Teachers

Born and raised in Portland, OR, Ruby Lefebvre began her dance training at Oregon Ballet Theatre School under the direction of Damara Bennett. She continued her training at OBT School and was awarded the Elena Carter Memorial Scholarship in 2020. In August 2023, she joined...

Morgan grew up in Jackson, Wyoming where a passion for the arts, fitness, and the outdoors are a lifestyle. She began her dance training at the age of five, training in ballet, jazz, modern, and hip hop. She became a member of Dancers’ Workshop’s Junior Repertory Company at age eleven and studied and performed with the company for seven years. Morgan graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Dance Performance.

Zuzu Metzler grew up in Camas, Washington, and has been involved with OBT and its school since 2008. Having trained with notable teachers such as Damara Bennett and Anthony Jones, she joined OBT2 in 2017. After a year, she was promoted to apprentice with the...

Anthony Milian, from Ann Arbor, Michigan, received a Master’s Degree in Biomechanics from the University of Michigan on a Merit Fellowship in 2022 and a BFA in Dance with Honors Distinction from Ohio State University in 2018. Upon graduation, Anthony apprenticed for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.

Kelly O’Connor was born and raised in sunny Pasadena, CA where she trained at Pasadena Civic Ballet Center. She earned her BFA in Dance with a minor in applied psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Kelly has had the opportunity to perform with the UCSB Dance Company and Motion Theater Dance Company. Kelly’s teaching method is rooted in creating a safe classroom space for students to authentically explore and grow their relationship to movement and music.

From Hillsboro, Oregon, Andrea Parson began dancing to country music records in her living room and went on to become a leading dancer for NW Dance Project where she danced, choreographed, taught, and mentored for 11 years, earning a prestigious Princess Grace Award in the process. Andrea is currently on faculty at Pacific University, working on her own projects, and can be spotted in Sellwood walking her cat in its stroller.

Alejandra Preciado was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before her family returned to Panama, where she began dancing at the age of 3. Alejandra and her family relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she continued her dance training at different institutions such as Ballet West Academy. Upon graduating high school, she attended the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University of California.

Sarina grew up in Portland, OR, dancing, singing, and acting. She was a four-year member of the Junior Blazer Dancers performing in front of sold-out games and has been a member of RAW Hip Hop crew, the pre-professional group, Kaleido, and has been a KreativMndz Elite member in Seattle, WA and Los Angeles, CA. Her most recent TV appearance was on NBC's World of Dance with an all-girls dance crew.

Gabriel Gaffney Smith is a modern-day renaissance man with an artistic resumé spanning multiple mediums. Raised in beautiful upstate New York, Smith began dancing at the Saugerties Ballet Center at the age of 12 and went on to dance professionally for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater and...

Bryan Solante began dancing in 2012, continues to train at, and perform with, Element Dance Studio. He won the Spotlight Dance Cup Pacific Northwest Nationals with his duo partner, Sarah Headley, and participates in many breakdance and all-style battles. In addition to teaching and dancing, Bryan is studying to become an engineer.

Lisa Sundstrom received her early training in her hometown of Astoria, Oregon and at The Marin Ballet in San Rafael, California. Hand-picked by American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director, Mikhail Baryshnikov at 16 for the American Ballet Theatre Scholarship Program, she went on to tour extensively nationally and internationally with ABTII then ABT.

A Portland, Oregon native, Vanessa Thiessen trained at the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, with James Canfield, and danced with OBT's company for eight seasons. Vanessa splits her time between Portland and San Francisco where she also teaches and works as a dancer with Post:Ballet.

Lucia Tozzi was born and raised in New York City and started her dance training with the National Dance Institute under the tutelage of Jacques d’Amboise. She continued her training at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, and at The Ailey School.

Deanna White was born and raised in Covina California, and began taking dance classes (tap, jazz, and ballet) when she was 5 years old. By the time she was 12, she decided that ballet was her one true love. After studying and performing extensively in Russia, she returned to the U.S., performing in musical theater productions before turning her attention to providing exemplary training for young ballet dancers.