ACADEMY OF AMERICAN BALLET INSTRUCTORS

JULIA BALL-DUGAN

Director

Julia began studying ballet with the Sacramento Ballet under the directorship of Barbara Crockett.  Her training also included study with the Boston Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, and scholarship study with the San Francisco Ballet.  After graduating from high school, Julia began dancing professionally with the American Festival Ballet.  While dancing with the Eugene Ballet and Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Julia toured throughout 45 of the continental States, and performed overseas in Taiwan.  After dancing professionally for five years, she began her university studies and graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Economics and an MA in Dance Education.  Julia founded Stanford’s first ballet company, taught university ballet classes, and received a full-scholarship from former Provost Condoleezza Rice.

Julia has been teaching dance for twenty years, and has directed Nutcracker and other productions for fifteen years.  She has extensive training in Pilates and Feldenkrais which she tries to incorporate into her teaching.  Julia opened AAB in the fall of 1999 with a vision to improve dance training methods and provide a progressive approach to coaching dancers.

Julia is a proud wife, and mother of three children.

TANYA GUNTON-CARROLL
Assistant Director, Ballet and Modern Instructor

Tanya has studied ballet, contemporary/modern, hip-hop, jazz, and lyrical. She has performed and trained with many artists including Julia Ball-Dugan, Catherine Marie Davalos, FRIT & FRAT, Nina Haft, Dana Lawton, Randee Paufvee, Benedicte Schoyen, Jill Strauss, and Pepper Von. Tanya has held positions of Assistant Director for Ballet America and Saint Mary's Dance Company, Cheerleading/Dance Coach for Pacific Palisades HS, Program Director for dance and movement clinics for the Girl Scouts and guest choreographer/instructor for Santa Maria College, Santa Monica Dance Studio, Saint Mary's College, and HS dance programs. She has performed in professional and community settings in musical theatre, reader's theatre, a Disney production, and many dance productions. Tanya holds a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Dance from Saint Mary's College and is obtaining her Teaching Credential and M.S. in Special Education. She currently teaches at the Academy of American Ballet and is a Behavior Therapist for autistic children. Tanya is grateful to be a part of the AAB/BA Staff and wholeheartedly supports its mission!

JENNY NAGEL
Instructor of Ballet, Modern, and Pilates Classes

Jenny Nagel graduated magna cum laude from UC Irvine with her BA in Dance, and is a certified Pilates instructor. She teaches Ballet, Modern and Pilates/Yoga for AAB, and is thrilled to be on staff with such a wonderful studio that shares her same movement philosophy. Upon graduation from college, Jenny traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska (yes…it was cold!) to teach dance and, upon returning to the central coast, was on staff at Allan Hancock College, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts and Infinite Dynamics Pilates Studio. She has performed extensively, and choreographed, at UC Irvine, Allan Hancock College and with various modern dance companies including: Variable Velocity, Transit, Taproot, Liminal and Printz Dance Project. Jenny hopes to squeeze all that she can out of the Bay Area dance community by continuing to teach, perform and choreograph, and is currently working toward her certification in Gyrokinesis. Jenny is currently on staff at AAB and FORM Fitness in Palo Alto.

KATE LIEBERTH

Ballet Instructor

Kate M. Lieberth grew up in Akron, Ohio and began her professional training under the tutelage of Nan Klinger as a member of the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. As a member of the CVYB, she participated in the International Children's Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. She also attended several summer programs including Chautauqua Institution, Boston Ballet, School of American Ballet, Ballet Met, and Ballet Austin. Kate attended The University of Utah where she pursued a BFA in Ballet Performance and was a member of Utah Ballet. Kate danced professionally with Richmond Ballet in Virginia, Ballet Memphis, and Oakland Ballet. Kate has spent the last 4 seasons dancing with Company C Contemporary Ballet, recently retiring to work as a guest artist and pursue her love of teaching.

DAVI QUEZADA

Ballet Instructor 
Davi Quezada has studied dance, art and musical theatre most of her life. Not afraid to push the boundaries in performance, Davi studied puppeteering, and apprenticed under puppeteer Jeanie Geyser in Southern California. Davi found a perfect combination in dance, theatre, acting and art through the colorful world of animation. Davidova holds a B.F.A. degree in Film/Video with a minor in Dance from the California Institute of the Arts. In 2002/03 she served as a dancer and Board Member of Shipp Dance Theatre in Santa Clara, California. She has performed in several projects for various dance companies in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2003 Davi found herself back on Stage with Theatre Works in Menlo Park, California. Through a generous grant from Theatre Works and Stanford Hospital, she served as a teaching artist with the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, teaching puppeteering and movement theatre. She is also an active member of the Northern California Dance Alliance. Davi is currently teaching at the Academy of American Ballet, The City of Palo Alto (Children’s Art Program) and works for a Video Game Company in the Bay Area. Using all of her experiences, she hopes to someday create dance and art inspiring children’s books and interactive entertainment for people of all ages.

ANDRE LEVITT

Ballet Instructor

LAURA BALDINI

Ballet Instructor
Laura was trained in Royal American Ballet, jazz dance, and musical theatre. After working in children's recreation and dancing in college, Laura obtained her Teaching Credential. For the last 23 years, she has been teaching at John Gill, a multi-age performing arts school. She also teaches ballet at the Academy of American Ballet.