Faculty
Henry Berg
Called "one of San Francisco's leading dance teachers", Henry Berg has, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, "carved a strong artistic niche as a teacher". With a career that spans over three decades in dance, film, television, theatre and academia, Mr. Berg has established himself as one of the foremost dance teachers in the country.
His guest teaching engagements now include annual seminars for the Boston Ballet, the Academia Anna Pavlova in Bogata, Columbia, Joffrey Ballet, Dance Educators of America, Oregon Dance Academy, and the Village Dance Arts in Los Angeles. Mr. Berg traveled to Japan where he taught seminars in Tokyo and Nagoya, staging "American Ballet Selections" in 1994 for several companies there. Mr. Berg began his dance career in Hollywood, California, appearing in such films as "State Fair", "How The West Was Won", and "Babes In Toyland".
In 1962, he joined the San Francisco Ballet. Subsequently, he danced for over seven years with the Joffrey Ballet and assisted choreographer Twyla Tharp in New York City. In 1975, Mr. Berg created the Pacific Ballet Company with co-founders John Pasqualetti and Sue Loyd. He also joined the faculty of the San Francisco Ballet.
The list of directors, dancers, and choreographers Mr. Berg has worked with include: George Balanchine, Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, Lew Christensen, Ann Sokolov, Kurt Joos, Jon Hart, and Margaret Jenkins. Additionally he has worked with skaters John Curry and Peggy Fleming, cartoonist Charles Schultz, and has appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Julianne Kepley
Julianne Kepley received her training at the Atlanta School of Ballet under the direction of Tom Pazik and Robert Barnett. She continued her study at both the School of American Ballet and Boston Ballet. Ms. Kepley danced with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of John McFall. She danced principal roles in works by Balanchine, as well as the lead roles in many story ballets. She also worked with many contemporary choreographers and created roles in ballets by John McFall, Lila York, David Parsons, Donald Byrd and Stanton Welch.
In 2002, Ms. Kepley joined the Joffrey Ballet. During her time there she danced a wide range of principal roles in the Joffrey repetoire to critical acclaim, including works by Ashton, Cranko, Balanchine, Kylian, Tharp, Joffrey and Arpino. In 2004, she was chosen Chicagoan of the Year by the Chicago Tribune. In 2007, Ms. Kepley joined the San Francisco Ballet, where she danced principal and soloist roles in ballets by Robbins, Taylor and Balanchine and worked to create ballets with choreographers Caniparoli, Welch, Kudelka, Wheeldon and Adam. In the spring of 2010, she was honored to be a guest artist with the Estonian National Ballet, performing with SFB principal, Tiit Helimets. Ms. Kepley joined the Milwaukee Ballet in 2010 as a principal dancer. Ms. Kepley also had the great honor of being named one of 2011's "25 To Watch", by Dance Magazine and fellow artist, Tiit Helimets.
Ms. Kepley began her teaching career at the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education, teaching and coaching pre-professional division students, many of whom went on to join Atlanta Ballet and other professional companies. During her time in Chicago, she taught at the Lou Conte Dance Studio of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Having previously taught for The Ballet Studio Summer Course, Ms. Kepley is thrilled to be returning to San Francisco and joining the faculty to continue passing on her love for dance to students of all ages!
Ikolo Griffin
board of directors
Victoria Fay
Ann Cameron
Pauline Soffa
William E. Trautman
Patricia Hulley