Lisl Vaillant-McDonald -

Ms. Valillant-mcDonald received her ballet training at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet in New York City. Upon graduation she apprenticed for one year with Washington Ballet under the direction of Mary Day. The following year Ms. Vaillant-McDonald joined Pennsylvania Ballet where she danced for eight years under the direction of Ricky Weiss, ultimately rising to the rank of soloist. During her tenure with Pennsylvania Ballet, Ms. Vaillant-McDonald took one year leave of absence to dance with Pacific Northwest Ballet under the direction of Kent Stowell and Francia Russell, performing in their film production of Maurice Sendak's The Nutcracker.

Ms. Vaillant-McDonald also enjoyed a career as a freelance artist touring for two years with Robert LaFosse and Stars of the American Ballet, and with Heather Watts with Stars of the New York City Ballet. Ms. Vaillant-McDonald completed her dance career by joining the national tour of The Phantom of the Opera, with whom she toured for eight years as a member of the ballet chorus and understudy to the principal role of “Meg Giry”.
Ms. Vaillant-McDonald's teaching credits include The Rock School of Ballet, as a guest teacher and outreach program recruiter for Eliot Feld New School of Ballet, and as a guest teacher at Steps on Broadway, Raleigh School of Ballet, Rutgers University, and Westside School of Ballet, in Los Angeles.

Peter Strand

Mr Strand has danced with several companies: as a soloist for the Oakland Ballet, the Minnesota Ballet, the Granite State Ballet in New Hampshire, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Michael Mao Modern Dance Company, Les Ballet Trocaderos de Monte Carlo, the Connecticut Ballet, and as a principal for “Pirouettes” International, the Lexington Ballet, and The Quad Cities Ballet.

After a rewarding career in the performing arts, Peter has now moved on to designing web sites and photography, and teaching at Pikes Peak Community College.

David Keener

Mr Keener performed professionally with many notable companies such as Festival Ballet of NewYork, Maryland Ballet, Ballet Met, Tennessee Festival Ballet, and Evansville Dance Theatre.  Mr. Keener has been on faculty with The Maryland Ballet, Academy of Ballet Met, Evansville Dance Theatre, University of Utah, School of Ballet West, Interlochen Arts Academy, Univ. of Illinois, Virginia School of the Arts, and Alba Dance International in Italy.  David Keener has thirty-six years of experience as a dance artist, teacher, choreographer, producer, and director.