MARGO DEAN, founder/director, has directed and taught ballet for over seventy years. She is the artistic director of Ballet Concerto which she founded in 1969. Her ballet training includes study with Olga Preobrajenska in Paris, Rosella Hightower in Cannes, and Michael Vernon in New York. She has taken ballet courses in Copenhagen at the Royal Danish Ballet, in Rome, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco and in Havana at the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In January 1995 she was honored by the Dallas Dance Council for a lifetime commitment to dance. She has choreographed many of the ballet segments for the Fort Worth Opera since 1955. In 2000 she was named Outstanding Woman of the Year by the City Council of Fort Worth and the same year honored as Founder of the Fort Worth Ballet (now Texas Ballet Theater) on its 40th anniversary. In 2009 she was awarded the Legacy of Women Award for outstanding contribution in the Arts. In 2019 she was the recipient of the Arts Council of Fort Worth's Heart of Gold Award.

Resident faculty and staff

WEBSTER DEAN, associate director (advanced and intermediate adult ballet) is a former soloist with Ballet West, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and has danced seasons with Ballet Oregon, the Milwaukee, Colorado, and Richmond Ballets and has also performed in musical theater at the Cleveland Playhouse, Casa Mañana, Lyric Stage, and Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular. While at Ballet West he performed seasons at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and at New York City Center in New York. Teachers and choreographers he has worked with during his career include Bruce Marks, Toni Lander, Denise Schultze, Fernando Bujones, David Howard, John Butler, Malcolm Burn, Eugene Loring, André Prokovsky, Frederick Franklin, Kim Abel, and Michael Vernon. He has staged works as a guest stager for Nevada Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Orlando Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theater, and Kansas City Ballet. He holds a BFA from University of Utah where he trained with Mattlyn Gavers and Bene Arnold. He has been guest ballet instructor at Texas Christian University He has taught at this school since 1991 and is artistic director of Ballet Concerto. In his teaching he emphasizes clean technique with proper placement, musicality, and artistry. 
 

​ELISE LAVALLEE (ballet and jazz/contemporary), is a former student of Margo Dean and has been a member of Ballet Concerto and was a member of the Bruce Wood Dance Company, now Bruce Wood Dance. She has also performed and choreographed in numerous productions at Casa Mañana and has choreographed for many other prestigious organizations in the metroplex, including the University of North Texas Opera Department, Trinity Valley School, University of Texas at Arlington, All Saints Episcopal School, has been assistant choreographer with the Dallas Opera, and has received awards for her choreography. She has taught jazz and choreographed for this school for the past 15 years and created a work for Ballet Concerto’s annual outdoor SUMMER DANCE CONCERT over the past three years. She has also taught for Kids Who Care, where she was resident choreographer for a number of years, for the Arlington Heights High School Dance Program, for Texas Wesleyan University, for Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, and at All Saints Episcopal School.

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MICHELE PRUDENTE (ballet) graduated from Teatro Nuovo Torino in Italy in 2009, training with internationally renowned artists including Ramona and Njurka De Saa (Cuban National Ballet), Federico Bonelli and Hikaru Kobayashi (Royal Ballet). Michele has worked in professional dance companies and productions in Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Bulgaria and the United States. As a principal dancer, he has performed leading classical roles in Paquita, Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, and others. Michele has also appeared in television series, commercials, and participated in international worldwide teaching events and choreography projects. He is also versed in modern dance and jazz. Michele has performed with Ballet Concerto and currently dances with Ballet Frontier. He is an experienced teacher of all ages and levels.​

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​SOPHIE WILLIAMS (advanced ballet) is a native of California and began her training at Ballet Arte Academy of Classical Ballet in San Diego before spending a year in Miami City Ballet’s pre-professional division. She has performed a varied and diverse repertoire with numerous professional ballet companies, including the Richmond Ballet, Ballet San Jose, English National Ballet, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and now Texas Ballet Theater. She is an experienced ballet teacher of all ages and levels.

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MELANIE MALONE (ballet, broadway dance, adult tap) is a former professional dancer who has extensive background in ballet and musical theater, having performed across the country in touring productions of Cats, 42nd St, Chicago, Hello Dolly, A Chorus Line, Sweet Charity, and West Side Story. She received her BFA from TCU in ballet and modern dance and danced with the Fort Worth Ballet, having received scholarships from the Joffrey school in NYC and the NCSA, and her MFA from SMU in performance and choreography. She is also a former ballet school owner and director in the New York area and has been certified in the American Ballet Theater teacher training curriculum.

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JONATHAN ROBBINS (adult ballet) trained with Ballet West Academy in Utah. He has danced professionally with Nevada Ballet Theater, Richmond Ballet, New Orleans Ballet Theater, Texas Ballet Theater and with our resident company Ballet Concerto. We are pleased to have him join us this year.

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PARIS MILLS (children’s ballet and jazz) trained in New Hampshire at Royal Academy of Dance and Koltun Ballet Boston under the direction of Alexandra Koltun and Alex Lapshin.  After dancing with Ballet Rhode Island where she trained under Kathleen Breen Combes and Yury Yanowsky, she joined Ballet Frontier. Additionally, she has performed with Ballet Concerto. She is an experienced teacher of all ages.

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JANE GARVETT (pre-school and children’s ballet) has been a student with this school since 2006. She has performed in Ballet Concerto lecture demonstrations and A Holiday Special performances. She specializes working with young children.

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​​PERLA MONTOYA (Spanish dance/flamenco) began her Flamenco studies at age 9 and has studied and performed Spanish dance with such notables as Luis Montero at Ballet Concerto, Jose Greco, Nana Lorca, Sara de Luis, Jose Molina, Antonio Granjero, Chiqui Linares, La Presy, Gisela Noriega, Eduardo Montemayor, and Teo Morca and has performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.  She has taught for Margo Dean School of Ballet over the past fifteen years and has performed as a featured Spanish dancer with Ballet Concerto.

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​MARGARITA BRUCE (Spanish dance/flamenco associate teacher) is experienced in the world of Spanish dance, both in flamenco and classical Spanish dance.  As featured Spanish dancer she has performed many leading roles with Ballet Concerto and has danced with noted artists such as Luis Montero at Ballet Concerto, José Greco, José Molina, José Junco, Luis Montero, and Maria Benitez.  She has taught for Margo Dean School of Ballet over the past twenty one years.

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COURTNEY SEBASTIAN (Gyrotonic® exercise) is a former dancer with Ballet Concerto and taught for this school for twenty-two years. She is director of ballet at Trinity Valley School. She is a certified Gyrotonic® instructor and is available to give private Gyrotonic® sessions by appointment.

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LIUBA KOZERVA PATERSON (ballet/guest instructor) is a graduate of the Vaganova Ballet School in St. Petersburg, Russia, and has toured Europe and America with the St. Petersburg Classical Ballet. She has been associated with this school and with Ballet Concerto since 1993 as principal dancer and teacher as well as assistant rehearsal director. She has been a guest teacher for the Nevada Ballet Theater company and school.

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​​​​SUSAN LAVALLEE (secretary/receptionist/costumiere) is a former dancer and ballet teacher who taught, choreographed, and performed for over 30 years. She has been affiliated with this studio for the past 30 years.

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