STUDIO MANAGER

Steve Andrews

Coming Soon…

CONSERVATORY DIVISION DIRECTOR

Killian Stephens

Ballet Technique | Pointe | Repertoire | Contemporary | Flexibility & Conditioning

Killian received her early training with Suzanne Stalley-Katsarsky of the San Francisco Ballet and the Ballet West Academy. At 14, she concurrently joined the University of Utah Department of Ballet. Under the guidance of Sharee Lane, Deborah Dobson, and Attila Ficzere she performed with Ballet West and was a principal with the Utah Ballet. During the summers, Killian continued her training as a scholarship student with the Boston Ballet School, The Harid Conservatory, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, and American Ballet Theater. Killian’s contemporary dance training includes The Juilliard School, Ballet British Columbia, and ODC/San Francisco. At 17, Killian returned to California to train on scholarship with Margaret Swarthout of the Marin Ballet Theater.

Killian was a Youth American Grand Prix New York City finalist. In 2007, she was the first ballerina awarded the prestigious Silver Level commendation by Mikhail Baryshnikov for the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungARTS competition.

Killian danced professionally with Ballet Arizona (soloist), Nova Ballet (soloist), Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (guest artist), and the Allegro Ballet Theater. She has worked with noted choreographers Val Caniparoli, Julia Adam, Michael Smuin, Adam Hougland, Ib Anderson, Robert Dekkers, Olga Evreinoff, David Palmer and Yanis Pikeris.

Her repertoire includes Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Don Quixote, Giselle, La Esmerelda, La Sylphide, La Bayadere, Le Corsaire, Paquita, Swan Lake, Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Stravinski Violin Concerto, Theme and Variations, and Las Sonnabula.

Notable coaches include Margaret Swarthout, Maria Vegh, Sharee Lane, Bene Arnold, Deborah Dobson, Atilla Ficzere, Joanna Berman, Alexandra Wells, Rebecca Wright, Edward Ellison, Nadia Kovtun, Sibylle Acatos, Yuri Possohkov, Alexi Zubiria, Svetlana Osiyeva, Melinda Darlington-Bach, Olivier Pardina, Daniel Baudenistel.

As an instructor/private coach, “Miss Killian’s” ballet students have been accepted to and received merit scholarships to ballet summer intensives including Ellison Ballet, Bolshoi NY and CT, American Ballet Theater, San Francisco Ballet School, Ballet West Academy, The Rock School of Dance Education, Houston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Joffrey Ballet School, School of American Ballet Young Dancer Series, Kirov Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, Master Ballet Academy, City Ballet School, Kansas City Ballet, Sarasota Cuban Ballet, Marin Dance Theater, and Alonzo King’s LINES.

University dance programs include the University of Utah Department of Ballet, UC Irvine, the University of Arizona, and the Dominican College of California (LINES).

Her students have won top honors at National Ballet Competitions, including Top 3, Top 6, and multiple Top 12 placements at Youth American Grand Prix. As a choreographer, Killian has choreographed award-winning pieces for several regional and national competitions.

Killian is also a skilled International Latin dancer, performing with her brother throughout California.

Killian graduated Cum Laude from Saint Mary’s College of California Liberal Education for Arts Professionals (LEAP) program designed for dance professionals with a BFA in Dance Performance/Liberal Arts.

PRIMARY PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Sara Schneider

Creative Movement | Pre-Ballet | Ballet Technique

Sara began her dance journey in Portugal where her parents were missionaries. She attended Escola Tecnica de Profissionais de Bailado (Technical School of Ballet Professionals) where she studied ballet and other dance genres.

Upon graduating, Sara traveled to Israel and danced with the Feast of Tabernacles Dance Company. The following year, she moved to Ithaca, New York and worked with Dawn Sandquist and her dance company for 8 months.

Returning to Portugal, Sara started a dance troupe called the, Holy Passion Dance Troupe with five professionally-trained dancers. They toured on the East coast of America, performing and teaching in different churches and events. It was at this time Sara began teaching dance to a group of 5-7 year olds at a local school in Lisbon, Portugal.

Sara was later accepted into the Superior Dance School of Lisbon where she graduated with a Bachelors degree in choreography. While in Brazil she taught dance and English.​

Sara also developed a love and appreciation for Pilates and is an experienced practitioner. She completed the Ballet Pilates Body Conditioning for Dance at University of Nevada, Las Vegas with Dolly Kelepecz and received her certification as a Pilates instructor. She has developed “Ba-Lates”, a Ballet and Pilates Fusion class.

Her love of dance and teaching children prevailed and she has returned to teach Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Beginning Ballet in El Dorado County. Sara is a favorite with the little ones (and their parents) as she gently guides, inspires, and motivates through smiles, laughter, and a imaginative, creative curriculum. Her International training brings depth and breadth to her classes. Sara’s classes provide our young students the foundational training to embark upon a journey in movement and ballet while imbuing her classes with warmth, emotional support, and confidence.

PRIMARY PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR

Makaila Anderson

Ballet | Jazz | Contemporary | Tap

Makaila has spent the last several years training at Hawkins School of Performing Arts.
Under the direction of Jacob Gutiérrez-Montoya, she is currently a dancer in the Hawkins Pre-Professional Contemporary Jazz Company and an apprentice dancer for Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre.

GUEST FACULTY

Hunter Stephens

International Latin Ballroom Master Teacher | Ballet Technique

Hunter received his early training at the Ballet West Academy where he was a Willam F.Christensen merit scholarship student. He continued his ballet training at the University of Utah Ballet Dept. and Brigham Young University where he was a member of the Theater Ballet. He also studied with Jacqueline Colledge and was a member of the Utah Regional Ballet. Hunter received merit scholarships for summer ballet intensives at the Rock School, The Inland Pacific Ballet, Kaatsbaan, Jacob’s Pillow, and Walnut Hill Conservatory. He has served on faculty of the Yen Li Ballet School in Chandler, AZ, and Xiao Pei School of Dance in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Hunter’s ballroom training spans the United States with notable coaches such as Corky and Shirley Ballas, Inna Berlizyeva Louis Van Amstel, Rick Robinson, Giacomo Steccaglia, and Melissa Dexter. He holds numerous National Latin Dancesport titles including two time World Pro-Am champion.

Hunter’s success as a coach centers on his masterful ability to communicate and connect with his students. His unique approach to teaching dance, sense of humor, and genuine concern for his students make him a widely sought after coach. Hunter’s students take top honors at regional and national Ballroom competitions and have moved into the professional ranks winning titles at national levels.

GUEST FACULTY

Arsen Serobian

Ballet Technique | Repertoire | Contemporary

Arsen Serobian is a graduate of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. He toured internationally, performing the entire classical repertoire in several countries. Upon graduation, he moved to the United States, where he has appeared as a Principal guest artist in numerous regional companies.

In 2005, My. Serobian was the recipient of the prestigious Lester Horton Award for Best Male Dancer. He has appeared in national commercial campaigns, the Los Angeles Opera, and can be seen dancing in numerous feature films: The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, and Love Hurts.

Mr. Serobian is the founder of Dance Channel TV Inc, a viral network devoted to supporting the art of dance through educational and entertaining video content.

We are incredibly humbled and honored to welcome Arsen Serobian as part of our guest faculty at CBC.

GUEST FACULTY

Ava Chatterson

Ballet Technique | Repertoire

Ava began her dance training in her hometown of Flint, Michigan at the Flint School of the Performing Arts. She later continued her dance education & studies at Indiana University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance with an Outside Field in Legal Studies.

Ava completed her training at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program before heading to the Sacramento Ballet, where she began her professional ballet career in 2010.

A favorite of Sacramento audiences, she has been featured in the contemporary choreographic works of Darrell Grand Moultrie, Jodie Gates, Gabrielle Lamb, Edwaard Liang, Septime Webre, Trey McIntyre & Ma Cong. Other performance highlights include George Balanchine’s Rubies (Principal), Apollo (Calliope), Who Cares? & Western Symphony.

Ms. Chatterson has been a guest performer with Texture Contemporary Ballet and the Oakland Ballet and performed with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Outside of dancing, Ava has a business making hand embroidered and sewn goods (Picky Stitches). She is currently pursuing a degree in Accounting. We are honored to have Ava as part of the California Ballet Conservatory faculty.

GUEST FACULTY

Joshua Downard

Ballet Technique | Men's Class | Partnering | Contemporary

Born in Sacramento California, Joshua trained at Northern California Dance Conservatory. He has attended Boston Ballet School’s Summer Dance Program, Ballet Austin’s Summer Intensive, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive while on scholarship.

Joshua competed at Youth America Grand Prix in San Francisco, placing 3rd in Classical and top 12 in Contemporary. This is Joshua’s 3rd season with the Eugene Ballet. We are so excited to have Joshua as part of our guest faculty at CBC!