the Ballet and Ethnic (Character) Dance School in Moscow, Russia. Elena holds a Master’s Degree in Ballet and Choreography from A.V. Lunacharsky’s State Institute of Theatre Arts. Her most recent teaching experience was with the Branson Academy for Performing Arts.
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