Staff - Teachers
Valeria Sinyavskaya - Artistic Director & Ballet MistressErika Ballard - Ballet/Modern
Mary Lu Hensley - Ballet
Rachel Copenhaver - Preparatory Ballet
Adriana Dew - Jazz/Preparatory Ballet
Tonya Harris - Jazz
Gigi Boggan - Pilates
Cara Harker - Ballroom
Ms. Erika Ballard
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, Erika Ballard began her professional ballet training at Mayra Worthen Ballet, performing with Texas Ballet Concerto. She received her BFA in Ballet Performance, having performed soloist roles in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Scenes de Ballet, Carmina Burana, and other original contemporary works. Ms. Ballard went on to dance with Cincinnati Ballet, performing in such ballets as Lady of the Camellias, Con Amore, and The Sleeping Beauty. During her studies as a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma, she performed as a soloist in Serenade and was privileged to dance the Osage variation in the reconstruction of the ballet Four Moons. In addition, she was awarded for the presentation of original choreography. Ms. Ballard has taught at various studios throughout the Southwest and has served as a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma School of Dance. Since relocating to the Tri-Cities with her husband, Matt Ballard, in 2004, she has been a faculty member of Kingsport Ballet, teaching ballet, modern, and Pilates classes. In addition, she has taught classes at Virginia Intermont College and will teach for Eastern Tennessee State University beginning Fall of 2007. She is the proud mother of two-year-old Ashur Ballard.
