JUDI HOLLAND - OWNER/BALLET ARTS
Judi began dancing in Grand Rapids at the Phil Oosterhouse Studio. She studied the Cecchetti method of ballet and has taken student exams and has her fourth teachers certificate in the method. Judi previously served as co-chair of the Western Michigan Committee. She has also attended the Russian Ballet Seminars and the David Howard Dance Intensive at Western Michigan University.
Her dancing continued in college and later as a member of Ballet Arts Ensemble as well as a former member of the board of directors. Judi also performed with the Oosterhouse company. She began teaching at Ballet Arts in 1977 and became co-owner in 1991. Her primary interest and expertise is in pre-ballet.
She has participated in the MAGIK (Making Arts Grow in Kalamazoo) Program and in other dance related programs in area public schools. Judi also coached Freshman, JV, and Varsity Cheerleading at Mattawan High School for eight years. Judi is presently a MHSAA, Michigan High School Athletic Association competitive cheer judge.
She currently resides in Kalamazoo with her husband, Steve, and they have two daughters, Janelle and Katie.
CATHLEEN HULING - OWNER/BALLET ARTS,
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/BALLET ARTS ENSEMBLE
Cathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Marietta College (Ohio). She grew up in Grand Rapids (Michigan) and studied with Sally Seven, soloist with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and founder of the Grand Rapids Civic Ballet. While in Grand Rapids, Cathleen was active with the Civic Theatre and summer stock’s Circle Theatre. She continued her dance studies at Western Michigan University where she appeared both as a performer and guest teacher. A 7-year participant of the Russian Seminar with Jurgen Schneider and Janina Cunovas, Cathleen continues her education at workshops presented by leading dance professionals around the country.
Cathleen has been teaching ballet and character dance at Ballet Arts since 1982 and became co-owner of the studio in 1991. In 2001, she became Artistic Director of Ballet Arts Ensemble after serving as performer and Ballet Mistress since its inception in 1982. Her love for ballet is reflected in BAE’s repertoire. She is most noted for her productions of full-length ballets including Nutcracker, Cinderella, Peter and the Wolf, Red Shoes, Aladdin’s Magic Lamp, La Boutique Fantasque, and Café Parisian. Her choreography has also been selected on numerous occasions for performances with the Kalamazoo Symphony’s Youth Concert Series and Family Discovery Series as well as the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. Her most recent choreography can be seen in the movie Cherry, filmed in Kalamazoo and featured at the 2010 Saugatuck Waterfront Film Festival.
Cathleen is a member of Partners in Dance, Michigan Dance Council, and Dance Masters of America.
DEBBY NORTON
Debby Norton (Ballet, Pointe, Cecchetti, Character, Jazz, Tap, Adult) is a native of Muskegon where she studied the Cecchetti method of ballet along with tap, jazz, modern, gymnastics, baton, and ice skating. While in Muskegon she danced in local theater productions, including musicals with the Muskegon Civic Theater. Currently a member of Ballet Arts Ensemble, her past performing credits include the Muskegon Community College Modern Jazz Company and Western Michigan University Ballet Theatre.
Debby holds a Bachelor of Science degree from WMU in retailing with a minor in Dance. Summer studies have included the CCA Summer School, Russian Ballet Seminars, and David Howard Intensives. Five years ago Debby began weekly training in the Alexander Technique which she continues to pursue.
Professionally, Debby has passed student exams and holds three teaching certificates in the Cecchetti method and is an active member of the Cecchetti Council of America, previously serving as co-chair of its Western Michigan Committee. Debby has been a board member of Ballet Arts Ensemble for the past nine years where she currently serves as treasurer. She holds a position as ballet instructor at WMU and teaches creative dance in Kalamazoo Schools as part of the Education for the Arts program.
Debby and her husband Mike live in Kalamazoo.
CATHY KRIEG
Cathy graduated from Western Michigan University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science degree, which included a minor in dance. She began taking dance lessons at the age of three. Her training included ballet, tap, acrobatics, jazz, and modern dance. After graduating from W.M.U. she performed for one year with Ballet Garneau in Roswell, Georgia. After returning to Michigan she continued to take classes at W.M.U. with Eugene Mills. She continued her instructional training by attending the Little People’s Creative Workshop™ in Greenville, North Carolina.
Cathy has taught children’s church classes for preschoolers through elementary age since 1990 and has home schooled her daughters through high school. She has choreographed amateur musical productions for both children and adults in local churches, private schools and for Homeschool Performing Arts of Kalamazoo. Cathy began teaching Pre-Ballet at Ballet Arts in 2001 and Beginning Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Teen Dance at the Portage Y.M.C.A. in 2004.
Cathy lives in Kalamazoo with her husband Rob and their three daughters. All three girls have been students at Ballet Arts since 1993 and have been performing members of the Ballet Arts Ensemble.
MICHELE VANDER BEEK
Michele began her dance training at the age of three, in her hometown of Rochester, NY. Michele has studied ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, pointe, and creative dance. During her years in New York, she had the opportunity to work with dancers such as, Frank Hatchett, Savion Glover, and Garth Fagan. Michele was also selected to dance in Paris, France with Universal Dance Association at the age of 17.
After New York, Michele continued to dance at Hope College in Holland, MI, where she received the Distinguished Artist Award. She graduated from Hope College with a B.A. in Dance Performance/Choreography and a minor in Spanish. During college, Michele continued to perform and choreograph for both the student and faculty concerts, in addition to local dance productions. After college, she performed with local Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids dance companies. Michele also taught creative dance, jazz, tap and modern at local dance studios.
For the past eight years Michele has continued to enrich the lives of Kalamazoo students through her teaching with the Education for the Arts program. She continues her own personal dance education enrichment by continually attending professional workshops around the country.
Michele currently resides in Portage with her husband, Marc, and their two children, Alexandra and Gregory.
JANELLE HOLLAND
Janelle began her dance training at Ballet Arts where she continues to take classes. She was a member of Ballet Arts Ensemble for 4 years where she performed in the Nutcracker, Aladdin’s Magic Lamp, Café Parisien and Peter and the Wolf. As a Cecchetti student, she passed grades I, II and III of the Cecchetti method. Janelle is nationally certified to teach three to seven year olds through the Little People’s Creative Workshop.
Janelle is currently Program Director for Added Advantage Childcare at Richland Elementary School and teacher of the Mid Day program for kindergartners.
Janelle holds a Bachelors of Science in Group Social Studies from Grand Valley State University. Janelle is also a certified teacher in the state of Michigan and is currently seeking her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education from Aquinas College.
AMANDA SMITH
Originally from Kokomo Indiana, Amanda Smith has studied various forms of dance at multiple dance studios. Her first performance with a professional company was in the former Ballet Internationale’s production of “The Nutcracker” in 1997. As well as performing in many different venues, such as parades, fairs, Tomorrow Land in Disney World, convention competitions and half time shows,
Amanda also moved from the student company through the ranks to apprentice status with modern company, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre (GHDT).
While going for her Bachelor of Arts in Dance at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Amanda has performed in “Serenade” by George Balanchine and “How Long Brethren” by Helen Tamiris working with Victoria Simons and Dianne McIntyre as well as understudied “Strict Love” by Doug Varone, working with Eddie Taketa. She has also danced premier works of many different styles with the Western Dance Project including performance b-girling, different forms of modern and jazz created by Teena Custer (a.k.a Teena Marie), Danah Bella, professors David Curwen and Tony Calucci, and student, Jessie Cossentino.
Along with performing many other student works, Amanda has created and put out works of her own. Her choreography, "We're Close", was chosen to be performed in a student run Orchesis Concert and had featured dance work in the new play "Cascade Falls" written for the Fuse Project, a collaboration of the dance, music and theatre departments. Currently, Amanda is a college graduate and was a guest artist for GHDT in their February 2011 concert, “Once Upon A Time In India”.