Faculty

Faculty

Artistic Director:
Irina Lebedeva

Russian-born Irina Lebedeva received her professional training at the State Perm Ballet Academy, joining The Tchaikovsky Perm Opera and Ballet Theater after graduation.
The Tchaikovsky dancers have a direct lineage to the Maryinsky (later Kirov) Ballet in St. Petersburg, the cradle of pure classical dancing, whose members were evacuated to Perm during World War II.

Ms. Lebedeva went on to Lenningrad's Classical Ballet Company and the Moscow Festival Ballet, where she was a principal dancer.

After her defection to the United States, she continued her performance career in America; where she performed with Eglevsky Ballet and other companies. She later became an instructor at the Eglevsky school as well.

She has taught ballet seminars and company classes in twenty-eight states. Currently Ms. Lebedeva works with Connecticut Ballet Company as a Ballet coach and teacher in a Connecticut Ballet School.

Irina Lebedeva and Andrei Bossov performing in "The Sleeping Beauty"

Jazz and Tap Teacher:
Noelle McBerry-Spinelli

Noelle McBerry-Spinelli has trained with the Georgia Ballet, the Atlanta Ballet and Steps on Broadway in NYC. Noelle has also judged numerous dance competitions throughout the southeast.She has taught ballet, tap and jazz to children and adults for 12 years. Noelle is working on her degree in childhood education and deaf studies.

Hip Hop Teacher:
Yasmine Fequiere

Yasmine Fequiere lives a life that is highly coveted by most dancers. She meets with and converses with high powered music industry executives in the morning and dances all night learning repertory pieces for her companies. This unpretentious deity of the hip-hop dance industry started at The BLADE Academy: School of Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance Education as a student.

After 3 years of advancing through the ranks, she became the youngest Vice President and eventually President and CFO of BLADE Dance Entertainment a premiere choreography and hip-hop dancer provider to the entertainment industry all before she reached her 21 st birthday.

Armed with a degree in Psychology and certification from the BLADE Academy, Yasmine sought to further her education and the education of others by attending The Hip-Hop Dance Conservatory graduate program in New York City under the tutelage of artistic director Safi Thomas.

Please visit www.hdcny.org to learn more.

Martial Arts Teacher:
Spencer Gee

Spencer Gee an instructor traditional Kung-Fu and personal fitness trainer. He is an instructor, under A.Leigh,in Pankration,the Martial Art of all Powers and under Professor Amante P.Marians.He is also a Master of Pananandata,the Filipino art of weapons. Spencer Gee is currently serving as a guest professor at Hofstra University, under the auspices of Professor Joe Buerbenas ,for the Tai Ghi Self-Defense courses given there.