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Meet Our Staff

Johnna DeGrasse began her 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 continued to broaden her studies with the Harkness School of Dance in New York City.

Johnna has performed at Constitution Hall, Lisner Auditorium, Water Gate Theater and Wolf Trap. Following her retirement from performing, DeGrasse Dance Studio was opened and she began devoting her career live 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.

Teresa Kitchen
Roberta Dale
Nickolai Balatsenko & Liesl Rinke
Colette Walker
Wendy Richards
Tricia Quander
Brandi McAleese
Dianna Sheehan
Melissa Zoebisch
Bethany Pokusa

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.

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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

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.

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Colette Walker
Dance Instructor

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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.

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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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Violin Lessons

VIOLIN LESSONS

Born into a musical family in 1969 and also the youngest son of the late H. Stevens Brewster Jr., Principal Bassist of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.. Lee studied piano at the age of 6 and then the Violin at 7.  He then studied the violin further with leading members of the National Symphony Orchestra's violin section, and attended music festivals such as the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina. He then attended the Philadelphia Musical Academy, where he studied with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra including Assistant Concertmaster William de Pasquale, and section member Frank Costanzo. He had extensive training at Saratoga Springs, NY during the summer months with the orchestra and his teachers. He then graduated from the academy in May of 1991. He attended as well as participated in master classes at the Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University. 

He then returned to the Washington D.C. area after graduation, furthering his studies in chamber music, performing numerous doctorate recitals at The Catholic University of America and the University of Maryland with students and distinguished faculty and Alumni. He was a member of the Richmond Symphony from 1991-1997 and has performed with the Baltimore Opera, The Annapolis Symphony, The National Gallery Orchestra, The National Philharmonic and currently he has been steadily busy concertizing and teaching in the Washington D.C. area.

In December 2000, Lee had the honor of making his international solo debut with the Vidin State Philharmonic in Vidin, Bulgaria, premiering the Barber Violin Concerto. Lee currently performs regularly with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. Lee released his very first solo CD of the Rode 24 Caprices for Solo Violin in the summer of 2008.

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Dianna Sheehan
Dance Instructor

Dianna Sheehan began training in Pennsylvania at the age of three and moved to New Jersey at the age of five. Her training began with Ballet, Jazz and Tap and advanced on to Modern, Lyrical and Hip-hop. As she developed as a dancer she participated in Regional and National competitions nationwide and took part in conventions learning new styles of dance. Dianna has trained and learned from some of the top choreographers including the team and dancers from So You Think You Can Dance. 

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Melissa Zoebisch
Dance Instructor

Ms. Zoebisch grew up in Mexico and studied at the Chamber Ballet of Jalisco. She was awarded a scholarship to attend for a year at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Mme. Sizova’s class, and returned to Mexico to graduate in 2004. Throughout her school years, she participated in many workshops around the world in Cuba, Canada, Austria, Spain, and the United States. In 2005, Ms. Zoebisch joined the National Dance Company, where she obtained soloist roles in her first year in ballets including Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Carmen. Her other repertoire includes principal roles in Giselle, Pas de Deux from Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, original contemporary choreographies, and many others. She was a finalist at the Korea International Ballet Competition, 2010; recipient of a Special Award KIBC. Participant in the Gala of World Stars in Seoul, South Korea. 

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Brandi McAleese
Dance Instructor

Brandi McAleese began dancing at the age of 3. Throughout her teenage years, she trained at several local studios, including Degrasse Dance Studio. After graduating from North Stafford High School, Brandi moved to Virginia Beach to continue her studies in dance at Denise Wall’s Dance Energy.  Brandi has studied and trained with many professional teachers and choreographers such as, Denise Wall, Travis Wall, Michelle Combs, Danny Tidwell, Ivan Koumaev, Jaimie Goodwin, Tara Foy, Jason Parsons, Tony Testa, Lauren Adams, Danny Wallace and many others. Brandi traveled to New York City to dance at The Sheraton New York for the New York City Dance Alliance Gala and The Hudson Theater for the ACE Dance Awards. Brandi also had the opportunity to perform at The Joyce Theater in New York City to help raise money and awareness for Dancers Responding to Aids. She has performed live with the Rascal Flatts at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.  Brandi is professionally trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical/contemporary, hip-hop, tap and musical theater and has received training in ballroom dancing, tumbling, acting and singing.  Brandi recently made it through to “Vegas Week” on Season 7 of Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance, finishing in the top 96 dancers out of thousands who auditioned for the show.

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Timothy Foster
Piano Instructor
Guitar Lessons

As the Grandson of a Music Educator, Tim has been involved in music one way or another most of his life. He has been singing and playing music from a very young age. Professionally, he has been serving as a Contemporary Minister of Music for over 15 years in local churches. Tim began his professional career teaching piano 3 years ago, as a help to a colleague, and has been doing it ever since. He enjoys teaching youth, as well as adult students, and looks forward to sharing his love of music to all.
 

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