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InstructorsClassical Ballet Academy's instructors offer a tradition of professional performing experience coupled with a history of teaching experience in the national ballet community.Catherine Kyle Ballet and Creative Movement CATHERINE BAYS KYLE began her ballet training in her native state of Louisiana studying with several teachers and in intensive courses with SMU and TCU. After moving to Little Rock, she continued dancing with Cater and Lorraine Cranford (Little Rock Civic Ballet), Manolo Agullo, Antonio Mesa, Maureen Midgen, Peter Fairweather, at the Southwest Ballet Center with William Martin-Viscount, and at Ballet West-Aspen. Catherine had many wonderful ballet experiences during this time from partipating in Regional Dance of America (Southwest region) for several years which provided instruction with numerous teachers that influenced her style of dancing as well as her own teaching methods, including the late Robert Joffery, Duncan Noble, Ann Burton, and Bobby Barnett. After obtaining a degree in English from the U of A(Fayetteville) in 1983, Catherine returned to Little Rock to resume dancing professionally with Ballet Arkansas, and as a soloist from 1985 to 1989. She had featured roles in many ballets including The Nutcracker, Giselle, Les Sylphides, Graduation Ball, Firebird, Symphony 13, Koya Jovan, and Weisburg Suite. After living in Miami, Florida, for three years, Catherine and her family relocated to Jonesboro, AR in the summer of 1994. She taught ballet and pointe for Center Stage Dance Studio and began her association with the Foundation of Arts as a dancer and assistant choreographer in The Nutcracker. She started the after-school dance program in conjunction with the Foundation of Arts and began directing each year's annual production of The Nutcracker. In 1997, she established the Jonesboro City Ballet Company, serving as director, choreographer and ballet mistress. In 1999, Catherine was selected as a dance artist on the Arkansas Arts Council Arts in Education roster. In August 2000, Catherine attended the Vail Dance Festival Teachers Workshop studying under Claude Bessy of the Paris Opera Ballet. Catherine after relocating to NW Arkansas, she directed and choreographed the first Nutcracker for the Rogers Little Theater in December 2001. She implemented school time performances for local children proceeded by in school visits and lectures about dance and the Nutcracker. In 2002, Catherine opened her studio, Classical Ballet Academy of NW Arkansas, a nonprofit organization to serve the NW Arkansas community. She participated in the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) teacher certification program and teacher seminars. In August 2004, she attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher's workshop while several of her students attended the summer program. In June 2007, she participated in the Vaganova Teacher Seminar under the direction of John White of Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. Catherine is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Primary through Level 3 in June 2008. Catherine's vision of classical ballet in a safe and caring environment now extends to the Classical Youth Ballet company which is open by audition to all area ballet dancers. Melinda Tobian Ballet Melinda Tobian trained in Seattle and New York, Mrs. Tobian danced professionally with Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Ballet Arizona. Her repertoire includes the classical ballets of George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, and Michel Fokine, as well as the contempory choreography of Lambrous Lambrou, Jean Paul Comelin and Leslie Jane Pessemier. For the past 16 years Melinda has dedicated herself to the classical training and coaching of students in Little Rock. Her students have gained acceptance to many professional ballet schools including American Ballet Theatre, School of American Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Royal Winnipeg. Students have also earned admission into the dance degree programs of NYU-Tisch School for the Arts, SMU, Butler University and the University of Oklahoma. Michelle LeBlanc Brekelbaum Jazz, Contemporary, Jazz Lab Michelle Brekelbaum began her dance training in Conroe, Texas. She was trained exclusively in the Cecchetti method of ballet until she was introduced to tap and jazz dance. She attended Louisiana State University and received a BS in Secondary English Education. After teaching High School for several years, Michelle returned to her first love, dance. At age twenty five she began training with Frank Vega and Aaron Girlinghouse. She danced professionally with the company La JAZDANZ and as a member of Michael De Latour’s “On Stage Productions” USO tour of Egypt and the Mediterranean. After moving to Fayetteville, she became active with Dance Coalition and was asked to become a member choreographer. She acted as dance program director for The New School and has taught tap, jazz, and ballet to all ages. Currently Michelle enjoys choreographing, teaching CBA’s phenomenal students, and being the mother of her two beautiful babies Winnie and Paul Andrew. Lainie Many Jazz/Contemporary/Tap Lainie Many started dancing at the age of 4 in Springfield, Missouri and over the years has been trained in tap, jazz, ballet, Pointe, modern, musical theatre, and hip-hop. As a child, she was a part of several productions in Branson, including performances at Silver Dollar City and in various Branson shows. At the age of 9, she joined the competitive dance company at her studio and traveled around the mid-western United States, winning several group and individual awards. As a teenager, her performance opportunities took her across the globe to Poland, Germany, Austria, and France. She also has performed at Disney World and for Carnival Cruise Lines. Lainie is currently a 4th grade teacher at R.E. Baker Elementary in Bentonville. She also choreographs for Bentonville’s Lincoln Junior High Dance team. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband Darin and their two dogs, Gabe & Phoebe. Alicia Bedwell Pilates and Yoga Alica will be teaching core strength and flexibility for the Company and Progressive Tract students. She is a Pilates and Yoga instructor certified under Yogafit. Alicia is studying to be a Fitness Master Practitioner through Fitour. She is also certified in Zumba. Originally from the San Francisco area, Mrs. Bedwell relocated to Rogers three years ago. Alicia and her husband, Orion, have a daughter Ava who is also a student at Classical Ballet Academy. She is also a licensed aesthetician. Alicia says, “I am passionate about health and fitness because it makes me feel good physically and emotionally. It brings me great pleasure to watch my students gain strength, endurance and flexibility.” Jennifer Davis Modern and Ballet Jennifer Davis received her early training under the direction of Debbe Busby with Victoria Ballet Theatre in Victoria, TX. She attended the University of Oklahoma, and as a member of Oklahoma Festival Ballet, danced many principal and solo roles, including Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Dark Angel in Serenade, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Dawn in Coppelia, and Marie Taglioni in Pas de Quatre. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in Ballet Performance in 2002, and went on to dance with Tulsa Ballet for the 2002-03 season in The Nutcracker and Swan Lake. For the next five years, she worked as Ballet Mistress of Western Arkansas Ballet in Fort Smith teaching ballet, creative movement, athletic conditioning and modern, setting and choreographing several pieces on the company, as well as dancing principal roles in several productions. Her ballet, Brio, was selected to showcase at the 2004 Regional Dance America Southwest Festival. Jennifer has served on the faculty of the Lorraine Cranford Summer Dance Workshop, and at the Institute of Music, Worship and the Arts. Jennifer began teaching at CBA in August 2009. She and her husband, Aaron, are proud parents of two-year-old twins, Alec and Emma. Patti McCann-Stoltman Vocal Performance and Musical Theater Patti is a native of Chicago, Illinois. Patti has an amazing voice due to her extensive training in voice and opera. Patti got an early start in the business with her own radio and TV talk show for the Joilet area during her junior and senior years of college. In 1989, Patti sang "The Star Spangled Banner" at a Chicago Bulls game and had the honor of meeting Michael Jordan! Patti was a member of "Alphabet Soup Productions" (opera and theater productions for children) from 1985 to 1990 and again from 2000 until 2004 when she relocated to NW Arkansas. Her favorite roles were Mary in Jesus Christ Superstar as well as the Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Besides teaching, Patti stays busy singing at her church and substitute teaching as well as tending her family -husband Andy, daughters Julianne (ballerina)and Mikayla (singer) and son Andrew (all American boy.)
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