Saugerties Ballet Center
Home Page | Classes | Instructors | Performances | Schedule | Workshops | Email Us
Directions to SBC | Scrap Book | Favorite Links

Instructors

Scarlett Fiero Quiedo Carbone
Celeste Graves-Hoyal Julie Manna
Sara Miot Judith Ore
Sharon Penz
Master Class Instructors:
Cubie Burke
Previous/Guest Instructors:
Wilhelmina Frankfurt Kevin Thomas
(Last updated Jan. 24, 2008 PM)

Scarlett Fiero

Scarlett FieroScarlett Fiero is the director of SBC. She began studying ballet at the age of 11 and received a scholarship to the New York State Summer School of Dance in Saratoga Springs for two consecutive years. She trained with many dancers of great renown, including Elisabeth Carroll, Violette Verdy, Nenette Charisse and Robert Blankshine. She has danced professionally with ballet companies in New York and New Jersey, including the Garden State Ballet. Scarlett is a guest teacher at ballet schools and universities throughout the northeast. Most recently, she has taught ballet at the Dutchess County Community College and at SUNY New Paltz in addition to teaching here at SBC. Scarlett is co-artistic director of the Ulster Ballet Company.

Page Top

Quiedo Carbone

Quiedo Carbone Quiedo Carbone was introduced to dance as a teenager through ballroom dance. His studies soon expanded to include and then be concentrated on classical ballet, training locally and in New York City. He stopped dancing to go to college and pursue a career as an electronic engineer. He returned to dance in 1983 and became co-artistic director of the Ulster Ballet Company in 1986. He currently directs and dances with the company, and teaches classes at the Saugerties Ballet Center, specializing in technique for the male dancer.

Page Top

Celeste Graves-Hoyal

Celeste Graves-HoyalGrowing up in Jacksonville, FL, Celeste began ballet training at age 5, and was soon a serious student of former Balanchine dancer, Betty Hyatt (Ogilvie).  She discovered "modern dance" while attending Converse College in South Carolina, and later studied a wide variety of techniques in New York City, where she also received a masters degree in Dance Therapy from New York University. Celeste worked as a Dance Therapist with special children and danced professionally with Omega Liturgical Dance Company in residence at The Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The company travelled nationally performing and giving workshops in Sacred Dance. Celeste also danced with Eric Hawkins dancer, Robert Yohn.

Celeste has been teaching, choreographing, and performing in the Catskills and Hudson Valley region for almost 15 years. She has been teaching the younger students at the Saugerties Ballet Center for 8 years, primarily the Mother Goose class, Pre-ballet, Advanced Pre-ballet, and FUNdamentals of Dance. Celeste's teaching approach is to encourage the naturally free and joyful movement of her young students, develop body, space, and time awareness, provide opportunities and support for creative expression, and to introduce early, appropriate ballet technique. In the FUNdamentals classes these same elements are included, with the addition and blending of contemporary themes, and jazz and primitive dance skills.

Page Top

Julie Manna

Julie MannaJulie Manna (Ransom) studied as a dance major at SUNY Purchase and also studied with many masters of the art of dance, including James Sutton for Tap and Alexi Ramov for Ballet.  She was a member of many performing and traveling dance groups; most recently: In Forward Motion, out of New Paltz New York.  Julie is currently performing with the Ulster Ballet Company.  She has been teaching for many years and has students who have successful dance careers in Broadway musicals, and in the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.

Page Top

Sara Miot

Sara Miot Sara Miot joined the staff of ballet instructors at SBC in 1991. She is a former member of the New York City Ballet Company and has danced on Broadway as well as national television. She has been teaching and choreographing ballet in New York City and Ulster County since 1962. Sara is the former owner of the New School of Performing Arts, and currently choreographs for the Ulster Ballet Company.

Page Top

Judith Ore

Judith Ore SBC was pleased to welcome Judith Ore to the Center's staff of instructors in 2000. Her early professional training included studies with the Ithaca Ballet Guild, and Cornell University. She has performed with several dance companies throughout New York and Connecticut, and has choreographed numerous ballets, receiving the Won Young Choreographer's award at the Northeast Regional Dance Festival in 1974. She has taught ballet to students of all ages and levels in Ithaca and Westchester County, New York, Stamford, Connecticut and most recently, Portland, Maine. Now SBC students can benefit from the wealth of knowledge, teaching experience and professionalism that Judith brings with her.

Page Top

The following have taught (or will be teaching) one or more
Master Classes at various times at the Saugerties Ballet Center!

Cubie Burke
Dance Theatre of Harlem - Principal Dancer

Cubie Burke Cubie Burke
Cubie became a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem at the age of 17. After dancing with the company for 6 years he expanded his career, touring nationally and internationally with The Atlanta Ballet and The Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Three years ago Mr. Burke danced for popular rock star "The Artist" (formerly "Prince").

Page Top

Wilhelmina Frankfurt

WILHELMINA FRANKFURT was a member and soloist in the New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins for fourteen years. During that time she was installed as Artist-in-Residence at Lincoln Center, offering educational lectures as part of the Meet-the-Artist Series at the Metropolitan Opera House. She has appeared in national and international television performances, including the PBS Dance in America series.

Ms. Frankfurt has had an extensive and diverse choreography career with projects ranging from multi-media opera to classical full-length ballets and avant-garde theater. She has served as artistic director/choreographer-in-residence for the Catskill Ballet Theater and artistic advisor/choreographer for the Ulster Ballet Company.

As a founding member of the Lincoln Center Arts and Education program, she offered numerous lecture-demonstrations throughout the New York City School system. She has taught and lectured on dance throughout America and abroad. In Spring 2002, Wilhelmina Frankfurt was named by SUNY Ulster as "Spring Artist-In-Residence where she presented world premier dances and a series of evening presentations. Previous projects at SUNY Ulster included "Balanchine and Beyond" where she shared the stage with renowned dance photographer Steven Caras. This was followed by the world premiere of "Justine" in March of 2001. Ms. Frankfurt is currently Artistic Director for The 8th Position Dance Pod.

Page Top

Kevin Thomas
Dance Theatre of Harlem - Principal Dancer

Kevin Thomas Kevin Thomas

Born in Trinidad, Mr. Thomas joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1995 and was promoted to principal dancer in 1999. With DTH, Mr. Thomas' credits include roles in "The Prodigal Son", "Dialogues", "The Four Temperments", "Othello", "Adrian" (Angel on Earth), "Dougla", and "Return". Mr. Thomas began his training with the Ecole Superieure de Danse du Quebec in 1980. He later joined Les Grand Ballets Canadiens, and in 1991 joined Cleveland Ballet as a soloist. He has performed leading roles in "Romeo and Juliet", "Swan Lake", "Coppelia", "Nutcracker", "Pas de Dix", "The Overcoat", "Tarantella", "Agon", "Who Cares?", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", "Don Quixote", and "Aureole". Guest performances include "Lucifer's Datter" with Fleming Flindt and Peter Schaufuss and "Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux" for the Royal Ballet's Chance to Dance educational outreach program. This spring, Mr. Thomas made his Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Phantom of the Opera".

Page Top