ACB Teaching Staff

	Denise Brady (Pre-Ballet and Ballet 1) began her ballet training in Newbury, England and continued her dance education in Portland, Oregon. After moving to the Bay Area, she danced with Grace Doty of Berkeley City Ballet and Victoria Turner of Alameda Chamber Ballet. Her passion for dance extends beyond ballet as she is the artistic director of Alameda Vintage Dancers. Denise has extensive experience teaching children's and adult ballet classes as well as 19th and 20th century social dances.

	Carolyn Wilson (Ballet 5) began her ballet career in Alameda at the Alameda School of Dance and with the Alameda Chamber Ballet, under the direction of Ms. Victoria Turner Rosas where she quickly made her way from Apprentice to Principal dancer. In 1996, Carolyn moved to Boston, where she continued her training under Elena Solovieva and the faculty of the Boston Ballet. She moved to Las Vegas in 1998 to continue her professional career with the Nevada Ballet Theatre. Carolyn moved back to the Bay Area and graduated from California State University, Hayward with a degree in Business Marketing, and received a Wedding Consultant Certificate. She continues to pursue her other passion - working in the Special Events Industry as a Certified Wedding Planner with her own business, Carolyn Wilson Consulting ~ CWC Weddings & Events. In 2003, Carolyn joined the newly formed Alameda Civic Ballet as Soloist, and in 2004 was promoted to Principal. No longer performing, Carolyn has dedicated her spare time to teaching for Alameda Ballet Academy and assists the company as Ballet Mistress.

	Marika Brussel (Pre-Ballet and Ballet 1) believes that dance can empower and changes lives. She began dancing at the age of three and has studied in New York at the Joffrey Ballet School and at the High School of Performing Arts. She has performed with many companies including the Joffrey Concert Group, Binghamton Ballet, Garden City Ballet, and Ballet Theatre of New Mexico. Over a period of ten years, Marika has taught at the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet School, National Dance Institute of NM and the Children's Dance Theater. She currently teaches at the San Francisco Youth Ballet Academy where she is the new ballet mistress (i.e. runs rehearsals and assists the artistic staff) and especially loves working with young children to help them love dance as much as she does.

	Robert Greer (Ballet 4 and Ballet 5 Pas de Deux) is a native of Northern California and has been dancing throughout the U.S. for the past 16 years. He has performed in a number of ballet companies such as Augusta Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre and Ballet Idaho. Most recently he has returned to San Francisco as a freelance dancer. Robert teaches throughout the Bay Area and is committed to all of his students. He loves working with students of all ages as teaching offers him the opportunity to pass on the knowledge that has been given him throughout his career. His favorite part of teaching is when students connect to the information he gives and make it their own.

	Karin Jensen (Pre-Ballet and Ballet 1) trained in classical ballet at Oakland Civic Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Alameda School of Dance. She has performed with Berkeley City Ballet, San Jose Dance Theater, Alameda Chamber Ballet, as well as Alameda Civic Ballet in both corps and soloist roles. Karin is also trained in both historic and modern ballroom dance. She loves social dancing and performing with her husband with groups such as Academy of Danse Libre , Knotts Dance Company. Alameda Vintage Dancers. and Period Entertainments and Events Recreation Society (PEERS). Karin currently performs modern liturgical dancing with Omega West Dance Company of Berkeley. As a mother of two young daughters, she loves sharing her passion for dance with young children. Check out this article about Karin on Alameda Patch.

	Julie Lowe has danced and taught professionally for over 25 years. As a Principal Ballerina with the Oakland Ballet Company, she toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe performing many of the company's leading roles. She currently serves as Ballet Mistress and Artistic Advisor for the Menlowe Ballet Company, is a Master Teacher for the Ballroom Dance Teachers College, and she teaches public ballroom and social dance classes at Oakland's Just Dance Ballroom. Through her nurturing and supportive teaching style, Julie provides adult students of all levels, from beginning to professional, the opportunity to pursue their love of dance and enhance their technical and artistic skills.

	Alec Lytton was born in Houston and trained at the Houston Ballet Academy while attending the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. He received his BFA in Dance Performance from the Boston Conservatory while working with the Boston Ballet. In NYC, he danced with New York Theater Ballet and the New York Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He moved to the Bay Area to work with Company C Contemporary Ballet, in Walnut Creek. This is his first season with Liss Fain Dance.