Instructors

Amy Grant Wolfe , Artistic Director (Ballet IV-VI, Yoga)

Born in Buffalo, New York, Mrs. Wolfe has danced since age 5. She has a B.A. degree in Theatre (Summa cum Laude) from Baldwin-Wallace College in Cleveland and a M.F.A. in Dance from Southern Methodist University where she twice received the Meadows Award as an outstanding dance student and won the Betty Furguson Award as Outstanding Graduate student. As a professional dancer she has been a soloist with Ballet Dallas, Ballet Midland, Irving Ballet, Richardson Ballet, Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, Southwest Dance Collective, Ohio Opera Company and Berea Summer Theatre. After moving to Manassas in 1990 Amy became a teacher at the Manassas Ballet Academy and a principal dancer with Manassas Ballet Theatre. In 1997 Amy became Associate Director of Manassas Ballet Theatre and helped lead the expansion of the Company into a professional ballet company. In 1999 Mrs. Wolfe became the Artistic Director of Manassas Ballet Theatre.  Under her leadership Manassas Ballet Theatre has become the largest performing arts organization in our community.

 

Vadim Slatvitskiy(Ballet III-VIII, Teen/Adult Ballet, Pas De Deux, Character)

 After graduating in 1989 from the Novocibirsk Ballet Academy in Russia, Mr. Slatvitskiy became the principal dancer with the Novocibirsk Theatre from 1989 until 2000, where he danced in many productions such as Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle. Mr. Slatvitskiy also danced as the Prince in The Nutcracker. In 2000, he became a principal dancer with the Grigorovich Ballet Company in Russia. In 2003, he won the coveted Grand Prix award in the Philip Morris International Competition.  Mr. Slatvitskiy has taught in many schools throughout Virginia as well as Pennslyvania, Tennessee, and South Carolina. 

 

 

Sara Gaydash(Ballet II-VIII, Modern, Lyrical, Pointe, Variations, Character, Stretch and Strength, Jazz)

 

Miss Sara began teaching for Manassas Ballet Academy in 2006.   Before coming to Virginia she was a “teaching trainee” at Canton Ballet in Ohio and at the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet, under the direction of Vaganova school graduates Inna Stabrova and Dmitriy Tuboltsev.  She was featured in the “Demonstration of Complete Vaganova Level Four Syllabus presented by Dmitriy Tuboltsev.”  Since coming to MBA Sara has taught Pre-Dance, all levels of Ballet, Pointe, Boys, Lyrical, Modern, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Tap, and Stretch and Strength classes.  Sara also coaches students for Youth America Grand Prix, being an alumna of the competition herself. (Winner of the Youth Grand Prix 2003, in Chicago, IL) 

Scali Riggs(Pre-Dance, Ballet I-II, Hip Hop, Jazz)

 

Scali Riggs began teaching at the age of 18 for the Schrader Youth Ballet Company.   Ms. Riggs holds a B. A. from Mercyhurst College in dance performance, as well as ballet pedagogy.  While attending Mercyhurst College, Ms. Riggs had the opportunity to teach as a substitute in the dance Major/Minor programs, and for open adult classes.  After receiving her degree, Ms. Riggs continued her teaching with the Marietta Dance Academy, Motion Mania Dance Center, and The Ballet Theatre of Maryland School of Dance.  Scali is delighted to be joining the Manassas Ballet Academy Faculty for a second season. 

Heather Stark(Ballet I-II)

A native of Pittsburgh, Ms. Hebda studied at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Arts Administration.  She also trained at Point Park College in Pittsburgh; LaRoche College; Ballet Met in Columbus, Ohio; Ballet Austin; and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet.  Ms. Hebda has worked as dance and ballet instructor and choreographer at Spacecoast Ballet, The Dancezone, and King Street Dance in Florida.  In addition, she has danced in various dance teams and including appearances at Cleveland Cavaliers NBA games.  She dances with Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

Marlen Alimanov(Boys)

 

 Mr. Alimanov graduated, in 2008, from the A.V Selezneva choreographic school.  He then went to work in the Almaty State Opera and Ballet.  In 2009 Marlen was admitted to the Novosibirsk Theatre under the direction of Igor Zelensky.  Mr. Alimanov has also worked professionally with the Moscow Ballet.  Throughout his career, Marlen has had the opportunity to dance soloist and principle roles such as “Peasant Pas De Deux” from Giselle, “Dance Master” in Cinderella,  ”Pas de Trois” from Swan Lake, ”Romeo” in Romeo and Juliet, and ”Prince Dezire” in The Sleeping Beauty.   This is Marlen’s first season with the Manassas Ballet Theatre.

Jorden Kullos(Tap)

Jorden was born in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1989.  In 2001, Jorden began his dance training in Houston, Texas.  At age 13 he started training in ballet at the Lake Conroe Dance and Performing Arts Center in Conroe, Texas. In 2008, Jorden was accepted into the apprenticeship program at Tulsa Ballet, where he trained in the Russian Vaganova method for two years.   This is Mr. Kullos’ first season with the Manassas Ballet Theatre.