Rock Centre Faculty

BOJAN SPASSOFF - PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR
Bojan Spassoff was a Ford Foundation Scholarship student at the Schoolof American Ballet and was an apprentice with the Harkness Ballet,Joffrey Ballet, and New York City Ballet companies. After becoming amember of the Dutch National Ballet, Mr. Spassoff was among the firstforeigners to join the Royal Danish Ballet. Subsequently, he wasinvited to join American Ballet Theatre and continued his careerdancing solo and principal roles with the San Francisco Ballet andteaching for that company and its school. Mr. Spassoff served asArtistic Director for both Savannah Ballet and Ballet Oklahoma andtheir associated schools. He was also guest artist and teacher fornumerous regional companies, schools, and universities. A former balletmaster for Pennsylvania Ballet, he was Associate Director of the NewYork State Summer School of the Arts, operated in conjunction with NewYork City Ballet. He has coached gold medalists in prestigiousinternational competitions in Havanna, Moscow, and the USAInternational Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and is a judge forYouth America Grand Prix.

STEPHANIE WOLF SPASSOFF - DIRECTOR
An alumna of the School of American Ballet and New York's PerformingArts High School, Stephanie Wolf Spassoff is a former PennsylvaniaBallet soloist, past member of American Ballet Theatre, San FranciscoBallet, and Finis Jhung's New York Chamber Ballet. She was a principaldancer with both Ballet Oklahoma and Savannah Ballet. She was AssociateDirector of Ballet Oklahoma, Savannah Ballet, and their respectiveassociated schools. Ms. Spassoff has been a guest artist and teacherfor many regional companies, schools, and universities and was apermanent faculty member of the New York State Summer School of theArts. She has coached gold medalists in prestigious internationalcompetitions in Moscow and the USA International Ballet Competition inJackson, MS and is a judge for Youth America Grand Prix.

SERVY GALLARDO - BALLET MASTER
ServyGallardo began his career with the National Ballet of Caracas andlater, as a principal, joined the National Ballet of Venezuela. In1991, Mr. Gallardo made his United States debut as a principal dancerwith the San Jose/Cleveland Ballet, dancing many of the company'sleading roles in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker,Coppelia, and Swan Lake, among many others. In 1999, Mr. Gallardojoined North Carolina Dance Theatre as a principal dancer. He dancedleading roles under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and PatriciaMcBride. While at NCDT, Mr. Gallardo also served as an instructor forthe official school of NCDT and as company teacher.

MARIAELENA RUIZ - BALLET MISTRESS
MariaelenaRuiz has been a faculty member and rehearsal coach at The Rock Schoolfor Dance Education since 2000. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Mariaelenabegan her early studies at the “Academia Ballet Clasico Nina Novak.” At14, she became the youngest member of the Ballet Nacional de Caracas,under the direction of Vicente Nebrada, with whom she toured SouthAmerica and Europe, dancing soloist and principal roles. At 15, she won3rd place at The USA International Ballet Competition, junior division,in Jackson, and received a full scholarship to continue her studies atthe School of American Ballet. She also won 3rd place and “Best CoupleAward” at the Varna International Ballet Competition, and the PrixVolinine in Paris, France. She has danced principal roles with BayBallet Theater, Cleveland San Jose Ballet, Carolina Ballet Theater,Ballet Hispanico, and has been a guest artist for many companies in theUS and abroad. Mariaelena has been a member of the Suzanne FarrellBallet since 2001, where she performs Balanchine repertoire and hasalso assisted with staging and rehearsals. She has been a judge andguest teacher for Youth America Grand Prix and is also very involvedwith the New York International Ballet Competition.

KRISTIN BROWN
Kristin Brown received the majority of her training with Richard Hoskinson, Donna Muzio and Cherie Noble. She also attended summer programs at Richmond Ballet and Washington Ballet as a scholarship student. Ms. Brown performed principal and soloist roles with Bay Ballet Theater, Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Berkshire Ballet, Charlotte City Ballet, Ballet Theater of Pennsylvania and The Dance Consortium. She has had the pleasure of working with choreographers Yanis Pikeris, Russell Sultzbach, Andre Prokovsky, Christopher Fleming, Dominique Gabella and performing Mobile by the late Tomm Ruud. Ms. Brown began teaching in 1993, holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Medicine and was a nationally certified Athletic Trainer.

SARAH COOPER
Sarah Cooper began her training in Philadelphia with Marion Tonner and Phillip Carman. She has also trained with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Sarah is a graduate of the State University of New York and has completed master level course work in the departments of dance at Temple University and American University. Before relocating back to Philadelphia, Sarah performed, taught and worked in dance administration in the Washington, D.C area. Sarah is the founder of Philadelphia Dance Access. She is a faculty member at the Rock School for Dance Education and manages its RockReach program.

GINA (ANGELUCCI) GRACE
Gina (Angelucci) Grace began her training in Philadelphia with Carole Orlandi Barr, Marion Tonner, and later, with John White and Margarita deSaa at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet. Mrs. Grace began teaching throughout the Philadelphia area in 1991 and has been a faculty member with The Rock School since 2000. Mrs. Grace has studied Vaganova pedagogy with a special focus on the first three syllabus years.

GABRIELE T. TESFA GUMA
Gabriele T. Tesfa Guma is a native of Ethiopia and was raised in Italy. Mr. Tesfa-Guma has a career in music as well as in dance. Mr. Tesfa-Guma received his dance training from teachers like David Howard, and schools like Ballet Academy East, The Rock School, The Joffrey School, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Gabriele danced with many companies, including Joffrey II: The Dancers, Alpha Omega, Takaski Watanabe (Japan), and was a lead dancer with Philadanco for seven years. Gabriele has been teaching a variety of dance techniques as a guest teacher.

CHRISTINA PASTRAS PATCHELL
Christina Pastras Patchell was born and raised in Philadelphia. Sheattended such schools as The Holiday Ballet Theater, The Rock School,Joffery Ballet, Governor's School for the Arts and The PhiladelphiaHigh School for the Performing Arts. Ms. Patchell performed in showswith Will Smith and also performed in Elvis Nights and Somewhere OverTime with Pembrua Productions in Japan. She received her B.F.A. inBallet Education from the University of the Arts. Her choreography wasrecently featured in the opening for the Kimmel Center as well as theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

EVA SZABO
Eva Szabo danced and toured extensively with the Gyori Ballet, a company which she co-founded in her native Hungary. She graduated from the Hungarian National Ballet Institute, receiving an international teaching certificate encompassing classical ballet, ballroom dance, folk dance, and pas de deux techniques.

JENNIFER WHEAT
Originally from Michigan, Jennifer Wheat trained with the Contemporary Civic Ballet of Michigan, and was a scholarship student with the schools of Pennsylvania Ballet, Boston Ballet, and The Royal Winnepeg Ballet School. In 1981, after a car accident ended her ballet career dancing, she switched to Jazz and trained at The University of the Arts and the Lou Conte Dance School, where she was an apprentice with The hubbard Street Dance Company. Ms. Wheat also danced professionally with Astral Theatrical Dance Company and Dance Fusion, and is the founding director of Fusion2 Dance Company. Ms. Wheat has been a faculty member since 1996 and is Ballet Mistress for West Chester Dance Theatre.

NATALYA ZEIGER
Natalya Zieger was trained at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet School as well as by teachers of the famed St. Petersburg School. Ms. Zieger was a company member of the Bolshoi Ballet and toured extensively throughout Russia and Europe. Ms. Zieger blends her Russian background with her newfound Balanchine influence.