SYLVIA PALMER ZETLER National Ballet of Canada, Fellow and Examiner, Cecchetti USA & C.I.C.B.
Ms Palmer performed for many years with the National Ballet of Canada, CBC TV, and the Canadian Opera Company.  Her training was with Kay Armstrong in Vancouver, B.C., the National Ballet School in Toronto, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, and many of the foremost European teachers in London and Paris.  Her formal education culminated with an M.F.A. Degree in Creative Teaching Techniques under the direction of Erling Sunde and John Hart, CBE, both of the Royal Ballet, England.  Sylvia holds the degree of Fellow with Cecchetti USA and CICB and is an Examiner for CUSA.  She has been the recipient of two Canada Council of the Arts grants for the furtherance of the dance arts.  Her students grace the stages of many companies in the U.S. and Great Britain.

WENDY CORMIER, MFA
Ms Cormier earned her MFA in Ballet and Character Dance from The University of Utah. She has taught in Hawaii, Utah, and Georgia. She is recipient of the California State PTA Honorary Service and Continuing Service Awards for her work with children.

KIRSTEN THORNE
Ms.Thorne began her training in South Africa at the age of 4. he has been dancing and training with BMDC for 9 years and holds a Cecchetti Advanced 2 diploma. She has performed many roles with Southern California Youth Ballet, her lead roles include Snow Queen and lead Chinese in "The Nutcracker", Blessing of the Bell in Coppelia, and soloist in Paquita. She is pursuing her therapist degree at Nazarene College in Point Loma. Kirsten also dances for San Diego Ballet.

SUZAN STONE, formerly, San Diego Ballet, BFA
Ms. Stone teaches ballet and Introduction to Dance classes at the Black Mountain Dance Centre. She has a BFA in ballet under the tutelage of Erling Sunde at USIU. She was a soloist with San Diego Ballet and created the role of Cinderella in Mr. Sunde's ballet. She has special skills with working with the very young ambitious students, and has taken them successfully into Cecchetti Standard exams.

VANESSA TIPON
Ms. Tipon began her formal dance training at Black Mountain Dance Centre at the age of five. She performed in various roles with Southern California Youth Ballet including, Clara, Sugar Plum, Cheshire Cat and many others. Vanessa then attended UC Irvine and earned a BA in Dance with a minor in History. She has performed with various companies throughout California such as the Welk Resort Theater, Fullerton Civic Light Opera, Malashock Dance & Company, Powerhouse Production, Opera Pacific and San Diego Opera. She has also worked with prominent choreographers Donald McKayle, John Malashock, Sean Greene, Desiree Robbins and James Penrod. Vanessa loves teaching dance and enjoys working with the students at BMDC.