| FACULTY
Karla Sweeney, the director, graduated from the University of Utah with a BFA in Ballet. She danced with Ballet West and several regional companies in the Southwest, performing in the Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Coppelia, and others. She then toured the United States and Mexicio as the featured dancer with Disney on Parade Mary Poppins show, and then traveled to England and South Africa with other Disney productions. She, her husband Brian, and a long-time colleague, Kate McGhee, founded St. Croix Ballet as Stonebridge Ballet in 1991.
Susan Hovey returned to Mahtomedi after a 17-year visit to Germany! Originally from the Twin Cities area, she danced here and in Tennesee and Nevada before going to Germany to dance with several state ballet companies there. After years of performing productions such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Nutcracker, and Coppelia, she and her husband decided to open their own studio. Lo and behold, 17 years passed before the call to return to the United States brought them back. We're delighted to have Susan working with our studio and Ballet Jubilate.
Abbie Defiel
Lynn Sommer
ALLUMNI
Ashley Belisle (Mouse Queen, Waltz Lead, Spanish, Party Mom) is a senior at Mahtomedi High School, and is dancing in her thirteenth and final Nutcracker. She first performed as a Winter Fairy in 1998, and has since participated in several St. Croix Ballet productions of Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Ashley is also an actor and director in her school's theater department and a lover of learning. She thanks you for coming to celebrate 20 years of Nutcracker!
| |
