|
NORTH STAR BALLET SCHOOL FACULTY
|
Norman Shelburne is a graduate of the University of Utah and a former member of Ballet West. He has danced professionally with Atlanta's Theater Under the Stars, the National Ballet in Washington, DC. and with the Norwegian National Ballet. He received his early training from Constance Hardinge in Bristol, Virginia. His teachers have included Ann Parson, David Howard and Vera Volkova. He has served as Artistic Director of the Lexington Ballet in Lexington, Kentucky, as President of the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association and as a board member of the National Association for Regional Ballet. Mr. Shelburne has held the post of Artistic Director of the North Star Ballet since 1986. In addition, he serves as Director and Principal Teacher for the North Star Ballet School. |
|
Ruth Merriman is the Director and principle teacher of the Creative Movement Program and a certified Pilates instructor for the North Star Ballet School. For the past 16 years Ruth has been teaching creative movement classes that combine skill development along with self expression. Her eclectic background in dance education along with her research in the field of creative movement has led to the development of a very popular and unique Creative Movement Program for children ages 4 - 8 that includes daily classes during the year and a summer creative dance camp. After graduating from the University of Alaska in 1973 with a degree in Early Childhood Development, Ruth met her husband, Harry. She credits much of her program success to raising her own four children; Dana, Leslie, Adam, and Sean. Ruth enjoys guest teaching at local elementary and preschools throughout the school district and in September, 2009, established her own business Alaska Creative Dance in order to reach more children in the interior. Mrs. Merriman's love and knowledge of children combined with a belief that dance for young children should be a joyful, positive, non-competitive experience makes her an exceptional teacher. More information about her Creative Movement program is also avaialable at: http://alaskacreativedance.com/ |
|
Sue Perry received her early ballet training from George Skibine and Marjorie Tallchief in Dallas, Texas. She has danced professionally with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and Ruth Pages' Chicago Ballet. Ms. Perry is a former principal dancer with Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, Ohio, and served on the faculty and as the Education Director for the Ballet Met Academy. She has taught for the Irish National Ballet, Point Park College in Pittsburgh, and the Alaska Dance Theater in Anchorage. Ms. Perry is also well versed in the art of theatrical costuming, has studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology and serves as the head of the North Star Ballet’s Costume Shop. |
|
