Sharon Seder Meko | Founding Artistic Director, Instructor - Ballet
As its founding Artistic Director, Sharon Seder Meko has been the driving force and inspiration behind Ballet Etudes since 1986. Her foresight and vision are responsible for the company's tremendous growth and development and the artistic accomplishments of its dancers. Due to her efforts, many of the company's dancers have been accepted at the most prestigious schools and companies throughout North America. Ballet Etudes' stature in the southwestern United States has been achieved because of the dedication to excellence and the exceptional professional abilities of this most talented woman. Sharon began her training in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with the Schuykill Valley Regional Dance Company. She then continued her formal ballet training in Philadelphia and later trained as an auditioned student under Edward Canton at the Pennsylvania Ballet. She continued her dancing career as a soloist and principal dancer. Some of her roles include: Sugar Plum Fairy, Waltz and Mirlitons in Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote, Blue Bird, Lilac Fairy and Spanish in Sleeping Beauty, and roles in Coppélia. She has studied and taken master classes with teachers Margaret Craske, Hector Zaraspe, Pearl Lang and Martha Graham. In Denver she continued her professional career with the Colorado Concert Ballet Company and Ballet Now. Since 1979, Sharon has pursued her love of Ballet in Arizona. She danced with the Mesa Civic Ballet (presently Ballet Arizona) and has choreographed for the Arizona Metropolitan Ballet Junior Company and served as a guest teacher. She was on the faculty of the Dance Department at Arizona State University. A teacher of ballet for 30 years, Sharon is presently Director of BE School of Dance. Sharon Meko was honored by the Mesa Chamber for Commerce and by Arts in Mesa when she was named "Artist of the Year.”
A company member from 1995-2002, Kellan performed in numerous Ballet Etudes productions, annually with The Phoenix Symphony, at an Arizona Opera ball, and a Phoenix Suns game. She was also cast by Leslie Browne, from American Ballet Theatre and the film The Turning Point, in Imbongi, her original work choreographed for Ballet Etudes. Kellan’s choreographic works, Anon and On The Steps of St. Paul’s, were accepted by audition and performed by Ballet Etudes at the Herberger Theater for the 2009 Arizona Celebration of Dance. Kellan also choreographed On The Beautiful Blue Danube, Havah Nagilah, and Bohemian Dance from Carmen for Ballet Etudes to perform onstage with The Phoenix Symphony at their 2009 New Year’s Eve concert at Symphony Hall. In the Spring of 2010, Kellan choreographed Ballet Etudes’ full-length production of Cinderella. A graduate of the University of Arizona, Kellan continues to work with Ballet Etudes as their marketing manager and rehearsal assistant, and is also a ballet instructor at BE School of Dance and the marketing and public relations coordinator for The Phoenix Symphony.
Susan Sharkey, R.A.D. | Ballet Mistress, Instructor - Ballet
Mrs. Sharkey began her dance studies in California where one of her most influential teachers was Eugene Loring. In junior high school she was accepted on scholarship at Colorado College's Dance Department, studying with Professor Norman and Dorothea Cornick, formerly principals with the Memphis Ballet. She was a soloist in the college's performing company. Susan began her training with American Ballet Theater under Francisca and Dimitri Romanoff the company's Regissuer. She went on to perform in American Ballet Theater's corps and was later promoted to soloist. As a soloist, her repertoire included the ballets Les Sylphides, Les Patineurs, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Giselle. After coming to Arizona she completed her exams in the Dance Education Syllabus of the Royal Academy of Dancing and now is a registered teacher of the Royal Academy of Dancing, London, England. In addition to being the Ballet Mistress for Ballet Etudes, she is also a teaching member for the Royal Academy of Dancing. Susan gives guest seminars in pointe technique and has been invited to teach pointe technique as a member of an international delegation's teaching tour of China. She also has a B.A. in English Literature.
Founding Artistic Director - Sharon Seder Meko
“....turning out stars-to-be.”
- The Arizona Republic
Kellan Meko | Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Instructor - Ballet
Susan Adams | Instructor - Adult Ballet... information coming soon ...
Miranda Felice | Instructor - Ballet ... information coming soon ...
Alerie Gutierrez | Instructor - Ballet ... information coming soon ...
Hailey Apligian | Instructor - Hip Hop
Hailey Marie Apligian was born and raised in Allen, Texas. Hailey began dancing at age three and soon was studying at the nationally acclaimed Academy of Dance Arts- Home of the Dallas Repertoire Ballet. In her early teens, Hailey advanced to company member of the Dallas Repertoire Ballet and soon was performing several featured roles including “Snow Queen” and “Clara” in The Nutcracker. Hailey was one of few dancers selected from the country to assist master teachers and dance alongside world-renowned performers in the Tremaine Performance Company. She also toured on West Coast Dance Explosion as an assistant to master teacher/choreographer Liz Imperio (Madonna choreographer, artistic director of Instincts Live Media Dance Co). She has won titles at a variety of dance competitions and has been hired by production companies such as Larwell Productions and Stiletto Entertainment. Hailey was privileged to represent the United States as one of the “Stars of Tomorrow” in the Tanszommer European Jazz Tour. In 2006, Hailey went on to continue her studies at the prestigious University of Arizona School of Dance where she received training from truly the best in the nation. After receiving her BFA in dance, Hailey was hired as a company member of Center Dance Ensemble, a modern company under the direction of Frances Cohen. In addition to performing, Hailey has a passion for teaching and choreographing. Her pieces have been set at various studios and are regularly awarded with top scores and high praise because of her unique style. Hailey utilizes her ballet background to highlight dancers’ technique while incorporating quirky movements similar to those in hip-hop. Hailey teaches all areas of dance but particularly enjoys spreading her unique hip-hop-infused style of jazz!
Julie Vazques | Instructor - Pilates
Julie has over 10 years of involvement in fitness training with a recent emphasis on Pilates and Hatha Yoga. She is YogaFit trained and currently teaches as a fitness instructor through Fusion Fitness in Gilbert. As a mother of three children and a preschool teacher, she values the importance of movement and an active lifestyle. Julie has the ability to work with all ages and make fitness enjoyable. She is committed to a healthy lifestyle combining exercise, nutrition, and enthusiasm for well-being.
Candace Ammerman | Instructor - Modern
Candance Ammerman has had the honor of studying ballet and modern dance under leading artists in both disciplines: Alan Howard, Dimitri Romanoff, Cliff Keuter and Elina Mooney, my mentors in modern dance. Other of my teachers include Janet Van Swoll of San Jose State University and Constance Stine of Eastside Ballet. As a ballet-trained modern dancer, Ms. Ammerman teaches both and knows the value of well-rounded training. She has been performing and creating dances professionally for over twenty-five years, and has been teaching at the college level for over thirty years. Ms. Ammerman has an MA in Theater Arts/Dance from San Jose State University, and MFA in Dance from Arizona State University, and has graduated from Core Dynamics Pilates Teacher Training Program centered in Santa Fe; teaching Pilates at Moving Breath Pilates in Tempe and elsewhere. Currently she teaches ballet and other dance curricula at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and Pilates at Mesa Community College, having also taught dance at Scottsdale Community College, Paradise Valley Community College, Phoenix College, and ASU over the last 15 years. Ms. Ammerman directed a company in San Jose, Danceworks, and also was a founding member of Cliff Keuter's new Dance San Jose and have danced over fifty of Mr. Keuter's works and almost that many of Elina Mooney's works. Locally, she has danced for five years in Frances Smith Cohen's Center Dance Ensemble at the Herberger Theater, and about the same amount of time in Ann Ludwig's Ludwig Dance Theater in Tempe, and has been commissioned to choreograph for a few local companies as well as creating many works for Eastside Ballet and the colleges.