Canyon Concert Ballet is very proud of our talented dance teachers. In addition to our resident dance faculty we often welcome guests such as Corina Gill, Katherine Lawrence, and David Taylor, to teach Master Classes or create choreography. Many of our dedicated instructors have graduate degrees in dance education and have won teaching awards. All are committed to our philosophy of excellence in dance education, quality performance, and helping students reach their full potential.
Canyon Concert Ballet Faculty
Sarah Bailey
Young Dancer Program Instructor
Sarah grew up dancing at the school of the Washington Ballet and continued with ballet and other genres at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Following college, she performed with 4M Dance in San Francisco and Oakland, California. She returned to school to earn a M.Ed. degree in Early Childhood Education and later trained in Anne Green-Gilbert’s methodology of dance instruction at the Creative Dance Center in Seattle. She joined the CCB staff in 2015, focusing on dance with toddlers & parents together and the Young Dancer’s Program. Sarah was honored to attend the CSU Carl S. Bimson Dance/Movement Education Seminar for Colorado K-12 Educators during the summers of 2016-17. Sarah works as a teacher at First United Methodist Cooperative Preschool in addition to being a dance educator.
Judy Bejarano
Advanced Modern Instructor & Choreographer
Judy Bejarano teaches Modern Dance Technique for Canyon Concert Dance Center. She has also staged contemporary works on Canyon Concert Ballet’s Company. Bejarano received her Master of Fine Arts from C.U. Boulder in dance with an emphasis in choreography. She also teaches Improvisation, Choreography and Modern Technique at Colorado State University. Bejarano is the artistic director of IMPACT Dance Company, a dance/theatre company whose performances speak to issues in our everyday lives. She collaborates and creates custom events with area art groups as well as for private events. Bejarano is increasingly interested in redefining the relationship between performer and audience, therefore; IMPACT’s work can be found in nontraditional spaces, from art galleries, to storefronts, to airplane hangars. Bejarano is also interested in exploring the use of dance as a collaborative outreach tool and has a long term relationship with the arts programs at Pathways Hospice. The company also has a well established integrated arts outreach program called Every Voice Matters. Bejarano’s work has been selected for many regional and national festivals including National American College Dance Festival, Colorado Choreographers Showcase, and Gala Concert for the National Dance Association Festival. Her “topic driven work” often uses original text, dance and projection, and continues to be commissioned at the university level and by independent dance, theatre and music groups. Bejarano, an enthusiastic and demanding instructor, teaches workshops and residencies throughout the region.
Melissa Corr
Ballet Mistress, Advanced Ballet Instructor & Artistic Advisor
Melissa Corr is a native NewYorker. She began her training with Russian Prima Ballerina Liana Hausler. She eventually joined her company, Genesee Civic Ballet and later Hausler and Company, where she enjoyed many solo roles in the Classics.
Upon arriving in Colorado, she continued her dancing with Denver Civic, now Colorado Ballet.
Through the years she became very interested in pedagogy, and continued to study again in NYC , taking vigorous classes with such greats as Melissa Hayden, Patricia Wilde, Basil Thompson, Nadine Ravine, Zena Romett and Gelsey Kirkland.
Returning to Colorado and rekindling her admiration and love for her Russian training, she studied and danced for Misha Tcherpakova, Meelis Pakri, Pavel Rotaru, Jilliana, Lorita Travaglia, and Dmitre Roudnev.
Melissa has been a pillar in the Fort Collins ballet community, working with the Chamber Orchestra, Fort Collins Symphony, Fort Collins Opera, and the theater companies as well. She has taught and performed throughout the United States and Canada for over 50 years. She has been a member of CCBs fine staff since 1979.
Melissa retired from Colorado State University Music Theater and Dance Department in 2010, where she was the intermediate and advanced ballet technique professor.. She restaged many classic works and also choreographed numerous works of her own during those many years.
For the last 6 years she has taught during the spring semester for Escuela Profesional de Danza De Mazatlan,Mexico, a 4 year dance degree program, and also company class for Delfos, a world renown contemporary company. She has been invited to teach in several states in Mexico and also the National School of Ecuador. Before leaving for Mexico last fall, she was an 8 week guest artist at CSU, where she taught the daily advanced ballet class.
Melissa splits her time now between CCB and EPDM, and is always excited to see her students, where ever they are in the world.
Tiana Farnsworth
Children’s Ballet Instructor
Bio and photo coming soon
Jacquelyn Francescatti
Hip-Hop Instructor
Jacquelyn grew up in Arvada, Colorado and danced for 15 years with the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities, including her membership the Arvada Center Dance Theater company for 6 years. She was trained in pointe, jazz, hip hop, modern, and contemporary dance under Christina Noel Adcock and Ashi K. Smythe. While dancing with ACDT, Jacquelyn performed in lead roles, including Snow Queen in the Nutcracker, and participated in fundraisers that benefited Children’s Hospital and multiple assisted living facilities. Jacquelyn is now a third year Biomedical Sciences major at Colorado State University and is pursuing a career as a physician assistant.
Matthew Harvey
Advanced Ballet Instructor
Matthew Harvey, a native of Allentown, PA, began his dance training with Repertory Dance Theatre, under the direction of Jennifer Haltzman Tracy and Trinette Singleton. He has received scholarships to attended summer dance intensives at Joffrey Ballet School and Chautauqua Institute. From 2006 to 2007, Matthew danced as a trainee at North Carolina Dance Theatre, now Charlotte Ballet. He moved to Greenville, SC and joined Carolina Ballet Theatre in August of 2007. Matthew has been featured as a guest artist with Olney Ballet Theatre, Piedmont School of Music and Dance, Universities of North and South Carolina, and in various cities across South America. In addition to performing, Matthew teaches a variety of dance styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, and pas de deux. Matthew has been choreographing since 2006, creating works for Carolina Ballet Theatre, Foothills Dance Conservatory, DanceArts Youth Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, and the Youth American Grand Prix.
Vanessa Hearn
Pre-Professional Ballet Instructor
Vanessa Hearn began her dance training at CCB at the age of 3. A dedicated student, she became a member of the CCB company at age 15 and has taught ballet focusing in the Vaganova and RAD techniques for 6 years at CCB. In addition to teaching, Vanessa has also choreographed numerous dances and set pieces for the CCB company. Vanessa is trained in several dance disciplines including: Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Tap, Hip Hop, Swing, and Salsa, and has performed in over 50 productions. She enjoys teaching children and adults alike. She trained under Mia Michaels of So You Think You Can Dance, Misha Tchoupakov of Salt Lake City Ballet and Regional Dance America, and Lorita Travaglia of Colorado Ballet. Vanessa graduated with honors from CSU and served as CCB’s Interim Director during the 2014 Fall Semester.
Amy Hughes
Children’s Ballet Instructor, Choreographer
Amy joined Canyon Concert Ballet as a Company dancer in 1993. She began teaching for the school in 1995, and loves working with students and helping them to be the best dancers they can be. In fact, many current Company dancers started in her Ballet 1, 2, and 3 classes. She received her dance training from Colorado Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Ballet West, and has received instructor training in both the Royal Academy of Dance and Vaganova styles. Amy also choreographs ballets, solos, and contemporary ballet pieces for CCB’s Youth Ensemble. As well as teaching dance, Amy teaches sixth grade English at Lincoln Middle IB School.
Teal McConnell
Young Dancer Program Coordinator and Instructor
Teal grew up in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where began dancing at the age of six at The Dancers Workshop. She was first introduced to Modern but then opened up to Ballet and Jazz. While training at Dancers Workshop she participated in productions of The Nutcracker and The Art’s on the Hill Festival. In 2000, she moved to Fort Collins with her family and continued her training at Canyon Concert Ballet. Teal has performed in many CCB productions, including: The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and The Wizard of Oz. By far, her favorite roles were in Across the Tracks which allowed her to explore different dance genres in one production. Teal began teaching at CCB in 2005 and grew her position to become the Young Dancer Program Coordinator and Queen of the Fairy Princess Kingdom each Summer. She is also the Harmony Studio Manager. Currently Teal is finishing working on a degree in Elementary Education at the University of Northern Colorado.
Erica Mugoye
Ballet Company Manager, Pre-professional Ballet Instructor, Choreographer & Artistic Advisor
Erica Mugoye started dancing at Canyon Concert Ballet in 1990, and has performed in more than 50 CCB productions. She has been teaching at CCB since 2000, and is currently the Assistant to the Artistic Director as well as the Company Manager and Ballet Instructor. Ms. Mugoye trained under well known dance instructors Gabriella Komleva, of the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, Galina Yordanova, resident guest teacher and choreographer for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada, Carol Roderick, Director of the CSU Dance Teachers’ Institute, and Lorita Travaglia, Ballet Mistress for Colorado Ballet. In addition to ballet, Ms. Mugoye has studied many forms of dance including Jazz, Modern, Contact Improvisation, Spanish, Swing, Salsa, Character, Tap, and Hip-Hop.
Alta Thuesen
Musical Theater Instructor
Alta has been dancing for 14 years and is happy to be an apprentice this year at Canyon Concert Ballet. Alta danced with Colorado Conservatory of Dance formerly known as Ballet Nouveau Colorado. She has performed in many CCB performances including three CCB Nutcrackers. Alta joined CCB when she was 13 years old and has enjoyed the time and teachers’ dedication to the art form. She thanks her teachers Melissa Corr, Alicia Laumann, and Laurel Brubacher for their support and hard work.
Emily Valerioti
Children’s Ballet Instructor
Bio and photo coming soon
Brenda Van Fossen-Moore
Yong Dancer and Children’s Ballet Instructor
Bio and photo coming soon
Melissa Wasgatt
Advanced Lyrical Instructor
Bio and photo coming soon
Analía Weber
Children’s Ballet and Modern Instructor
Analía Alegre-Femenias Weber is a dancer, choreographer and improvisational artist whose works focuses on the relationship of the self and others providing a unique sense to see the world. She obtained her BFA with High Honors from New World School of the Arts under Daniel Lewis and later received the Deans Fellowship for her MFA in Choreography from University of Iowa. Analía has performed works by Charlotte Adams, Robert Battle, David Dorfman, Jennifer, Kayle, José Limón, Donald McKayle, and Bill Young among others. Her choreographic work has been presented at Judson Church and 100 Grand in New York city as well as in Chicago, Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Puerto Rico
Currently Analía is faculty at Canyon Concert Ballet and Front Range Community College were she teaches ballet, modern, improvisation and contemporary styles of dance as she continues her dance career with IMPACT Dance Company in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Outside of dance Analía is a Pilates instructor with over 10 years of experience helping dancers and non traditional movers move past injuries and gain more control over their instrument. Her students have continued to dance in prestigious colleges and programs like Juilliard and Point Park University as well as NW Dance Project and Martha Graham. Through her movement work Analía strives to provide her students and clients with tailored instruction to achieve not only their fullest potential but complete joy in movement to live better and more creative lives.
Laurel Whisker
Advanced Ballet Instructor
Laurel Whisker began dancing at CCB in 1991 and joined the company in 1999. In 2000 she attended the World Masters at Vail Summer Intensive where she had the privilege to study with Marina Leonova of The Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Francesca Zumbo and Jacques Namont of The Paris Opera Ballet. She has also trained with Lorita Travaglia, Galina Yordanova, Gabriella Komleva, Stanislav Issaev, Sergey Kozadayev, David Taylor, Melissa Corr, and many more. Some of her favorite roles with CCB include: Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, Nikiya in excerpts from La Bayadere, Giselle in excerpts from Giselle, an Ugly Stepsister in Cinderella, and The Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. She has been a ballet instructor at CCB since 2009 and is a current member of Canyon Concert Ballet’s Artistic Advisory Committee. In 2015-2016 she served as rehearsal assistant for both The Nutcracker and Peter Pan as well as the show director of For the Love of Dance. Laurel co-choreographed CCB Youth Ensemble’s productions of The Country Mouse and the City Mouse and Hansella and Gretel. Laurel holds a BS in Food Science and Human Nutrition and a Master’s in Public Health. She works as a Culinary Nutritionist for MenuTrinfo in downtown Ft. Collins.
