| Mary Roudnev Director - preballet, ballet, jazz and musical theater Mary VanDyke Roudnev trained in classical ballet for 10 years with Pat German, Memphis Ballet under Michael and Judy Tevlin, and at the Alabama School of Fine Arts under Nureyev’s former dancer partner Dame Sonia Arova. Ms. Roudnev had extensive summer training in ballet, jazz and modern including four summers at the Boston Ballet School, at Joffery in NYC, Stanley Holden in LA, and in the Russian Vaganova training in Belgium with ballerina Irina Kolpakova. Ms. Roudnev danced professionally with Tennessee Ballet and Ballet Memphis. Her principal roles have included Tatiana in Midsummer's Nights Dream, the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Nutcracker and the Swan Queen Odette in Swan Lake. During her years with Tennessee Ballet Mrs. Roudnev designed a ballet program for the Memphis City School for the visually impaired. |
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| Ms. Roudnev and her husband co-directed the Dmitri Roudnev Ballet School of Chicago for six years. The school had the honor of special invitation to appear in the Dance Chicago Festival. Students trained and coached by the Roudnev’s won top prizes in the Chicago semi-finals of Youth America Grande Prix and were invited to attend the finals in NYC. You can see some of their students on Dmitri Roudnev’s website www.BalletRussian.org Dmitri and Mary Roudnev co-directed and produced the USA National Youth Ballet Competition presented by Russian Pointe. Ms. Roudnev also trained in theater, musical theater presentation, and musical theater style jazz dance, in summers spent in Los Angeles, in New York, and at the University of Tennessee. She is trained to teach beginning tumbling and was a cheerleader at Briarcrest School. Ms. Roudnev worked for the Colors Modeling Agency in Memphis in runway, print and music videos. Students of Mr.and Mrs. Roudnev have received roles in Hollywood movies, local theater/musicals, and school musical productions. | |
Dmitri Roudnev Dmitri Roudnev, Director of Advanced Ballet Program for Children's Ballet, trained for eight years at the renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. He joined the Bolshoi Ballet, under the direction of the great U.N. Grigorovich, as soloist. He has performed around the world in the principal lead roles of Giselle, Swan Lake, Paquita, Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Nutcracker and Don Quixote. Dmitri directed the Dmitri Roudnev Ballet School of Chicago, Ballet Intensive from Moscow and the USA National Youth Ballet Competition sponsored by Russian Pointe. Roudnev developed a special ballet training program for World Champion pairs skaters Tatiana Taminyana and Maxim Marinin. The couple worked with him in their preparations for the Olympics 2002 and Olympics 2006 where they won the coveted gold medal prize |
 Dmitri Roudnev |
Erin Kenny Walter - preballet, ballet, and jazz Parents often remark how "Miss Erin" makes each student feel special each and every class and how hard she works on each child's posture and poise. Erin Kenny Walter began her ballet training with Judy and Michael Tevlin at Memphis Ballet. She performed with Youth Concert Ballet and Tennessee Ballet. She attended intensive summer sessions at Ft. Wayne Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theater in Vermont and at the San Francisco Ballet School. She graduated from Briarcrest High School and earned a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. Her roles include Arabian, lead Mirleton and the Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, and solos in Les Sylphides, Raymonda and The Colors of Mozart. Erin has taught for Children's Ballet since 2004. Erin is on faculty for ballet at St. Mary's School. |
 Erin Walter in Tennessee Ballet production of the Nutcracker |
| Anna Palazola - preballet, ballet, international character dance, musical theater and tap It is so much fun to watch the delight on the face of "Miss Anna" as she teaches. She enjoys helping her students learn and progress. Anna Palazola was born in the Ukraine. She began studying ballet and character dance at the age of three years old at Yatran, a professional character dance and ballet school, in Kirovograd. She traveled throughout the USSR performing with the ensemble-performing group of her school. After graduation, she studied acting and musical theater at the Tuz Theater. Ms. Palazola received her B.A. in Nursing from the Kursk State University of Education. At this time she also worked as a teacher at the Theater and studied modern dance. While receiving her M.S. degree in education, she received 5 years of practicum teaching experience. Ms. Palazola is a classical pianist and is pursuing her degree in music from the University of Memphis. Ms. Palazola has lived in Memphis for seven years and she and her husband have two children. |
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Myra Ferracci Brindley - voice and musical theater Myra Brindley brings vast experience as a performer and voice teacher to Children’s Ballet Theater. It brings her great happiness to bring students the joy and confidence of performing on stage. Ms. Brindley received her certification in Orff-Schulwerk at the University of Memphis and is a licensed teacher of Music Education. She is an Orff Music Specialist at the Memphis City Schools. Ms. Brindley began her love of theater and music in high school where she took leads in Captain Lovelock and West Side Story, and the title role in Annie. With completion of her BA degree in Music Education from Delta State University, she served as choir director for New Hope Christian Academy, Memphis City Schools, Memphis Catholic Diocese, and Trinity United Methodist Church. Ms. Brindley has vast theater and performing experience including her work with the Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble as a Soprano Soloist, Delta State University Opera Theatre, the Delta Chorale, and the Madrigal Singers. She also performed in the Divine Spiritualettes Gospel Group and in Trinity Dinner Theater. |
| Alyssa Abbas - preballet, ballet, musical theater, lyrical, jazz, tumbling and tap | ||
| Alyssa Abbas brings youth, energy and large experience to the Children’s Ballet program. She is instructor for preballet, Ballet I, musical theater and tumbling at Children’s Ballet. Ms. Abbas began her training at Classical Ballet School in Memphis. In addition to her 10 years of classical ballet background, she studied lyrical, jazz, broadway musical theater, and tap. |  |
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Zlatoslava Karga - preballet, ballet, international character dance, musical teater, jazz and tap Zlatoslava Karga teaches preballet and ballet and brings energy, drama, and attention to the details of classical ballet, and fun to each class. Ms. Karga (known as Ms Zlata) was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ms. Karga received her classical ballet training at the renowned classical ballet school, the Kyiv State Choreographic Institute. She studied ballet in the same class level as world famous Bolshoi stars Svetlana Zakharova and Denis Matvienko. Ms. Karga received her international dance and character dance training at the Virsky Ensemble of Folk dance in Kyiv. After a break of nearly 15 years, she is training in classical ballet with Dmitri Roudnev and performs with the Children’s Ballet Theater Troupe. Last year she performed the roles of the Russian Dancer in the Children’s Ballet Theater Nutcracker, the Dying Swan and Les Sylphide. |
| Tamara Prince Parrish - guest teacher - modern dance and lyrical Tamera Prince Parrish is a native Memphian who has shared her love and talent for many forms of dance throughout the Mid-south and Mid-west. She has danced, choreographed and performed with Memphis Black Arts Alliance, Ballet on Wheels School, Project Motion and Children’s Ballet Theater Troupe. Ms. Prince-Parrish is director of the new Bridging Souls Productions. She served as Coordinator and teacher for In-School and After-School Dance residencies in the Crittenden County School Systems in creative movement, basic West African Technique, and Ballet for K-6th grade children. |
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