Download the Winter/Spring 2012 Brochure at the bottom of the Class Calendar page!

Who We Are

Helene Nilsen has been active in the dance community for thirty years, from modern dance classes in Denver, Colorado to classes with the Wolcott Ballet in its beginning in 1977. She was active on the board of the Wolcott Ballet and was instrumental in its transition to an integrative arts program called On the Rise. For the last ten years, Helene has taught creative movement to 4-7 year old children integrating dance with children’s creations of their own fairy tales set to classical music and accompanied with narration.

Helene believes that the arts are critical for the development of each child’s sense of his/her creative self. The arts afford children a grounding in self discipline and focus. She believes that dance as the artistic modality and the teacher-student relationship are the key elements for the developmental benefits to occur.

Helene is a psychotherapist with a Psy. D. in clinical psychology. She integrates the arts and the creative process in her practice, working with children, adolescents, and adults. She also works part time as an adjunct professor in the graduate clinical psychology program at St. Michael’s College. She has the firm commitment and belief that the instrument to enriching people’s development is in the relationships created between each other.

She is committed to the Ballet Wolcott mission of creativity and dance through the community connection.

Brandy Ofciarcik-Perez received her Bachelor of Arts in dance from Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA.  Before that, she studied with the esteemed faculty of the Pittsburgh High School for Creative and Performing Arts and under the tutelage of Vivienne Bartman of the Chartiers Valley Arts Council Dance Company where she became well known for her performance as the Sugar Plum Fairy.  Her dance education includes ballet, jazz, tap, modern, folk, and historical dance.  Her experiences have taken her to  Frontiertown Western Theme Park in Maryland where she taught, created dances, and performed.  Since moving to Vermont, she has become a member of the Vermont Dance Collective, taught at Johnson State College, and has collaborated with many local choreographers and teachers.  With the Collective, she performs in schools and theatres all over Vermont as well and around the country.  The highlight of her experience is having the opportunity to share dance with all of her students.

Avi Waring began dancing at the Wolcott Children’s Ballet at age 8 where she learned a love of movement and performing from June Gorton.  She studied ballet and modern dance with the Vermont Junior Ballet Company and with the National Youth Ballet at Walnut Hill School in Natick, MA. She danced with the Newcomb Dance Company at Tulane University in New Orleans, and went on to study the wild and endless art of improvisation with Fawn and Arol Wulf and the Heretica Dance Company at Zendik Arts in West Virginia. She has performed with the Vermont Dance Collective, Moving Light Dance Company, the Montpelier Movement Collective and is a member of the newly relocated Double Vision Dance Company. Avi is excited to bring her love of dancing back to where it began for her through the Ballet Wolcott.

Breanna Hart holds a BA in psychology with a minor in Dance from Johnson State College. As a student at JSC she was active in the Johnson State College Dance Ensemble. While in high school, she was a member of the North Country High School Dance Company. Breanna balances her administrative role with Easter Seals (working with and directing programs with families and children) and her human services career with her passion for teaching and performing dance. She consistently continues to take classes at the Contemporary Dance and Fitness Center in Montpelier. Breanna has also studied with Cecchetti Ballet Master Teacher Jennifer Wiley (hosted by River Arts' On the Rise Program) for the past five summers. Breanna spent last year dancing for the Vermont Elements, a Company of Urban Dance Complex in Williston, Vt., directed by Sara Cover. Breanna has taken numerous classes in West Coast Hip Hop and Funk in Los Angeles, California. Her philosophy of dance instruction is to teach a dance form to students that is technical and requires a rigorous discipline yet in a context of a receptive, friendly, and respectful environment.

Jordan Mensah started traditional African Drumming at Age 9 in Ghana.  He grew up in Bukom, a suburb of Acca, a community where drum and dance played an integral part of all community activities.  He is a Juried Artist listed with the Vermont Arts Council, and has organized Onion River Arts and Community Connections sponsored residencies in elementary and high schools across Vermont as part of the Shidaa African Cultural Project, as well as workshops for adult community groups in Adamant, Barre, and Plainfield.  He is a resource person on African Traditional studies.

Jennifer Wiley began her early training with Lorraine Peltonen and Flint Ballet Theater.  She graduated from Western Michigan University and performed with the University Ballet Theater.  Jennifer has directed the Dancscape program and numerous musicals at the Midland Center for the Arts.  She is currently on the faculty of the Paavola School of Dance in Flint, Michigan, teaching ballet and jazz.

As a member of the Cecchetti Council of America, Jennifer is certified to teach the Cecchetti Method of ballet.  The Cecchetti Council of America is an organization dedicated to maintaining the standards and method of ballet training established by Cav. Enrico Cecchetti. The organization uses his teaching and writings in a sequence of grades, carefully measured as to degree of difficulty and physical development, and provides a system of accredited examinations to test the student's proficiency within those grades.  Jennifer continues her studies with Bethany Lenhart, Cecchetti Council of America board member and permanent examiner, and is currently working towards the Grade VI level of certification.

Shari Stahl (Sabah) has studied belly dance and yoga for many years. Since 2005, Sabah has taught Middle Eastern dance classes in central Vermont. Women of all ages find Sabah's classes to be empowering and energizing.
Following her love of Middle Eastern Dance, also known as Raqs Sharki, Sabah continues to train with internationally acclaimed Katia of Boston and Hadia of Canada. Travels to Egypt and Morocco have enhanced Sabah's cultural perspective and respect for the historic roots of Middle Eastern Dance.
Shari is a practicing psychotherapist in Montpelier. She is pleased to offer classes through Ballet Wolcott. She welcomes you to join the fun, fitness and camaraderie of belly dancing. Try belly dancing with her and find joy and freedom of expression through movement.