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..
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.
Helio Lima was born in Brazil and started dancing at the age of 10. He studied with Patricia Salgado at Escola de Dança Petite Danse in Rio de Janeiro for 9 years. In 2009 he was placed amongst the top ten finalist of the Youth American Grand Prix and was awarded the Sir Logan Campbell ballet award. He was also awarded scholarships to Washington Ballet School and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School but accepted the Jerome Robbins Foundation Scholarship to study full time at the New Zealand School of Dance. At the end of 2010 he joined The Western Australian Ballet Company, for the Marcia Haydeé’s season of Sleeping Beauty under Ivan Cavallari. In 2011, Helio was offered a place with the Royal New Zealand Ballet Company under Ethan Stiefel. In 2014 Helio was offered a contract with Boston Ballet Company under Mikko Nissinen. One of Helio’s favorite roles he has performed was Albrecht from Johan Kobborg and Ethan Stiefel’s production of Giselle. Dream Pas in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias and Blue Bird in Marcia Haydeé’s Sleeping Beauty.
Antoinette Klimek has lived and trained throughout the United States, studying at Ballet Omaha, American Ballet Theatre, Western Arkansas Ballet, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Visceral Dance Chicago, Ballet Arizona, Ballet Theatre of Phoenix, and on scholarship with Dayton Ballet. Antoinette moved to Chicago after receiving an academic scholarship to study at the University of Chicago. There, she joined University Ballet of Chicago as a performer, teacher, and choreographer, assisting in the production of numerous performances, including full-length ballets. Finding a love of teaching through this experience, after graduation she joined the staff of Chicago’s ARCC Ballet and Dance, where she had an active role in program development. She created the school’s syllabus, created and managed its work-study program, and managed its dance library. While at ARCC, she also worked as a professional ballet dancer in both the classical and contemporary genres, dancing with companies such as Geiger Dance Project, Elements Contemporary Ballet, Jaxon Movement Arts, Ballet North, and Midwest Ballet Theatre. She has a great love of the classics, and her favorite featured roles include the title role of Giselle and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. In 2013, Antoinette moved to Phoenix, where she joined the Yen Li Chen School of Ballet faculty and continued to perform professionally with companies such as Convergence Ballet and Center Dance Ensemble. She retired from performance in 2019 and enjoys passing on the beautiful art of ballet to her students.
Olga Tarasova was born in Vladivostok (Far East Russia) and received her ballet education from Voronezh State Academic Opera and Ballet School. After graduation she was invited to dance with the Krasnoyarsky Academic Opera and Ballet Theater (Russia) where she performed many solo and leading roles in a large number of well-known ballets such as “Swan Lake,” “Giselle,” “Bayadere,” “Spartacus,” “Notre Dame de Paris,” etc. While with Krasnoyarsky, Ms. Tarasova continued her studies by taking intensive instruction under world-renowned dancers and teachers from both the Kirov and Bolshoi Ballet Companies. In 1986, Ms. Tarasova was invited to join the Kiev Theater of Classical Ballet in the Ukraine. Her repertoire included “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Nutcracker,” “Thumbelina,” “Harlinquinade,” etc. She toured throughout Europe and Russia performing in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Italy and France. In 1995, Ms. Tarasova was invited to dance in the United States, bringing her unique style to the American audience. In 1998, Ms. Tarasova transitioned from a vast performance career to a full-time teaching career. She has taught at both Brigham Young University and Boise State University as a guest teacher. Ms. Tarasova is an expert in the pedagogy of the Vaganova style of classical ballet technique. A masterful instructor, she teaches Ballet, Technique, Pointe, and has staged many variations from Classical Ballet repertoire. Ms. Tarasova is inspiring, quietly commanding, polite and thoughtful: a truly world class artist.
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 Yen-li Chen Ballet School.
Shanna Trigili is originally from Long Island, NY, Shanna was always creative, artistic and energetic. She began her dance education at the age of 8 training in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, lyrical, acrobatics and tap at one of the most prestigious, competitive, dance studios in New York. At the age of 14 Shanna received a scholarship to join the studio's competitive dance team. Over the years Shanna earned numerous first place high score titles at both regional and national competitions. She has performed with her dance team at such iconic venues as Carnegie Hall and Disneyland. She has had the opportunity to study under Gelsey Kirkland, Gregory Hines, Joe Lanteri and Gus Giordano. Shanna has trained with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Dance Company and was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet summer program for three seasons. Shanna began teaching at the age of 18 and has received recognition throughout the country for her choreography and costume design. Many of her routines have qualified for the Championships at national competitions. Shanna's passion in life is to instill a love of dance in all her students. As a dance technician it is very important to her that every student that walks into her classroom has an excellent understanding of proper technique. Shanna strives to create a warm and caring environment in which her students can learn, grow and thrive.