13867 Smoketown Rd., Woodbridge, VA 22193 • Phone: 703.330.6730
DeGrasse Dance Studio
13867 Smoketown Rd.
Woodbridge, VA 22193
Phone 1: 703.330.6730
Fax 1: 703.330.6506
Email: jydegrasse@comcast.net
Meet Our Staff
Johnna and Colette DeGrasse began their Russian Classical Ballet training at Virginia School of Ballet under the direction of Tatiana Rousseau Tupine and Oleg Tupine. Ms. Tupine was formerly with Le Ballet de Jeauness of Paris, and Mr. Tupine was formerly with the Ballet Russe. While studying with the Tupines, Johnna and Colette continued to broaden their studies with the Harkness School of Dance in New York City.
Johnna and Colette have performed at Constitution Hall, Lisner Auditorium, Water Gate Theater and Wolf Trap. Following their retirement from performing, DeGrasse Dance Studio was opened and they began devoting their career lives to teaching, choreographing and bringing the arts to the community. The Potomac Ballet and Dance Company, which has been housed by DeGrasse Dance Studio for the past twenty years, has provided dancers of all ages with performance experience in classical Russian ballet, jazz, tap and musical theater.
Artistic Directors & Owners
Click on their names for more information
Teresa Kitchen
Roberta Dale
Nickolai Balatsenko & Liesl Rinke
Colette Walker
Kathleen Raney
Wendy Richards
Tricia Quander
Olga Cordoso
Teresa Kitchen
Dance Instructor
Teresa Kitchen began her training at DeGrasse Dance Studio when she was eight years old. She moved to Charlottesville to attend college where she expanded her dance training to jazz and modern dance at the University of Virginia. She continued her ballet training at Charlottesville Ballet under Louise Naughton and Craig Sterling, former principles of the Australian Ballet Company. During this time, she also participated in summer programs at Joffrey Ballet School and the Washington Ballet School.
After graduating from college with a B.A. in Biology and a certificate in teaching, Teresa returned to DeGrasse Dance Studio to dance and teach ballet. She has been an instructor at the school for sixteen years.
Former students of DeGrasse Dance Studio have continued their dance careers with the American Ballet Theater, Tulsa Ballet Company, Cincinnati Ballet, Julliard School of the Arts, North Carolina School of the Arts, Charlottesville Ballet and Maximum Dance. Additionally, former students have pursued dance majors or minors at universities throughout the country.
Roberta Dale
Dance Instructor
Roberta Dale, a native born Australian, is a member of the Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (CSTD) in Australia. She was trained through the Royal Academy of Dance, as well as CSTD from which she holds an overall teacher of dance diploma with advanced specialty in tap and ballet. Her twenty plus years of teaching experience includes tap, jazz, acrobatics, classical ballet, lyrical and competitive dance. Prior to Roberta's move to the States, she taught at the University of Western Australia. There, she choreographed such theatrical productions as Carousel, Oklahoma, Babes in Toyland and A Chorus Line. Before coming to DeGrasse Dance Studio, Roberta taught at North Coast Ballet and House of Dance, both in California.
As a staff member of DeGrasse Dance Studio, Roberta instructs tap and lyrical dance students. "Miss Bert" also teaches competition classes and choreographs for the DeGrasse Competition Troupe, serving as coordinator of the Troupe's competition schedule. She has been with DeGrasse Dance Studio for nine years.
Nickolai Balatsenko & Liesl Rinke
Dance Instructors
Nickolai was born in the Ukraine and began his study of ballet at the Kiev Academy of Ballet when he was 11 years old. Nickolai's first professional position was with the National Ballet Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic, where he stayed for three years before moving to the Donetsk Ballet after touring with the Ballet Classique of Paris. In 1999, he moved to the United States and joined Washington Ballet. He later danced with Ballet Theatre of Maryland and Ballet Internationale in Indianapolis, Indiana. He also toured Seoul, South Korea with Universal Ballet and danced with Atlantic Southeast Ballet in Charleston, South Carolina.
Liesl is from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theater before moving to Orlando, Florida to continue her studies. In 1996, she joined Orlando Ballet, where she performed in numerous ballets. She competed in the Paris International Competition in 2000, having been coached by Irina Kolpakova, and was awarded a silver score in the Youth American Grand Prix. As a dancer with Ballet Internationale, she was given the opportunity to tour China last year, and most recently she was a dancer with Atlantic Southeast Ballet in Charleston, South Carolina.
Colette Walker
Dance Instructor
Colette Walker began her dance training at the age of three, with training at DeGrasse ,Dance Studio at age eight. With her focus in ballet and jazz, she has also trained in lyrical, tap, modern and yoga.
She majored in Mass Communications with a minor in Dance from Western Kentucky University. She participated in WKU's Dance Company for three years, while also teaching ballet at a local studio in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
During her time in the WKU Dance Company, she received extensive training in theatre production and choreography. Her classical, Russian, ballet training has been furthered by having the experience of dancing with and training under such professionals as Anatoli Kucheruk, The Kirov Academy, Rasta Thomas, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Oscar Hawkins, Cirquc du Soleil, Stephen Stone, Western Kentucky University and Johnna DcGrasse of DeGrasse Dance Studio.
With an emphasis in broadway jazz technique, she has studied under such masters as Bruce Anthony Davis, Fosse (currently in 'Chicago' on Broadway), Bill Hastings, Fosse technique, Matt Mattox, specializing in 'Mattox' technique, Lees Hummel, specializing in Simonson technique at Western Kentucky University and Colette DeGrasse of DeGrasse Dance Studio.
Colette currently works at a consulting firm in Washington DC, while also teaching ballet, jazz and creative movement at DcGrasse Dance Studio.
Kathleen Raney
Dance Instructor
Kathleen Raney first started dancing at the age of three and playing the piano at age five. At age nine she began her dance training in ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical at DeGrasse Dance Studio. Kathleen participated in all of DeGrasse Dance Studio's performances in many leading roles, during the ten years she trained there. She was also a seven year member of the DeGrasse Dance Studio competition troupe. When Kathleen was age twelve, she joined the Children's Choir at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seaton Catholic Church and became one of the piano accompanists. Kathleen enjoyed being the choir's lead pianist during her four years of high school, and still continues to occasionally accompany the Children's Choir. She has performed in the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade and traveled to Paris to perform in two New Years Day parades.
Kathleen graduated in 2003 from Radford University with a B.A. Double major of Dance and International Economics (magna cum laude). As a dance major she studied modern, jazz, pilates and tap, with a degree concentration in ballet. She studied under Franco Jelincic, (former ballet master for the Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, Garden State Ballet, London Festival Ballet, Ballet of Hamburg Staatsoper and director of the Kessler (who began her career as a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet, became a principal for the Hamburg Ballet and then went on to the London Festival Ballet and who partnered with world renowned artists including Rudolf Nureyev, Peter Schauffuss, Edward Villella, Ted Kivit and John Gilpin.)
Kathleen taught piano from 1997 to 1999: she taught ballet, tap, and jazz classes at Center Stage Dance Studio in Pulaski, Virginia, from 2001 to 2003. During the summer of 2003, she attended a professional dance training program at Bates University in Lewiston Maine where she studied ballet and modern dance and extended her training to capoeira and site specific choreography.
Wendy Richards
Dance Instructor
Wendy began her dance training at Degrasse dance studio at the age of six, and continued through high school. She had the opportunity to study at Pennsylvania Ballet at the age of 14, under the instruction of Lupa Serrano, Jeffery Gribbler and Gloria Govern.
While attending Radford University, where she worked to earn a Bachelor of Science in Dance, she studied under Frano Jelincic ( former Ballet Master of English National Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pittsburg Ballet, Garden State Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, and The Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Yugoslavia),and Dagmar Kessler (former ballerina with Pennsylvania Ballet, English National Ballet, Pittsburg ballet Theater, and Hamburg Ballet, and who partnered with world renowned artist including Rudolf Nureyev, Peter Schauffuss, Edward Villella, Ted Kivitt, and John Gilpin). While at Radford Wendy danced many roles including Odette, Swanhilda , Flower Festival Pas De Deux, Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy.
Wendy has also had training in jazz, hip hop, and lyrical. She was an instructor / Head Instructor for National Cheerleading Association, Dance and Pom division, right out of high school. With NCA she worked on Choreography for summer camps as well as college bowl game half time performances including the Citrus Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and Peach Bowl. She was also a guest teacher and judge for a sister company JSDA in Japan. While at Radford she also coached and choreographed for the universities dance team, the RU Rockers.
Currently Wendy homeschools her four daughters and teaches at the Degrasse Dance Studio.
Tricia Quander
Dance Instructor
Tricia Quander started her love for dancing at age 4. She grew up dancing in her mother’s dance studio and eventually started assisting classes. She danced on her high school dance team which was coached by the Captain of the Redskinetts. Tricia not only choreographed for her team which was nationally ranked, but was also asked to choreograph for the professional Redskinetts. Through junior high and high school Tricia continued to study Tap, Ballet, Jazz and Pointe at Star Maker dance studio. She was also asked to assist in choreographing for the entertainment dance shows at Bush Gardens.
After high school Tricia auditioned for All the Right Moves dance TV show. She became the commentator as well as a featured dancer for the show which filmed in NY. She also performed with UNITY, a dance company out of MD, in MD and DC. Tricia coached West Springfield High School dance team for many years and led them to several awards.
Tricia started teaching at Studio One School of Performing Arts where she taught jazz to their performing companies and won them many group and individual awards with her choreography. While teaching there she was given the opportunity to give back to the community and teach and perform for inner city youth. She was also asked to be a guest dancer with the Jam Crew dance company out of DC for several of there performances.
Tricia had the privilege to start teaching Jazz and Hip Hop at DeGrasse in 2005. She moved away but was welcomed back last year where she now teaches Jazz. Tricia continues to consult, choreograph and judge for dance teams and other studios in the VA and MD area. Tricia truly loves all the children she has ever worked with and feels blessed to be able to continue doing what she loves……..dance.
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