MS. JOAN KALL STEWART
Back to top

A native New Yorker, Ms. Stewart received her formative training at the Westbury Studio of Fine Arts with Martha Manners, Lillian Waldecker and Jon Curtis. She furthered her studies at the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo under the guidance of Anatole Vilzak and Ludmilla Shollar.

A performer of great versatility, Ms. Stewart’s professional resume includes the Broadway companies of Camelot, Hello Dolly, and national companies of Fiorello, The Sound of Music, Hello Dolly, and How to Succeed in Business With Really Trying. Her summer stock credits include the Paper Mill Playhouse production of Half a Sixpence, The Music Fair’s circuit productions of Half A Sixpence and Gypsy. She performed in roles for Atlanta’s Theatre Of The Stars: Liat in South Pacific, Gloria Upson in Mame, Sue Ellen Bradbury in How Now Dow Jones, Liesl in The Sound of Music, and Ermengarde in Hello Dolly. Ms. Stewart has appeared on the Patty Duke Show, The Woody Allen TV Special and numerous national commercials including Downey Fabric Softener and Great Shakes. She has appeared in Industrial shows for Coca Cola, Canada Dry Ginger Ale and The Ford Show, as well as The Come On In Revue at the Carib Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Winter Park, Florida.

Ms. Stewart has taught ballet in Atlanta since 1967 and directed the Sandy Springs School of Ballet for fourteen years. She has been a principal dancer with Georgia Ballet, DeKalb Concert, The Chattahoochee Dance Theatre, Sandy Springs Civic Ballet, The Huntington Baroque Ballet and the New York City Festival Ballet.

Ms. Stewart’s choreographic works have been performed by the Georgia Ballet, Ruth Mitchell Dance Company, Phoenix Opera Company, Mercer University, DeKalb Concert Ballet, Chattahoochee Dance Theatre, The Sandy Springs Dunwoody Civic Ballet, The Sawnee Ballet Theatre and St. Petersburg Florida’s Chamber Ballet Company.

Since 1990, Ms. Stewart has been the owner and director of the Sawnee School of Ballet, Inc. and artistic director of the Sawnee Ballet Theatre, Inc. in Cumming, Georgia.

MS. ELLEN GRAND
Back to top

Ms. Grand began her formal dance training in Chattanooga, Tennessee with Nancy Lane Wright and was a member of the Dance Theatre Workshop. She attended Vanderbilt University in Nashville where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering and performed with the Vanderbilt Dance Group for four seasons.

After moving to Atlanta, she obtained her Masters Degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech. She continued her dance training at the Dancers Studio Backstage and Sawnee School of Ballet.

Ms. Grand has performed with Sawnee Ballet Theatre as the Queen in Sleeping Beauty, the American Mother in La Boutique Fantasque and Mme. Silverhaus in The Nutcracker.

MS. SHARA MARTIN KEITH
Back to top

Ms. Keith received her formative ballet training from Joan Kall Stewart and Dana Mott at The Sandy Springs School of Ballet and was a principal dancer with the Sandy Springs/Dunwoody Civic Ballet Company and the Chattahoochee Dance Theatre. For two consecutive seasons, she was selected by the Dekalb County Fine Arts Council to participate in the Dekalb County Young Artist in Dance Program.

A graduate of Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet, she was a principal dancer with Texas Christian University Dance Ensemble and studied under Fernando Schaffenburg and Lisa Fusillo. She was invited to perform in a choreographic showcase with members of the Fort Worth, Texas, Ballet Company.

Ms. Keith was a principal dancer with the Georgia Ballet for three seasons and performed with the Phoenix Opera Company in productions of Hansel and Gretel and Mozart's Magic Flute. She was a Guest Artist for The Gilmer Arts Council and the Governor's Honors Program in Valdosta, Georgia.

Ms. Keith is an assistant to the Artistic Director of Sawnee Ballet Theatre. She has appeared with Sawnee Ballet Theatre in numerous principal roles in their Spring Concert and Nutcracker productions. She received her Associate Degree in Nursing from Kennesaw State College, Kennesaw, Georgia.

MS. VERONICA KNIGHT
Back to top

Ms. Knight was accepted into the performing arts program at Kaimuki High School of Oahu, Hawaii. She studied at Hawaii State Ballet and performed with their Junior Company. After moving to New York, she continued her studies at Broadway Dance Center and performed with several local groups.

Ms. Knight attended Miami Dade College, where she received an Associates Degree in Dance. She then attended Florida International University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with an emphasis in choreography and performance. While in Miami, Ms. Knight taught a variety of dance in the Dade county school system (Hispanic, African, Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Modern and HipHop) and choreographed for their Dance Company. She also taught Jazz and Tap at the McMillan Community School in Miami.

She performed with the Neuvo Dia Dance Ensemble, and with the Florida Grand Opera. Ms. Knight also danced in a Latin-American Commercial.

MS. JOANNE LEE
Back to top

A native of Australia, Joanne Lee, A.I.S.T.D. trained in the Cecchetti Method, and at the Victoria Commonwealth Society of Dancing. She studied with Lily Piper, Coorie Lodders, Madame Zenie Borovansky, Martin Rubenstin and Audrey DeVoss. She performed with the Shiveram Indian Dance Company and the Borovansky Ballet, now known as the Australian Ballet. Ms. Lee had her own ballet schools in Ankara, Turkey; Goldsboro, North Carolina; Beaufort, South Carolina and was Artistic Director of the Beaufort Ballet Guild.

In 1968, Ms. Lee joined the faculty of the Atlanta School of Ballet, where she directed the Apprentice Company, Youth Ensemble and Professional Open Classes. She also supervised and staged the children’s roles in George Balanchine’s Nutcracker.

Ms. Lee has numerous choreographic credits, including such works as La Boutique Fantastique, Interludes, Angles in 3/4, and Peter and the Wolf. She was the Assistant to Dr. Marylin Darling of the Dance Department at Agnes Scott College. Recently she participated on a committee reviewing dance companies for Fulton County Schools.

Ms. Lee has taught master classes in Melbourne, Australia, Clearwater FL, Nashville TN, Rochester NY, and Akron OH. She has been an instructor with Sawnee School of Ballet for the past five seasons.

MS. ALLYSON RAYMOND
Back to top

Ms. Raymond is a native Atlantan. She began her dance training at The Decatur School of Ballet, and continued her training as a young teen at the Altanta School of Ballet. There she was accepted into the pre-professional program and was able to train with many fine instructors, under the direction of Robert Barnett, Merilee Smith and Joanne Lee, and performed in numerous productions with The Atlanta Ballet.

Ms. Raymond then went on to Brenau College and received degrees in Dance Pedagogy and Arts Management. There she danced with The Gainesville Ballet as a Soloist, performing roles in Nutcracker, Pacquita and Pas de Quatre, among others. After college, Ms. Raymond performed with International Ballet Rotaru for several seasons. Under the direction of Pavel Rotaru she danced in Swan Lake, Carmen, Pacquita and Don Quiote, just to name a few. Ms. Raymond then went on to a teaching career.

She was asked to return to The Atlanta Ballet in 1993, where she has trained numerous dancers who have gone on to careers in Ballet. She has also taught at many ballet schools in Metro Atlanta and has served as Guest Teacher and Choreographer all over Georgia. Ms. Raymond and her family have recently moved to Cumming and we are pleased to have her join us for the 2008/2009 season.

MS. NATALIA SHEVCHENKO
Back to top

Ms. Shevchenko is a graduate of the Kiev Academy in the Ukraine and was trained in the Vagonova style. She was the recipient of Laureate awards at both the National Competition of Art in Kiev, Ukraine, and Kishinev, Moldova.

As a principal dancer, Ms. Shevchenko has an extensive repertoire including such roles as ‘Odette’ in Swan Lake; ‘Aurora’ in Sleeping Beauty; ‘Swanhilda’ in Coppelia; and ‘Juliet’ in Romeo and Juliet.

She has performed at the Mussorgsky State Theater of Opera and Ballet; Kirov Academy Theatre of Opera and Ballet; the Bolshoi Theater in Russia; the Muldova Academy Theater of Opera and Ballet in Muldova; and National Academy Theatre of Opera and Ballet in the Ukraine.

Ms. Shevchenko's teaching experience includes the Classical Ballet Academy of Kishinev, Muldova; the Muldova Academy Theatre of Opera and Ballet; Kiev Academy of Ballet; and the Atlanta Ballet. She has been an instructor with Sawnee School of Ballet for the past six seasons.

MS. LAURIE SOWADA
Back to top

Ms. Sowada received her formative training at Bobbie Alcott’s School of Dance in Miami, Florida. She continued her dance education at the Avery School of Dance in Miami, where she taught classes in pre-ballet, tap, tumbling and slimnastics.

She attended St. Petersburg Junior College and was a preschool teacher in Seminole, Florida where she created a play/learning environment for 3-4 year olds.

Ms. Sowada has attended a Summer Intensive with the Salt Lake City Ballet Company in Aspen, Colorado. She has performed at University of Miami and Vizcaya Gardens. Most recently she has appeared with the Sawnee Ballet Theatre in their production of the Nutcracker.

MS. ANITA WILLIAMS
Back to top

Ms. Williams gre up in Pensacola, Florida and began her dance training while at University of Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics. As part of the Nubian Allegria Dance Troupe, she performed at various functions on the university's campus.

Shortly after moving to Atlanta in 2002, Ms. Williams began studying at Gotta Dance Atlanta in jazz, ballet, lyrical, modern, African, and hiphop dance.

To her credit Ms. Williams has performed with international Gospel and hiphop artists around the country, on stage, and televised awards shows. She has performed in the "Passion to Dance" concert series and the BET Hip Hop Awards.

Her teaching experience includes Gotta Dance Atlanta, Tupac Amura Shakur Center for the Arts, Dance 101 and Soloman's Porch Ministries. We are pleased to have her join us again this season.