Our Directors

“Dance is an intrinsic expression of Art, and

Art is integral to high Quality of Life”

~ Rick Vogt

Denise Vogt: Co-Director

A native of England, Denise trained in London under dancers of the Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells, and Rambert, and holds elementary, intermediate, and advanced Certificates from the Royal Academy of Dance.  Denise danced professionally with the Kiel Capitol Theater Ballet, Osnabrück Contemporary Dance Theater and  State Theater Kassel in Germany. She also danced in the musicals West Side Story, Chicago, and Man of LaMancha.  Denise's teaching career spans three decades, and she has given guest and Master Classes in England, Los Angeles and Germany. Since moving to Minnesota in 1989, Denise has taught throughout the metro area, including the University of Minnesota, the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Public School System, Ballet Arts Minnesota (now The Dance Institute) in Minneapolis, and Minnesota Dance Theatre company. Denise has taught and choreographed locally in the south metro since 1992, and was the Director of the ballet program at Dance Works for 14 years. Denise's students have gone on to study and dance with such prestigious institutions as the San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Julliard, Houston Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Company, the New York Rockettes, Milwaukee Ballet II and American Ballet Theatre.  Denise has choreographed over 60 works, and is currently the Artistic Director of Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota (formerly Lakeville City Ballet), a non-profit 501(c)(3) dance organization. Widely recognized as one of the premier ballet teachers in Minnesota, Denise is also a winner of the Dakota County Tribune's  "2011 Exceptional Businesswomen Award."

Rick Vogt: Co-Director

Born in St. Paul, Rick first trained and danced with Jo Savino's original Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota / St. Paul City Ballet.  He studied on scholarship with San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and David Howard's in New York, and the University of Utah Ballet Majors Program.  Professionally, Rick was a Soloist and Principal dancer in Germany with the Kiel Capitol Theater Ballet and the State Theater Kassel, and in the U.S. with Nevada Dance Theater, Utah Ballet, and as a guest artist with Ballet Minnesota in St. Paul and Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota (formerly Lakeville City Ballet).  He has danced principal and solo roles in classics such as Coppelia, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, and a myriad of roles in the Nutcracker, and other jazz, rock and contemporary works. He has also danced with Ballet West, The Washington Ballet in D.C., Arizona Dance Theater, and Jazzin' Dance Co., performing works by Choo San Goh, George Balanchine, Jean-Paul Comelin, and Arthur Mitchell.  Rick has danced in the stage musicals West Side Story and Chicago, and in the movie Footloose. For over 20 years Rick has choreographed and taught Ballet, Pas de Deux, Boys Dance & Ballet, and Jazz classes throughout the Twin Cities, including at the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in St. Paul, Dance Works in Lakeville, DeLange Dancers Studios and Ballet Arts Minnesota (now The Dance Institute) in Minneapolis.  Rick is the Associate Artistic Director of Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota, and has a B.A. in Philosophy and a Law degree from the University of Minnesota.