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Teresa Wells - Artistic Director |
Ms. Wells was born in Kansas City, Mo. where she trained with Tatiana Doukoudovska at the University of Missouri Conservatory of Music and Dance. She began her professional career at the age of 13 with the Performing Arts Foundation where she performed with such notable people as Margot Fonteyn and Edward Villella. From the age of 12 she was a member and later, a featured soloist with the University of Mo. Ballet Company and the Kansas City Ballet.
Since moving to California, Ms. Wells has been company teacher for the Golden State Ballet, Artistic Director and founder of the Mirabile Ballet Co., Executive Director and founder of the Community Arts Advisory Council and it's programming for which she recieved a S. D. County Board of Supervisor's Commendation Award for her contributions to the arts in our area. She served as the Artistic Director of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet in Balboa Park and has taught locally for the San Diego Ballet, Centre City Ballet, Academy of Performing Arts, San Diego Ballet, and California Ballet schools, as well as being a master class teacher for schools in her native state of Missouri.
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Tracy Van Baalen - CAAC Executive Director, Ballet |
Ms. Van Baalen trained with such notables as Carol Grabowski (Royal Ballet & National Ballet), Jackie Hepner (National Ballet & NY City Ballet), Wilson Morrelli (Ballet Russe, Hollywood), and our own Teresa Wells. She was both a soloist and principal dancer with the Portage Ballet and Mirabile Ballet companies. Tracy is a co-founder of the La Mesa Arts Academy and an active member of the Community Arts Advisory Council. She holds her degree in Business Administration and dance. She has taught locally at the L.G. Arts Complex, East County School of Dance, San Siego Civic Youth Ballet and La Mesa Arts Academy. Tracy has extensive performance and production experience and has worked closely with Teresa Wells for over 15 years, teaching, creating choreography, and directing as well as serving as Production Manager for our annual Nutcracker performances.
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Aliyah Hassan - Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical Jazz, Jazz |
Ms. Hassan received much of her ballet training from Teresa Wells at the L.G. Arts Complex where she performed in many L.G. Arts productions. She became a company member of Mirabile Ballet at the age of 14. She was a staff teacher and featured performer with the S.D. Civic Youth Ballet and has taught ballet, jazz, and hip hop for Academy of Performing Arts, S.D. Dance Center, Chula Vista Recreational Dance Program and the new Joan Kroc Performing Arts Center among others. Ms. Hassan has received recognition for her talents with offers from the Alvin Ailey summer and year round programs and the Deeply Rooted Dance Co. in Chicago. She is a featured performer with La Diego Dance Co. and is staff teacher with the ballet department of the CAAC at Dance Express.
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Ryan Beck - Guest Teacher, Ballet, Contemporary Ballet |
Mr. Beck began his dance training at age 15 with Teresa Wells. Later he studied at Pacific Northwest Ballet school in Seattle. He holds a Degree in Ballet from the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied with Melissa Hayden, Warren Conover, Susan McCullouth and Duncan Noble. He has taught ballet for the CAAC schools and in Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. He has choreographed works seen nation wide including "Seventh Wave," "Fuga," "Se toma dos," and "Filia Artemis." Mr. Beck has been a featured guest artist with San Diego Ballet, Harbor Ballet, Spindle City Ballet, Island Moving Company and Ballet Rox. He has had works created on him by many contemporary choreographers including Steve Rooks and Lynn Taylor Corrbett. He has partnered members of ABT, Boston Ballet and New York City Ballet. His favorite roles include: Jose Limons "Unsung," and Balanchine works including "Stars and Stripes," "Allegro Brilliante," and "Scottish Symphony." In New York, he is a founding director of FARMdance, a company of four choreographers, who strive to bring dance to 21st century audiences by integrating Pop Culture and Subculture.
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