Faculty
Gwenyth Dixon
Gwenyth Crawford Dixon has been the Assistant Director of the Baltimore Ballet, ballet mistress for the Atlanta Ballet, rehearsal assistant for Contemporary Ballet in New York City, and the director of the dance department for Pebblebrook Performing Arts High School in Cobb County, Georgia. In those positions she became an experienced teacher and rehearsal director as she worked closely with professional and student dancers, and with choreographers such as Choo San Goh, Margo Sappington, William Forsythe, Fernand Nault, John McFall, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, and Marjorie Mussman.
Gwenyth began her dance training at the Atlanta School of Ballet in the classes of its director, former New York City Ballet soloist Robert Barnett. While at the school she also studied with teachers from the Royal Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, and studied Horton modern technique. She completed her training in New York with Marjorie Mussman and was chosen with several other classmates, including a young Mark Morris, for Mussman's choreography. Gwenyth subsequently became Mussman's assistant in setting her ballets on Joffrey II and Contemporary Ballet, and taught in her studio. While in New York, Gwenyth also appeared in a Clark Center dance festival, receiving a favorable review from New York Times critic Jennifer Dunning.
Gwenyth's career in the city of Atlanta spans four decades and includes hundreds of performances with the city's major arts organizations. As a child and teen she performed with the Atlanta Ballet in ballets such as Serenade, Giselle, Les Sylphides, and Balanchine's The Nutcracker, accompanied by the Atlanta Symphony. As an adult, she choreographed productions for the Atlanta Opera including Rigoletto, Un Ballo in Maschera, and MacBeth. She also sang in the chorus under the baton of Maestro William Fred Scott, and performed the role of "Ida" in Die Fledermaus. Her longest association in Atlanta was with the award-winning Southern choreographer and former Alvin Ailey company member Lee Harper. With Lee Harper and Dancers, Gwenyth performed once again with the Atlanta Symphony in more than twenty years of family concerts and educational programs conducted by Jere Flint and the celebrated Robert Shaw. In Atlanta, Gwenyth also had the unique experience of appearing in the 1996 Olympics opening ceremonies.
Gwenyth received a B.A. in mathematics, Phi Beta Kappa, from Emory University. She is married and has two sons. She is proud to join the excellent and exciting faculty of CBT.
Jenny Girardi
Jenny Girardi, an alumni of Classical Ballet Academy, received her B.A. from George Mason University with a concentration in Theatre Performance. While at GMU, she participated in the Kennedy Center's Page to Stage Festival and spent a semester abroad studying Theatre in London's West End. In New York, Jenny studied under Maggie Flanigan at The Maggie Flanigan Studio and was accepted into William H. Macy's Atlantic Acting School's conservatory program before moving to Italy where she ran workshops for artists on the Amalfi Coast.
Jenny spent her professional career performing all over the Northern Virginia and DC area as well as Edinburg's Fringe Fest. TV credits: The Good Wife, Boardwalk Empire, Gossip Girl and 30 Rock.
Tara Henderson
Tara N. Henderson, alumni of Classical Ballet Theatre, received her B.F.A from The University of The Arts in Philadelphia, PA with a concentration in Ballet. Her teachers included Anastasia Babayeva, Scott Jovovich, Andrew Pap, Eva Szabo, Wayne St. David, Roni Koresh, Donald Lunsford, Molly Misgalla, Kim Bears Bailey, Kurt Hayworth, Faye Snow, and the late great LaVaughn Robinson.
Tara's professional performances include Coppelia, Raymonda and various works set by Kim Bears Bailey and Wayne St. David. During the summer of 2006, Ms. Henderson trained and performed in Prague with Lynn Barr.
After receiving her B.F.A. early in 2006 she moved to New York City to continue her professional development with the Alvin Ailey School and Company. Her teachers and coaches include Wendy Amos, Jacquelyn Buglisi, Ana Marie Forsythe, Tracy Inman, the late Denise Jefferson, Joan Peters, Troy Powell, Kevin Predmore, and Dudley Williams among others.
During the summer of 2012 Ms. Henderson completed the Horton Pedagogy Training and Coaching Workshop at The Ailey School in NYC with Ana Marie Forsythe (Chair of the Horton department since 1979). Tara is honored to work with the incredible faculty at Classical Ballet Theatre and excited to bring Horton Technique to the Northern VA Area!
Kimberly Jewart
Kimberly Hope Jewart began her dance training with Carolyn Carratini (RAD), Ballettschule Szymczak, and Montgomery Ballet. While at George Mason University, she had the pleasure of performing in works by Jan Erkert, Urban Bush Women, Lar Lubovitch, Kraig Patterson, Buffy Price, and Dan Joyce. She has performed for Adrian Clancy/Clancyworks and Helanius J. Wilkins in DC, and Labco Dance and Pittsburgh Opera (Danny Pelzig) in Pennsylvania.
Kimberly's more recent endeavors include dancing for Sean Curran at NYC Opera, St Louis Opera Theatre, Minnesota Opera, Chicago Opera, and Portland Opera. While in NYC, she formed OrquideaDance, choreographing works performed at Williamsburg Arts Nexus, the Duke, Dance Space, and for DanceNOW NYC, HATCH, and the International Dance Festival. Kimberly is delighted to be joining CBT's Contemporary faculty.
Veronika Freifrau von Loehnysen
Veronica was born in Moscow and at the age of five, she began dance classes in a private school.
At the age of ten she entered the Moscow Choreographic Academy, the affiliate school of the Bolshoi
Ballet. Here she received her academic education and a formal, strict dance education, which prepared
her for the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1987, Veronika joined the Corps de Ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre. Over the next ten years she was given a wide variety of roles and took part in many different ballets in Russia, and in some of the most famous international theaters in the world.
At the world-renowned Bolshoi Theater she danced in the most important classical ballets including Giselle, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. She was eventually made coryphaeus and performed in many leading roles.
In 1992, Veronika completed her studies at the Moscow Academy, receiving her Teaching Diploma with Honors (Red Diploma). Since 1993 she has been teaching children and adults in Moscow, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, Veronika has been an international model and is fluent in English, Spanish and Italian.
Jimmie Manners
Jimmie Manners was born in Washington D.C. and grew up in Maryland. His first ballet class was at the age of three and from then on dance was his life.
Jimmie studied ballet, modern, jazz, tap and African dance while attending Thomas G. Pullen Performing Arts school from K-8th grade and Baltimore School for the Arts high school as well as University of the Arts on full scholarship. After two years at University of the Arts, he moved to New York City and was invited to be a member of Rhapsody the Company (a hip-hop based performance company), where he was coached in the authentic hip-hop style of dance.
After being signed to the Bloc performance agency, Jimmie performed with many recording artists such as Eve, Ciara, Joe and Kat Deluna, and was featured in commercials and motion films including the Winter '09' GAP campaign and Step Up 2. Jimmie also teaches and choreographs every chance he gets with projects including a national workshop tour in 2008-2009 where he taught students in Paris, Italy and Barcelona among other countries and cities.
Jimmie continues to have a fulfilling career as a professional dancer, enjoys teaching and encouraging aspiring dancers and lives to perform on the stage!
Carla Ririe
Carla started dancing at a very early age, with her mother Melita Roberts. At the age of 16 Carla graduated from the University of San Marcos as a dance teacher with an International Folk Dance Diploma. She enhanced her dance education in various locations around the world including London and Spain and came to the United States in 1985. She is a former Miss Hispanic Utah first runner up winning first place in classical ballet and ranked as an elite performer in the London Theater. She has performed nationally and internationally to include the Kennedy Center. Her exceptional talent for instruction and teaching choreography has inspired thousands of students to dance. "Carlota Russa" has been supported by the Fairfax Government Community Center and the State Department for her dedication to teaching dance to the community.
Kyoko Ruch
Kyoko Ruch began her dance training at Classical Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia under the direction of Cynthia Donavin. While studying at CBA she attended summer programs at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Miami City Ballet, School of American Ballet with an honorary scholarship and Richmond Ballet on full scholarship.
After graduation, she became a trainee at Richmond Ballet as well as attending Virginia Commonwealth University as a Dance major. After completing two years as a trainee, Kyoko was promoted to an apprentice position at Richmond Ballet where she had many opportunities to perform in the company's extensive repertoire to include The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Don Quixote. During her apprenticeship, she had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Malcolm Burn, Jessica Lang, William Soleau, Susan Shields as well as performing works by Balanchine and Agnes DeMille. She has worked with the Forsythe Project, lead by Elizabeth Corbett, learning choreography by William Forsythe as well as studying Forsythe's improvisational techniques.
She returned to Virginia Commonwealth University upon completion of her apprentice position and earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance. In 2010, she performed at the Gala performance in the National Conference for ACDFA at the Kennedy Center.
Meghan Rudorfer
Meghan
Rudorfer was trained at the
Classical Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia. Summer training programs
included the Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and the Central
Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Upon graduation from the Classical Ballet Academy she pursued her career at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. While in New York, Meghan performed with Graham 2nd Company, to include roles in Acts of Light, Appalachian Spring, and Serenata Morisca. Her teachers include Pearl Lang, Denise Vale, Virginie Macene, Kevin Predmore and Jennifer Depaulo and Marjorie Mussman.
Since leaving the Graham Company, Meghan has returned home to join the faculty of Classical Ballet Theatre, once again. She is honored to be able to work with the incredible faculty at the Classical Ballet Theatre.
Kim Sonderegger
Kim Sonderegger was born in Minnesota where at age 6 she began her ballet training. She
studied on full scholarship in New York at the Joffrey and American Ballet Theater schools, at
Houston Ballet Academy, and with Patrick Frantz, Marjorie Mussman, Maggie Black, David
Howard, and other noted teachers. Kim was associated with Ballet Arizona for 20 years: first as
dancer, performing corps de ballet and soloist roles in its varied repertory and creating roles in
ballets by Jean Paul Comelin, Ron Cunningham, Robert North, and others. She was a member
of the faculty of the School of Ballet Arizona, and directed Arizona School for the Arts' dance
program. As primary ballet instructor on the Arizona State University dance faculty, she taught
classical ballet and teaching methodology, and helped talented students toward careers as
performers, choreographers, and arts administrators.
Ms. Sonderegger was invited to join the faculty of Miami City Ballet School in 2008, where she taught ballet and pointe to intermediate and advanced students, and choreographed for student performances. Her choreography was regularly praised by Edward Villella for its sensibility, musicality, and creativity. She was also selected to work with visiting Brazilian students during special summer intensive sessions. In addition to her artistic duties, Kim took on the role of Principal Writer for Miami City Ballet School's Self Study for the National Association of Schools of Dance. She has taught, choreographed, and coached in Asia and South America, and was recently one of a handful of teachers asked to participate in the First International Festival of Dance in Porto Real, Brazil. Kim holds a Master's degree in Anthropology, and has practiced archaeology in the Middle East, Spain, and the Western United States.
