Faculty

Katie Brogren—School Director, has over 14 years of teaching experience.  She began her dance training at Ballet Arts Theatre and continued her studies at the Academy of Colorado Ballet and the Denver School of the Arts.  Her instructors include Carol Roderick, Kathy Hayes, Michael O'Banion, Nadia Tikhanova, Zhana Dubrovskaya, Sergey Kozadayev, Patricia Renzetti, and Martin Fredmann.  She has a BFA in Dance from the Univ. of Wyoming, studying dance kinesiology, choreography, pedagogy, history, and performance with Patricia Tate, Marsha Knight, Margaret Wilson and others.  Katie has performed with Ballet Ariel, Hannah Kahn Dance Company, and Speaking of Dance.  She apprenticed with Joel Hall Dancers and Deeply Rooted Productions in Chicago, and was pre-professional with the Colorado Ballet.  She teaches beginning/intermediate technique and advanced modern.

Ilena Norton—Artistic and Executive Director, has directed and choreographed ballets for the Ballet Ariel Company since 1998. She started dancing as a young child, and later studied Cecchetti technique with master teacher Larry Boyette. She also studied with Milenko Banovich, Michelle O'Brien, Carol Roderick, Franca Smith, Marceline Freeman and many others. She studied classical piano with Allen Giles. She has a Bachelors Degree from Stanford University and postgraduate education from Yale University and the Univ. of Colorado. She has studied psychology, health, anthropology, research, and administration. She has many years of experience in education. She teaches intermediate/advanced technique classes in the school.

Patricia Renzetti—Company Rehearsal Director, was the prima ballerina for the Colorado Ballet for twelve years, and also was a principal dancer with the London Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet), Scapino Ballet of Holland, the Iranian National Ballet, and the Tampa Ballet. She has danced leading roles including Cinderella, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Sugar Plum Fairy, Swanilda in Coppelia, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, and Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. Patricia completed a Masters Degree in Choreography at the Univ. of Iowa. She studied with Bene Arnold, Willam Christensen, Larry Boyette, Margaret Craske, Marina Stavitskaya, Larisa Sklyanskaya, and Martin Fredmann. She teaches advanced technique, pointe, variations, and company class.

Greg Gonzales was a principal dancer for the Colorado Ballet from 1996-2004. He also danced with Ballet Pacifica, Ballet Arizona, Nevada Dance Theatre, and David Taylor Dance Theater. Major roles include the Preacher in Appalachian Springs, Dark Angel in Serenade, Pat Garrett in Billy the Kid, Head Wrangler in Rodeo, Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, and Franz in Coppelia. Greg graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance/Kinesiology from the Univ. of Northern Colorado. He studied with Larry Boyette, James Clouser, Nadia Tikhanova, Cherie Noble and others. He teaches intermediate/advanced technique, contemporary, pas de deux, and floor barre.