Guest Teachers June 20th – 24th
Lilyan Vigo Ellis (Advanced Ballet & Pointe) Lilyan Vigo Ellis was born in Miami, Florida where she began her study of dance training privately with Liana Navarro. Ms. Vigo attended Harid Conservatory for two years and graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts in 1996. Ms. Vigo came to Carolina Ballet from the Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando, Florida where she was a principal dancer. A founding member of the company, Ms. Vigo has created many principal parts in new works including Robert Weiss’ Firebird, Swan Lake, Beauty and the Beast, and Cinderella. In 2000 she was nominated for and received the Princess Grace Award. She has been the subject of a feature article in Dance Magazine. She is also a wife and mother of 2 boys, Patrick and Brandon.
Kathleen Black (Scottish Dance) Born in Raleigh, Kathleen Black began performing with Carolina Ballet as a child in productions such as the Nutcracker, Coppelia, Cinderella, and George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In spring of 2012 Kathleen was invited to perform in Robert Weiss’ world premiere of Beethoven: Symphony No. 9. Before joining Carolina Ballet, she trained at The Raleigh School of Ballet and was a member of the pre- professional company, Raleigh Dance Theatre. During the summers Kathleen trained at American Ballet Theatre, The Harid Conservatory, on scholarship to Boston Ballet, and on scholarship at the School of American Ballet. While at SAB, she was chosen to perform in the New York Choreographic Institute under the direction of NYCB’s Peter Walker. For four years Kathleen performed in Ira David Wood III’s annual production of Theatre in the Park’s A Christmas Carol, dancing the featured ballet role. She toured with the show to Raleigh’s sister city, Compiègne, France. Kathleen was a competitive Scottish Highland dancer for eight years, having won both the National and North American Championships.
Natikwa Gonzalez (African) Natikwa Gonzalez is a full-time student in the Teacher Education Program at NCCU and works as an African Dance instructor with Durham Parks and Recreation and Terreiro De Arte Cultura.
Ellin Porterfield (Drama) Ellin Porterfield began her love of theatre at an early age and has been teaching, writing and directing theatre with both children and adults for over 20 years. She holds an M.F.A. in Children’s Theater from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a B.A. in Theater (minor in English) from Appalachian State University, and is a certified Montessori teacher. She is currently the director of cre.ate, an organization in Raleigh that offers creative classes, camps, workshops and artist studios. Ms. Porterfield is very excited to be part of The Raleigh School of Ballet this summer.
Anna Barker (Pilates) Anna was introduced to Pilates during college, as a strengthening and supportive tool for her dance career. It quickly became an integral part of her training as a movement practitioner. She went on to receive her Mat Certification at Body Precision Pilates in Philadelphia, and taught classes in Philly and New York City for 5 years. Anna moved back home to Durham in 2013 to pursue an apparatus/equipment certification at InsideOut Body Therapies in Durham, and teaches at Studio East 54 in Chapel Hill and Bull City Pilates & Massage in Durham. Anna is fascinated by the healing and reconstructive elements of Pilates, and has used the system to combat her own dance-related injuries. Her class consists of an ever-evolving synergy of classical Pilates exercises and dance and yoga ideologies. She is thrilled to share her movement experiences with the community, while not taking herself too seriously!
Kristin Lloyd, PT, MPT Sports & More Physical Therapy Kristin graduated with a Masters degree from University of Maryland, Baltimore in 2003 and has been a practicing Physical Therapist in North Carolina since relocating to North Carolina in 2004. Kristin has worked in a variety of Physical Therapy settings including Orthopedics, Acute Care Hospitals, and Home Health Pediatrics. She enjoys using her eclectic experience to provide her patients with comprehensive care. Kristin is an avid runner and part-time professional ballerina who understands the dedication it requires to recover from and prevent injuries. She is dedicated to assisting her patients in returning to independence through manual therapy, therapeutic exercise and patient education.