Faculty

Drawing on decades of professional ballet & dance experience, the Ballet Royale faculty is uniquely able to identify, encourage, and maximize each student's own personal technical and artistic growth. By teaching students to build their self-esteem, self-discipline, character, creativity, and confidence; the faculty provides students with skills transferrable to all of their future endeavors.

Emily McGuire

Specializations

• Youth Ballet

• Pre-Professional Program

• Progressing Ballet Technique®

• Pre-Pointe

• Privates & Coaching

• Adult/Teen Classes

• Jazz Classes

Emily is an Alumna of Ballet Royale Minnesota. She also has studied at Magnus (formerly Joffrey) Midwest Intensive, Milwaukee Ballet and as an Apprentice with James Sewell Ballet and Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota. Emily originated and performed the roles of Dorothy in TCB's "Wizard of Oz – The Ballet" and Cinderella in "Cinderella 1944: A Love Story." Emily is fully trained through Ballet Royale's Teacher's Training Program, is a certified Progressing Ballet Technique® instructor, and in 2013 joined our Regular Faculty.

Tianna Votiso

Specializations

• Pre-Ballet

• Youth Ballet

• Pre-Professional Program

• Adaptive Dance

• Progressing Ballet Technique®

• Pre-Pointe

• Pilates

• Privates & Coaching

• Adult/Teen Classes

• Injury Prevention and Recovery Training

Tianna is an Alumna of Ballet Royale Minnesota. She also studied in the University of Utah’s Honors Ballet Major Program. She danced as an apprentice with Twin Cities Ballet of Minnesota and completed her teacher training through Ballet Royale’s Teacher Training Program. Tianna became a regular faculty member at Ballet Royale MN in 2015, and she has also choreographed for students and professionals alike. She is a certified and licensed Progressing Ballet Technique® instructor, a certified Pilates instructor and a certified adaptive dance instructor.

Sophie Addie

Specializations

• Youth Ballet

• Pre-Professional Program

• Professional Classes

• Progressing Ballet Technique®

• Pre-Pointe

• Pilates

• Privates & Coaching

• Injury Prevention and Recovery Training

Sophie received her primary ballet training under Denise Vogt and has taught ballet in Lakeville schools since 2004, and at Ballet Royale since its inception. Sophie has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of St. Thomas, and is both trained in and assisted with updating Ballet Royale's Teacher's Curriculum and developing Ballet Royale's advanced Preparation for Pointe regimen. Sophie is also a certified Pilates instructor, and certified and liscensed in Progressing Ballet Technique®.

Angela Ericson

Specializations

• Pre-Professional Program

• Professional Classes

• Privates & Coaching

A Twin Cities native, Angela trained locally with the Branitski Ballet Company and Ballet Arts Minnesota. She continued her studies on full scholarship at the Pacific Northwest Ballet and San Francisco Ballet Schools. She enjoyed a full career as a company member with the Louisville Ballet and then BalletMet Columbus, where she performed corps, soloist, and principal roles in many classical and contemporary works. Angela had the privilege of performing the big classics and works by Tudor, Balanchine, and Bournonville as well as working with contemporary choreographers such as David Nixon, Lynne Taylor Corbett, Dwight Rhoden, Peter Pucci, Stephen Mills, Stanton Welch, and more. After retiring from dancing, Angela pursued a BA in Journalism from the U of M, Twin Cities, graduating summa cum laude. Angela became a regular faculty member at Ballet Royale MN in 2023. 

Natalie Rossi

Specializations

• Pre-Ballet

• Youth Ballet

• Pre-Professional Program

• Adaptive Dance

• Privates & Coaching

• Adult/Teen Classes

A Georgia native, Natalie has been teaching at Ballet Royale since 2016. Natalie graduated from the pre-professional program at International City School of Ballet, and was a trainee with the Richmond Ballet. She has won bronze and silver medals at the Youth America Grand Prix. Natalie has also danced with the Montgomery Ballet and Charleston Ballet Theatre. Natalie is a Twin Cities Ballet company member and has performed many lead roles including as original productions including Cinderella in “Cinderella 1944: A Love Story,” and the Sugar Plum Fairy in "A Minnesota Nutcracker."

Emily Winn

Specializations

• Pre-Ballet

• Youth Ballet

• Privates & Coaching

• Adult/Teen Classes

• Progressing Ballet Technique®

• Privates & Coaching

• Adult/Teen Classes

• Modern

• Contemporary

Emily Winn began teaching at Ballet Royale in 2014. She is originally from Statesboro, Georgia, and graduated summa cum laude from Georgia Southern University at the age of 18. As a student, she performed with Ballet Savannah and Columbia City Ballet, and attended summer intensives with Alonzo King's LINES, Boston Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. After graduating, she danced with Greensboro Ballet and then attended a post-baccalaureate program in ballet & modern at Belhaven University. She has taught ballet, modern, and jazz at various studios in Georgia and Minnesota since 2012, and is also certified to teach Progressing Ballet Technique®. After moving to Minnesota in 2014, Emily performed with Twin Cities Ballet and Borealis Dance. She is also the Operations & Development Coordinator for Twin Cities Ballet.

Barry Leon

Specializations

• Youth Ballet

• Pre-Professional Program

• Professional Classes

A native of Buffalo, NY, Barry received his training while on scholarship at the Ballet Center of Buffalo. He was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship and attended the School of American Ballet and the Harkness Ballet School in NYC where he later danced professionally. He danced as a Principal Dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet and guested with Ballet de San Juan. Mr. Leon was the director of the Ballet Center of Buffalo, and founded Buffalo Ballet Theater where he danced and directed for ten years. He received a Choreographic Award Fellowship from the New York State Council for the Arts and was inducted into the New York Dance Hall of Fame for his contribution to dance in NY State. Barry has taught and choreographed for over 30 years and became a regular faculty member in 2013.

Sydney Barber

Specializations

• Youth Ballet

• Pilates
  

Sydney has joined the Ballet Royale staff for the 2023/2024 School Year! Sydney trained at Ballet Royale Minnesota and in 2013 was accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Professional Division, where she trained for five years and was a scholarship recipient for four consecutive years. While at Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Sydney participated in a choreographic competition and won an award for classical choreography.  Sydney holds a B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Winnipeg and is currently working on completing Comprehensive Pilates Instructor Training.  

Hannah Saunders

Specializations

• Modern

• Contemporary

• Jazz

Hannah has joined the Ballet Royale staff for the 2023/2024 School Year!

Gennevieve Wright

Specializations

• Mommy/Daddy & Me

• Costuming

• Administrative Assistant

Gennevieve began teaching at Ballet Royale in 2022.

Laura K. Johnson

Specializations

• Modern

• Contemporary

Laura is a performer, choreographer and instructor. She is originally from Rosemount, MN where she was introduced to modern dance in high school. Laura graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College, where she received the Distinguished Dance Student Award and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Dance Honors. Laura has performed at the American Dance Festival, the Fringe Festival and recently began her first season with Alternative Motion Project. Laura has been teaching at Ballet Royale Minnesota since 2017.