Sara A. Jansen, Co-Director

Originally from New York, Sara trained at the Ballet School of New York under the direction of Diana Byer and Sallie Wilson. In 2001, Ms. Jansen graduated from the Professional Children's School in New York City and began to dance professionally with New York Theatre Ballet. While dancing with NYTB, Ms. Jansen had the opportunity to tour the United States, perform at the Florence Gould Hall in New York City, and dance roles in Cinderella, Carnival of the Animals, Firebird, and Alice in Wonderland.

In 2004, Sara moved to Richmond, Virginia to join the Richmond Ballet trainee program. While at the Richmond Ballet, she performed with the professional company in such ballets as The Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and original choreography by Richmond Ballet Faculty. She danced with Richmond Ballet for two years before being asked to join Starr Foster Dance Project. As a member of Starr Foster Dance project, Sara performed the role of the White Rabbit in Alice and had roles created for her in many new works for the company.

Ms. Jansen recently received the American Ballet Theatre teacher certification, enabling her to teach students the official curriculum of American Ballet Theatre. She has enjoyed teaching dance for several years and is currently the Ballet Director of The Dance Company located in Hanover, VA. She is excited to put her myriad of experiences to work as Co-Director of Charlottesville Ballet, while keeping her love of performance alive in her dual role as dancer and director. Sara looks forward to nurturing the growth and appreciation for dance among peers and community.

Emily Mott, Co-Director

Emily Mott fell in love with ballet at the age of five.  She began dance classes at Roanoke Ballet Theatre in her hometown of Roanoke, VA and continued her training with Unurbat Gunaajav and Michele Goacher.  She performed in several collaborative shows with Opera Roanoke, the Mill Mountain Theatre, and with Radford University as the Snow Queen in a joint production of The Nutcracker.  She has attended summer intensives at the Richmond Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and on scholarship with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.  Emily spent her senior year of high school at the Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg, VA under the late Petrus Bosman.  At VSA she found diverse training and valuable performance opportunities in gala evenings, in lecture demonstrations for children, and in the Piccolo Spoleto Festival.  Upon graduation she joined the Richmond Ballet as a trainee, performing in Don Quixote, Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie and Who Cares?, and in many new works by Richmond Ballet faculty.  She also enjoyed working with school children in Richmond Ballet’s Minds In Motion program.

In 2008, Emily relocated to Charlottesville to join the Charlottesville Ballet and to attend the University of Virginia, uniting both her artistic and academic pursuits. As a third-year at UVa, she is pursuing an interdisciplinary degree in Arts Administration and participating in the university's Dance Program. In addition to her role as a dancer with Charlottesville Ballet, Emily is a Co-Director for the company and choreographs the Children's Ballet Series productions. Emily also teaches ballet classes to young students at The Dance Barn in Stanardsville, VA. She is delighted to achieve balance through her multiple roles as a student, administrator, teacher, and performer. Emily looks forward to the season ahead and is thankful to all who've made this journey possible.

Elisa Alexander

Elisa Alexander was born in West Virginia and started dancing at the age of three. She trained at Inwood Performing Arts and the Frederick School of Classical Ballet before leaving home to attend high school at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Academy on scholarship. She spent two summers at North Carolina Dance Theatre and one at Boston Ballet's summer program. Elisa recently earned her BFA in ballet at the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. While there, she enjoyed dancing roles in Paquita, La Bayadere, Swan Lake, and Balanchine's Walpurgisnacht and Pas de Dix, as well as original works created by CCM faculty. She also choreographed two pieces that were chosen to be performed in the Choreographer's Showcase at CCM. Additionally, Elisa performed as a guest artist last year in Dayton Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. She is excited to begin her first season with Charlottesville Ballet.

Elizabeth Clain-Stefanelli

Elizabeth Clain-Stefanelli is from Arlington, Virginia where she began her training at the Arlington Center for Dance. She continued her studies at the Washington School of Ballet for six years and was also coached by Barbara Walczak from New York City Ballet. From 2002 to 2004, she was chosen to attend the Kennedy Center Ballet Master Class Series in Washington D.C. Elizabeth also studied in Amsterdam for two summers under the direction of Valerie Valentine from the Dutch National Ballet. Elizabeth has performed in many ballets including: Mary Day’s Nutcracker, the Kirov Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty, Septeme Weber’s The Grande Defile, and Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie. She graduated from Mercyhurst College in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance and Arts Administration. While attending college, Elizabeth was a company member with Lake Erie Ballet for two seasons. She also danced as an apprentice for Ballet Theatre of Maryland in the 2009-2010 season. This is Elizabeth's first season with Charlottesville Ballet and she is thrilled to be a part of the company.

Tyrone Cooper

Tyrone Eugene Cooper began his training at the age of 13 in Newport News, VA. He attended Woodside High School for the Performing Arts and the Eastern Virginia School of the Performing Arts. After graduating, Tyrone began studies in the Dance Program at Virginia Commonwealth University. While in college, he also trained at the School of Richmond Ballet and was later offered a traineeship with the company. Tyrone performed in Stoner Winslett's Nutcracker, Malcolm Burn's Don Quixote, and George Balanchine's Who Cares?. In addition, he appeared in many of the Richmond Ballet faculty's original choreography and in Ariadne Conner's who's it all for anyway? While living in Richmond, he had the pleasure of working with several modern companies, including the Starr Foster Dance Project. Tyrone has choreographed for students at The Dance Company in Mechanicsville, VA and is an instructor at Albemarle Ballet Theater in Crozet, VA. Now in his third season with Charlottesville Ballet, Ty will be taking on choreographic and leadership roles as a Rehearsal Director for the company. Tyrone would like to thank his life-long mentor Dr. Mary Ann Laverty for 13 years of support!

Kirsten Glaser

Kirsten Glaser was born and raised in Cape Cod, MA. She began her training at the Cape Cod School of Ballet and danced there until the age of fourteen. She then moved to Torrington, CT to train at the Nutmeg Conservatory for four years. While there she had the opportunity to perform in several productions; some of her favorite roles were Sugar Plum Fairy, the Le Corsaire Pas De Duex, and the Swan Lake Pas De Duex. She was also able to pursue her other passion of teaching young students. In 2009, Kirsten was chosen to be a competitor in the New York International Ballet Competition. After the completing the competition, she moved West to Denver, CO to be a member of Colorado Ballet's Studio Company. Aside from dancing Kirsten also enjoys writing, baking, and spending time with her family. She is hoping to someday return to college and get a degree in psychology. This will be her first season with Charlottesville Ballet.

Megan Giroir

Megan Giroir began her dance training at the School of the Hartford Ballet in her home town of Hartford, Connecticut. She received her early training from Franco DeVita, Raymond Lukens, Hilda Morales, and Susan Brooker. She was chosen to perform the role of Clara in Kirk Peterson’s world premier of “The American Nutcracker” and performed the role at The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California. During high school, she also performed side by side with professionals from American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company in “The American Nutcracker.” After graduating from high school, Megan attended Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Graduate Program for two years. She performed The Nutcracker with the company and danced in many ballets with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School including Allegro Brillante, La Bayadere, Theme and Variations and Paquita. In 2007, Megan joined the Ballet Theatre of Maryland as an apprentice where she studied and performed for three seasons. She is very excited to begin her first season with Charlottesville Ballet.

Veronica Hart

Veronica, raised in Charlottesville, recently relocated from San Diego, CA. She formerly danced and toured with the Charleston Ballet Theatre, San Diego Ballet, and The Garage Contemporary Ballet. Her training began at age 6 with her mother, Sally Hart, and continued at the Virginia School of the Arts. Her summer studies were spent at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, as well as The Joffrey Midwest Program in Flint, MI. She received scholarships at all schools attended. Veronica has performed leading roles in Paquita, Le Corsaire, Les Sylphedes, Etudes, as Maria in West Side Story, in Ryan Beck's The Mexican and Filia Artemis, and most recently as Cinderella with the Encinitas Ballet. Veronica teaches at the Albemarle Ballet Theatre, her family's school, and has choreographed and produced several original classical and contemporary pieces and full length ballets. Veronica is also a chef and loves experimenting in the kitchen...especially with soups! She looks forward to her first season with the Charlottesville Ballet and is eager to partake in bringing ballet into the community.

Caitlin Lennon

Originally from Montana, Caitlin Lennon began her intensive training at the Queen City Ballet. While a student there, she was given the honor of performing such roles as Sugar Plum, Dew Drop, and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, as well as Aurora and the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. These performing experiences laid the foundation that allowed her to place in the Top 12 at Youth America Grand Prix in 2006, in both classical and contemporary, in addition to being accepted into such prestigious schools as Julliard, American Ballet Theatre New York, Atlanta Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Ballet West on full scholarship. Her travels across the country ended at the Richmond Ballet, where she was accepted into the trainee program on full scholarship. While at the Richmond Ballet, Caitlin performed as a demi-soloist in Waltz of the Flowers and in Balanchine's Who Cares? In the Trainee workshop performances, she appeared as the Dryad Queen in Don Quixote, Paquita in Paquita and in Ariadne Conner's who's it all for anyway?. In addition to working with the Charlottesville Ballet, she is attending Piedmont Virginia Community College. Caitlin is also a teacher for the Charlottesville branch of the Minds In Motion outreach program, bringing dance to the public school system. This is Caitlin's third season with Charlottesville Ballet.

Heather Lively

Heather fell in love with dance at the age of four when her parents placed her in dance classes at a local dance studio in Ridge Manor, FL. She then moved on to dance with South Georgia Performing Arts, the South Georgia Ballet, and later at Charlottesville's Wilson School of Dance. In the summer of 2008, Heather was chosen to attend the Summer Residential Governor's School for dance. She has also performed in many ballets including: Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, Coppelia, and recently as the Sugar Plum Fairy for The Dance Barn's production of The Nutcracker. Heather is currently a student at Piedmont Virginia Community College and teaches Jazz and Creative Dance classes at The Dance Barn in Stanardsville, VA. After spending her first season with Charlottesville Ballet as an apprentice, she is thrilled to be joining as a full-time company member for her second performing season.

Sarah Obuzor

Sarah Obuzor is a native of Pittsburgh, PA and came to love dance during her thirteen years of training at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. She also studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and acting with the Civic Light Opera Academy. Sarah's summers were spent at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Ballet Met, Alvin Ailey in New York City, and Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Previous to joining Charlottesville Ballet, she worked with a Pittsburgh-based modern company and also danced for three seasons with Ballet Theatre of Maryland. Sarah also had the opportunity to teach classes to students at Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. She has performed in some of her favorite ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Raymonda, La Bayadere, and Serenade, as well as many new contemporary works. Sarah is looking forward to her first year with Charlottesville Ballet.

Rachel Terry

Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Rachel Terry began dancing at the age of five at Columbus Youth Ballet. She had the opportunity to perform yearly in the Nutcracker, spring performances, and Youth American Grand Prix. She continued her training at New Albany Ballet Company her senior year of high school, where she performed a lead role in Tarentella. Rachel has spent summers at Briansky Saratoga, Joffrey Midwest, Nutmeg Conservatory, Ballet Met, and Ballet Theatre of Maryland. After her second summer at Nutmeg Conservatory, she choose to attend their year round post-graduate program as a scholarship student, under the direction of Sharon Dante. While at Nutmeg, Rachel performed featured roles in the Pas de Trois des Odalisques from Le Corsaire and variations from Raymonda. Upon graduating from Nutmeg in 2008, Rachel joined the Ballet Theatre of Maryland as an apprentice, where she performed in Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Excalibur, and several other local performances. Rachel is thrilled to be a part of the Charlottesville Ballet for her second season and is thankful for all the support she receives from her family and friends.

Rachel Turner

Rachel Turner is a Charlottesville native and began her dance training at Wilson School of Dance studying ballet, pointe, and tap. She also trained at the Ballet School for one year under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus and at the Albemarle Ballet Theatre with Sally Hart. Rachel's training culminated at the School of Richmond Ballet, where she received intensive instruction in many genres of dance. She has performed roles such as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, the Dying Swan in Carnival of the Animals, and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. While a student at the School of Richmond Ballet, she also performed in workshop performances and in many original works by Richmond Ballet faculty. Rachel has an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) with a major in Paralegal Studies from J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. She currently works part-time as a Paralegal with George R. Andrews and Associates. Rachel looks forward to her third season with Charlottesville Ballet.

Artistic Team

Keith Lee, Associate Director

A native of the Bronx, New York, Keith Lee started his dance training at the age of three. With encouragement from Ben Vereen, he later pursued his studies at the High School of Performing Arts, where he received Capezio awards for excellence in both Ballet and Modern techniques. Immediately following graduation in 1968, he joined American Ballet Theatre. Promoted to the rank of soloist the following year, Keith Lee’s repertory included choreography of such masters as: Jose Limon, Jerome Robbins, Alvin Ailey, Lar Lubovitch, Antony Tudor and George Balanchine.

A versatile artist, as fluent in modern dance technique as Ballet, Keith Lee has served as Ballet Master of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, as well as Ballet Master for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, The Capitol Ballet, and Nanette Bearden’s Contemporary Chamber Dance Company.

Lee began choreographing in 1968; since, creating ballets for American Ballet Theatre, the Washington Ballet, the Geneva Ballet, the Oakland Ballet, the Garden State Ballet, the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, the Capitol Ballet of Washington DC, the Memphis Concert Ballet, and the Lexington Ballet, to name a few.

Perhaps his most prized skill, Keith Lee is a master dance teacher. Based upon a lifetime of study and immersion, Lee has taught his own style of dance in schools throughout the Americas including: Jacob’ s Pillow, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Trikinia Kabilios in Bogota, Center Zena Romette, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Company, University of the Arts, Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, The Rock School of Ballet, Lee Theodore’s American Dance Machine, Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre and regionally, at Virginia School of the Arts, Roanoke Ballet Theater, Arts Council of the Blue Ridge, and Altavista Arts Council.

The co-founder and Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Lynchburg, Mr. Lee currently resides in Lynchburg, Virginia with his wife and their three children. He continues his free-lance work in the dance field throughout the United States as master teacher and choreographer.

Nicole McGurn, Artistic Associate

Nicole Busse McGurn started her ballet training at age eleven at The Washington School of Ballet. She was accepted into the Stuttgart Ballet School as one of the first boarders in the new facility in 1971. After graduating fom Gymnasium in Koenigstein, Germany, Nicole moved to California to study Animal Science. While learning how to trim sheep hooves, clip baby pig teeth, and care for 700 species of exotic birds in the San Fernando Valley, she continued to attend ballet class at "Class With Michele" studio in Woodland Hills. While studying Fiction Writing at Columbia College in Chicago, Nicole later trained at Lou Conte Dance Studio, Chicago Dance Medium, and Ruth Page Foundation. She apprenticed with David Puszh Dance Company and was accepted into Chicago West Dance Company in Westmont.

For ten years, Nicole was the Director of the Ballet Centre in Charlottesville, Virginia. Nicole taught at the School for the Performing Arts in Orange, in the after-care program at St.Anne's Belfield School, and at the Carrysbrook Community Center in Palmyra. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Mary Baldwin College. Nicole currently teaches serious ballet students in her Charlottesville in-home studio.

Nicole has placed numerous students in prestigious summer workshop programs, such as Washington School of Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, Walnut Hill, the Rock School of Philadelphia, Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Nicole’s former students have received dance scholarships at the University of Utah, the University of Indiana, and the North Carolina School of the Arts. Nicole’s most accomplished students have joined the Miami City Ballet, the Charleston Ballet Theater, the Annapolis Ballet, and the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet. Nicole's students participated in a performance opening for Tony Bennett at the grand-opening gala of the Paramount Theater in Charlottesville.

Nicole thoroughly enjoyed setting two ballet pieces on Charlottesville Ballet dancers in 2010 and is thrilled to be back for season three.

Kelly Silliman, Choreographer in Residence

Kelly Silliman studied ballet for ten years before falling in love with modern dance at age fourteen, after which she promptly began her first company. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Stetson University. While in school, she implemented and taught the modern dance program for the Academy of Dance in DeLand, FL. During the summers she participated in Drink to This!, a program for emerging artists in the Hartford, CT area, eventually serving as artistic co-director. After college Kelly moved to Boston, where she co-founded Royal Jelly, a performance ensemble for dancers, musicians, and artists. In 2000, she moved to Tucson, AZ, where she danced with NEW ARTiculations Dance Theatre. She taught and choreographed for NEW ART's professional dancers and also founded the company's Youth Dance Ensemble, which offered training and performance experience to low-income youth.

Kelly has spent many years teaching ballet and modern in the studio setting. Since moving to central Virginia in 2004, Kelly has danced with Prospect Dance Group, performed in Wunderkammer and Shentai, choreographed for the UVa Dance Program, and worked with inFlux Dance and UpRooted Dance Theatre.

Kelly and her husband Tom own Sweet Dog Farm, a sustainable agricultural (ad)venture in Greene County. Kelly also owns The Dance Barn in Stanardsville, VA where she graciously donates her studio space to Charlottesville Ballet. She is an asset to the company and we look forward to presenting her work for many seasons to come.

Ariadne Conner, Founder and Choreographer in Residence

A Chicago native, Ariadne Conner relocated to Richmond, Virginia in 2003 to be a trainee with the Richmond Ballet. While a trainee, she had the opportunity to dance in Giselle, Swan Lake, Balanchine's Concerto Barocco, and original choreography by Richmond Ballet Faculty.

Prior to her two-year tenure as a trainee Ariadne was honored to work with outstanding teachers, many who worked personally with George Balanchine. Spending summers at the Houston Ballet Academy, Miami City Ballet, and the School of American Ballet in New York City, she worked with such teachers as Edward Villela, Suki Schore, Susan Pilar, Lauren Anderson, and Peter Boal.

Over the years, Ms. Conner trained at the Chamberlain School of Ballet in Dallas, Texas, with Marcia Dale Weary at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and with Dan Duell as a member of the Ballet Chicago Studio Company. During her time with Mr. Duell, she performed principle roles in Balanchine's Concerto Barocco, Theme and Variations, Serenade, Tarantella, and The Nutcracker.

Ariadne’s varied background of experiences has enabled her to transition from the role of performer to that of choreographer. When Ms. Conner choreographed for the trainees of Richmond Ballet in the 2006 and 2007, she was propelled into a whole new experience with dance. Ariadne co-founded Charlottesville Ballet in 2007 and she continues her unique vision for the company through her beautiful works of choreography.