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Meet Our Expert Ballet and Dance Faculty
Donatella Oppenheimer
Director
Donatella Oppenheimer (née Accardi), Director of the American Academy of Ballet, is a celebrated ballet educator and performer whose journey began in her native Palermo, Sicily. At age nine, she was awarded a full merit scholarship to The School of American Ballet at Lincoln Center, the official school of the New York City Ballet founded by George Balanchine. Donatella danced professionally with Tulsa Ballet Theatre and Boston Ballet under the direction of Bruce Marks and Anna-Marie Holmes. Her repertoire includes Cinderella, Bournonville’s Napoli, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Eugene Onegin, The Sleeping Beauty, Balanchine’s Serenade and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, as well as Twyla Tharp’s Water Babies Bagatelle and Merce Cunningham’s Breakers. She has brought her passion and expertise to institutions including The Rock School in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Mark Morris Dance Center, UB Dance, Chautauqua School of Dance, Neglia Ballet Artists, Darlene Ceglia’s Dance Project, Dance Spectrum, David De Marie Dance Studio, among others. While attending Marymount Manhattan College, Donatella was a recipient of a Merit Scholarship, and she shares her extensive knowledge of the Balanchine technique with her students, striving to inspire them as her own teachers inspired her.
Maris Battaglia
Director Emeritus
Maris Battaglia is director emeritus and founder of the American Academy of Ballet. She received her training at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet (SAB) in New York City and has applied her SAB training across the country. She also taught in Latvia in 1990 for 3-weeks at the Riga Ballet School- the school that trained ballet superstar Mikhail Baryshnikov. Over 130 of her students have gone on to dance professionally in major ballet companies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Broadway Stage. She is the Associate Director of the Chautauqua Institution's School of Dance where she has taught since 1989. She served on the New York State Council of the Arts for an unprecedented four years and received the Arts Council in Buffalo and Erie County Award for Outstanding Arts Contributor in 2008. In 1997, she was the recipient of the Artist Excellence Award, which is presented to one outstanding dance teacher each year in the United States. In 1999, she was inducted into the Western New York Dance Hall of Fame.
Suzanne Diffine
Suzanne Diffine holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English from the S.U.N.Y. Buffalo. During her 30-year career as an English teacher in the Buffalo Public Schools, she always engaged in some form of physical exercise. When scoliosis caused her considerable discomfort, she sought Pilates to realign her spine. The immediate pain relief she experienced made her a real believer and set the course for her next career. Selected as national Pilates master trainer for Bally Total Fitness and Sports Clubs of Canada, for ten years she trained Pilates instructors throughout North America. Suzanne completed Romana’s Pilates certification under the tutelage of Sari Mejia Santo. She also studied Pilates with Elizabeth Larkam, director of rehabilitation at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco, receiving certification from Power Pilates and Polestar Education and completing advanced Pilates training with Core Dynamics. She has participated in workshops with many legends in the industry. Former owner of Pilates Rx in Boca Raton, Florida, she recently returned to her hometown to continue her 20-year career in Pilates. She co-edited Voices of Classical Pilates, a collection of essays by renowned Pilates teachers, and Voices of Classical Pilates: Men’s Work. On multiple occasions, she has been recognized in Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers: 1990, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2006.
Gretchen Kurtz
Gretchen began dancing at the age of four with the United Academy of Performing Arts (UAPA) under the direction of Sandie Fukes and Wende Warne. She continued her training with UAPA, Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, Beverly Fletcher, David De Marie Dance Studio and Ballet Arts. Gretchen is currently enjoying the adult ballet classes at AAB.
Gretchen began teaching at the age of 14 for UAPA and later for Beverly Fletcher while attending Niagara University. She has also taught at David DeMarie Dance Studios and the Academy of Theatre Arts. She is also the founder of On Your Toes Dance Studio.
Most recently, Gretchen’s tap routine was awarded “Best Choreography” at the National Performing Arts Festival at Universal Studios. She has earned many awards including National Tap Team Champions by Dance Educators of America. She has also served on the Board of Directors for
Pick of the Crop Dance, Buffalo. Gretchen is thrilled to share her experience and love of dance
with the next generation of dancers at AAB!
Karen Mikoll
Karen Mikoll received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the State University of New York at Buffalo where she completed an internship in Dance Therapy. She was also a performing member of the Zodiaque Dance Company. As a professional member of the National Dance Education Organization, she continues to attend teaching seminars, has been published in Dance Teacher Magazine, and serves as an alumni ballet instructor for SUNY at Buffalo summer dance programs. She teaches ballet classes at the Academy.
Gary Marino
Mr. Gary has been a guest teacher at the Academy for many years and in addition to an adjunct professor of dance at Niagara University. He has performed with the Skidmore Dancers, Saratoga Ballet Company, Schenectady Civic Ballet, Buffalo Repertory Ballet Co., and Camelon Dancers. He has choreographed numerous ballets and judged at several dance competitions. He also has experience coaching figure skating and gymnastics.
Lara Mojeski
Lara Mojeski began dancing at the age of six at Spezio's Dance Dynamics and began teaching when she was just 15 years old. In 2005, she received the Young Choreographer of the Year award from the American Dance Awards Competition. She is certified by Dance Master of America and teaches all areas of dance, including acro, modern and ballet at the Academy. She currently teaches acro and pre-ballet classes at AAB.
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