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Artistic Staff
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Kevin
Kaiser
Artistic Director
Mr.
Kaiser
started
dancing
when
he
was
four
years
old.
He
is
one
of
five
brothers
that
made
up a
professional
tap
dancing
group.
The
“Kaiser
Brothers”
grew
up
outside
of
Seattle
and
toured
the
United
States
throughout
the
1970’s.
Mr.
Kaiser
began
his
professional
ballet
career
at
age
sixteen
with
Pennsylvania
Ballet
under
the
Direction
of
Barbara
Weisberger
and
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Benjamin Harkarvey.
In
1980
Mr.
Kaiser
returned to
Seattle and
joined Pacific
Northwest Ballet
under the
direction of
Kent Stowell and
Francia
Russell. For
fifteen years he
performed a wide
range of
repertoire. Mr.
Kaiser danced
roles from
world-renowned
choreographers
including George
Balanchine,
Jerome Robbins,
Paul Taylor,
Kent Stowell,
Marius Petipa,
Anthony Tudor,
Lar Lubovich and
Glen Tetley.
Mr. Kaiser
danced a very
diverse
repertoire from
Paul Taylor’s
“Company B” to
George
Balanchine’s “A
Midsummer
Night’s Dream”
Divertissement
Pas De Deux,
George
Balanchine’s
“Serenade” to
almost every
male role in
Kent Stowell’s
“Nutcracker”
from the Prince
to Drosselmeyer.
In addition Mr.
Kaiser enjoyed
dancing Anthony
Tudors “Jardin
Aux Lilac”,
Mercucio in Kent
Stowell’s “Romeo
and Juliet” and
Glen Tetley’s
“Voluntaries.”
Retiring in 1995
Mr. Kaiser was
appointed Ballet
Master with
Oregon Ballet
Theatre and
later promoted
to Associate
Artistic
Director under
the direction of
James Canfield.
While at the
Oregon Ballet
Theatre Mr.
Kaiser staged
works
choreographed by
James Canfield,
George
Balanchine,
Donald Byrd,
Robert Joffrey,
David Parsons
and Val
Caniparoli.
Mr. Kaiser has
an extensive
teaching
background
throughout the
United States
which include
Pacific
Northwest
Ballet,
Pennsylvania
Ballet, Oregon
Ballet Theatre,
Dance Educators
of America,
Tulsa Ballet and
many more.
Mr. Kaiser’s
ties to the
ballet world can
be felt
throughout the
United States.
His older
brother Roy
Kaiser, is
Artistic
Director of
Pennsylvania
Ballet in
Philadelphia.
His younger
brother Russell
danced with New
York City Ballet
and is now a
Ballet Master
for Peter
Martins. Ken
and Dan Kaiser
are both
Artistic
Directors of
ballet schools.
Mr. Kaiser was
appointed
Artistic
Director of
Evergreen City
Ballet in
January 2008.
He is excited to
bring his years
of dedication
and experience
in the field of
dance to this
rapidly growing
area of the
Northwest.
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Barney Blough
Musical Director
This year marks Barney Blough’s 6th season with the Evergreen
City Ballet and his 3rd season as the Music
Director of and serving as Assistant
Conductor of the
Rainier Symphony.
Mr. Blough conducted the Rainier Symphony for one season
for ECB productions of |
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Nutcracker and Giselle,
and he conducted the Lake Union Civic Orchestra
for three seasons during ECB productions of
Nutcracker and Swan Lake. Mr. Blough has
also been active in musical theater. He conducted
Hello, Dolly,! Chess, and Guys and Dolls
with Eastside Musical Theater and Kiss Me Kate
and Meet Me in St Louis at the high school level.
Mr. Blough was formerly
Music Director of the Seattle Chamber Orchestra,
Assistant Conductor of the Rainier Symphony, and
Assistant Conductor of the Lake Union Civic Orchestra.
He was also a Guest Conductor for the Spokane Symphony,
Orchestra Seattle, and the Emerald City Philharmonic. He
has studied conducting with Vilem Sokol, Director
Emeritus of the Seattle Youth Symphony, Gunther Schuller,
Pulitzer Prize winner, and Stewart Kershaw, Principal
Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
As an active freelance
horn player, Mr. Blough is currently playing with the
Federal Way Symphony,
Orchestra Seattle, the Hiliners,
and Bellevue Opera. His horn teachers include Richard
Jensen at Central Washington University, and Christopher
Leuba, former Solo Hornist of the Chicago Symphony. Mr.
Blough received his B.A. in Music Performance from
Central Washington University, his Teaching Certificate
from Seattle Pacific University, and his Professional
Certificate from Pacific Lutheran University. He
is currently teaching band and orchestra at Giaudrone
Middle School in the Tacoma School District. |
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Andi Bryndza
Ballet Mistress
Instructor, Ballet
Andi
has been with ECB for 11 years, the last three of which
have included teaching. She has been a company
member for two years. She loves to work with
children and has volunteered in Special Education
classrooms and worked with the Green River Montessori
School. Andi has taught with ECB as well as the
Academy of Ballet in Enumclaw and the Classical Youth
Ballet of Tacoma. Andi also is employed as the
Ballet Mistress for The Evergreen City Ballet. |
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Instructors |
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Lisa
Medford
Instructor, Hip Hop
Lisa grew up with the Evergreen City Ballet, where she
received all of her classical training. She spent
two years in the Performance Division performing various
soloist roles. The summer of 2004 she began
dancing with her first hip hop group, Phyzikal Graffi-T
as well training at Westlake Dance Center with Daniel
Cruz, Ryan Chandler, and Cameron Lee. She is
currently a member of Team
Boogiezone.com,
BREED, Potion, and LV. A few of her performances
include Seattle STORM half time, opening for Ludacris at
Kube93 Summer Jam, "Dance This" at The Paramount
Theatre, and opening for Cassie at Hot Import Nights.
She currently choreographs for LV and Auburn High
School's dance team. Lisa is planning to move to
LA within the next year to pursue a career in hip hop.
She is extremely excited to be back at ECB which she
will always consider her home and a place for amazing
discovery and growth. |
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Hiromi
Rudd
Instructor, Ballet
Ms. Rudd has studied ballet since age 5 and has taught for more than
17 years. She has studied in Tokyo, Japan under
Ms. Yaoko Sato of the Tani Ballet Company and with Mr. Chikahisa Natsuyama of the Tokyo Ballet Company.
She has performed various roles in The Nutcracker, Don
Quixote and Les Sylphides and has performed as a
character dancer with the International Ballet Theater.
Ms. Rudd enjoys working with all levels of students.
This is her first season with the Evergreen City Ballet. |
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Julie
Tobiason
Instructor, Ballet
Ms. Tobiason
brings to ECB an extensive history of performing and
teaching experience. Ms. Tobiason has danced with
the Chicago City Ballet and was a Principal dancer
with the Pacific Northwest Ballet for many years.
Throughout her career she danced many varied roles
and performed pieces by some of the world's foremost
choreographers. Ms. Tobiason's teaching has
included guest teaching at various schools and
companies throughout the United States. She has
worked as Ballet Master for Pacific Northwest Ballet
and as an instructor for Pacific Northwest Ballet
School.
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Sandra
Wells
Instructor, Jazz
Sandra
began her classical training at age three in ballet
and tap, later adding jazz to her repertoire. She
has trained across the United States, including
Michigan, Massachusetts, Missouri and locally under
the direction of Robert Smith, Pacific Northwest
Ballet, Johnson & Peters and Spectrum Dance
Theater. Later,
Sandra danced at the competitive level and
earned a National Title. She has performed at Auburn
Dinner Theater and with Plateau Ballet Repertory
Theatre. Sandra
is also the founder and Director of Rhythm Masters
Dance Troupe. She has been teaching here in
Washington state for the past 10 years, and
continues her studies by attending master classes,
as well as workshops in
Bartenieff and creative movement.
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Danielle Wilkins
Instructor, Ballet & Modern
Danielle P. Wilkins is from Kentucky where she trained for 10
years at the Louisville Ballet. She received her BFA degree from the University of Hartford. During
her study Danielle performed at the Kennedy Center as a
soloist in Jean Grand Maitre's Uroborus. She has
worked professionally with Rebecca Kelly Ballet, Mary
Seidman and Dancers, Mimi Garrard Dance Company, Steven
Koplowitz, Marco Carrabba, Thought Forms Dance Company,
danielandsomesuperfriends, and Spectrum Dance Theater. |
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Accompanists |
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Jim Bolm
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Christopher Ferris |
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Richard
Hansen |
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Marleen Land
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Debora
Mackey |
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Randy Plut
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Board
of Directors
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David Ellison
President
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Pat Pepper
Vice President
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Roger McGinnis
Treasurer
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Adel Cook
Officer
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Maurice Cooper
Officer
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Tom
Farrell
Officer
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Naomi Smith
Officer
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Mike
Stevens
Officer
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Barney Blough
Ex-Officio |
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Administrative |
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Colleen Montgomery
Development
Director
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Stacy Szehner
Administrator
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