The teachers that inspired Ms. Elaine
Anneliese von Oettingen
Anneliese Helene Charlotte von Oettingen (22 January 1917 – 9 December 2002) was a ballerina and influential ballet teacher and choreographer. After training in Berlin and Lindon, she taught in Berlin during World War II. After the war she moved to Cincinnati where she taught ballet and modern dance, and helped found the Cincinnati Ballet. She was featured in Sports Illustrated for her work with the Cincinnati Bengals and received the keys to the city of Cincinnati for her dedication yo the arts.
Lupe Serrano
Guadalupe Martínez Desfassiaux Serrano (December 7, 1930 – January 16, 2023), known professionally as Lupe Serrano, was a Chilean-born, Mexican-trained American ballet dancer and teacher.
She started teaching in 1968, while she was still dancing as a guest performer with the American Ballet Theatre. In 1971, after she retired from the stage, she accepted a full-time position as assistant director at the National Academy of Arts. She later joined the faculty of the Pennsylvania Ballet as company teacher and head of the apprentice program in 1974, and remained for fourteen years,serving as director of the Pennsylvania Ballet School.
In 1988, Serrano moved to Washington, D.C., and became an artistic associate of The Washington Ballet for ten years. In 1997, she began teaching classes at the Julliard School and later taught company class at ABT and served on faculty. She was a guest teacher and taught masterclasses for companies throughout the United States, as well as the Rome Opera Ballet in Italy. She was also a sought-after judge in international ballet competitions.
Ms. Elaine studied under the direction of Lupe Serrano for 3 years, as a pre-professional student at The Washington School of Ballet.
Mark Diamond
Mark Diamond was a soloist in the Hamburg Ballet in Germany under for John Neumeier, a principal dancer with the Milwaukee Ballet Company, and was a member of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and the Tamburitzans Slavic Folk ensemble.
Mr. Diamond has choreographed and taught extensively for ballet companies in Europe, Japan and the U.S. He has choreographed more than 45 ballets for Chautauqua Dance since 1988. He works full time for Charlotte Ballet as director for Charlotte Ballet 2 and as teacher and choreographer for the main company and for the Academy. Before joining Charlotte Ballet, Diamond was resident choreographer for the Cincinnati Opera, Faculty at School for Creative and Performing Arts, founded Ballet Artists Cincinnati and received grants from the Ohio Arts Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts and others. He trained with Edward Caton and attended Duquesne University and Point Park College (BA), where he studied music, history and dance.
Elaine attended The School for Creative and Performing Arts and trained under the direction of Mark Diamond for 2 years.
Suzanne Walker
Suzanne Walker was an associate professor of dance at Wright State University from 1982 to 2001. Prior to 1982, she was a professional dancer, singer, and actress living in New York City for 13 years; performing in several shows, both on and off-Broadway—with many touring companies, night clubs and various productions. She was a member of the Actors Equality Association and The American Federation of television and radio artists. She performed with many artists including Katherine Hepburn, Liza Minnelli, Ginger Rogers, and Mikahil Baryshnikov. She was a dancer to world renowned choreographers Michael Bennett, Tommy Tune, Donald Saddler, and Ron Field - to name a few.
She began her teaching and choreographic career at The High School of the Performing Arts, in Manhattan. She choreographed for Wright State University's dance concerts and musicals, and previously for The Dayton Ballet. She was presented the Virginia Sebastian Choreographic Award in 1989.
Suzanne brought the love of contemporary ballet into Ms. Elaine’s life, training her in contemporary movement that allowed her to find freedom in artistic expression.
Jon Rodriguez
Jon Rodriguez came to Dayton in 1965 to join Dayton Ballet, he was named co-associate director of the company in 1972, and in 1974 became founder and co-director of The Professional Touring Company. He served as artistic director and the coordinator of the Wright State University Dance program for 20 years.
Mr. Rodriguez, who danced professionally with Ballets de España in Madrid, Spain; Detroit Ballet Theatre; Cincinnati Opera Company, and the Dayton/Toledo Opera Company, served on the Dance Panel of the National Foundation for the Arts. He was the recipient of choreography grants from the National Endowment for the Arts; was on the steering committee of the DANCE/USA National Dance Education Task Force; and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montgomery County/Board of Commissioners. In 2007 he was honored by Regional Dance America for his continued commitment and dedication to the excellent teaching of young ballet dancers in the U.S.
Jon was known for his wry sense of humor and dedication to his art, always encouraging Ms. Elaine to finesse her ballet technique during her time at Wright State University
Dermot Burke
Dermot Burke was a star principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet in New York and had been artistic director of the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey for 10 years. In the Fall of 1993 Dermot assumed the dual role of executive and artistic director of the company.
Under Dermot Burke, the company took on a more American flavor in the tradition of the Joffrey Ballet, embracing distinctly American dance literature, dancers and choreographers.
Elaine proudly trained under the direction of Dermot Burke during her time at Dayton Ballet, furthering her love of Neo-Classical Ballet.
Kim Tuttle
Kim Tuttle, Artistic Director of DANB took over the artistic reins in 1986, turning a regional company of quality into a highly recognized professional touring company. Through her vision, Dance Alive National Ballet has toured nationally and internationally under the auspices of The National Endowment for the Arts, Southern Arts Federation, the Florida Department of State Touring Program and Allied Concert Services through Siegel Artist Management, establishing its reputation as a vital, energetic and artistically innovative ballet company.Ms. Tuttle served on the staff of the Stuttgart Ballet during the brilliant John Cranko era. She based the artistic spirit of Dance Alive National Ballet on the generous and visionary nature of the Cranko company. Due to the fertile artistic climate and welcoming environment, the company attracts many international ballet artists of stature who live and work in Gainesville and are devoted to the company. In 1985 she served as Ballet Mistress for the Zurich Ballet, under the Artistic Direction of Patricia Neary, Balanchine repetiteur. She was instrumental in facilitating the first performance of Balanchine ballet’s in Bulgaria, where her works, ‘Ode to Joy’ and ‘Symphony in Three Movements’ were performed.Ms. Tuttle attended the University of Florida on full scholarship where she was staff pianist for the department of Music. Her musical background, fully explored as a recording chamber pianist, is fundamental to her gift as a thriving and prolific choreographer. She has created over 150 ballets. She is a master at creating the full-length ballet. In all of them the arrangement of compositions used in the ballets has been critical to their success. She has also written dialogue for several of her ballets including ‘Frankenstein’ and the children‘s ballet, ‘Lady Bug: Action Hero’, written music and songs for her ballets ‘Tom Jones’ and ‘Robin Hood’ and authored the children’s book ‘Lady Bug: Action Hero’, published by Trafford Publishing Company.Ms. Tuttle has served on the State of Florida Dance Panel and has received three choreographic fellowships from the Florida Department of Cultural Affairs and an honorable mention. She was recipient of the prestigious Nancy Smith Award given by the Florida Dance Association in year 2000 for “Outstanding Leadership and Excellence in Dance in Florida” and the “Lifetime Achievement in the Arts” award given by the City of Gainesville, FL. She was given the SFC ‘Woman of Distinction’ Award in 2015 and was awarded the University of Florida’s ‘Distinguished Alumni’ award in 2018.She is in demand as choreographer, master teacher, artistic advisor and pianist, and travels throughout North and Central America touring with Dance Alive National Ballet, setting and choreographing ballets, and staging her version of “The Nutcracker”. She lives in Gainesville, Florida where she is co-owner and director of the nationally known and respected Pofahl Studios, Official School of Dance Alive National Ballet.
Ms. Elaine danced for DANB for 5 seasons and concluded her performance career dancing for Kim, while beginning to work in philanthropy as a board member during her time at Dance Alive National Ballet.
