Maine State Ballet School Faculty
Jessica Bartlett
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Soloist
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A ballerina since age 3, Jessica has been dancing at the Maine State Ballet School for over a decade. As a Maine State Ballet Soloist her favorite roles include Demi Soloist Flower and Marzipan Corps in The Nutcracker, Titania’s Attendant in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and dancing as a soloist in Paquita. After participating in an Early Study Aspirations program during her final two years of high school, Jessica is now majoring in Environmental Science at the University of Southern Maine. In 2015 she began training through the MSB teacher training program, and has been assisting and substituting ever since.
Macey Brenner
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Macey is a member of the Maine State Ballet Company and hails from Gorham. She has participated in MSB's teacher training program and loves working with young people. Favorite ballet roles include Snow and Flowers Corps de Ballet in The Nutcracker, Six Friends in Coppelia, and the Slumber Fairy in Hansel and Gretel.
Barry Brinker
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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For the past 35 years, Barry has been sharing the joy of dance with thousands of students throughout the country. Before she became a teacher, Barry was a professional dancer in New York City. She then went on to received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Education from The University of Maryland. She is the proud recipient of numerous grants awarded by The National Endowment for the Arts. She was honored to teach with Jacques D'amboise for The National Dance Institute in NYC. Students are enthralled by Barry's loving, kind, and energetic nature. But, it is her compassion for dance and contagious enthusiasm, that most inspires her students.
Emma Davis
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
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Emma is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Marriage and Family Therapy. A graduate of the MSB's Teacher training program, she loves her students and teaching here at the dancing school. Favorite roles include Clara and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, The Principal Role in Raymonda, Guardian Angel in Hansel and Gretel, Swanhilda in Coppelia, and Belle in Beauty and the Beast.
Glenn Davis
Assistant Director, Instructor, Choreographer, Maine State Ballet Principal
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A Maine native and All-State athlete, Mr. Davis brings athleticism to his work as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Favorite MSB roles include Franz in Coppelia, Basilio in Don Quixote, and the Prince in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Swan Lake. For 20 years, he graced the stage as the Nutcracker Prince and Cavalier in The Nutcracker. Audiences have also seen him perform at Maine State Music Theatre. His training in the Balanchine style under New York City Ballet’s Linda MacArthur Miele and Adam Luders led him to a love of neoclassical ballet. He has choreographed dozens of smaller pieces and several full-length ballets, including Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and The Little Mermaid. His love of travel and teaching ballet has led him to teach and stage ballets around the United States and ballet schools in Sweden and Wales. Mr. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in History and a master's degree in Business Administration from the University of Maine. He is also a certified Maine teacher.
Janet Davis
Assistant Director, Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Maine State Ballet's most prolific ballerina, Janet epitomizes the dream of every aspiring young dancer. Audiences have applauded her as Sugar Plum Fairy in
The Nutcracker, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Firebird in Maine State Ballet's premiere production of The Firebird and many other roles. Equally comfortable teaching tap, jazz and ballet, Janet has choreographed for musical productions and for “Best of Broadway”. She studied piano and music theory under former MSB Orchestra Conductor, Karla Kelley and has conducted choirs around the State. This extensive understanding of music is passed on to her dancers through phrasing and choreography. Her philosophy of “If you can, you should” inspires confidence in her students and helps them reach their full potential. Janet is married to principal dancer Glenn Davis and has a daughter, Emma.
Katie Desantis
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Katie was trained exclusively with Maine State Ballet and was accepted into notable summer programs such as Boston Ballet, The Rock School and Julliard. After high school Katie danced at Marymount Manhattan College in NY and at Steps. After returning to Maine she studied nursing at SMCC and now has certification as a Certified Nursing Assistant and group fitness instructor. Katie's versatile style enables her to perform diverse roles such as the beautiful Princess Elena in The Firebird and the Gypsy Queen in Don Quixote. Her additional repertoire includes the Dark Angel in Serenade, the Spanish Princess in Swan Lake, and the Fourth Movement soloist in Miele's Bach Concerti.
Arie Eiten
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
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Arie has danced with Maine State Ballet for over 9 years. Favorite MSB ballets include Coppelia, Don Quixote, and Le Corsaire. He is currently finishing up a degree in exercise science along with a minor in psychology at the University of Southern Maine with the hopes of becoming a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach. He hopes to bring the enthusiasm and passion for dance and performing that he has developed while dancing at Maine State Ballet to students along with an emphasis on overall strength, health, and well-being for dancers!
Gwen Haynes
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Eliot Konzal
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Eliot has been a part of Maine State Ballet’s family for many years. She grew up outside of Boston dancing with the Hazel Boone Dance Studio’s award-winning competitive tap program and was a recipient of the Sandra Philpott “Dance for Joy” award for Tap, Jazz, and Ballet. Eliot also spent two years training with the London Dance Project in the U.K. She was captain of her high school’s Varsity Dance Team at the American School in London and has extensive musical theater experience. She received dance teacher training, and recently studied with the Joffrey Ballet School Tap Intensive in New York City. She is a Bowdoin College graduate with degrees in Psychology and pre-Medicine.
Juliette Lauzier-Bridges
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Juliette is a founding member of Maine State Ballet. Known to her young dance students as "Miss Juliette," her style is elegant and graceful. She is sought after all over Maine as a dancer, choreographer and teacher, most recently guest teaching at the Maine Dance Teacher's Workshop. She won critical acclaim for her choreography and performance of Broken Trust, an original modern piece. She continues to be a wonderful asset to the Company.
Jonathan Miele
Director, Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Mr. Miele started dancing at the Dorothy Mason School of Dance here in Maine, which is now the Maine State Ballet School for the Performing Arts. After brief training at Boston Ballet School, Jonathan went to New York City where he had a successful career on Broadway dancing with such notable stars as Carol Channing, Jane Powell, Bernadette Peters, Gower Champion and Robert Preston. Mr. Miele has directed and choreographed shows for Lyric Theater, Portland Players, Windham Center Stage Theater and many area high schools. His exuberant style of dance has made him a favorite among students who want to experience the excitement of big, Broadway-style choreography.
Linda Miele
Artistic Director, Resident Choreographer, Instructor
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Ms. Miele started to dance at age 3 in Boston. At age 11 she moved to New York to further her studies where she was accepted into George Balanchine's School of American Ballet. At age 14, she was the youngest member accepted into the New York City Ballet Company. She has toured the world, dancing in such places as Paris, Rome, Athens, Venice, Jerusalem, London, Dubrovnik, Tel-Aviv, Florence, Salzburg, and Montreal. Most of her performances however, were at Lincoln Center at the New York State Theater. Having worked closely with George Balanchine, she moves into the area of choreography naturally and maintains the legendary versatile Balanchine Style. Adding to her long-standing rights to Balanchine's Nutcracker choreography, she was granted permission to stage Serenade from The George Balanchine Trust. Mrs. Miele is a notable college lecturer, Church Choir Director and the past President of the Women's Relief Society in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Agnes Norman
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Soloist
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Agnes was promoted to Soloist this season. She made her debut in the coveted role of Clara last season in The Nutcracker. Other credits include Princess Florine in our summer production of Classical Gala, The Harp in Beauty and the Beast and Harvest in Coppelia. She is currently enrolled at the University of New England, majoring in exercise science and hoping to join the Physical Therapy program in a few years!
Rachel Paradis
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
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Rachel was recently promoted to Principal Dancer. She was recently seen as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Maine State Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Rachel has an associate degree in liberal studies and plans to get her bachelor’s degree in business. We are happy to have Rachel on the faculty. She brings her beautiful style and vast knowledge of dance to all her students.
Adrienne Pelletier
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Principal
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Adrienne has grown up dancing with Maine State Ballet. She is a graduate of Southern Maine Community College with a degree in Culinary Arts. As a Principal with Maine State Ballet, her roles include Sugar Plum Fairy, Clara and Coffee from Arabia in The Nutcracker, The Bird in Peter & the Wolf, Cupid in Don Quixote, The White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, and Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty.
Catherine Putnam
Instructor
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Catherine received her dance training at Dance Unlimited in Augusta, Maine State Ballet, and The Dance Center in Auburn. She performed in many Maine State Ballet productions including The Nutcracker, Tap, Tap, Jazz, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. The Dance Center productions include many recitals, the Bates Dance Festival, A Nutcracker Christmas, and the original modern production, Off World. She also attended The Joffrey Ballet School Jazz and Contemporary Summer Intensive in New York City. Catherine is excited to be back at Maine State Ballet and can't wait to share her creativity and passion for dance with her students.
Emma Samuelson
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Company Member
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Ms. Emma has danced here since the age of nine and is a member of the Maine State Ballet Company. She is a graduate of our teacher training program, assisting teachers here for the past three years. Favorite roles in MSB ballets are many Corps de Ballet roles in The Nutcracker, Six Friends in Coppelia, and Slumber Fairy in Hansel and Gretel.
Trevor Seymour
Instructor, Maine State Ballet Soloist
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Trevor balances his time taking dance classes and is enrolled at the University of New England. He has studied at the School of american Ballet and was recently promoted to soloist. Trevor's roles include Nutcracker Prince and Russian Cossack in The Nutcracker, Franz in Coppelia, Soloist in Napoli, The Major in Can-Can Parisien and the Persian Prince Beauty and the Beast.
Ali Spurgin
Instructor
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Ali began dancing at the age of eight and quickly found a passion for dance. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Business Administration minor. Ali has worked with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co, American Ballet Theatre, Trisha Brown Dance Co, Martha Graham Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. She performed and choreographed in numerous dance productions including the American College Dance Association. She has taught dance for eight years in the Nebraska area while traveling to elite dance competitions. Ali is excited to join the Maine State Ballet staff where she is dedicated to providing a professional learning environment that promotes positivity, creativity and technical excellence.