Gateway Commons

1708 A East Franklin Street

Chapel Hill

932-2676

Guest Faculty

LD Burris

African and Modern

Peter di Falco

Ethnic and Character Dance

Melanie Fehrenbacher

Ballet

Amanda Hall

Ballet

Amanda Miller

Modern

Heather Rose

Ballet and Modern

Ashlyn Sumner

Ballet

Marlon Torres

Jazz

Lauren Lorentz de Haas, Artistic Director

A North Carolina native, began her training in Fayetteville with Josephine von Strasnicsak. She studied ballet at Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, VA and North Carolina School of the Arts. An anthropology graduate of UNC, she received her MA in dance from UNC-Greensboro with recognized credits from American Dance Festival. Ms. Lorentz de Haas has been teaching ballet for over 25 years. She founded the Triangle Youth Ballet to serve the needs of young aspiring dancers and has served as director since 1995.

Christine Grider, Associate Director

Performed with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Memphis Concert Ballet and was a soloist with Ballet Memphis. Christine has taught Ballet, Pointe, Repertory and Creative Movement in Pittsburgh with the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Ballet Memphis and at the Triangle Youth Ballet. She has served as Associate Artistic Director for our company since 2003.

Sharon McClellan, Director of Children’s Curriculum

Studied Ballet and Musical Theater at Jacksonville University, Children’s Theater and Choreography at the University of Kansas and South Indian Classical Dance at the University of Washington. Performed and choreographed for Dansync Performing Arts Ensemble. She has taught continuously in the area for 25 years.

Sarah Honer

Began her dance training with the South West Virginia Dance Theater. She minored in dance at George Mason University. In 2000, she was chosen as an Emerging Choreographer by SERBA (South Eastern Regional Ballet Association) and received a scholarship from Regional Dance America to attend The Craft of Choreography Workshop. Sarah is a certified Pilates Instructor through PhysicalMind Institute (2000) and Pilates Certification Center (2002) with a specific interest in how the Pilates Method can help dancers achieve better body awareness, placement, strength and balance.

Audrey Fenske

Has been a member of the Triangle Youth Ballet family since 1995. She continued her studies at the Virginia School of the Arts, and received the Service Award upon graduation. She also attended summer intensives at Houston Ballet and BalletMet Columbus.  She graduated from Duke as the university's first Dance major, with a double major in Developmental Psychology.  While at Duke, she received the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts for her choreography and performance work.  Her choreography has been performed at various venues nationally, including the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.

Amanda Parker Hall

A graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, she performed the the Triangle Youth Ballet, Carolina Styles and the Duke Repertory Comapny.  She trained at the North Carolina Dance Theatre, Chalotte City Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, The Joffrey and Hartford Ballet.  For the past three years Amanda has in the Netherlands, training with ballet teachers from all over Europe at Dansateliers and De Haagsche Dansetage.  She also taught ballet to elementary aged children at the American School of the Hague.

Courtney Saffie

Is a native of Chapel Hill, and has been dancing for 17 years.  She trained with Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary,NC and Carolina Dance Center in Raleigh, NC.  Currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Courtney is pursuing a degree in dance education as well a business.

Jamie Taylor

Raised in Utah, Jamie began dancing as a child. She performed with a local company, the Rocky Mountain Repertory Ballet, and attended Utah College of Massage Therapy. Upon graduation, Jamie danced with Synergy Modern Dance Co. and attended Utah Valley State College. She received a B.A. in Integrated Studies with an emphasis in Modern Dance and Behavioral Science. Now in North Carolina, Jamie has joined the Triangle Youth Ballet, opened a massage practice and has started a dedicated study of Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian Martial Art integrating singing, dancing, fighting and playing.

Kate Vollrath

Is a graduate from the Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts with a major in Dance. Kate studied at Fordham University in the Fordham/Alvin Ailey B.F.A. dance program.  She continued her dance training at Steps on Broadway and graduated from Fordham University summa cum laude with a B.A. in Religious Studies in 2007.  She has performed with Sweet Enuff Dancers and Jette Performance Company in New York, and was a member of Sidelong Dance Co. 2008-2009.  Kate’s choreography has been performed by Sidelong Dance Co. and was selected to appear at the Southeastern Regional Ballet Association Festival in May 2009.  She taught Ballet and Jazz at Dance Cavise in Mamaroneck, NY throughout college and is currently teaching in Chapel Hill, NC at the Triangle Youth Ballet.  As of May 2009, Kate is the newest member of world-renowned acrobatic dance company Galumpha.

Hannah Widener

Received her BFA in dance with a minor in English from UNC-G in 1994. She has performed in modern dance companies: Dansync, A Performing Arts Ensemble, and North/South Dance of NYC. Her teaching experiences include teaching children’s classes in ballet, jazz, tap, creative movement, and modern dance. She has also taught ballroom dance to adults.