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.
Greta Schoenberg
Greta Schoenberg received early ballet training with Jean Dunphy at The Studio in Santa Cruz, as well as summers at SFB, Academy of Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and Ballet West. She earned a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah where she danced with the Utah Ballet, the Utah Opera, and created several student works. She went on to dance in Oslo with the Norwegian National Ballet, in Copenhagen with former Royal Danish director Flemming Flindt, and in Amsterdam where she created a workshop piece on members of Dutch National Ballet.
In San Francisco since 1999, Greta is a certified Pilates and Gyrotonic instructor and has done extensive continuing education in anatomy, kinesiology, physical therapy, myofascial release, and injury prevention. She currently teaches ballet at City Ballet School and has taught at the SF School of the Arts and the San Francisco Dance Center. Greta continues her performing career with independent choreographers and is exploring her own work through dance film.
Ms. Schoenberg's video projects have been screened throughout the Bay Area, in Arizona and in London, and she now produces local dance film events through her organization Motion Pictures.
Charles Torres, M.A.
Charles has taught for over twenty-five years and is Ballet Master at The Ballet Studio (05') and is also at Stapleton School of Performing Arts ( Ballet Master), where for over thirteen years, he has staged, choreographed, coached, from ballet II to the advanced levels for SSPA school, including the youth company and the theatre company.
Charles has been a principal dancer/ guest artist throughout the country, a principal with Smuin ballet, Sacramento Ballet, and others. He has danced all the full-length ballets, a full Balanchine reperitory, and has worked with past and present leading choreographers. Charles has worked with some the greatest coaches of our time such as; Jorge Esquivel, Violette Verdy, Henry Berg, Stephan Wenta, Malcolm Burn, and Mikhail Lavarosky of the Bolshoi Ballet.
Charles earned his Master Degree (08') from St. Mary's College in 21st Century Leadership, earned his Level I certification from Values Tech.
Laura Berry
Laura began her training in classical ballet and jazz at Contra Costa Ballet in Walnut Creek. She has studied under numerous nationally renowned dancers, teachers, and choreographers which gave her the opportunity to learn a variety of styles and build strong technique. At age 18 she accepted her first professional contract with Peninsula Ballet Theatre and became one of the company’s principaldancers in her first season. She has participated in dance competitions with I Love Dance and worked as a soloist dancer and choreographer in the Performer’s and Choreographer’s Gala in San Francisco.
Laura has performed as a soloist dancer, lead ballerina, and vocalist in musical theatre productionsof Phantom of the Opera, Oklahoma, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She was also the Dance Captain and assisted all dancers and ran rehearsals, as requested by the Artistic Director.
Laura began her teaching career in 1995 with Dance Connection in Concord, where she held the position of Intermediate/Advanced Ballet Teacher and Head of the Ballet Department. Laura has had many permanent and substitute teaching positions for children and adults. She is currently teaching at Star Dance Studio and is happy to join the faculty of The Ballet Studio.
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!
Zuzu Snyder
Zuzu Snyder, a Bay Area native, began her dance training with Henry Berg and Damara Bennett at City Ballet School, San Francisco. She became a member of Bay Area Youth Ballet where she was given the opportunity to perform and choreograph. ODC San Francisco furthered her dance education
Zuzu began teaching pre ballet at The Ballet Studio in 2003 before moving to New York City for college. She is now a recent graduate with a B.A. in Eastern Art History and is happy to be back teaching!
board of directors
Victoria Fay
Ann Cameron
Pauline Soffa
William E. Trautman