Teaching Artists:
Kaylie Bullock, School Director
Leanne Campbell-Noonan
Dexter Carlson
Helen Hatch
Alejandra Iannone
Jill Lile
Blake Nellis
Christina Onusko
Erin Drummond
Aloe Ao Liu, Guest Artist
Emilia Garrido Vasquez, Guest Artist
Laura Greenwell, Guest Artist
Accompanists:
Amelie Banks
Martha Brown
Michael Koerner
Pat Lyles
Sally Reynolds
Melanie Safar
Joe Strachan
KAYLIE BULLOCK, School Director
Kaylie serves as School Director at Saint Paul Ballet, where she is dedicated to cultivating technically strong, artistic, and confident dancers while fostering a culture of excellence and integrity. Drawing from her experience as both a professional performer and educator, Kaylie believes that strong technical training provides dancers with the freedom to express themselves as artists and strives to create an environment where students are challenged, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential. Kaylie began her ballet training at Kansas Dance Academy, where she earned the prestigious Koch Cultural Trust Award. She graduated with honors from the Texas Christian University School of Classical & Contemporary Dance, where she trained on scholarship. She went on to dance professionally as a principal dancer with Central Illinois Ballet for seven seasons under the direction of Rebekah Von Rathoni, performing many of the company’s leading roles. She later joined James Sewell Ballet for its final two seasons and remains an active performing artist in the Twin Cities. Known for her versatility as a performer, Kaylie’s career has encompassed classical ballet, contemporary works, opera, and collaboration with artists from a variety of cultural dance traditions, including performances with the Minnesota Opera. Alongside her performing career, Kaylie has spent more than a decade teaching and mentoring dancers of all ages. Her students have gone on to pursue opportunities with respected professional organizations and collegiate dance programs. She is passionate about creating a training environment that develops not only strong technique and artistry, but also confidence, discipline, curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong love of dance
LEANNE CAMPBELL-NOONAN, Teaching Artist - Ballet
Leanne has been a dance educator for over 25 years. She currently teaches at Dance Works Performing Arts Center in Lakeville and previously at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Before moving to Minnesota, she taught in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Leanne has a special interest in sharing ballet movement with adults of all ages.
DEXTER CARLSON , Teaching Artist - Ballet
Dexter Carlson (she/her) received her BFA in Dance from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and trained with Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma. She has studied with The Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Joffrey Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (Czech Republic). She has had the honor of learning from and performing works by Renee Redding-Jones, Deborah Jowitt, Robert Moses, Kendra Porteir, and Maurya Kerr and has been a collaborator and performer with Eros Movement Company, Chris Ferris and Dancers, and Ellis Wood Dance, Jagged Moves, Willmeng Dances, and Laurie Van Wieren Projects. Dexter's work has been presented at Green Space, Actors Fund Arts Center, Jack Crystal Theater, and Arts on Site in New York City and Norton Clapp Theatre in Tacoma, Washington. Dexter has taught dancers of all ages for more than 15 years, with a special focus on young children developing their love for movement and creativity.
ERIN DRUMMOND, Teaching Artist - Modern and Composition
Erin is a director, artist and educator—carries over two decades of professional experience in performing arts as a dancer and choreographer. She cultivates creative inquiry through interdisciplinary and collaborative projects, ever turned on by embodied research as a catalyst for personal, societal and environmental shift. She trained at Ballet Arts Minnesota and Zenon Dance School before earning a BA from Columbia University and an MFA in Dance through Hollins University, in collaboration with institutions in Frankfurt, Germany. She performed for many years with Dancing People Company, based in Ashland, OR, toured with them throughout the Pacific Northwest and to St. Petersburg, Russia, and served as interim Artistic Director in 2016. She danced with a number of companies and collaborators in NYC, Minneapolis, along the West Coast and abroad. As a teacher—most recently as Assistant Professor and interim Dance Program Director at Winona State University—she loves mentoring student development, nurturing radical creativity, and expanding the possibilities of pedagogy.
HELEN HATCH, Teaching Artist - Ballet
Helen Hatch is a dancer, choreographer and director based in Minneapolis. Named as one of Minnesota Monthly’s “10 Artists to Watch” in 2012, Helen was a member of Minnesota Dance Theatre from 2011-2017, dancing an eclectic range of repertory while also creating her own work. Since then, she has worked with various artists in the Twin Cities on projects as a performer, choreographer, and producer. Helen is a graduate of the Ailey/Fordham BFA program where she was awarded Dance Departmental Honors. Her choreography has been presented at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, the 2011 Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Festival, 2014 MN Fringe Festival, The Southern Theater, throughout Mexico and Guatemala by the Juntos Collective, and commissioned by Minnesota Dance Theatre, Saint Paul Ballet, Penelope Freeh, Aveda, and The Cowles Center. Helen is the Founder and Director of Hatch Dance, whose debut performance Isotope was named a “2018 Top Ten Twin Cities Dance Performance” by the Star Tribune. In 2022, Helen was in residency at University of North Carolina School of the Arts Choreographic Institute. Helen has taught extensively throughout the Twin Cities and is a teaching artist at Saint Paul Ballet and Community Movement Collective.
ALEJANDRA IANNONE, Teaching Artist - Ballet and Modern
Alejandra was classically trained in the Cecchetti method and obtained her B.F.A in Dance performance from the Fordham University/ Ailey School. She is an ABT® Affiliate Instructor who successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Levels 6, 7 & Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. Alejandra is certified in Balanced Body Pilates (Mat 1 and 2)., IM=X Pilates, and Leap ‘N Learn Creative Movement. She also holds an M.A. in Philosophy from Temple University. She has had the honor of performing at venues throughout the United States and abroad. Her favorites have included The Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Jacob’s Pillow, the Versace Mansion, and The Armory, where she got to be part of Jennifer Lopez’s Super Saturday Night during Superbowl LII. Alejandra is thrilled to be joining the Saint Paul Ballet faculty this year! Prior to this position, Alejandra was a member of the faculty at Minnesota Dance Theatre and The Ailey School in New York City. She has also had the pleasure of guest teaching at private and public schools throughout the U.S.A. and in Argentina. When she isn’t at Saint Paul Ballet, Alejandra serves as the Creative Director of Minneapolis-based immersive theatre company Sparkle Theatricals, as a member of the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council’s Board of Directors.
JILL LILE, Teaching Artist - Ballet
Jill began her training in Omaha NE with teacher, Valerie Roche and continued her studies in summer programs at Banff and San Francisco ballet schools, the Royal Academy of Dancing in London and in various schools in New York City. She has a BFA and an MFA in dance from and Texas Christian University and the University of Illinois. She has danced with a variety of companies in both ballet and modern including Ft. Worth Ballet, Ballet Omaha, Madison Ballet, Illinois Dance Theatre, Ballet Arts Minnesota, and Beverly Blossom and Company. She has worked with Anna Sokolow, Sally Wilson, and has danced in many of the classic ballets and in Tudor works. Ms. Lile has taught at Ballet Arts MN and University of Minnesota/Mankato, University of NE/ Lincoln, and Creighton, and is currently teaching at St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, Macalester, and MDT. Ms Lile is also a practicing chiropractor and acupuncturist specializing in the treatment and prevention of dance injuries.
BLAKE NELLIS, Teaching Artist
Blake Nellis is an accomplished multidisciplinary artist whose work spans fine art photography, dance, choreography, and education. His practice explores the intersections of human connection, physical expression, and the natural world. With a Bachelor of Arts in Theater/Dance and a minor in Music from Luther College, Nellis has established himself as a versatile creator whose work bridges performance and visual art in ways both intimate and expansive. Nellis’ artistic excellence has been recognized through numerous prestigious grants and awards, including the 2026 & 2021 Minnesota State Arts Board Individual Support Grant and multiple Artist Initiative Grants in both Photography (2019) and Dance (2015). His most notable achievement is Skin.Rock.Bone, a 200-page fine art book funded by the 2019 grant. Photographed between 2014 and 2019 across the United States, it examines the intimate relationship between the human form and natural landscapes. Additional support has come from the Jerome Foundation, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. As an educator, Nellis brings a teaching philosophy grounded in humor, authenticity, empathy, and inclusivity. He currently serves on the faculty at Saint Paul Ballet, while also working as an independent contractor within the Minneapolis Public School system. His pedagogy integrates multiple disciplines—merging dance, photography, natural environments, and spontaneous creativity into immersive learning experiences. For Nellis, art-making is not only an act of creation but an act of deep listening—to people, to land, and to the histories embedded within both. www.blakenellis.com
CHRISTINA ONUSKO, Teaching Artist - Ballet
Christina began her training in her native Pennsylvania. She performed with the Hartford Ballet and principal roles with Ballet West Virginia including Cinderella and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty. For five years she served as the Assistant Artistic Director at Ballet West Virginia. She has been a classical ballet instructor for over 35 years. She was trained in the pedagogy of the Vagonava method, studying with John Barker, during her tenure as an instructor at the School of the Hartford Ballet where she also served as the school director for one of two branch schools of the Hartford Ballet. Christina has also taught for Ballet West Virginia and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. She spent a fulfilling 15 years as a core ballet instructor and choreographer for Ballet Arts Minnesota. Using her design and costuming skills, she has created costumes for many different Twin Cities and national dance companies. During her time at Ballet Arts she created most of the costumes, including those for the City Children’s Nutcracker, which was a joint collaboration between Ballet Arts Minnesota and the Minneapolis Parks Recreation Program. Christina also created and directed the Maypole Dances for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival for 13 years.
ALOE AO LIU, Guest Teaching Artist from CAAM Chinese Dance Theater
Ao (Aloe) Liu, Dance Artist, Choreographer, Dance Instructor from Yunnan Province, China Ao Liu graduated from Denmark International Youth leader Education graduate program and holds a Bachelor of Dance Performance degree from Yunnan Arts University and a Master of Education from Renmin University in China. She performed professionally for 8 years in China’s famous dance company founded by Yang Liping, known as the “Peacock Queen” in China. Since then she continues to professionally perform, choreograph, and instruct dancers of all levels. She has founded her own dance studio, developed multiple curriculums for children including “Awakening the Artist Within Me” and “Physical Play”, and taught at university level for Yunnan Arts Institute. Dancing since age 4, Liu has performed in more than a thousand shows and was the principal dancer in several well-known dance drama productions such as “Dynamic Yunnan”, “A Shangri-La Spectacular”, ” Beautiful South “, as well as modern dance dramas “Bed” and “Lost”. In addition, she has performed at large-scaled national events such as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo. She has choreographed and directed many contemporary dance dramas, including ” Lost in Dream “, “Hidden Emotion “, ” It will pass ” and “You”. Between 2018 and 2021, she was invited as a guest artist to various international art festivals including “Over the Cloud International Live Art Festival”, “MIPAF Macau International Live Art Festival” and “Up On International Live Art Festival”. Recently, she held a Liu Ao Personal Contemporary Art Exhibition “Feed” at the Kunming Kong Space Art Museum.
EMILIA GARRIDO-VASQUEZ, Guest Teaching Artist
Emilia embarked on her dance journey at age 3 in Ecuador. At 14, after relocating to the U.S., she joined the school of St. Paul Ballet, graduating from their pre-professional program in 2019. Prior to her college years, she was awarded a fellowship from James Sewell Ballet. Emilia pursued a major in Psychology at St. Kate’s and another in Theater and Dance at Macalester College. Professionally, she danced with Continental Ballet Company. Emilia has choreographed several pieces, including "Matilda Jr." at Highland Park Community Center Theater. At Macalester, her honors piece, "A Place in Between," earned her the David Wick Choreography Award. Emilia's recent focus is on fostering inclusivity and accessibility in dance education through her community project, Ballet Explorers. Partnering with SPB and collaborating with local nonprofits and businesses, offers free introductory ballet classes to children from minoritized communities.
LAURA GREENWELL, Guest Teaching Artist
Laura is trained in classical dance from Ballet Arts Minnesota, under the direction of Bonnie Mathis, Christina Onusko and Lirena Branitski. She continued her studies with the Butler Ballet, the dance department of Butler University in Indianapolis. For more than ten years she has been teaching Vaganova-based Russian ballet and pointe, and has been creating classical and contemporary ballet works for various dance schools. Laura is an American Ballet Theatre® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level Seven of the ABT(R) National Training Curriculum. She is also a designated Project Plié ABT ballet teacher, with the ability to identify promising young dancers in order to expand racial diversity and inclusion in the classical ballet community. Laura was a Sage Awards panelist for the Twin Cities community from 2013-2014, guest taught for the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, and danced as a company member with St. Paul Ballet. In addition to ballet experience, she has extensive character dance training, and has been privately coached by Lirena Branitski. She focuses her teaching of ballet and character dance on the unique combination of proper technique, artistry and passion for dance.