Our Teachers
Yen-Li Chen's dancing has been praised by critics and audiences from Asia to South America and through out the
United States. She has been an invited guest artist at the Festival International de Caracas - Venezuela, The
Santiago international Festival - Chile, in Taipei, Taiwan and at several dance companies across North America.
A remarkable mastery of technique and artistry in both classical and contemporary repertory has earned Ms. Chen
accolades of audiences through out the world. Her repertory includes title roles in Giselle, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet,
Swan Lake, the Nutcracker and numerous others. Yen-Li has thrilled Arizona audiences since 1992. Ms. Chen brings the same
passion and artistry of her dancing into the classroom as a master teacher. She has guest taught at numerous ballet schools in
Taiwan, Texas, Oregon, Arizona and California. In Taiwan, her early training in Vaganova and other ballet techniques has served
her very well as a dancer and a teacher. Yen-Li currently resides in Chandler, Arizona with her husband and former Ballet Arizona
principal dancer, Qisheng Zhang, and their two children.
Miguel Garcia began his training at the Ballet Academy of Rego Park, New York.
A scholarship to study at the School of the American Ballet Theatre, resulted in
membership with the junior touring Company of American Ballet Theatre. He then
joined the National Ballet of Canada as a corps de ballet member and was later
promoted to the rank of soloist dancer. During his tenure with the National Ballet he
worked with Rudolph Nuryev, and then performing with "Nureyev and Friends" in
Paris, France, and in the presence of Princess Margaret in London, England and was
featured on the cover of Dance Magazine in July 1985. Mr. Garcia has danced with
Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah. Performing at the Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. In 1991 he joined Ballet Arizona as a soloist
dancer and was moved to the ranks of principal dancer the following season. Mr.
Garcia has also performed with the Milwaukee Ballet and the Colorado Ballet
Gail Passey Reed began her training in California with Contra Costa Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School before joining the Marine Ballet. She then danced for two years with Baltimore Ballet, where her leading roles included the title role in Alice in Wonderland, Bluebird Pas de Deux from The Sleeping Beauty and Flower Festival in Genzano. Ms. Reed joined Ballet Arizona in 1985, its inaugural year. She received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Swanhilda in Michael Uthoff's Coppelia. Other principal roles include the title role in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, Sugar Plum Fairly in The Nutcracker, George Balanchine's Valse Fantasie, Grand pas Classique, and John Cranko's Opus1. She retired from the stage in 1997 and began teaching and administrating for The School of Ballet Arizona. Ms. Reed is married to former Ballet Arizona dancer Michael Reed and they have one little girl Liliana. Gail is very happy to
join the faculty of Yen-Li Chen Ballet School.
Lauren Tomasulo is currently the owner and instructor at Pilates by Fitness Solutions, Inc. Where she is teaching the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning. She has been teaching in Arizona since 1995, and enjoys seeing the changes people can make in their bodies and the wonderful feeling they get from performing the Pilates Method. Ms. Tomasulo hails from New York and has extensive training in ballet, modern, jazz, and musical theatre. She has performed in many dance companies and musical theatre productions. Among some of the shows in Phoenix, Little Shop of Horrors; Fiddler on the Roof; Once Upon a Mattress; and in New York, The Boys from Syracuse; The Gondoliers; Carousel; Kismet; USS Pinafore; The Most Happy Fella; The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Brigadoon; Cabaret; High Button Shoes; Oliver; Nine; How to Succeed In Business; Showboat. Ms. Tomasulo has received a BFA in Dance from Adelphi University, an MA in Educational theatre from New York University, and MS from Hunter College in Elementary Education. She is happy to be teaching at the School of Ballet Arizona and the Yen-li Chen Ballet School.
Yumiko Takahashi - Yumi "la Rosa" began her dancing career in modern dance in Tokyo, Japan at an early age participating in competitions and performing at prestigious theaters. She has studied flamenco in both Spain and US from well known artists such as Belen Maya, Rafaela Carrasco, Isabel Bayón, Antonio Granjero, La Tania, Antonio Hidalgo, and Lydia Torea to name a few. She started performing in Phoenix, AZ in 1999 as a company dancer with Viva Flamenco directed by Lydia Torea, and a soloist with Calo Flamenco, Ballet de Martín Gaxiola in 2004. Currently, she is a featured soloist with Mosaico Flamenco at Hyatt Regency Scottsdale. In 2005, she started her own show monthly at Casa Rincon in Sedona, Arizona. Her flamenco career has extended out as a performer and teacher throughout the Southwest and Mexico. Her teaching experience includes Flamenco workshops and on-going classes throughout the valley and Northern Arizona; such as Arizona Ballet School, Montessori Middle School, Pat Smith Dance School, Arizona School of Classical Ballet, Paradise Valley Community College, Scottsdale Community College, and Coconino Community College. She has joined Arizona Commission for the Arts to educate and preserve the art of flamenco. She also promotes workshops in the Phoenix area inviting well qualified artists from all over US and Spain.
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Tara Kaleta began her training with Mary Moe Adams and the Adams Ballet Academy in Tempe. She continued her professional training at Yen-li Chen Ballet School in Chandler under the direction of Yen-li Chen. Ms. Kaleta participated in the summer intensive programs at American Ballet theatre in New York, Boston Ballet and Marek Cholewa at Butler University in Indiana. Since joining Ballet Arizona in 2002, Ms.Kaleta has performed soloist roles in Raymonda and Ib Andersen's The Nutcracker, Spanish Chocolate and in many other ballets including, La Sylphide, Paquita, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, George Balanchine's Apollo, Agon, La Sonnambula, Serenade, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, and Theme and Variations, and Ib Andersen's Coppelia.
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Megan Gomez began her formal training at Westside Studio in Santa Monica, California. She also took classes under the direction of Stanley Holden and Margaret Hills. At age 14, she received a scholarship from Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School and was chosen to participate in the choreography workshop, where her piece was showcased. Her training continued on full scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington where she started to perform with the company at age 17. Later, she was accepted into the Alvin Ailey Academy of Dance in New York City and was also selected for the first studio company at the famous Steps on Broadway. Ms. Gomez has been teaching dance for 14 years and currently teaches all levels of ballet, partnering, pointe and advanced jazz in addition to choreographing for competitions. She has two children and holds a Bachelors Degree in Secondary Education from North Central University.
 Daniel Baudendistel has trained with Jonathan Watts, Larry Long at the Ruth Page Foundation, Roger Tully in London, and David Howard in New York. He danced with American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, and The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company. He has been featured with the BBC of London and appears in the documentary film "Ballet Russes." He was televised in Russia dancing with Ekaterina Maximova at the Kremlin Palace, as well as appearing with Gala Des Etoiles in Montreal. He is noted for his partnering skills and dramatic roles. As a teacher he has worked with students at the ABT Summer Intensive in New York, The Joffrey Ballet and continues to coach dancers privately around the world. He is noted for his knowledge of kinetic principles, music theory and understanding of the classical form as it relates to the dance. He was Professor of dance at the New School University Eugene Lang College in New York City. Mr. Baudendistel was awarded First Prize at the Saint Sauver International Choreographic Competition. He has choreographed ballets for the ABT Studio Company, Oregon Ballet Theatre and ABT Summer Intensive Programs. He has also directed and choreographed for The Hiroshima Opera Company. His last review in The New York Times had this to say: "Mr. Baudendistel has a special gift for making something fresh of classical ballet, not only working with the vocabulary but also evoking the look and mood of 19th century classical 'tutu ballets.' It is not pastiche choreography but his work, scented with an indefinable perfume of its own."Jenni Hjalmarson, a native of Phoenix, began her training with Kelly Brown at Phoenix School of Ballet and continued on scholarship at the North Carolina School for the Arts with Duncan Noble and Melissa Hayden. Upon graduating, she danced at the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts in New York City with the Metropolitan Ballet Company. She was invited by Director, Roy Tobias to perform with the Universal Ballet Company of South Korea at the Seoul Olympic Arts Festival which led to becoming a Soloist with the company. She also joined the Seoul Ballet Theatre and collaborated in the performances with the Basel Ballet of Switzerland, Atterbaletto of Rome and Atlanta Ballet Company. In Seoul Ballet Theatre's US debut, she performed the principal role in James Jeon's, Three Moments at the Kennedy Center for the Arts in Washington DC. Upon moving back to the United States, Ms. Hjalmarson was guest principle with Malibu Ballet, Omaha Ballet Theatre, Albany Berkshire Ballet Company and the Connecticut Ballet Company. She made her theatre debut portraying ballerina, Tamara Karsavina in the off-Broadway show Nijinsky. She performed four seasons with Ballet Arizona under the direction of Ib Anderson. In addition to performing, Ms. Hjalmarson trained at the Bodyscapes Scott-Method Pilates Center and has over 15 years of experience teaching ballet at all levels. |