2011-2012 Instructors
JOANIE BROCKMAN
Owner & Dance Instructor at Allegro since 1993
Certificate of Dance program at Portland State University
BS in Finance Law at Portland State University
Member of the Dance and Drill Coaches Association (DDCA)
Choreographer and Coach for the Clackamas Dance Team, 12yrs
Instructor at Thunderbird Dance Camps, OR, WA, AL, 16 yrs
Participated in the Teacher's Seminar at PNB, Seattle, WA
Choreographer for CHS & Ackerman JR High Musicals and
Canby Community Theatre Summer Musicals
MELISSA BURCH
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2001
Trained at Terpsichoria Dance Studio 10 years
Member of Clackamas Dance Team 4 years
OSAA All State Award 1999
Thunderbird All Star Member 1997 & 1998
B.S. in Elementary Education from George Fox University
M.A. in Education in progress at Portland State University
Instructor at Thunderbird Dance Camp 7 years
Member of the Dance Drill Coaches Association
Coach and Choreographer for Canby Dance Team 6 years
KATIE CURRY
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2001
BA in Mass Communications at Linfield College
Trained at Eckles School of Dance, Sherwood, OR, 14 yrs
Linfield College Dance Troupe, 2 yrs
Youth Transition Specialist, Lake Oswego School District, 5 yrs
Learning Specialist Assistant for Tigard-Tualatin School Dist., 2 yrs
Performed in Ballet West’s production of “The Nutcracker”
Ballet Instructor at Newberg Community Center, 1 yr
Ballet Instructor at McMinnville Community Center, 3 yrs
Cheerleader at Tigard High School, 4 yrs
ALICIA DOERRIE
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2009
A-WOL Dance Collective Company Member, 4 yrs
B.S. Psychology and Communication Disorders & Sciences
Trained at the University of Oregon, 2 yrs
University of Oregon Dance Team, 3 yrs
OSAA All State Award, 2001
West Linn High School Dance Team, 4 yrs
West Linn High School Dance Ensemble, 4 yrs.
Westside Gymnastics and Dance Academy, 1 year
Twinkle Toes Dance, 3 yrs
Grand Finale, 2 yrs
JOHN GARDNER
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2010
Trained by Jacqueline Schumacher and Nicholas Vasiliev
Charter member of the Portland Ballet Co.
Trained with Bill Griffith, Igor Youskevitch, Richard Thomas, and Mia Slavenska in New York
Danced professionally with the San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Pennsylvania Ballet
Soloist in the Hamburg State Ballet in Germany
Taught at the University of Texas and appointed Ballet master for Ballet El Paso
Danced in the Portland Ballet, and was Dance Director with Theater Workshop, 1982
Formed the Oregon Festival Ballet and produced Coppelia
(the first full length ballet performed in Oregon in forty years)
Taught workshops and master classes at the University of Oregon, University of Illinois, and University of Colorado
His past students are currently dancing in the American Ballet Theater, S.F. Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater, and the Stuttgart Ballet
His teaching style is positive and personal with a Russian-American curriculum leading to exact technique and performance quality
LYNSEY MARTIN
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2010
Pure Dance Company, Company Member, 3 years
B.S. Psychology, Portland State University, 2003
Choreography, Pasadena Dance Festival showcase, Pasadena, CA, 2010
Pure Dance Company’s, LOVE 2009, and RE:Visited 2009
Trained at EDGE Performing Arts Center, 2009, 2010, Hollywood, CA.
Thunderbird Dance Camp Instructors, 10 years
Terpsichoria/CDPAC jazz instructor, 8 years
AllPrep Academies, Teacher, 2 years
Gladstone Gladettes Head Coach and Choreographer, 3 years
Consultant Rex Putnam Royal Crowns, 3 years
Rex Putnam Royal Crown 1991-1995
DDCA All-State member and dance scholarship recipient 1995
USA Dance Camps top ten dancers 1993 and 1995
Terpsichoria Dance Studio, tap and jazz dance, 5 years
KRISTIN HORNSETH
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2008
Competitive figure skater, 14 yrs
National synchronized figure skating competitor, 4 yrs
Trained at Allegro Dance Studio, 5 yrs
Canby High School Cougar Dancer, 4 yrs
Canby Cougar Dancer Captain, 2 yrs
Oregon Dance Company, 1 yr
Choreographer for Canby Community Theatre's Annie
Graduated from OSU
BA Human Development and Family Sciences
BA Elementary Education
STEPHANIE ORZA
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2011
Full Scholarship Student with the San Francisco Ballet School, 1992-2001
Trained by Irina Jacobson, Lola De Avila, Jorge Esquivel, Helgi Tomasson,
Pascal Leroy, Mikko Nissinen, Antonio Castilla, Kathleen Mitchell
Danced with the San Francisco Ballet Company in their productions of
The Nutcracker, Giselle, and La Bayadere working with Natalia Makarova
Danced with the SFB School in Balanchine’s Donizetti and Four Temperaments, Con Amore, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita
Attended Joffrey Ballet’s Summer program in New York City, 1993-1994
Principal dancer with the Inland Pacific Ballet, 2004-2011
Under the direction of Victoria Koenig, dancing in lead roles such as Dew Drop in The Nutcracker,
Mina Murray in Arturo Fernandez‘s Dracula, The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Myrta in Giselle
Danced with the Ballet Basel Company in Basel, Switzerland, 2003-2004
Dancing in Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Who Cares?, and Romeo and Juliet
Danced with the Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho Company, 2002-2003
in their productions of The Nutcracker, Paquita and other productions
Taught at the Inland Pacific Ballet Academy in Southern California 2005-2011
Ballet teacher at the Diamond Ranch High School 2010-2011
Substitute Ballet Teacher at the Pomona College 2008-2011
Guest teacher at the Eagle Performing Arts Center Summer Program in Boise, Idaho 2007
TIFFANY PFENNING
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2008
Trained at Westside Gymnastics and Dance Academy, 5 yrs
Trained at Tualatin Dance Studio, 4 yrs
Member of West Linn/Wilsonville Dance Team, 4 Yrs
OSAA All State Award 1998
Awarded Miss Thunderbird 1997 & All Star Member
Dancer on University of Oregon Cheer Team, 4 yrs
B.A. in Spanish & International Studies from University of Oregon
M.A. in Teaching from Western Oregon University
Instructor at Thunderbird Dance Camps, 10 Yrs
Member of Dance Drill Coaches Association
Coach & Choreographer for Sheldon Dance Team, 2 yrs &
Wilsonville Dance Team, 4 yrs
SONJA POLACK
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2004
Graduated from Oregon State University in Fitness & K-12 PE
Trained in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Acrobatics & Gymnastics
NW Instructors include Susan Patton Facer, Carla Webber and staff of Westside Dance
Taught at dance camps, gymnastics camps, children's programs, Westside Dance and
Westside Gymnastics, children's programs in California
Trained in Los Angels and New York
Owned own studio, 18 yrs
AMANDA STAEHELY
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2003
Trained at Allegro Dance Studio, Willamette Ballet Academy, Pacific Festival Ballet,
Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, School of American Ballet in NY and Oregon Ballet Theatre
Previous company member at Oregon Ballet Theatre
Ballet Instructor of OBT's adult ballet class program and school
Certified Instructor & Owner of Total Body Pilates
HOLLY TOLBERT
Dance Instructor at Allegro since 2011
Trained at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center, Houston Ballet Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet School as well as
Intensives at San Francisco Ballet School, Lines Contemporary Ballet School and the Craft of Choreography Conference
Winner of the Spotlight Award in the category ballet and a finalist for the Emerging Young Artist Award
Previously a member of the Kansas City Ballet (2002-2004) and Oregon Ballet Theatre (2004-2008)
Ballet Instructor at Long Beach Ballet Arts Center, Oregon Ballet Theater and Portland Community College
Nationally certified licensed massage therapist since 2006