Bluegrass Youth Ballet

The Staff

BYB staff is highly qualified.
They were carefully selected based on:


BYB staff consists of:

ADALHI ARANDA CORN, FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet Technique & Pointe
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JENNIFER LEVINE, ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Baby Ballet, Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet Technique
Living primarily in Allentown, Pennsylvania and Bel Air, Maryland, Jen received her dance training at Repertory Dance Theatre in Allentown, PA and the Dance Conservatory of Maryland in Joppa, MD. Jen's love for ballet, and the performing arts, brought her to the University of Kentucky in January 2004, in pursuit of an Arts Administration degree. In August of 2006 Jen graduated from UK's College of Fine Arts with a B.A. in Arts Administration. Since 2001, Jen Levine has taught ballet to children ages 2-12. In the past she has taught at the Dance Conservatory of Maryland, and the Lexington Ballet. Jen has been affiliated with Bluegrass Youth Ballet since 2004. She is currently the Administrative Director of Bluegrass Youth Ballet, and teaches Baby Ballet, Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet and Ballet Technique to ages 7-12.

KARA VOEGELE
Ballet Technique & Pointe
A native of Summerville, South Carolina, Kara trained at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Departmental Honors from Butler University.

Kara was a member of Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada where she danced for seven years. Kara had the opportunity to perform lead roles, such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, Lucy in Dracula, and Tarantella Pas de Deux. Kara has danced in works by Bruce Steivel, George Balanchine, Kathryn Posin, Peter Anastos, Twyla Tharp and Val Caniparoli.

Prior to moving to Kentucky in 2009, and joining the BYB faculty, Kara taught at Bunker Dance Center and the Academy of Ballet in Las Vegas, Nevada.

SARAH DOWNS
Modern Dance
Sarah Remembrance Downs was born in Lexington, Ky where she first began training in ballet and contemporary styles of dance at the School of Classical Ballet, The School of the Lexington Ballet, and the School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Sarah continued to perform and choreograph with the Eastern Kentucky University Dance Theater, where she studied ballroom and ethnic forms as well as dance education. Sarah received a Master of Arts degree in modern choreography from the University of North Carolina Greensboro, certification in Pilates from Dance New Amsterdam, NYC, and is currently working toward a Yoga teacher certification.

Sarah has had the pleasure of performing with the Greensboro Fringe Festival of North Carolina, the RAW multimedia improvisational group of Manhattan, Contemporary Dance Louisville and the Moving Collective, both of Louisville, and has most recently served as presenter at the Kentucky Alliance of Physical Education, Health, Recreation and Dance Conference, instructor and guest artist for the EKUDT and director of the Berea College Modern Dance Troupe.

Sarah currently teaches all levels of Modern, in addition to summer program classes and choreographing for several ballets at BYB, including Dia de los Muertos, The Picnic (pre-show), Nutcracker in One Act, Arabella's Journey, Alebrijes, and Rapunzel. Sarah is so thrilled to be involved with the authentic mission, wonderful students, and inspiring faculty at BYB!

BRIANNA LYN VAN VALIN
Baby Ballet, Creative Movement, Pre-Ballet, Ballet Technique & Pointe
Brianna was born on June 21, 1990 in Lincoln, Nebraska. She was raised in Saline, MI in a large pastor's family. Since Brianna was a young girl, she dreamed of being a ballet dancer. Brianna began her professional dance training at the age of 13. She trained and toured with various ballet companies including the Jackson Ballet Company, the Ann Arbor Ballet Theater and the Greater Lansing Ballet Company. After a career ending injury, Brianna became a dance teacher at the Academy of the Arts in Spring Arbor, MI. This is where she found her love of teaching and helping others become healthier and more physically fit individuals. She became the Artistic Director for the studio company and the Assistant Choreographer for the touring company. During this time, Brianna choreographed pieces for various shows including, The Little Mermaid, and The Nutcracker. She also choreographed her first original ballet, "Redemption" which was toured through South East Michigan. In the Fall of 2009, Brianna transferred to Asbury University where she is currently an Exercise Science Major. She is also currently working on her Personal Training, Weight Loss Counselor, YogaFit and Pilates Instructor Certifications. She is very excited for her upcoming wedding to John-David Van Valin in June 2010.

ABBIE WHITMAN
Pre-Ballet, Ballet Technique & Pointe
Abbie Whitman, originally from Los Angeles, began her dance training at the Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center under Patrick Frantz and Patricia Davis. She attended the Milwaukee Ballet Summer Intensive for three years on scholarship, which lead to an invitation to join Milwaukee Ballet II. Since then Abbie has danced professionally with La Danserie, Rockford Dance Company, Nashville Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Moving Collective and Paradise Ballet Theatre in Key West, FL. Since moving to Louisville, she has taught Ballet for all ages throughout the area and is excited to bring her love of dance to the next generation.

ISAIAH ALLEN
Boys Ballet, Ballet Technique
Isaiah Allen started studying dance at age ten and, as a teenager, was a scholarship student at the Albany Dance Institute, where true Balanchine technique was emphasized. He was a soloist with the Capital Ballet Company in Albany, NY from 1995-1998, dancing in venues from Saratoga to Manhattan. In 1999, he turned his focus to using the disciplines of dance in community outreach and story-telling - instructing, consulting, choreographing, and dancing in many productions with The Salvation Army's and YMCA's arts programs. Isaiah has taught all levels of ballet, boys' and men's technique, pas de deux, jazz, tap, choreodrama, and liturgical dance at various schools in New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky. He is also currently an M.Div. student at Asbury Theological Seminary.

IAN POULIS
Ballet Technique
Originally from New York and now dancing with the Louisville Ballet, Ian began teaching in Indianapolis at the Clara R. Noyes Academy of Ballet Internationale-Indianapolis under the direction of Kirov legend and former Vaganova Academy Director Vladilen Semenov. Ian served as one of two of the pioneering teachers in the Athletes in Motion program that taught boys with no ballet experience the athleticism needed in the art of ballet. From Indianapolis, Ian spent some time with Ballet Met in Columbus, OH before venturing out west to Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, AZ under the direction of former New York City Ballet Principal Dancer, Ib Andersen. He taught at the School of Ballet Arizona for a number of years in the adult division as well as implementing a boys program for the school. During the same time, he served on the faculty of the Arizona School of Classical Ballet furthering the Russian Ballet Tradition under the direction of Nadya Zubkov. There, Ian, under the tutelage of Ms. Zubkov, became a character teacher and again implemented a boys program as well as starting a partnering class to progress the art of pas de deux in the school along with choreographing new works for student productions. Ian received his professional training at the Kirov Academy of Ballet under the direction of former Kirov Artistic Director Oleg Vinogradov and studied primarily under Vladimir Djouloukhadze, Anatoli Kucheruk and Adrienne Dellas-Thorton. www.ianpoulis.net

DUANE CORN
Suzuki Classical Guitar Instructor
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AMBER WILSON
Piano & Voice Instructor
Mrs. Amber R. Wilson has a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Eastern Kentucky University. She took piano lessons for 11 years and pursued a music minor at Toccoa Falls College. At Toccoa Falls, she studied voice for four years. She also took a piano pedagogy class and worked in the campus Community Music School, teaching children under the supervision of music professors. In addition, she participated in several ensembles, including choir, band, and a music/drama performance team. Mrs. Wilson currently teaches piano or voice lessons to 30 students of all ages. She serves on the worship team at her church as well.