RSB Alumni

Since 1998 RSB has been offering pre-professional instruction to its students, training them for post-secondary dance study and jobs.  Please find below a list of our current alumni, what they are doing & what some of them have to say about RSB.

2000 Julie Speck Miller


Julie graduated from the University of Akron with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Ballet in 2004.  As a previous Guest Artsist with RSB she has danced lead roles in Swan Lake & Paquita with her partner Buddy Flowers.  She currently is on staff as a Ballet Teacher @ emjaez in Bay Village, Ohio.


Photo by M. Romo

 
2000 Bethany Karas
2005 Magna Cum Laude graduate of the Point Park Conservatory with a B.A. in Advertising  & Public Relations plus a Dance Minor. 

2001 Kathleen Luschek


2005 graduate from The American University in Washington D.C. with a Bachelor's of Arts.  She is planning on pursuing a graduate education.  While in Washington D.C Kathleen interned with the Washington Ballet & contiuned to study ballet @ the university.  Kathleen is the daughter of RSB/RYBC Costumer and  Stage Crew, Vicki Luschek.




2001 Sarah Schneider
2005 graduate from Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA witha Bachelor of Arts in Teaching & Choreography.  Sarah has accepted a job with Ballet Memphis in Tennesee.  She will be teaching ballet, pointe and repertoire for the Ballet Memphis school, as well as acting as the Co-Artistic Director of the Ballet Memphis Junior Company.  

2001 Renee Rossi
Renee Rossi joined the staff at RSB in 2003. After graduating from the University of Akron in 2005 with a B.A. in French and Minor in Dance, she made her choreographic debut with the Royal Youth Ballet Company in 2006 with "Facades." Besides guest choreographer, she has held such titles as administrative assistant to the Director, ballet instructor at RSB, and RYBC board member. More recently, she has spent the 2006-2007 school year teaching english abroad in Nice, France. In her free time, Renee enjoys spending time with her family, studiying ballroom dance, and speaking French. She is very excited to be back in the States to be a part of RSB/RYBC.  Renee will be at the RSB Front Desk in an administrative capacity and joining RYBC as acting 2007 Interim Artistic Director under the guidance of Mrs. Morscher while she is on Maternity Leave.

2001 Jenni Nalette

Jenni will graduate from Ohio University in 2006 with a Dance Minor & has accepted a contract with the Azugano African Dance Company.  Beginning December 2005 she will begin touring throughout the United States with this company. This summer the tour will take her to Europe & Southeast Asia. As a RSB student she danced lead roles in Coppelia & the Nutcracker.  Jenni continues to be an integral part of the RSB Summer faculty.

"There is no better school than RSB.  It was the place where I grew up and was surrounded by love & support."

Photo by Richard Finklestein.

2003 Leah Baxendale


Currently a Dance Major @ Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA.  As a RSB student, Leah danced lead roles in Coppelia, Nutcracker & Paquita, and was an original cast member in Handel Suites & Preludes. 



Photo by M. Romo

2003 Leanne Breslin
Graduate of the University of Akron with a double major in Business & Dance, Leanne serves as the 2007-2008 Interim Director of RSB. As a RSB student, Leanne danced lead roles in the Nutcracker, and was an original cast member in Handel Suites & Preludes. Prelude One was choroegraphed on Leanne and received its premier in Spring 2002, as well as an invitation to dance in the 25th Ohio Dance Anniversary in Clevelnad, Ohio.  Leanne was also a member of the 2001 Ensemble 3rd Place Finish @ YAGP in Chciago, Illinois.  We are thrilled to have Leanne on staff as Interim Director for the 2007-2008 RSB season.



Photo by E. Skarl

2003 Brooke Datko
A student @ RSB from November 1998-November 2003, Brooke participated in many performances & festivals.  Brooke was an original member of the RYBC & traveled to Columbus, Ohio for the premiere of Preludes.  Brooke is curently enrolled in the US Navel Academy and is planning a career in Aerospace Engineering.

"Mrs. Morscher has been a role model for me.  The discipline I have learned from Ballet has carried with me, and prepared me for the military.   Ballet is very challenging.  It makes you work hard and push yourself past your limits."


2003 Amanda Klusmann
Amanda is currently enrolled in Ohio University, where she continues her dance studies.  As a RSB student she participated  in many Nutcrackers and was an original cast member in Handel Suites & Preludes.  Amanda was a member of the 2001 Ensemble 3rd Place Finish @ YAGP in Chicago, Illinois.





Photo by M. Romo


2003 Jill Laub

A summer school student from 1999-2000, Jill began attending RSB in 2001 and worked her way to full time study in 2002-2003.   At the 2002 Winter Extravagnza Jill performed the role of Mother Ginger in the Nutcracker and opened the performance with a contemporary jazz  number choreographed by Mary Jo Rimke.  She is currently training @ Broadway Dance in NYC and pursuing her undergraduate degree @ Fordham University in Communications and Media Studies with an English minor.  For the 2005-2006 season she will be participating in the first year of the new intensive scholarship, the Professional Program @ Broadway Dance Center.  Additionally, she has been assisting Michele Assaf in class and with her instuctional dance video series. Live! at Broadway Dance Center.  She has performed with the Fordham University Dance Team (2003-2004), @ the Hatch at Jennifer Muller/The WORKS, the DUMBO Arts Festival, in the Boardway Dance Center Showcase, as well original contemporary showcases with Collide and Enfocus dance.  In March 2005 Jill presented a Guest Artist workshop @ RSB teaching AI Strech and Jazz.

"RSB gave me the technical background & professional etiquette to walk into any dance class and be able to work to my fullest potential."         

2003 Alison Morey
RSB student from 1998, Alison graduated from the University of Akron's dance program with a BFA in Dance with a concentration in Ballet, as well as a a minor in Business Management Technology.  Alison was an active member in the University's dance club Terpsichore, where she particiapted in many student choreographed performances such as  Choreographer's Workshop & Spring into Dance.  Roles have included Cygnet (Little Swan) in Swan Lake, the Emerald Fairy from Sleeping Beauty, as well as original choreography from Andrew Carroll, Cydney Spohn and Marc Ozanich.  Alsion  performed & toured with University of Akrn's Opera Chorus, where she had a featured role in their production of Amahl.  Alison accepted a contract with Jennifer Muller-The Works in NYC.for the 2007-2008 Season.
Photo by E. Skarl

As a RSB student, Alison particpated in many Festivals, Nutcrackers, and Competitions.  She has held various corp de ballet (Coppelia, Swan Lake) and princpal/solist roles (Sugar Plum Fairy, Marzipan, Paquita, Handel Suites, Prelude Three) @ RSB. Additionally, she was a member of the 2001 Ensemble 3rd Place Finish at YAGP in Chicago, Illinois.  Lastly, Alison has been on staff @ RSB teaching Ballet & Floor Barre.

"We dance for laughter, we dance for tears, we dance for madness, we dance for fears, we dance for hopes, we dance for screams, we are the dancers, we create dreams.  RSB changed my whole outlook on learning and reaching dance goals along with day to day life.  It has been a long, challenging road, but I could not have asked for more."

2003 Kali Tarzanick

A student since 1998, Kali danced as Chinese Tea and a Snowflake in RSB's production of the Nutcracker. She recently taught as a Guest Artist in RSB's Jazz Program.  She is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy for Musical Theatre in NYC.  She continues her Jazz & Tap studies @ Broadway Dance Center and takes ballet class from American Ballet Theatre.   

"RSB made me the Jazz dancer I am today.  If it wasn't for RSB I wouldn't have developed such great technique."


2004 Caitlin Macuga
Currently a sophmore @ John Carroll University, Caitlin joined RSB in 2000.  She has particpated in Nutcracker (Snowflake & Chinese Tea), Spring Repertory (Swan Lake, Recolhimento em Algeria, Objection Tango) & was a member of the 2001 Third Place Ensemble finish @ YAGP in Chicago, Illinois.   She continues her dance studies and she pursues her undergraduate degree.

2005 Rebecca Nicklos  
Rebecca joined RSB in the summer of 2002 and spent the next 3 years immersing herself in ballet.  She has participated in numerous concerts, performances, competitions with the school & youth ballet company.   An original member of RYBC, she made her premier has the Prelude One soloist  in Columbus, Ohio @ the 2003 Ohio Dance Festival.  Rebecca was part of the fourth place Handel Suites ensemble that qualified as a finalist @ YAGP 2004 in Chicago, Illinois.   In 2004, she danced the Nutcracker Pas de Deux with Mac Dang from Dancing Wheels @  RYBC'S  Winter Extravaganza.  In addition to her ballet taining, Rebecca was a member of the North Royalton Royalettes under the direction of Karen Zingale.  Rebecca graduated from the residency program in 2007 from the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts and accepted a contract with MOMIX..
Photo by J. Von Enck

2006 Theresa Bonvissuto

2006 Anna Li
Anna trained at RSB for 8 years as a student and original youth company member.  She was a member of the fourth place Handel Suites at the YAGP competition and has held most principal and soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Facades, Onda 9, Scherzo, Swan Lake, Paquita, and the Gershwin Preludes. She also was an assistant teacher for Ballet I and II for one year.
She is a National Merit Finalist studying Pre-Medical Health at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA with a double major in chemistry and psychology. She is a choreographer for the student-run Dancers’ Symposium at CMU and continues to take dance classes whenever she can both in Pittsburgh and at RSB.

“RSB was a second home to me, as I grew up with all of the staff constantly supporting and teaching me, shaping me into the person I am today.  I learned more than dance at RSB; I was taught determination, perfection, practice, discipline, expression, and most of all to go for my dreams.”

2006 Rachel Mihalko

e-mail:  rsb@morscher.com