Academy

Tina LeBlanc trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and went on to dance with Joffrey II and The Joffrey Ballet before joining San Francisco Ballet as a principal dancer in 1992.  Her repertory included leading roles in Helgi Tomasson’s Giselle, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo & Juliet, Nutcracker, and in Tomasson/Possokhov’s Don Quixote.  Ms.

Bruce Marks received his performing arts training at the New York High School of Performing Arts, Brandeis University and The Juilliard School. In 1956, he joined the corps de ballet of the Metropolitan Opera School and in 1958 became premier danseur. Marks joined American Ballet Theatre in 1961, soon being promoted to principal dancer. In 1971 he became the first American principal dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet where he remained for five years. In 1976 Marks was named co-artistic director of Ballet West and in 1978 he took over as artistic director.

Calvin Kitten joined The Joffrey Ballet in 1992, following one season with The Joffrey II Dancers. He began his dance training at the California Ballet School in San Diego and furthered his training at the Tbilisi, Georgia, with Vacktang Chabukiani and The Joffrey Ballet School in New York.

Born in Washington, D.C., Jane received her formative ballet training at the Washington School of Ballet in Washington D.C., most notably with Mary Day, Alice Bralove, and Julio de Bittencourt.  At 15, she was invited to perform with the Grand Theatre de Genève, in Geneva, Switzerland under the direction of Patricia Neary and George Balanchine.

She joined Ballet West, at the invitation of Bruce Marks, as a Ballet West Guild Scholarship Student in 1979, and rose to the rank of Principal Dancer under the direction of John Hart, C.B.E. in 1988.

Bene began her dance training in Los Angeles with the Ethel Meglin Dance Studio.  In 1948 she was accepted into the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Harold Christensen and his faculty William and Lew Christensen, Ruby Asquith, Gisella Caccialanza, Mattlyn Gavers and Anatol Joukowsky.  Under Lew Christensen, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ballet Company, Bené rose to the rank of soloist and later became his ballet mistress. 

Originally from Salt Lake City, Lisa Hoyt began her serious dance training at Christiansen School of Dance where she began performing with the International Folk-Ballet.  At the age of twelve Ms. Hoyt started studying with Ballet West Conservatory/Academy.  She attended numerous summer intensives including Pacific Northwest Ballet School, American Ballet Theatre (NYC), Houston Ballet Academy, Suzanne Farrell’s Cedar Islands, Ballet West Conservatory, Ballet West Academy and Repertory Dance Theatre’s programs.  Ms.

Sharee Lane is an Associate Professor, Lecturer in the Department of Ballet at the University of Utah, where she teaches both upper and lower division levels as well as Acting For Dancers. Professor Lane also choreographs for Ballet Ensemble and is Artistic Advisor for the Department's Ballet Showcase II.

Professor Lane danced with Ballet West under Artistic Directors Willam F. Christensen and Bruce Marks from 1970 - 1979, and was responsible for training John Travolta in his 1982 movie, "Staying Alive."

Shelly has taught Jazz for over 20 years. Her teaching credits include The University of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, The Ballet School, Edinburgh Festival Scotland and Central Ballet School, London England. She currently teaches for Ballet West Academy and Ballet West Outreach program.