Summer instructors and classes
Summer classes are ALL posted over at our summer classes page.
Chamberlain School of Ballet is VERY excited to welcome guest instructors to our summer program!
juliet hay
Juliet Hay was born in Philadelphia, PA and later grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ. She began dancing at Dance Arts Cherry Hill, under the direction of Dalia and Douglas Hay. She then trained for a year at the Pennsylvania Ballet School with Arantxa Ochoa. Juliet spent her summers at the Pacific Northwest Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Miami City Ballet School. In 2017, at age 14, she moved to Miami to be a fulltime scholarship student in the Pre-Professional division. During her four years of training at MCB School, she had many opportunities to perform with the company.
Juliet joined MCB as a corps de ballet member in 2021.
Alexander Kaden
Brazilian-German dancer Alexander Kaden trained at Ballet Gonzalez from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he was awarded a scholarship to train at the ballet academy of the Vienna State Opera in Austria. Upon graduating in 2015, he joined the Vienna State Ballet. At the Vienna Volksoper, he performed many roles including Vesna Orlić’s Peter Pan, Aladdin in Orlić’s One Thousand and One Nights, Mercutio in Davide Bombana’s Roméo et Juliette, the title role in Andrey Kaydanovskiy’s The Ugly Duckling, the title role in Thierry Malandain’s Don Juan, and friend of the prince in Malandain’s Cendrillon (Cinderella). At Vienna State Opera he danced in Rudolf Nureyev’s Swan Lake and Don Quixote, in Pierre Lacotte’s La Sylphide, and in Elena Tschernischova’s Giselle. He has also appeared in numerous musicals, operas, and operettas at the Vienna Volksoper and in opera productions at the Vienna State Opera. His awards include first prizes in 2010 at the Passo De Arte, Fortaleza and the Seminário Internacional de Dança de Brasília.
Alexander joined MCB as a corps de ballet dancer in 2022.
Emma Wood
Emma Wood trained at Chamberlain Ballet School becoming a key member of Chamberlain Ballet senior company. Emma now attends Stephen F. Austin State University where she is studying Nutritional Science and Dietetics and minoring in Dance Team Coaching. Emma is on the 22 time national champion SFA Dance Team where she is starting her third year! Emma is so excited to return home to share her dance knowledge with the next generation of dancers. Emma is dedicated to creating a nurturing and supportive environment where students can learn and grow both as dancers and individuals. Her commitment to excellence and creativity in dance education makes her a valuable addition to the Chamberlain teaching staff.
Omoniyi “Niyi” Obioha
Omoniyi began training at Pofahl Studios in Gainesville, FL studying extensively in ballet, jazz, and hip-hop. In 2002 the school presented her with a scholarship which she received for the following 4 years thereafter. She’s trained at multiple intensives including Santa Fe Dance Intensive (FL), The Ailey School (NY), Columbia City Jazz (SC), South Carolina Dance Conservatory (SC), Complexions Contemporary Ballet (NY) and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane (NY). Omoniyi has had the opportunity to train with renowned teachers such as Merrill Ashley, Finis Jhung, Desmond Richardson, and Jason Parsons, as well as perform works choreographed and set by Christopher Huggins, Bruce Woods and Milton Myers, just to name a few. She began her professional career in Columbia, SC at the University of SC where she made history by being one of the first dancers outside of the MGDC to perform Martha Graham’s “Sketches from Chronicle” in it’s entirety. A documentary of her work on the project aired May 2008. She’s an alumnus of Florida International University where she received her B.A. in Dance Education. She’s a former company member of Dance Alive National Ballet (FL), Dallas Black Dance Theatre (TX) and Larrwell Productions (TX) as a Friends of Tyme dancer performing in different commercial and industrial productions. Currently, she serves on the Artistic Advisory Council of Dance Alive National Ballet. Omoniyi is an American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Preliminary through level three. Omoniyi also holds a certification in Progressing Ballet Technique. Omoniyi is very involved in the community as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and as one of the many leaders of the dance ministry of One Community Church.
Lori Bodine Benold
Lori Bodine Benold is a former professional member of the San Francisco Ballet, and has been teaching ballet for over 35 years, developing excellent technique and artistry in hundreds of dancers, from their balletic beginnings to their debuts as professional dancers, and beyond. She also currently serves as an Adjudicator for Regional Dance America.
Ms. Bodine received her first formal dance training at Roquemore Ballet Arts (now Munro Ballet Studios) in Corpus Christi, Texas, and performed with the Corpus Christi Ballet and in Regional Dance America Southwest Festivals. At age 15, Robert Joffrey personally awarded her with full scholarships to attend his summer workshops San Antonio and New York City. She also studied at the School of American Ballet and was under full scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School, where she was invited to stay for year round study. Ms. Bodine became one of the few students in the school's history to be offered a professional contract with the San Francisco Ballet company, bypassing the usually-required apprenticeship.
During her tenure with San Francisco Ballet, she danced many roles: Blue Bird Variation - Sleeping Beauty, Four Little Swans Variation - Swan Lake, Frederick Ashton's Trio –Monotones and Tarantella Pas de Deux. She also performed in George Balanchine's Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Symphony in C, Western Symphony, & The Four Temperaments, Michael Smuin's Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, A Song for Dead Warriors, Shinju, & Mozart's C Minor Mass, and Lew Christensen's Con Amore.
Bodine subsequently returned to Corpus Christi as a Resident Principal Artist for the Corpus Christi Ballet, where she performed many roles, including: Swanhilda in Coppelia, Rose Pas de Deux, Snow Queen and Arabian Pas de Deux in The Nutcracker. Ms. Bodine also choreographed for the Corpus Christi Ballet, and a number of her pieces have been featured on Gala evenings at Regional Dance America Southwest Festivals.
Bodine was the Owner and Director of Ballet Arts of Austin from 2016 to 2019, offering excellence in ballet training along with numerous performance opportunities including the Bailando Festival, a Classical Christmas in Austin, Youth American Grand Prix, an annual dance recital and The Nutcracker with the Central Texas Philharmonic.
Ms. Bodine is passionate about motivating and inspiring students to strive towards excellence and pursue their personal best. She strongly upholds that every dancer’s journey is unique and important.