Ballet Faculty
Ms. Megan
Experience & Credentials
Megan is currently a Process Engineer with Chevron's Gulf of Mexico Business Unit. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's in chemical engineering and minors in mathematics, chemistry, and process safety.
Megan began her early ballet training at Cartersville School of Ballet in GA and Elizabeth Williams School of Dance in MI. After moving to Texas, she trained at Fort Bend Academy of Dance, participating in their pre-professional company BalletForte. As a member of BalletForte, Megan performed in Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Coppelia, the Nutcracker, and numerous contemporary ballet pieces. She also participated in Regional Dance America Festivals as well as the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive program. Megan completed her ballet training at Footprints Christian Dance studio and Adagio Performing Arts with guest performances in Carnival of the Animals, Alice in Wonderland, and as the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.
In college, Megan was a member of Chara Christian Dance Company, performing in numerous shows including annual Art of Worship performances. She began her teaching experience at Suzanne's School of Dance as a pre-pointe and ballet technique instructor. She also taught as a substitute at Louisiana Academy of Performing Arts and is excited to be working with Ms. Lucia at Arabesque Ballet Theatre.
Ms. Jennifer
Experience & Credentials
Jennifer grew up in New Orleans where she began her early ballet training at Giacobbe Academy of Dance and with Melanie Ryan at Southern Dance Center. In high school, she attended New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) where she continued her ballet training with Denise Oustalet, as well as expanded into other dance styles including jazz and tap with Alton Geno and modern with Lula Elzy and had the opportunity to perform in original choreography across all these genres. Outside of NOCCA, Jennifer studied with Jacqueline Fry and Wayne Soulant at New Orleans Dance Academy and performed with New Orleans Ballet
Ensemble for their inaugural season, including ‘Cole!’ set to a full score of music from Cole Porter, originally set by Mr. Soulant for BalletMet.
In college, Jennifer attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX on a dance scholarship. At SMU, she continued a broad dance training across multiple genres including ballet, jazz, and Graham technique and was also able to take classes in theater production and lighting, as well as Kinesiology. While at SMU she was fortunate to perform in works by Balanchine and Paul Taylor and many original pieces including student work.
After college, Jennifer began a career in finance and business strategy, but continued to perform with local groups in New Orleans and Dallas as well as teaching classes at area schools. Jennifer later continued her business education at Harvard Business School, and while there she served as choreographer and then director of their annual student written musical “The HBS Show!” Throughout her career, Jennifer continued to dance, and was fortunate to have the opportunity to study at Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre in Cambridge, MA; Dayton Ballet in Ohio; STEPS, Broadway Dance Center, and Ballet Academy East in New York City; and Hunter Dance
Center in Houston.
Jennifer holds a BFA in Dance and a BBA in Finance from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also has extensive experience working with non- profit organizations both within and outside of the performing arts including Board of Directors roles with Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Dayton Ballet, and Avalon Academy in Houston and has done consulting projects for Lucy Moses School and Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York through the HBS Club Community Partners program. Jennifer currently works in Real Estate in the Mandeville Area and is an active member of the PTAs at her daughters’ schools.
Jennifer is excited to join the faculty of Arabesque Ballet Theater. Her teaching philosophy is focused on establishing a strong technical ballet foundation that will give students the freedom to fully experience the joy of dance, and she is looking forward to helping all of Arabesque’s students to fully realize their own potential and find this joy!