school

Faculty

Monika Alch | Jennifer Corcoran-Vigue | Molly Marsh | Elizabeth Schmitz | Teresa Ford

Monika Alch, Artistic Director
Ms. Alch began her ballet training at age four in the Vienna Conservatory, Vienna, Austria.  Her first professional engagement followed after receiving her diploma as a soloist in dance at age 15.  In the summer in 1960 in Cannes, France, she studied in an advanced student seminar under teachers Rosella Hightower, Antoine Dolin, Jerome Robbins and Alicia Markova and with such illustrious fellow students as Rudolf Nureyev, Eric Bruhn and Milorad Miskovitch.

Ten years of professional experience followed in opera theaters of Klagenfurt, Gratz, Salzburg (summer festivals under Herbert von Karajan with ballet master Waszlav Orlikovsky) and Munich.  In the United States, she performed with Ballet Metropolitan for five years with director Wayne Soulant.

Her first choreography in the United States was in the production of Smetana’s TheBartered Bride, an opera theatre production at SUNY-Fredonia.   She also has choreographed La Traviata, Die Fledermaus, Romeo and Juliet and un Ballo in Maschera for Opera/Columbus, in Columbus, Ohio, and The Merry Widow, The Magic Flute and Carmen for Ohio State University.

Ms. Alch also has held staff teaching positions teaching ballet and ballet history at Shenandoah Conservatory of Music, in Winchester, Virginia.  She operated her own private ballet studio while living in Columbus, Ohio.  She was rehearsal director for the Columbus Dance Ensemble and taught on the staff of Ballet Metropolitan.  She served as president of the Lily Dale Fine Arts Council for ten years.

Ms. Alch has been artistic director with the Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet for the past five years.

Jennifer-Corcoran-Vigue, instructor

Jennifer has a BA in Dance and Education from Smith College and a Masters degree from Boston University in Arts Administration.  Jennifer danced professionally with Boston Dance Compnay, Fresh Pond Ballet in Cambridge, Pioneer Valley Ballet and Capital Ballet in Albany.

Her teaching experience includes 3 years with the Topf Center for Dance Education in Boston teaching ballet, pre-ballet, creative movement, rhythm & movement and beginning tap for diverse groups of inner-city students.  

Jennifer teaches Creative Dance and Pre-A in addition to Levels 3 and 4 and Pointe.

Elizabeth Schmitz, instructor
Elizabeth Schmitz is a graduate of the three-year teacher training program at the National Ballet School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She has taught Cecchetti- based classical ballet for ten years, including at George Brown College School of Dance and in the children’s program at York University, in Toronto. Schmitz also has taught in private studios in Toronto, Kingston, Peterborough and St. Catharines, Ontario.

Teresa Ford, Pilates, yoga instructor
Ms. Ford is a NETA Certified Yoga, Pilates, Stability Ball, Practical Skills and Group Exercise Instructor and a previous IFA fitness & kickboxing instructor. She has served as an instructor and trainer in Gilbert, Arizona for the city and school district as well as for private fitness organizations. She has taught in New York for various organizations. Children thru seniors have benefited from her experience and expertise.