Ambassadors are luminaries of the dance world who champion our mission through their esteemed presence and unwavering support.
The Ballet Alliance values the contributions of our Ambassadors. We aim to involve them in our Festivals, Summer Projects, and Professional Development lectures, where they can offer support, guidance, and advice to our Artistic Directors.
Nicholas Ade was appointed CEO of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) in November 2014 bringing to the nation’s preeminent school of classical ballet more than 18 years of experience that couples substantial artistic expertise with administrative know-how in leading an arts organization. Immediately prior, Ade was the ballet school’s interim executive director.
In September 2012 Ade was appointed as CPYB’s first school principal and faculty member, a post to which he brought an exceptional eye and an understanding of the needs of young dancers. Under his leadership Ade led the expansion and formalization of the men’s dance training program, introduced the Male Scholarship Program that attracts students from across the United States, and created and implemented an aggressive recruitment process that paved the way for summer students to integrate into CPYB’s year-round academic programs. Prior to joining CPYB, Ade was school principal of the Pacific Northwest Ballet School’s Francia Russell Center, PNB’s Eastside School, under Artistic Director Peter Boal from 2006 through 2012.
…Recognized for her unique and personal choreographic approach, Jill Eathorne Bahr has been heralded as being sleek and explosive in her range of styles. Works of Bahr include her nihilistic Firebird and the “World War II Slant of Life in France” in Last Vestiges of a Torch Song Café in addition to her primal tale of a matriarch society turned upside down, The Rite of Spring. Her newest world premiere creation Aladdin and the Magic Carpet was a heralded landmark success.
Jill Eathorne Bahr has served as CEO of Coastal Ballet USA, a pre-professional Ballet and Academic Institution that offers a unique custom fit education for ballet dancers. She served as Resident Choreographer and Senior Faculty Member for the Charleston Ballet Théâtre from 1987-2014. She taught summer intensive workshops throughout the US including Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, and Ballet Aspen. She currently is on the 2022-23 Guest Master Teacher at Florida Ballet and teaches in reputable schools in the Jacksonville Area including Debbie’s Dance Company, Ponte Vedra Ballet, and the Village Dance Center.
…Susan Brooker is the Artistic Director of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) William J. Gillespie School in California. She is also a member of the Artistic Board of Examiners and Instructors for the ABT National Training Curriculum, ABT Summer Program Faculty and guest teacher at the JKO School at ABT. Ms. Brooker is a Fellow and Major Examiner of Cecchetti USA, holds the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma specializing in ballet pedagogy and curriculum development. She was the Director of the Preparatory Dance Program at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts for several years. Ms. Brooker has taught in schools in the USA, Europe, Canada and Japan. Former teacher and then director of the Scuola di Danza Hamlyn di De Vita, Lukens, Florence, Italy, Ms. Brooker was Director of the School of Dance Connecticut, and First Chair of the Dance Department of the Community Division of the Hartt School. From 2008-2014 she was Director of the BalletMet Dance Academy, Columbus, Ohio.
…Donald Dadey began his studies in his native Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania under Jean Gedeon, John Occipintti, and Edward Caton. Upon receiving a full scholarship he furthered his studies In New York City at the School of American Ballet and studied at the Harkness House for the Arts. His professional career began at the age of 16 dancing with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Lyric Opera Ballet of Chicago under the direction of Maria Tallchief and worked with George Balanchine in the opera Orpheus and Eurydice. For the next several years his time was shared between the Dallas Ballet, The Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, and the School of American Ballet.
In 1978 upon invitation from George Balanchine, he joined the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland under the direction of Patricia Neary. He danced in over 20 ballets by Balanchine including leading roles in Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Liebeslieder Waltzer, Western Symphony, Episodes, and Allegro Brilliante.
…Alan Hineline brings a rare blend of artistic expertise and business agility to the nonprofit sector. With a broad range of experience in artistic direction, executive leadership and organizational development, Hineline has a proven track record of strategically innovating and motivating organizations to achieve their missions while building relevant and sustainable futures.
An internationally sought-after choreographer, Alan Hineline’s work is in the repertories of Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Ballet de Monterrey, Ballet Philippines, Pennsylvania Ballet, ProDanza Cuba, Atlanta Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Richmond Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Juilliard Dance Ensemble, and Ballet Academy East, among many schools, colleges, universities and professional companies. As a teacher, Hineline has instructed every level of dancer, from beginner through professional.
…Cynthia began her ballet training with Leona Norman, Founder of Marin Ballet, in San Rafael, California. After her formal training at Marin Ballet, Cynthia joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, under the directorship of Arnold Spohr, as an apprentice for one year, and then joined Joffrey Ballet New York’s trainee program, under the directorship of Jonathan Watts, where she trained for another year. Cynthia joined the National Ballet of Canada, where she would spend the rest of her 18-year professional ballet dancing career, and afterwards, would begin her teaching career. While moving through the ranks of this prestigious company, Cynthia danced several leading and supporting roles in both the classics as well as many new works.
…Charles Maple began his training with Evelyn LeMone, the founder of Pasadena Dance Theatre. He continued his studies with Andrei Tremaine and Stanley Holden until 1972 when he received a Ford Foundation scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At the age of nineteen he joined American Ballet Theatre and rapidly rose through the ranks to become a featured soloist. In 1983, Mr. Maple became a principal dancer with the Basel Ballet of Switzerland.
Over the course of his 20-year career as a dancer, Mr. Maple has worked with such choreographers as George Balanchine, Antony Tudor, Agnes De Mille, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Jirí Kylián, Mikhail Baryshnikov, William Forsythe, Natalia Makarova, Erik Bruhn and Nacho Duato. He has danced with, and been coached by, such greats as Baryshnikov, Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Cynthia Gregory, Fernando Bujones, Gelsey Kirkland, Rudolf Nureyev, Cynthia Harvey, Martine Van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie, Mikko Nissenen and Helgi Tomasson.
…Michael Vernon started dancing at the Nesta Brooking School of Ballet in London before studying at the Royal Ballet School in London with such legendary teachers as Dame Ninette de Valois and Leonide Massine. He performed with the Royal Ballet, the Royal Opera Ballet, and the London Festival Ballet before moving to New York in 1976 to join the Eglevsky Ballet as ballet master and resident choreographer. He retained those positions under the directorship of the famed Edward Villella, and himself became artistic director of the Long Island-based company in 1989. He remained in that position until 1996.
Vernon choreographed numerous ballets for the Eglevsky Ballet, in addition to ballets for many professional companies in the United States and worldwide, such as BalletMet of Columbus, Ohio, and North Carolina Dance Theatre. Mikhail Baryshnikov commissioned him to choreograph the highly successful pas de deux In a Country Garden for American Ballet Theatre (ABT). His solo S’Wonderful was danced by ABT principal Cynthia Harvey in the presence of President and Mrs. Reagan and shown nationwide on CBS television. He also served as assistant choreographer on Ken Russell’s movie Valentino, starring Rudolph Nureyev and Leslie Caron.
…Want to learn more about TBA and how we became the organization we are today?