Conservatory Faculty & Staff

• Conservatory Staff
  Charles Maple, Director; Kathy Crade, Administrative Director; Chris Martin, Assistant Academy Director and Ballet Master, Pili Doheny, Assistant Director, Pre-Ballet Program
• Conservatory Faculty
  Ballet Faculty: Gilma Bustillo DeQuattro, Pili Doheny, Alicia Head, Steven Inskeep, Charles Maple, Chris Martin, Laura Martin, Shawn Stevens, Ruth Ziegler
  
  Adjunct Faculty: Rochone Anderson (Jazz), Kay Burton (Conditioning), William Lu (Modern), Marney Schaumann (Modern), Adrienne Weidert (Conditioning)

Learn more about our Conservatory Program and how to enroll!

Conservatory Staff

• Charles Maple, Director
  View Charles Maple's biography below  
• Kathy Crade, Administrative Director
  A Note From Kathy…  Read about her personal story & vision for the Maple Conservatory
• Chris Martin, Assistant Conservatory Director and Ballet Master
  View Chris Martin's biography below  
• Pili Doheny, Assistant Director, Pre-Ballet Program
  View Pili Doheny's biography below  

Ballet Faculty

Gilma Bustillo DeQuattro

Gilma Bustillo was born in New York City and received her training at the Joffrey Ballet School with Meredith Baylis and later at the American Ballet Theater School.

Ms. Bustillo became a member of American Ballet Theater under the direction of Lucia Chase and later, Mikhail Baryshnikov. There she performed the roles of Myrtha in Giselle and Mercedes in Mr. Baryshnikov's staging of Don Quixote, as well as solo roles in Natalia Makarova's staging of La Bayadere and ballets by Anthony Tudor, Paul Taylor and Jerome Robbins. As Principal dancer with the Basel Ballet in Switzerland, Ms. Bustillo danced the leading roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote and the Nutcracker. Her repertoire also included works by George Balanchine, Nils Christi, Hans Van Manen and Nacho Duato. In 1990 Ms. Bustillo joined the Hamburg Ballet under the direction of John Neumeier. There she added to her repertoire the roles of the Dark Angel in George Balanchine's Serenade and Tatiana in John Cranko's full length ballet Onegin, as well as roles choreographed for her by Mr. Neumeier in Cinderella, Requiem and Fenster Zu Mozart. Since returning to the U.S., Ms. Bustillo has performed as guest artist with Pasadena Dance Theatre and DanceCorps as the Sugar Plum Fairy in their productions of The Nutcracker and as Lise in Charles Maple's staging of La Fille Mal Gardee.

Ms. Bustillo has been part of the faculty at Le Studio since 1993. She has taught at the American Ballet Theater Summer Intensive in Orange County and in New York City at the Ballet Hispanico Summer Program. She was also part-time dance faculty at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles from 1997-2000. Ms. Bustillo is also a certified American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum teacher.

Pili Doheny, Assistant Director, Pre-Ballet Program

Pili Doheny was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico and began her training at age 3 under Maria De Varona, a former ballerina with the National Ballet of Cuba. Ms. Doheny became a member of Ms. De Varona's ballet company at the age of nine and was promoted to Soloist the following year. She also completed several levels of Ballet Examinations receiving top honors.

Her performance credits include The Nutcracker, the Petite Swan in Swan Lake, the Toymaker's Granddaughter in La Boutique Fantastique, plus several different roles in Sleeping Beauty. Her favorites included the Fairy of the Crystal Fountain and Act III Pas de Trois as Florestan's Sister. As a member of the Youth Company, Ms. Doheny had the privilege of dancing with members of Ballet de San Juan and had several television appearances for the Walter Mercado Show.

In 1985, Ms. Doheny graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development. In the 1990s Ms. Doheny trained and performed at The Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia under the direction of Madame Solange Binda. Here she helped the director in several areas with particular emphasis on administrative tasks and working with parents in preparation for their annual recital.

In 2001, after years of involvement as a dance parent, Ms. Doheny began teaching at the Irvine School of Dance/Pacific Dance. Over the past six years, Ms. Doheny has been able to combine her passion for ballet, children and learning to develop a program for her students that is age appropriate and technically sound. She likes to challenge each student to develop their fullest physical and creative potential. Ms. Doheny strives to inspire and enrich her students by exposing them to the benefits of dance. She considers her teaching a privilege and looks forward to the opportunity to inspire a new generation of young dancers.

Alicia Head

Alicia Head began her dance training in Hollywood at the American School of Dance under the direction of Eugene Loring. She continued on with Sallie Whalen and later studied at the Stanley Holden Dance Center, Ballet Petit and Le Studio with Charles and Phillip Fuller.

While studying the Liberal Arts at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo she performed in featured roles with the Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo in such ballets as Die Fledermaus, The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland. Ms. Head continued her training in San Francisco at the Academy of Ballet with Richard Gibson and Zory Karah and performed with their Chamberdance San Francisco ensemble in its inaugural season.

Ms. Head also began her Pilates education at St. Francis Memorial Hospital's Center for Sports Medicine, one of the pioneering institutions in the emerging field of dance medicine. She worked with Elizabeth Larkham and others on the faculty learning about biomechanics, kinesiology and injury prevention.

Ms. Head continued her Pilates education with Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence at Long Beach Conditioning Center (LBDC) as a student in the internationally recognized teacher training program where she learned to apply cutting-edge information about anatomy and kinesiology to dance and movement. She also began her 13-year affiliation with Diane Lauridsen and the South Bay Ballet. Since 1996 Ms. Head has been on the faculty of both Long Beach Dance Conditioning and the Lauridsen Ballet Centre, specializing in assisting highly talented and motivated dancers and teachers reach elite levels in their work.

While at LBDC Ms. Head began studying the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM™ and GYROKINESIS™. She studied with Master Trainers Lisa-Marie Goodwin, Juergen Bamberger and Sebastian Plettenberg. Since 2000, Ms. Head has become a certified GYROTONIC™ instructor in Level 1 and Level 2, and also received certification for some of its specialized apparatus. In 2004 Ms. Head became a Master Trainer for GYROKINESIS working with the creator of the system himself, Juliu Horvath.

Currently Ms. Head is a senior faculty member at Lauridsen Ballet Centre and Long Beach Dance Conditioning. She also leads teacher training courses in GYROKINESIS and coaches dancers and teachers privately.

Steven Inskeep

Steven Inskeep has an extensive background in dance, including performing, choreography, and teaching. He has trained and been accepted to prestigious companies such as Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco School of Ballet, Ballet West School in Aspen, Washington Ballet School, Ballet Pacifica, Ballet Austin, and Indianapolis Ballet Theatre.

Mr. Inskeep was a founding faculty member of the former Ballet Pacifica Conservatory. He has choreographed many ballets, including Jack and the Beanstalk, In the Garden, and Ferdinand the Bull, all showcased in the former Ballet For Children series at Ballet Pacifica.

Mr. Inskeep has performed leading roles such as Valse Fantasy, Allegro Brilliante, and Concierto Baroquo by Balanchine, Snow King and Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet Pas de Deux and Copellia, Don Quixote by Petipa, and the Prince in Firebird.

Charles Maple, Director

Charles' Web Blog… Read Charles' new series of web blogs, including his writeup on attending the American Ballet Theatre Reunion in New York and his experiences directing the ABT Alabama summer program!

Charles Maple began his training with Evelyn LeMone, the founder of Pasadena Dance Theatre. He continued his studies with Andrei Tremaine and Stanley Holden until 1972 when he received a Ford Foundation scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At the age of nineteen he joined American Ballet Theatre and rapidly rose through the ranks to become a featured soloist. In 1979 he made numerous guest appearances with the National Ballet of Mexico and danced the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Les Sylphides, and La Fille Mal Gardee. In 1983 Mr. Maple became a principal dancer with the Basel Ballet of Switzerland. His association with this company gave him the opportunity to dance in the works of Europe and America's most influential choreographers. He has appeared as a guest artist throughout the United States, in Europe, Mexico, and South Africa.

In 1992 Mr. Maple began creating his own works. He has since received a steady stream of commissions, awards and a growing reputation as a freelance choreographer. Companies in Regional Dance America have presented several of his works. Two of his works for Rosella Hightower's Ballet La Jeunesse were presented with top awards at the 1992 La Baule Festval in France. In 1993 he attended the Tokyo International Choreographers Competition where his works received international recognition and critical acclaim. In 1993 Mr. Maple's The Angel of the Abyss was created to open the televised Posada Aids Procession in Los Angeles.

In 1995, his new version of La Fille Mal Gardee for Pasadena Dance Theatre opened to rave reviews. In 1997 he created a new version of The Nutcracker for Black Hills Dance Theatre and Symphony. His work Latcho Drom was selected by Regional Dance America to be shown at the 1998 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Maple has set numerous works for American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive programs. Mr. Maple's choreography represents a diversity of dance styles that are firmly rooted in the traditions of classical ballet. He is currently the resident choreographer for the South Bay Ballet.

In 1994 and 1995 Mr. Maple directed Pasadena Dance Theatre. He then founded Charles Maple and Dancers to concentrate on developing his own creations. Mr. Maple has been an active advocate for Regional Dance America. He has served as an adjudicator as well as a faculty member at numerous RDA Festivals. Mr. Maple has also acted as the artistic coordinator for the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive programs in Alabama and California. He is co-founder of American Ballet Intensives, a rigorous ballet workshop that provides serious students the opportunity to study with professionals in the field. Mr. Maple is also a certified American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum teacher.

Chris Martin, Assistant Conservatory Director and Ballet Master

Read Chris' personal note on his family's move from New York City to California and his thoughts and philosophy on dance training.

Chris Martin was a member of American Ballet Theatre from 1986 to 1999. He danced in a wide range of classical and contemporary works in senior corps, soloist and principal roles.

Among the choreographers who created works on him were Twyla Tharp, Mikhail Baryshinkov, Lar Lubovich, James Kudelka and Lynne Taylor-Corbett. In addition to working with American Ballet Theatre, Mr. Martin danced with the Miami City Ballet and The Washington Ballet.

Mr. Martin trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, Chautauqua School of Dance and with Maggie Black in New York City.

His teaching resume includes the North Carolina School of the Arts, Chautauqua, Ballet Academy East, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, Princeton Dance and Theater Studio, Columbia University and the University of Minnesota. Mr. Martin is also a certified American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum teacher.

Laura Martin

In addition to being a former professional dancer, Laura is also a fully certified Yoga instructor and teaches our Yoga classes, which are open to the entire community. Read Laura's personal note on her thoughts and philosophy on the art of practicing yoga.

Laura Martin was trained at The Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Mary Day and went on to dance with companies such as The Washington Ballet, Miami City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. She was lucky to have danced the works of Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Antony Tudor, Agnes de Mille, Paul Taylor, Martha Graham, Choo San Goh, and all of the classics.

After leaving ABT in 2000, she was invited to join the Broadway cast of The Phantom of the Opera, where she performed for almost two years. She has also taught various levels of ballet at the ABT Summer Intensive Program, Ballet Academy East and Princeton Dance and Theater Studio.

She began practicing yoga while still at ABT and believes her yoga practice enhanced and even extended her dance career. She received her 200-hour certification from Yoga Union in New York City under the direction of Alison West in 2003 and went on to complete Om Yoga Center's Road to Om certification in 2006. She most recently completed Judith Hanson Lasater's restorative teacher training. She has taught group classes and privates around New York City, most notably at Om Yoga Center and for Disney Theatricals.

Shawn Stevens

Learn more about Shawn Steven's experiences as a repetiteur for The George Balanchine Trust in which she travels the country to work with ballet companies and universities to stage various Balanchine ballets (as well as Twyla Tharp's works).

Shawn Stevens is originally from Houston, Texas. At 14, she attended Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts under the direction of Sydelle Gomberg. She then continued her training at the School of American Ballet. In 1982 Ms. Stevens was chosen by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet. During her time with the Company, she performed principal roles in Balanchine's ballets including Symphony in Three Movements, The Four Temperments and Symphony In C. She also danced in the original cast where she performed principal roles in Brahms - Handel which was choreographed by Twyla Tharp and Jerome Robbins. Ms. Stevens has worked with many other choreographers such as Peter Martins, William Forsythe, Edward Villella, Ib Andersen and Joseph Duell. During the ten years Ms. Stevens performed with the New York City Ballet, she danced in the TV show Live from Lincoln Center with NYCB and Dance in America. Ms. Stevens has also appeared as a principal dancer with the New York City Opera in Cinderella.

In 1991 Ms. Stevens joined Twyla Tharp's Company where she performed for five years. With Tharp's Company she performed old works of Twyla as well as new principal works. Ms. Stevens was also asked to dance in the Cutting Up tour with Twyla Tharp and Baryshnikov. Her film credits include, I'll Do Anything and In The Upper Room all choreographed by Twyla Tharp. More recently, Ms. Stevens was asked to perform in Twyla's hit Broadway musical Movin' Out. At present, she is now teaching ballet with several different schools, universities and companies. Ms. Stevens is approved by The George Balanchine Trust to restage George Balanchine works; she is also approved to stage works by Twyla Tharp.

Adjunct Faculty

Rochone Anderson (Jazz)

Rochone Anderson started out in Musical Theatre and was introduced to the world of dance at the age of 12 by his best friend's sister. From there on the rest is history! He attended the Orange County High School of the Performing Arts as well as West Coast School of the Arts. He also attended Dance Precisions during his final year in high school where he was one of the top senior soloists of the season.

Soon after graduating Mr. Anderson began working in the industry fulfilling his first love in theatre and his newly found love in dance. His professional credits include Stiletto Entertainment (Holland America Cruise Line), Fame, Aida, Dreamgirls (the movie), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (Judah), and his most inspiring role as Mr. Misstoffelees in the Broadway Musical Cats. He has also worked for the Huntington Beach Union School District as a dance instructor for Fountain Valley High School where he led the dance team to a first place national award. Mr. Anderson is also the Artistic Director of Atlantis Dance Theater, a contemporary dance company which is in residence at the Maple Conservatory, and has recently taught at the American Ballet Theatre's Orange County Summer Intensive program.

Mr. Anderson is passionate about the arts and enjoys sharing his love of dance with his students. He feels that being a part of the arts has truly shape his life as well as his dancing. He is thrilled to be part of the Maple Conservatory of Dance!

Kay Burton (Conditioning)

Kay Burton has been a practioner of Pilates since 1980 and is a fully certified Pilates instructor with over ten years experience. She has taught at Pilates studios, at seminars and for Pilates certification programs, and has presented workshops at various Pilates and physical therapy facilities throughout Orange County. At the request of the U.S. Synchronized Swimming organization, Ms. Burton introduced Pilates as a training technique at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, which lead to the adoption of Pilates by synchronized swim clubs throughout the U.S.

Ms. Burton was introduced to Pilates at the Ron Fletcher Studio in Los Angeles as a technique for rehabilitating injury. In 1986, she earned her first Pilates instructor certificate from the PhysicalMind Institute, studying under Rael Isacowitz, the creator of Body Arts and Science. Ms. Burton continued her study of Pilates by studying with Karen Clippinger, Brent Anderson, Jillian Hessel, John Garey and Elyse McNergney. In 1996 Ms. Burton studied floor barre technique as a complementary system to Pilates. She studied under Marie de la Palme as well as the creator of the system, Zena Rommett. In 2002 Ms. Burton became an Instructor Trainer under Master Trainer Moira Stott Merithew and has trained new generations of StottPilates instructors.

In 2006 Ms. Burton began her certification in GYROKINESIS under Master Trainers Alicia Head and Serafina Pechan. She continues to study GYROKINESIS and GYROTONIC with Master Trainers Juergan Bamberger and Donna Place as well as with Ms Head and Ms Pechan.

Ms. Burton is currently Head Coach of the Meraquas of Irvine, a nationally recognized synchronized swim team. Ms. Burton has taken swimmers to national and international competitions and has coached individuals at the trials for the U.S. National Team.

Ms. Burton originally studied ballet under Sheila Rozann at the Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center in Chatsworth, and continues to study ballet today as an adult.

William Lu (Modern)

William Lu began his training at Chapman University under the direction of Cyrus Parker-Jeannette. Throughout his training, he has worked with renowned choreographers, such as David Parsons, Doug Varone, Robert Battle, Tiffany Billings, Cyrus Parker Jeannette, Nancy Dickson-Lewis, Jenny Backhaus and Amy Bates. Upon his graduation from Chapman University, he received the Fannie Kalis Award, a prestigious award given to the graduating seniors, for his contibution in dance.

Mr. Lu has taught as a guest teacher at Golden State Ballet Summer Intensive, Torrance Cultural Arts Center, Dance Masters of America conventions, Madrona Dance School of Spectrum Dance Theatre in Seattle, Southwest Dance Movement & Acro-Sports convention and few other regional dance schools. He received national recognition, the Engman Award, for his choreographic work Mon Prison Ma Chambre at the Palm Desert's 2002 Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival. His work Jolly Lolly Holiday was presented in 2003 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and broadcasted live on the Los Angeles PBS affiliate, KCET.

Mr. Lu is currently a member of Backhausdance, and has been performing with the company since its inception in 2003. His credits include a lead in Yo-yo Ma's music video and Tiffany Billings' Idiosyncrasy. Mr. Lu has also performed as a guest artist with the Orange County Regional Ballet and the Redlands Ballet Festival Company. He was named as one of "Best Male Dancers of 2004" by the Beverly Hills Outlook and, recently, he received the 2006 Lester Horton Award For his performance in Jenny Backhaus' Exit.

Visit Mr. Lu's website at www.wldance.com.

Marney Schaumann (Modern)

Marney Schaumann is a recent transplant to Southern California via a one-year stint in China with her husband Clarke. While in China, Ms. Schaumann did a residency at Hang Zhou Normal University, exposing Chinese dancers to Western dance philosophy, movement and dance & technology. Ms. Schaumann will graduate from the University of Utah with an MFA in Modern Dance in December 2007. Her thesis research explores pregnancy, motherhood and the dancing woman. She aims to bring this fascinating body and experience into the realm of dance scholarship.

Ms. Schaumann received her BA in Modern Dance from Brigham Young University in 2003. While at BYU she was a member of Dancensemble and The Dancers' Company. While at the University of Utah, Ms. Schaumann was a member of Performing Dance Company.

Ms. Schaumann's creative efforts focus on dance for the screen. Her film, run. jump. dive has been screened at the 2005 Dance Camera West Festival in Beverly Hills, and at the student screening of the 2006 International Dance for the Camera Festival at the University of Utah. In her films she endeavors to create environments rich in texture that enhance the ephemeral art of bodies in motion.

Ms. Schaumann comes from a dance family and has followed the lead of both parents in her passion for modern dance. Ms. Schaumann has taught at Brigham Young University, Utah Valley State College and Saint Joseph Ballet. She is a company member of Sarah Swenson & Vox Dance Theater.

Adrienne Weidert (Conditioning)

Adrienne Weidert began her Pilates training in 1994 with one of Orange County's first certified instructors, Audrey Wilson, who was certified through the Pilates Guild of New York and who trained under Master Instructors Romana Kryzanowska and Bob Liekens. Ms. Weidert used Pilates for dance conditioning, to build core strength and as a rehabilitation tool. She began her Pilates teaching career, gaining further understanding of proper body biomechanics, human abnatomy, and the injury rehabilitation benefits of Pilates while student teaching under Miss Wilson.

Later, Ms. Weidert entered Long Beach Dance Conditioning's Pilates Teacher Training Certification and Continuing Education program under the directorship of Master Instructor Marie-Jose Blom Lawrence. It was the faculty at Long Beach Dance Conditioning's studio who introduced Ms. Weidert to GYROKINESIS and GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM. Adrienne began delving into these systems during her private sessions with Alicia Head, GYROKINESIS Master Trainer. Under Ms. Head's guidance, Adrienne completed her GYROKINESIS certification. Adrienne continued by certifying on the GYROTONIC Tower in the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM under tutelage of Master Trainer Donna Place and physical therapist and Master Pre-Trainer Suzie Mann.

Currently, Ms. Weidert teaches GYROKINESIS, GYROTONIC and Pilates at studios on Balboa Island, in Tustin and in Irvine. She previously administrated the Core Pilates Studio at Laguna Dance Theatre, working with classically-trained dancers.

Due to her passion for dance, Ms. Weidert has dedicated the majority of her life studying and developing movement quality. As a classically trained dancer she had the opportunity to integrate GYRO and Pilates Mat instruction into dance company warm-ups. She studied ballet at Laguna Dance Theatre, Milwaukee School of Ballet, Boston Ballet School, London's Royal Academy of Dance, Urdang Dance Academy, and Pineapple Dance Studios in Covent Gardens, England. As well as her classical ballet training Ms. Weidert also studied jazz, modern, tap and continues to compete, perform and choreograph historical American social dances such as Lindy Hop, Charleston and Swing.

Ruth Ziegler

Ruth Ziegler began her study of classical ballet as part of her training as a competitive gymnast in San Fernando Valley as a teenager. After high school graduation, Ms. Ziegler moved to California's central coast where she continued her ballet training while attending Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo. While there, she performed for several seasons with Cal Poly's Orchesis dance company and the San Luis Ballet Theatre where she danced in diverse ballet productions, including Pas de Quatre, The Story of Ruth, Afternoon of a Faun and The Nutcracker. During that time, she also studied both the art of dancing and (her second love) the art of teaching under Gilbert Reed and Zory Karah.

In 1985, Ms. Ziegler became the co-owner of Central Coast School of Dance in Los Osos and served as head of its Ballet division, where she led both children and adult ballet classes and served as Artistic Director of the school’s Festival Ballet student company. Under Ms. Ziegler's direction, the Festival Ballet mounted a full-length production of The Nutcracker and a spring production featuring original chamber ballet pieces.

Later, Ms. Ziegler continued her ballet studies with former Joffrey Ballet principal dancer Susan Magno and LINES Ballet's Ballet Master Arturo Fernandez. During this time, she also founded a children’s ballet company, Ballet La Jeunesse, where she was recognized by the Ventura Arts Council for her full-length children’s ballets, Country Fair and Alice’s Tea Party, and for her outreach program of lecture-demonstrations to various local elementary schools.

Ms. Ziegler continues to devote herself to both dancing and teaching. She believes that dance is the expression of the joy that is in one’s heart, expressed through movement. She strives to foster that joy and encourage beautiful movement in her classes by combining elements from both the Russian and the English schools of classical ballet, sound biomechanics, musicality and opportunities for creative expression.

Ms. Ziegler recently completed her Pilates certification from Stott Pilates and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from Cal State Fullerton.