SUMMER DANCE PROGRAM JUNE 7 - JULY 17 CLASSES FOR AGES 3 + WORKSHOPS FOR AGES 4 - 6 INTENSIVES FOR LEVELS 5, 6, 7 972-745-0199 | 145 FITNESS COURT, COPPELL, TX 75019 | BALLETACADEMYOFTEXAS.COM The Ballet Academy of Texas opened in Coppell in October 1999, offering four large studios of classes for both the serious and recrea�onal dancer in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Modern, Hip Hop, Yoga/Pilates and Musical Theater. In 2010, the Academy began a Professional Preparatory day�me program for homeschooled dancers training for careers in dance…the first in the metroplex. The Academy is in an 11,000 square foot facility near the corner of Sandy Lake and Denton Tap Roads. It has received the Youth American Grand Prix Award for Outstanding School in the Southwest eight of the past twelve years, and its director, Lisa Slagle, has won the Outstanding Teacher Award on four different occasions. Students of the Academy regularly receive scholarships for summer study, and many former students are now dancing professionally in compa- nies all over the United States. Ballet Academy of Texas has hosted the American Ballet Theatre’s Young Dancer Program three �mes. THE DIRECTOR LISA SLAGLE began her professional dancing career at eleven when she appeared as a solo dancer in the Elvis Presley movie, Clambake. Upon gradua�on from high school, she was offered a posi�on with the Joffrey Ballet in New York, where she stayed un�l 1979. While there she had the opportunity to perform leading roles in ballets by choreographers de Mille, Arpino, Ashton, Bournonville and Tharp. In the 1980’s she performed as a Soloist with the Ballet du Grande Theatre de Geneve in Switzerland, and as a Principal Dancer with Tulsa Ballet Theater. Upon her re�rement from dancing, she started teaching ballet in Dallas, and in 1999 founded Ballet Academy of Texas. The school has since received the Outstanding School award from the Youth America Grand Prix for eight out of twelve years, as well as the Outstanding Teacher award four �mes. She is also the founding director of the pre-professional company, Ballet Ensemble of Texas, which was an Honor Company with the Regional Dance of America organiza�on for thirteen years. Many of her students are now dancing professionally both na�onally and interna�onally in such companies as American Ballet Theatre and Texas Ballet Theater. Ms. Slagle is on the Advisory Board for American Ballet Theatre's Na�onal Training Curriculum, has been a master teacher since 2007 for ABT's various Summer Intensive workshops and has been a master teacher for the Interna�onal Ballet Compe��on School in Jackson, Mississippi and for the Regional Dance of Ameri- ca organiza�on. In 2018, she had the honor of being the adjudicator for the RDA/NE Fes�val and in 2020, for the RDA/MidStates Fes�val. She has also been a master teacher as well as staged her choreography for such noted na�onal schools as the Orlando Ballet School, Washington School of Ballet, and the Interlochen School of the Arts. 2021 SUMMER GUEST TEACHERS June 7-9 LI ANLIN (Assistant Ar�s�c Director, Texas Ballet Theater) Mr. Li was born in Nanjing, China. At age 13, he began training with the Beijing Dance Academy and graduated to the Young Dancers Company where Mr. Li first met and worked with Mr. Stevenson. In 1982, he joined the Na�onal Ballet of China as a soloist. In 1985, Mr. Li was invited by Ivan Nagy to join Ballet de San�ago in Chile as a Principal dancer. In 1989, Mr. Stevenson invited Mr. Li to join Houston Ballet as a soloist. During his 21-year career, Mr. Li performed classical and contemporary pieces all around the world working with many notable figures of the dance world. Mr. Li re�red from the stage in 2000 and became Ballet Master at Houston Ballet before coming to Texas Ballet Theater in 2003. Mr. Li has been Assistant Ar�s�c Director of Texas Ballet Theater since 2005. June 10-11 KATHRYN WARAKOMSKY-LI (Associate Director, Studio Training Company, Texas Ballet Theater) Originally from Boston, Massachuse�s, Kathryn Warakomsky-Li began studying ballet at the age of 14 and graduated from the State University of New York at Purchase with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance. She was invited to join the Ballet de San�ago under the direc�on of Ivan Nagy where she rose to the status of principal dancer. In 1989 Ms. Warakomsky-Li joined Houston Ballet and became the Principal dancer. With over 20 years of performance experience, Warakomsky-Li has held lead roles in nearly all the major classical ballets. Upon re�ring from the stage in 2001, Ms. Warakomsky-Li was invited to teach at the Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson Academy and has been teaching for Texas Ballet Theater School in Fort Worth since 2003 where she has taught all levels of the school. Ms. Warakomsky-Li was named Principal of Texas Ballet Theater School – Fort Worth in January 2007 and in 2016 was promoted to Associate Director. She also heads the Studio Training Company and has managed the Summer Intensive since its incep�on in 2007. June 14-18 ANNA DONOVAN (Principal Rehearsal Assistant, Texas Ballet Theater) A na�ve of Ireland, Anna Donovan won a scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School in England when she was ten years old. From there she joined the Elmhurst Ballet School. A�er performing in Kaiserslautern, Germany she joined the Irish Na�onal Ballet in 1973 and was rapidly promoted to Principal Dancer. A�er 17 years with INB, she joined the staff of Ballet Dallas in 1991, serving as Principal Ballet Mistress/Repe�teur and instructor for the Dallas Conservatory of Ballet. She is included in The Who’s Who of Teachers in America 2000, 2001, and 2005. Anna joined the ar�s�c staff at TBT as Principal Ballet Master in 2000. June 21-25 ELIZABETH GILLASPY (Chair, TCU Dance Department) is a Texas-based choreographer and dance educator with over 30 years of experience teaching and crea�ng. She is Professor of Ballet and Director in the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance at TCU in Fort Worth. Her performance experiences include dancing and touring with Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta Ballet Chamber Ensemble, North Shore Music Theatre, and Casa Mañana Musicals She has taught and adjudicated throughout the USA, Japan, and Taiwan Na�onal Dance Associa�on named her outstanding dance educator for college/university in 2006. June 7-25 JENNIFER MILNER (Injury Preven�on) is a cer�fied Pilates trainer specializing in dancers and post-injury recoveries. As a classical ballet dancer, Jennifer danced with several companies across the country, then moved to New York for musical theatre. A�er a knee injury ended a successful performing career, Jennifer became determined to use her experiences to help other dancers and performers. She became cer�fied in the Pilates method of exercise, gradua�ng from the Kane School of Core Integra�on under the renowned Kelly Kane and immersed herself in the world of dance rehabilita�on as the on-site Pilates trainer for Westside Dance Physical Therapy (the official physical therapists for New York City Ballet and SAB), quickly developing a reputa�on as a knowledgeable, though�ul, and compassionate trainer. ACADEMY TEACHING STAFF THOM CLOWER (Ballet Instructor) has touched the lives and careers of dancers around the world for over 40 years. With extensive training in the Vaganova, Balanchine, Cecche�, and Bournonville styles, Mr. Clower combines the quali�es of each one to present a technique that is true and versa�le. He trained in Dallas, School of American Ballet, Paris, Amsterdam, and London, and performed eleven seasons with Dallas Ballet, served as Ar�s�c Director of Ballet Dallas for eight seasons, Ballet Master for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Ar�s�c Director of Yuma Ballet Theatre. Mr. Clower has been a guest teacher for Regional Fes�vals since 1992, and faculty at the Na�onal Fes�val both in 1997 and 2007. He has proudly served in the capacity of Adjudicator. Mr. Clower is the Ar�s�c Director of the Academy’s performing company, the Ballet Ensemble of Texas. Mr. Clower is the Ar�s�c Director of the Ballet Ensemble of Texas, and on the faculty of the Ballet Academy of Texas. He has staged the full-length Coppelia and Firebird on the company twice and many concert works, and been as Master Teacher for them since the incep�on. LINDSEY YOES DANIEL (Ballet/Jazz/Character Instructor) is in her sixth season as Ballet Ensemble of Texas’ Ballet Master. She received her training at the Ballet Academy of Texas and was a leading dancer with the Ballet Ensemble of Texas for several years. She has performed professionally with The Dallas Opera, Texas Dance Theatre, Larwell Produc�ons and Dallas Black Dance Theater II; where she was also the Assistant Director to Nycole Ray. Lindsey has worked with many renown choreographers, including Fernando Bujones and Gordon Pierce Schmidt. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Psycholo- gy, and Development in Family Studies from University of North Texas, she a�ended University of Oklahoma on scholarship for collegiate dance training. Lindsey is cer�fied in the American Ballet Theatre Curriculum for the Primary level through Level Five, as well as cer�fied in Progressing Ballet Technique. She has been teaching for ten years. ANGELYN FULTON (Ballet Instructor) is a na�ve of Sea�le, Washington and received her primary training from the Pacific Northwest Ballet School.