JENNIFER “Jen” CLEATON - JAZZ, MUSICAL THEATER & TAP - This is my 21st season as a teacher at FBC and I am celebrating my 14 year anniversary on November 1st as owner and Director. I received my B.A. Cum Laude from Virginia Commonwealth University. I performed at Paramounts’ Kings Dominion for four years and choreographed two shows which were performed in conjunction with the USO. I taught dance at the West End Academy of Dance in Richmond and taught creative movement and dance to local Richmond children through the YMCA. I have continued my educational training by attending various workshops with such teachers as Tremaine, Doug Varone, Doug Nielsen, Gus Solomen Jr., Dianne McIntyre, Ron Brown, Susan Kicuchi (Martha Graham Company), Richmond Ballet and more. I have two daughters of my own, a rising 5th grader and a rising 3rd grader whom share my love of dance.
JENNIFER “Jenny” GREGORY - BALLET, JAZZ & DRAMA - Ms Chambers is a Professional actress and dancer with background in both theater and television.
She taught theater arts to pre-professional children and young adults at full time theater schools and colleges in England. Her specialty classes taught in all aspects of drama to include improvisation, scene construction, audition preparation and period movement. Ms Chambers is experienced in ballet, modern dance, tap and body conditioning classes at all levels to advanced. Her dance and drama training is under the Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, (RAD), the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, the London College of Music and Dramatic Art, the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and the Guildhall School of Music and Dramatic Art. She is a member of the Florida Writer’s Association, The Bronte Society and the National Writer’s Union. Under the pseudonym, Guinevere Edern, Jenny’s first novel, “Among Other Edens,” was published in April 2010 and is the first in the paranormal Evie and Taliesin Chronicles. The sequel, “Strange Heaven” is set to follow in 2011. We welcome Ms Chambers to FBC all the way from Jolly olde England.
ALLISON ESPOSITO - JAZZ, TAP & MUSICAL THEATER- Ms Esposito graduated from the University of Mary Washington where she was a member of both the Performing Arts Club and the Dance Team. She plans on continuing being involved in PAC over at UMW. She received her training in tap, jazz, ballet, and lyrical at Power Explosion Studio of Dance in Maryland. Ms Esposito has been competing in regional and national dance competitions for about ten years. She has been teaching summer dance classes at Power Explosion for the past three years. This will be Ms Esposito’s fifth year with FBC.
KRISTIN GAUTA - BALLET & TAP - We welcome Ms Gauta back to the FBC staff for her 4th year. She graduated from the University of Mary Washington last year with a Bachelors of Science in Pyshology, and is currently pursuing her Masters in Elementary Education. She was on the UMW Dance Team as well as the President of the Performing Arts Club. Ms Gauta plans on continuing with PAC at UMW. Ms Gauta has been dancing for 16 years with training in Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Pilates and Flamenco. She was a substitute teacher at her studio in New Jersey, the Jazz Rock Ballet Studio.
AMY HABEL - IRISH STEP - Mrs. Habel is a former student of 17 years and has been an instructor at FBC since 2001. She danced at FBC for 17 years where she studied a variety of dance styles including: ballet, tap, jazz, musical theatre, & hip-hop. She also performed for 4 years in the studio’s Senior Dance Company. In 2000, she decided to focus her dance training specifically on Irish Dance. She has had the opportunity to work and train with Riverdance and Busch Garden’s Emerald Beat /Celtic Frye dancers as well as, highly certified instructors such as Danny Tighe, TCRG and Joni Muggivan, TCRG. Amy is also the Irish dance instructor at Jessica Morgan School of Dance and Artistic Director for Crossroads Irish Dance Troupe in Richmond, VA. Crosssroads is a performing Irish troupe that makes appearances at festivals, weddings, theaters, benefit shows, etc. throughout the Richmond area. (www.crossroadsdance.com). Miss Amy received her Bachelor’s degree in business administration from VCU in 2004 and when she is not teaching, she works as the Employment Specialist with the VA Department of ABC.
CHERISH HORTON - BALLET & COMPETITION - Ms Horton started her career in dance as a toddler at Fredericksburg Ballet Center. Since then she has been a featured performer and choreographer on numerous stages across the globe including those in New York City, Vermont, and at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Highlights in her training include studying with the Richmond Ballet, Virginia School of the Arts, The Royal Danish Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theater and Robert Battle's Battleworks. She works full time for "Minds in Motion," a Richmond Ballet award winning outreach program that teaches dance to 4th Graders in the Richmond public school system. She will be heading the program in Charlottesville. A proud graduate from Virginia Commonwealth University's department of Dance and Choreography, Ms Cherish is thrilled to be returning to the Fredericksburg Ballet Center for her 4th year to share her passion and talent with her students.
REBECCA “Becky” LALLANDE - HIP-HOP - We welcome Ms Lallande to the staff at FBC. She is currently a Junior at UMW where she is the Club President of the UMW Performing Arts Club as well as current Co-Captain of the Mary Washington Dance Team. Ms Lallande was a camp counselor and an active member of the Girl Scouts for 11 years. Her 17 years of dance training includes hip-hop, ballet, lyrical, jazz, tap with Virginia Performing Arts and Dancensations Dance Center as well as participating in dance competitions. She worked as an assistant teacher at Va Performing Arts, was a choreographer for camp musicals, as well as a dancer and choreographer for her Spring Musical her freshman and senior year of High School.
TERESA “Terry” MAYER - BALLET - Ms. Mayer has taught at FBC for 14 years. Previously she taught at the Roanoke Magnet School for the Visual and Performing Arts where she directed the Magnet School Dance Company. Ms. Mayer received her B.S. in dance, Summa Cum Laude, from Radford University. Her training includes Point Park College, Washington School of Ballet, Boston School of Ballet and Chautauqua Institution. Ms. Mayer danced professionally with Southern Ballet Theater in Orlando, FL. She and her husband John have performed as professional guest artists for FBC, Southwest Virginia Ballet, Rockbridge Ballet, Lynchburg Rigional Ballet Theatre, Southwest Virginia Opera and Dance Matrix.
BEVERLY MENDEZ - BALLET MISTRESS & MODERN - Ms Mendez has 30 years of experience in all aspects of dance and theater production. She just celebrated her 10 year Anniversary with FBC. She is a Magna cum Laude graduate with a double major in Dance and Theater from St. Leo College in Florida with additional training in N.Y at Martha Graham School, Alvin Ailey School and Eric Hawkins School. Her accomplishments include Theatrical Choreographer for the Embassy Theater in S.F. California, Artistic Director & Choreographer for Licensed Movers Dance Company, N.Y.C., Dancer, Instructor & Choreographer for Phyllis Rose Dance Company, N.Y.C.,and more. She currently is the Co-Artistic Director of Dance Matrix and teaches dance at the University of Mary Washington.
IXCHEL MENDEZ - JAZZ - Miss Mendez is a Senior at Stafford Senior High School She has been dancing since the age of 3. During her many years at FBC, she enjoyed the roles of “Dew Drop” and “Sugar Plum Fairy” in the Nutcracker, Karen, the lead role in “The Red Shoes,” and the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella. Miss Mendez has done choreography for the musical “Pippin” for her High School as well as choreographed for the Dance Matrix Dance Company for 3 years. In her time at FBC, Miss Mendez has been a part of the Competition Dance team for 4 years and won a platinum award for her solo in 2010 and was named Dancer of the Year at the Tremaine Workshop. She has taught for many dance workshops at FBC, taught for FBC’s Birthday Parties, substituted for classes, works as an office assistant and also taught at a charity workshop for the first National Dance Day in hip-hop and jazz styles. Miss Mendez wishes to continue in dance and theatre in her future. We welcome Miss Mendez to the FBC staff.
NICOLE MORAN - IRISH STEP - Miss Moran has been taking dance for 9 years and has studied ballet, Irish, modern, jazz, tap, musical theater, ballroom, and swing. She is a member of FBC’s Senior Company and a former member of the jazz competition team. She has been competing in Irish dance for 4 years, and currently competes at the Prizewinner (pre-championship) level in competitions locally and as far away as Ohio and New York. Nicole has attended Irish dance workshops with members of Riverdance and the Busch Gardens Irish dance troupe. She has been an assistant Irish dance teacher for 3 years and a substitute teacher for 1 year. For the past 3 years, Miss Moran has attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet summer intensive where she studied classical ballet. She has performed in "The Nutcracker" for 8 consecutive years, where she most recently played the role of the soldier doll. She has also performed in "An Afternoon at the Ballet", "Swan Lake", and "Cinderella”. Miss Moran is very excited to begin her first year of official teaching at FBC.
ERIN PERUGINI - BALLET - Ms Perugini found her way to FBC by way of the University of Mary Washington where she will be a Senior this year. Wanting to continue her excellent training from the Academy of Ballet in NJ, Orlando Ballet Summer Intensive and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, she joined FBC for two years and even performed in our Swan Lake production. Her training is in Classical Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Jazz and Modern. While a student at Academy of Ballet in NJ, she was an Assistant Instructor and she is continuing her training and assisting ballet classes over the summer. We welcome back Ms Perugini for her 3rd year at FBC.
JAMES “Jim” POLLARA - BALLET MASTER - Jim Pollara began his dance training as a scholarship student with the Miami Conservatory and Later San Francisco Ballet School under scholarship. While at SFB James became a protege of Royal Ballet Principle Keith Martins and later joined him at the San Diego Ballet Company where he had several roles created on him. While there Jim also performed with the renowned San Diego Opera as a Principle dancer. Jim later moved to Los Angeles and moved into the contemporary arena, dancing in films, nightclubs, industrials, and numerous music videos for MTV. Jim left Los Angeles to join Nevada Dance Theater and upon his return to California, continued his classical ballet career dancing with The Los Angeles Classical Ballet, Golden State Ballet and as a principle with Ballet Pacifica under Molly Lynch where he had a ballet commissioned for him. At Ballet Pacifica Jim performed under a wealth of international choreographers in both the modern and classical repertoire. Upon moving to Virginia, Jim performed with The Virginia Ballet Theater as a principle and also as a guest with the Virginia Symphony. His classical repertoire includes principle roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Le Corsair Pas De Deux, Specter De La Rose, Raymonda Pas de Dix/Balanchine and various modern and contemporary ballets. He has balanced his career with a variety of teaching and coaching assignments.
CAROLINE SAUNDERS - TAP & JAZZ- Miss Saunders is a Senior at James Monroe High School. She has been dancing at FBC since she was 3 years old and is trained in Classical Ballet, Jazz, Tap Musical Theater, Modern, Contemporary, Irish Step. She is a member of the FBC Senior Company and past member of the Competition Dance Team. She was chosen to perform the roles of “Clara” and the “Snow Queen” in FBC’s annual Nutcracker and played the lead role of Cinderella, in FBC’s production of “Cinderella.” For the past 3 years, Miss Saunders has been an assistant, substitute teacher and office staff worker. Along with a fellow staff member, Miss Saunders is responsible for teaching our Ballet & Jazz Birthday Parties. We welcome Miss Saunders back to the FBC staff knowing that she will be an asset to our program.
CRISTI SAUNDERS - CREATIVE MOVEMENT & BALLET - Ms Saunders is returning for her 5th year as an instructor at FBC. She received her training in Creative Movement and Ballet at FBC. When not in the classroom, you can find Ms Saunders behind the FBC desk or with needle and thread creating the beautiful costumes that the FBC students wear in productions. Two of her daughters are students at FBC, her oldest, Mary Catherine, a former FBC student, is a staff member while home on summer vacation from college.
MELISSA SNOW - BALLET - Ms Snow is in her 13th year of dance at FBC, taking classes in ballet, Pointe, tap, jazz, musical theater, and some modern. She has danced numerous roles in the Nutcracker, including Clara, as well as performing in the ballets; Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Red Shoes, and A Midsummer Nights Dream all at FBC. She previously competed for three years on the competition jazz and tap teams and performed a solo jazz piece for which she received a platinum award. While at a dance convention, Ms Snow auditioned for and received a dance scholarship from the Tremaine Workshop. She recently completed a 2-week intensive at Adelphi University, New York, in the Jose Limon technique of Modern dance with students from the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe. Ms Snow has been assisting in the PreBallet and Beginner Ballet classes at FBC for the last 2 years and looks forward to teaching her own class this fall.
VICKY WILDER - CREATIVE MOVEMENT & BALLET- Ms Wilder double majored at MWC receiving a BA in Dance and Psychology. She received her Master's in Dance Therapy at Hahnemann Medical in Philadelphia. Ms Wilder has taught and substituted at various schools in the Fredericksburg area. She is the Artistic Director of the Sacred Dance Assemble of Fredericksburg and is actively involved in Friends of Dance at the University of Mary Washington. She is currently a dance therapist for the Spotsylvania County school system.