IBC Faculty Page

IBC Faculty

Lori Christman Bourtasenkov is known in the ballet world for her diversity that has won her critical acclaim both Nationally and Internationally. Her repertory includes many of the Classics and she has worked with today's top choreographers. Most recently, she has been seen dancing lead roles with the Carolina Ballet. She currently is responsible for setting the children's roles in the Carolina Ballet's production of the Nutcracker Ballet. She was also a Principal Dancer with the New Jersey Ballet where she met Infinity Ballets' co-founder Debra Sayles Senchak.; Through Infinity Ballet, Ms. Christman has been successful in producing dance performances for the community and is instrumental in educating the younger audiences in the art of dance with children performances, workshops and lecture demonstrations. In 1991 Ms. Christman was instrumental in starting a professional non-profit ballet school in Northern New Jersey, where she expanded her experience as a ballet teacher and coach. She was successful in writing and receiving grants for specific projects on a State level for the school. "My lifelong love has been ballet, and I would like to share my passion and knowledge with the next generation."

Debra Sayles Senchak has worked as a professional performer and dance instructor since 1976. She began her academic studies with Cecchetti training under Margaret Dallman and at the Washington School of Ballet under Mary Day. Her advanced training continued at American Ballet Theater School, David Howard School and New Jersey Ballet School where she joined the faculty and became a Principal Dancer of the New Jersey Ballet Company. Noted for her versatility she has performed extensively throughout the world. She has toured with Edward Villella Dance Ensemble, Stars of American Ballet, and Kozlov and Friends. Ms. Senchak has formal pedagogy training in the Complete Teaching Method of Classical Dance developed by Vera Kostrovitskaya and based on the work of Agrippina Vaganova at the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, taught by Prof. Peggy Willis-Aarnio. She has developed her leadership as an educator in the use of the Fine Art of Classical Dance Training for developing performers. Ms. Senchak has taught on the faculty of both NCDI and CPAC in NC in addition to Director and Teacher with the Infinity Ballet Conservatory and Theatre. She currently is an active Apex Arts Council member.

Ms. Margaret Rowland trained extensively with Mr. Pavel Rotaru, Principal Danseur with the Bucharest Opera Ballet, in Romania. She performed leading roles with Ballet Rotaru during her three year tenure with the company before being accepted into the Boston Ballet. Ms. Rowland could be seen in Soloist and Character roles for major ballets in addition to being a staple of the Corps de Ballet. She became an established guest speaker for the company for social seminars as she was often chosen to help bring Awareness of the Arts into the community. In 1996 she performed with the Santa Fe Opera as a Principal Dancer before relocating to Raleigh, North Carolina. During her performing career Ms. Rowland toured to several European Countries. Since 2001 Ms. Rowland has continued her passion for dance with formal training in The Teaching Method of Classical Dance. She has served on the dance faculty at Elon University, a staff ballet instructor with the Durham Arts Council and Ballet Mistress with Broadway Dance Project. Ms. Rowland continues to help bring Awareness of the Arts into the community with her participation in Infinity Ballet Company and United Artists Programs. She joins Infinity Ballet Conservatory Faculty as a Classical Ballet Instructor.

Timour Bourtasenkov began his professional education with the Moldavian Opera House and the Bolshoi Ballet. Upon coming to America he danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and the New York City based Daring Project. In 1998, Mr. Bourtasenkov joined the Carolina Ballet as a Principal Dancer and founding member. His repertory includes ballets by Marius Petipa, August Bournoniville, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Frederick Ashton, Anthony Tudor, Jose Limon, Peter Martins, Robert North, Margo Sappington, William Forsyth, Richard Tanner, Lynne Taylor-Corbett and Christopher Wheeldon. Carolina Ballet's Artistic Director, Robert Weiss has created numerous principal roles for him in the companies' repertory.

Mr. Bourtasenkov has choreographed works for Carolina Ballet, Infinity Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and most recently the New York Choreographic Institute, using New York City Ballet members. His ballets include Light and Dark, sections of Messiah, Rag House, Elements, Memories, Visions, Intrigues, Dance of the Spirits and Tango! Tango! Tango!

Mr. Bourtasenkov won Bronze Medals in the VII Massako Ohyo World Ballet Competition of Osaka, Japan and the V International Competition of Paris, France. He was awarded a jury prize at the 2nd Luxembourg International Ballet Competition. Mr. Bourtasenkov has appeared in two USSR movies: The Long Way and The Magic Star. In 1996, he filmed Little Red Ridinghood, directed by Davis Koplan and choreographed by Elena Tchernichova.

In 1996, Mr. Bourtasenkov became the Artistic Advisor of Infinity Ballet.

Angella Foster began her classical ballet training at the Kentucky Repertory Dance Theatre. She continued her studies on academic and arts scholarship at Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she earned her BA in Modern Dance Performance/ Choreography and English Literature. Upon graduation, she was offered a work study scholarship to enroll in the Professional Training Program at the Merce Cunningham Dance studio in New York City. During her two years of intensive technique study, she had the opportunity to produce two concerts featuring the work of emerging choreographers, including her own solo and ensemble works. In August 2002, Angella relocated to Houston, Texas to perform with the regional touring ensemble Ad Deum Dance Company. Most recently, she married her lifelong friend, Benjamin Foster, and settled in Carrboro, North Carolina. Caroline Krähe received her teaching degree from the Royal Academy of Dance and also holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She is an associate with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, National Character Dance Division. Ms. Krähe trained in the Vaganova and Royal Academy of Dance methods and also holds the Cechetti Intermediate certificate.

She trained in Argentina, England, and in Canada with National Ballet School in Toronto. She trained with Olga Baltecheeva, head of the St. Petersburg, Russia, Vaganova Institute and Bonnie Popadoplous, head of Music at University of Alberta. She was an Apprentice with Le Grande Ballet Canadiens. Ms. Krähe was the Director of her own ballet school in Canada for 10 years. She served as the Artistic Director of the Nova Scotia Children's Ballet Company, which toured nationally and was featured on national television. She has taught in Germany and guest teaches in England and Canada annually. She also taught at the Raleigh School of Ballet.

Ms. Krähe's classes lay the foundation for development of the educated student in classical ballet. She lives in Cary with her husband and her two children. Ms. Krähe has developed a specialized program for children's creative movement and music. She incorporates the elements of early movement and music by using musical instruments, awareness of anatomy, and the child's individual creativity.

Margot K. Martin began training at the age of 8 with Tanju and Patricia Tuzer in Dallas, Texas. Later, she trained with Lisa Owen at the Conservatory of Classical Ballet and in 1997, she trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet on full scholarship. Ms. Martin is a founding member of Carolina Ballet and has danced the complete repertoire of the company during the past four seasons, including performances in Tarantella and "Trio" in Great Galloping Gottschalk.

Guest of Honor and Teacher's Workshop Educator

7th, 8th, and 9th Annual Teacher's Congress, hosted by Infinity Ballet

Please see Willis Ballet for more information.

Principal Danceur of Pennsylavania Ballet
IBC Guest Teacher - Dance Intensives

Borovik was born in Russia and began his ballet training at the age of ten at the Perm Ballet Academy. Upon graduating in 1979, he was invited to join the Perm Ballet Theatre. His reputation quickly established itself, and in 1982 he was elevated to Premiere Dancer.

Mr. Borovik was awarded the Second Prize at The Artistic Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1984. In 1987, he won the Gold Medal at The Sixth Concourse International Ballet Festival in Peru and was honored with a decoration as "Merited Artist of Russia."

A highly sought-after guest artist, Mr. Borovik has made numerous appearances internationally and throughout Russia. In 1997, he toured China with "The Stars of the American Ballet." He has also toured Europe and Asia with the company "Stars of the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet." Since 1992, Mr. Borovik has been a Principal Dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet.

His extensive repertoire includes principal roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, and others. Along with the leading roles in the classical repertoire, he has taken up additional assignments in the ballets of George Balanchine: Apollo, Rubies, The Four Temperaments, Tarantella, Serenade, Theme and Variations, and Stars and Stripes. Mr. Borovik has also danced in such diverse pieces as Hans Van Manen's Grosse Fugue, Paul Taylor's Arden Court, Lynne Taylor-Corbett's Great Galloping Gottschalk, and has created roles in many new ballets.

In June 1997, Mr. Borovik had the prestigious honor of being invited to return to his homeland of Russia to appear as Principal Guest Artist in The Perm Ballet Theatre's productions of Don Quixote and Giselle in celebration of their 125th Jubilee.

Mr. Borovik is a virtuoso with an instantly recognizable individual style, whose career is still expanding: a great artist and a unique personality.

Visit Pennsylvania Ballet Online Please see Carolina Ballet's Dancer Bio for Ms. Severin-Hansen. Please see the Broadway Dance Center's Dancer Bio for Mr. Lazar.

Marina Medvetskaya is currently the Artistic Director of the Marina Medvetskaya Classical Ballet Theater of St. Petersburg, Russia. She is a former Leading Soloist with The Tblisi State and Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. She is a disciple of the world-famous ballet artist, Vakhtang Chaboukiani, and has danced all the lead roles in the classical repertoire. She has also worked with Alexander Plesetsky and performed the Role of "Black Bess" under the direction of Mikhael Lavrovsky. She was the guiding force in the creation of the St. Petersburg Classic Ballet in 1996, and was instrumental in preparing the Company for its Gold Medal victory at the Kaliningrad International Ballet Competition, "Amber Necklace" in 1998.

Willis Ballet is the USA Sponsor for the companies current tours of America. Visit www.willisballet.com for more information. Please see the North Carolina Dance Institute for Ms. Tice.

Ms. Alaine Haubert is a former principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre and Ballet Mistress for American Ballet Theatre.

She has been a University of Hawaii faculty member for nine years, and is frequent Guest Instructor for Ballet Hawaii and West Hawaii Dance Theatre Summer and Winter Workshops. Ms. Haubert most recent years have been as a Professor of Dance at California State University at Long Beach. She currently is active as an International Guest teacher through out the country and is Director of the ABT summer intensive program in Detroit, Michigan. A graduate of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Leningrad, USSR, Ms. Gulyaeva joined the Kirov Ballet in 1972, dancing featured roles in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, La Bayadere and Don Quixote. In the 1980's, she was invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov to join the staff of American Ballet Theatre, where she taught company class, coached the dancers. She also taught all levels at the ABT School. Additional teaching credits include the Australian Ballet in Melbourne, the School of American Ballet in New York City, and seminars at numerous universities in the United States.

Laura Stauderman Earnhardt's professional experience began in NY as a member of the Mid-Hudson Ballet Company. She earned a BFA in dance education from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a Master of Arts in dance education from Teachers College, Columbia University, NY. While there she taught the modern dance course and produced the annual student choreography concerts. Throughout her education, Laura has trained with many top choreographers and teachers including Milton Myers, Ronen Koresh, Pat Thomas, Val Suarez, Donald Byrd, Dwight Rhoden, and Desmond Richardson. She danced Doris Humphrey's "Life of the Bee" for the Humphrey-Weidman 100th year celebration at the Danny Kaye Playhouse in NY. In 1998 she performed at Lincoln Center with the Marcy Simon Dance Company with guest choreographer Janis Brenner.

After leaving NY, she spent four years teaching and directing a performing arts high school in Tampa, FL. Her students have since graduated and attend leading national dance programs including NYU Tisch, New World School of the Arts, North Carolina School of the Arts, and the University of the Arts. She also choreographed works for the dance program at St. Petersburg College, Florida and The Tampa Visitor's Bureau. Laura relocated to North Carolina in 2003 and and became the director of East Millbrook Dance Program. In August of 2006 she will begin her position as director of the dance department at Holly Springs High School and join the faculty at Infinity Ballet Conservatory.

Rebekah Spurgeon began dancing in her mother's womb and continued to explore her talent at Greensboro Christian Arts Academy, Greensboro Ballet, and Greensboro Dance Theater. She began choreographing for her church dance team at the age of 12. Bekah attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as well as the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance. During her time in Charlotte she danced professionally for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats' Dance Team. She has studied with various artists including E.E. Balcos, Delia Neil, Melissa Coyle former principle dancer of the American Ballet Theater, Jan Van Dyke, Shawni Collins of Urban Bush Women, and April Berry former principle dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Bekah has participated in summer programs at Broadway Dance Center, North Carolina School of the Arts, and the American Dance Festival where she performed Paul Taylor's Esplanade. She has also had the opportunity to perform at Disney World, Dolphin Cruise Lines, the North Carolina Dance Festival, and the American College Dance Festival gala. Bekah lives in Raleigh with her newly wed husband and continues to pursue her passion for dance in the forms of teaching, choreographing, and performing.

Sian Panter began her ballet training in Fayetteville, NC, with Ms. Josi Von Strasnicsak. She attended Virginia Intermont College, under the direction of Ms. Constance Hardinge and graduated with a BA degree in Ballet (teaching emphasis) in 1985. Ms. Panter performed with the Bristol Ballet Company (Nutcracker, Paquita, American Sampler, Mist Leaves No Scar), and taught ballet at several of the company's branch schools throughout the Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky region. In 1986, she was invited to teach ballet at the Kingsport Guild of Ballet, under the direction of Ms. Karen Gibbons-Brown. She performed in many ballets with the State of Franklin Dance Alliance, including Pas de Quatre, Giselle, and Swan Lake (Act II). She also performed with Mountain Movers, a modern dance company out of East Tennessee State University, directed by Judy Woodruff. Additional teachers include Edward Villella, Jeremy Blanton, David Howard, Robert Barnette, Jill Bahr, Richard Kuch, Trish Casey, Robert Spaur, Dawn Clark, Cyndee Pratt, Joseph Carow, Ilir Shtylla, and Margot Martin.

In 1989, Ms. Panter moved back to NC to teach dance education in the Sampson County Public Schools. She taught at Midway and Hobbton High Schools for three years. During this time, she also taught ballet and modern at her home studio in Fayetteville, and was instrumental in the creation of Cedar Creek Performing Arts Center in eastern Cumberland County. In 1995, Ms. Panter joined the faculty of Mary McArthur A+ Elementary School at the beginning stages of a school-wide reform effort that focused on the integration of arts and education. Ms. Panter received her K-12 Dance Education Certification from East Carolina University in 1998. She continues to teach students in grades Kindergarten through five at Mary McArthur A+ Elementary School and serves as the A+ Coordinator for the school.

Ms. Panter is an advocate for arts education and awareness, and serves on the Board of Directors for Arts North Carolina in July 2005. She has continued her studies in classical ballet at the Infinity Ballet Conservatory in Apex. Ms. Panter recently participated in the 9th and 10th International Teacher's Congress for the Study of the Teaching Method of Classical Ballet, taught by Peggy Willis-Aarnio M.F.A., Ph.D., in July 2006 and successfully completed studies in the elementary work. She currently resides in Stedman with her husband and 2 cats.

Alexis Price is a freelance performer, who most recently has been the tap dancing part of a musical duo with folk musician Frank Hoier throughout New York City. Alexis began her tap training with Gene Medler and quickly became a member of the North Carolina Youth Tap Ensemble. She spent almost twelve years dancing with the company, performing at The St. Louis Rhythm Tap Festival, The New York City Tap Festival, The Chicago Human Rhythm Project, and The Heidelberg Human Rhythm Project, as well as various other cities and venues throughout the United States. Along with Mr. Medler, she has studied tap under Diane Walker, Savion Glover, Josh Hilberman, Michelle Dorrance, and Brenda Buffalino. Ms. Price studied ballet, modern, and jazz/hip-hop under M'liss Dorrance, Carol Finley, and Rebecca Amos. She received a BA in Dance with a concentration in private studio teaching from Meredith College in 2006, and has been teaching Tap, Creative Movement, and Ballet in both North Carolina and New York City since 2002.

Kerry Ann Lambert relocated to the Raleigh, NC area in 2006 from Bethlehem, Pa. where she taught at the Lehigh Valley Charter HS for the Performing Arts and Sacred Heart School. In 1998 she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from Allentown College of St. Francis DeSales in Center Valley, Pa.

Ms. Lambert has continued professionally as a performer, costumer and in administrative assisting. Included in the many shows she has performed in is her role as Co-Dance Captain of the "42nd Street" Japan and National tour with the Big League Theatricals. She has actively taught dance to children during most of her adult life.

Infinity Ballet Conservatory welcomes Ms. Lambert on the faculty as a teacher in their theatre dance classes.

Sue Hewgill Peterson started ballet classes at the age of 3. In England she attended Elmhurst Ballet School, Phyllis Bedells School and The Royal Ballet School, gaining Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society of Dance Teaching Qualifications.

She established and ran a full time dance studio and dancewear shop which still run today. She then moved on to be Head of Dance at Queen Margaret's Independent Boarding School in York, England building up the participation of dance pupils. During that time she also taught for the Royal Ballet School Associate Scheme. Mrs Peterson has performed in and choreographed for many Musicals and staged countless amateur and professional Dance productions including pieces set to music that was written especially for her. In 2004 she moved to America with her new husband and made her home in North Carolina where she continues to share her knowledge and pass on her love of dance. Infinity Ballet welcomes her on their faculty of teachers.

IBC Faculty

Classical Ballet:

Children’s Dance, Camps and Track Out Programs (Ballet, Jazz and Tap):

Jazz, & Modern:

Character:

Guest Artists & Teachers: