Academy Director, Rebekah von Rathonyi, began her early ballet training in Rochester, NY with Maria Moglivesky and Luba Gulyeava. Later she joined Compania Nacional de Danza in Mexico City, Mexico under the direction of Artistic Director Fernando Alonzo Reneri. As a corps de ballet member she performed in the Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Giselle. In 1994 she was accepted into the year round trainee program at The Rock School of the Pennsylvania
Ballet where she performed in productions of Nutcracker, Giselle and Paquita. Ms. von Rathonyi later joined Rochester City Ballet as a principal dancer. Recently she danced with the USA Ballet, performing many lead and soloist. In 2002, Ms. von Rathonyi took her position as the Academy Director at Peoria Ballet. She has raised the caliber of dance instruction and has also implemented a pre-professional program for the serious student who will one day strive for a professional career in dance.
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in El Paso, Texas,
Erich Yetter began ballet after a football injury in high school. Mr. Yetter danced with BalletMet in Columbus, Ohio, the touring company Dance for Everyone in London, England, and later, as a principal dancer with the Irish National Ballet in Cork, Ireland. Returning to the United States, Yetter completed his Bachelor of Music degree and graduated cum laude from the University of Texas at El Paso. From 1988 to 2000 he danced and choreographed for Ballet Memphis in Tennessee. A principal with that company, he was well known to audiences for riveting characterizations in such ballets as Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. Among his most notable accomplishments in choreography for Ballet Memphis are the contemporary ballet setting of Prodigal Son, the romantic Lady of the Camellias, and a full-length Cinderella. In 1998 he received the Tennessee Arts Commission Fellowship for Choreography and in the summer of 1999 he participated in the International American Choreographer’s Showcase in Guatemala. In April 2000 Yetter worked with Sherril Milnes in Opera Memphis’ production of Aida.
Yetter became the Artistic Director of Peoria Ballet in the summer of 2000. Since then he has choreographed numerous new works including Copland Songs, BB3, Le Grand Tango, Dracula, Allegretto, Gloria and Capriol Suite and has staged the larger works of Nutcracker, Giselle, Les Sylphides, The Sleeping Beauty Act III, The Firebird, Don Quixote Act I and a new production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Yetter also continues to present Peoria audiences with the choreography of world renowned artists George Balanchine, Trey McIntyre, Kent Stowell, Michael Smuin, Alonzo King, Vasili Sullich and August Bournonville among others. Yetter increased the company’s season from one to three main stage performances at the 2200 seat Peoria Civic Center Theater with additional performances at the renovated Orpheum Theatre in Galesburg, Illinois. He moved the Peoria Ballet Academy to a renovated 10,000 square foot warehouse facility, which augmented the enrollment from 75 students to over 330. He acquired the rights from the George Balanchine Trust to perform Valse Fantaisie, instituted a popular in-house choreography project called INSCAPES and toured the company to Ohio Northern University for two performances of Peoria Ballet’s acclaimed production of Giselle. Yetter has been honored to sit on the Illinois Arts Council Grant Review Panel for Dance from 2002 through 2004 and currently reviews applications for the IAC’s Artstour. Yetter has choreographed over 50 works for ballet, opera, and theatre and is sought after as a guest speaker and lecturer. He has addressed schools, service clubs, community groups and given seminars at University of Memphis, Ohio Northern University, Bradley University and Illinois Central College. Yetter lives in North Peoria with his wife Mary Ragna Yetter, and their three children, Evan, Clara and Jacob.
Joining Peoria Ballet for a third year, Chris Clemons offers children with Autism, Ausberger’s and other disorders a dance therapy class. Ms. Clemons is also working with Easter Seals to provide a dance therapy class for their
patients. She is a certified therapeutic recreation specialist with a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation and Park Administration from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Ms. Clemons also has a background in dance, including a minor from U of I. She has had over twenty years of hands on experience working with the aged and disabled.
Don Coven is a native Peorian who began tap lessons at age three at the Merkel-Ford Studios in 1950. He has danced professionally with Ann Miller in Anything Goes, Gene Kelly in Take Me Along, and Ruby Keeler in No No Nanette. Mr. Coven's dance expertise won him a complete scholarship for his Master of Fine Arts in Dance from S.M.U.'s Meadows School of the Arts in 1983. Mr. Coven's dance students in Peoria have won first place awards in dance competitions throughout the country. Peoria Ballet is proud to have "the best tapper in Peoria" as one of their instructors. Mr. Coven teaches jazz, tap, ballroom, and our new musical theater and performance group classes.
Lise Higgins has been dancing and performing in the Peoria area for many years, beginning with ballet classes from Jack Slater, who was the original director of the Peoria Civic Ballet. Ms. Higgins performed as a member of the Peoria Ballet Theater and with the Peoria Ballet Company. She was a dance student at Illinois State University, Parkland College and Illinois Central College. Ms. Higgins has also performed in numerous community theater productions and is a teacher at Montessori School. She recently became a certified Pilates instructor. Ms. Higgins teaches some of our youngest dancers, along with open ballet, adult ballet and Pilates.
Michelle Loeffler has studied all disciplines of dance for many years at a number of studios, including Gus Giordano Dance Center in Evanston, Stone and Camryn in Chicago and Steps on Broadway in New York City. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Performance from the University of Illinois. Ms. Loeffler has been the director and choreographer for the All American Dancers from Peoria for the last 10 years and is also a member of the International Association of Jazz Educators. Ms. Loeffler teaches many of our jazz and hip hop classes.
A well-known local actress and dancer in central Illinois, Pat White has taught drama, tap and ballet and developed drama programs and children's theater productions. Her professional experiences include lead roles of Ado Annie in Oklahoma, Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, and Dolly in Hello Dolly. Mrs. White received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Speech and Theater from Illinois Wesleyan University and a Master's Degree from Bradley University. She brings a new direction to Peoria Ballet as the acting and Creative expressions teacher. Mrs. White also works with the special needs students from PARC, offering them an hour of fun music and movement.
Beginning her training in ballet, tap, jazz and aerobics, Tamra Challacombe
started a career on stage. She became one of the original company
members of Twin Cities Ballet Company and went on to Texas Christian
University to continue her training and receive a BFA in Classical
Ballet. Mrs. Challacombe returned to Central Illinois to choreograph
for the Normal Parks and Recreation Summer Theater and soon became a
resident company member at Conklin’s Dinner Theater. She also
worked in Chicago for some time with Alphabet Soup Productions.
Since then, Mrs.Challacombe has taught dance and choreographed for
many local theaters and dance studios. She is a member of the
Chicago National Association of Dance Masters and is teaching
Advanced Jazz, Hip Hop and Lyrical Jazz at Peoria Ballet this year.
2007 NEW INSTRUCTORS
At the age of seven, Molly Joyce began her dancing career.
With training from Kim’s Academy of Dance and from Don Coven, Ms.
Joyce has been able to dance in local performances including Crazy for You
at Peoria Players Theater. Ms. Joyce is currently coaching a dance
team at the YWCA and will be teaching Pre Dance at Peoria Ballet.
Wanting to be like her mother, Andreana Maroon began dancing
at the age of four and has continued her training at various studios
including Dance Connection, D&D Productions, Don Coven’s
School of Dance and Pava Productions. While trained in ballet and
tap, Ms. Maroon also has learned belly dancing from her mother and
currently teaches at her mother’s studio, Pava Productions. She
frequently travels to Chicago to teach dance workshops and will
teach Discover and Pre Dance classes at Peoria Ballet.
Marie Perrilles Morris began dancing at the age of four
with Peoria Ballet Academy. She has been in numerous Peoria Ballet
performances including Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, Firebird
and Dracula and also performed in a variety of Peoria
Players performances. Ms. Perrilles has assisted with dance classes
for many years and this year will teach Discover Dance, Ballet 1 and
Teen/Adult Ballet.
Sarah Rosecrans has been dancing since the age of six
and has no plans to give up now. With training from The Company, USA
Ballet and Peoria Ballet, Ms. Rosecrans is using her talents to help
foster the love of dance in younger generations. Ms Rosecrans will
be teaching students ages three and up in a variety of levels.