Inna Yureneva - Guest Instructor, Summer Intensive Week 1: July 28-August 1:
Ms. Yureneva graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, Russia. During her time as student in Moscow, Inna performed in numerous productions of the Bolshoi Theater. In the summer of 2002, she immigrated to New York with her family.
Since then, she has performed with many national ballet companies including the Metropolitan Opera. In 2015 Inna received a degree in classical ballet pedagogy from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. In 2018 she completed a certification program in Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg as well as teacher certification from the American Ballet Theater (ABT) National Training Curriculum. In 2019 Inna participated in IDA competition in Florence, Italy as a ballet juror.
Inna has extensive teaching experience, working with students of all ages and skill levels, both in the United States and abroad. From 2012 - 2021 Ms. Yureneva has acted as an Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy annual summer intensive program in Connecticut and Teacher Certification program in New York.
Jennifer McNamara - Guest Instructor, Summer Intensive Week 2: August 4-August 8:
Ms. McNamara is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Dance, School of the Arts, at Mercyhurst University. Raised in Syracuse, NY, she spent two seasons dancing with Richmond Ballet; among her most notable performance opportunities with the company were Kurt Joos’s The Green Table and Balanchine’s Serenade. She spent the next eleven years with Eugene Ballet, where she toured the United States, Canada, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Syria, Jordan, and Tunisia. She was grateful to grow as an artist in narrative ballets including performing the role of Lucy in Charles Bennett’s Dracula. She created leading roles in many of artistic director Toni Pimble’s contemporary works as well as in works by a wide variety of guest choreographers. After performing the Spring pas de deux in Paul Vasterling’s Seasons, Jennifer was invited to join the Nashville Ballet, where she rose to principal dancer; in her seven years there, she was especially noted for dramatic portrayals such as the Chosen One in Salvatore Aiello’s The Rite of Spring and the title roles in Dennis Spaight’s Scheherazade and Paul Vasterling’s Romeo and Juliet and Lizzie. She was coached by the late Elaine Thomas of the Royal Ballet for performances as Myrtha in Giselle, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, and Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, among others in the classical canon.
After retiring as a performer, Jennifer combined her love for teaching, words, and making things; she was an adjunct professor at Middle Tennessee State University and the assistant rehearsal director for the Centennial Youth Ballet, she taught contemporary ballet for New Dialect’s daily company class, and she was on the faculty of the School of Nashville Ballet. Jennifer has also designed and built costumes for her own choreographic works as well as on commission for others; several have been exhibited in galleries.
As a Pilates educator and an intuitive dancer-teacher, Jennifer contemplates the intertwined science and art of movement, informing her work in and out of the studio; she is also passionate about fostering equitable opportunities in dance. She is a past recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship (Dance) from the Tennessee Arts Commission. Recent publications include an article in Arts Education Policy Review and a chapter on mixed methods research for the forthcoming book, The Handbook of Dance Education Research (Intellect Books, 2024), both co-authored with Doug Risner. She wrote the chapter “Afterword(s)” in Masculinity, Intersectionality & Identity: Why Boys (Don’t) Dance (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) and is the co-editor, with Doug Risner, of the book Dancing Mind, Minding Dance: Socially Relevant and Personally Resonant Dance Education (Routledge, 2023). Jennifer earned her MFA in Dance from Hollins University in 2018.
Etienne Diaz - Guest Instructor, Summer Intensive Week 3: August 11-August 15:
Mr. Diaz began his training at the Orlando Ballet School as the Founders’ Scholarship Award Recipient and, following graduation, attended Florida State University with a full scholarship. After two years, Etienne began his professional career at the Teatrul de Balet Sibiu, Balletto del Sud, in Italy, and the National Opera of Bucharest in Romania. Etienne returned to the United States to join the Milwaukee Ballet, where he danced numerous roles for two seasons. In 2014, Etienne joined Philadelphia Ballet, formerly known as the Pennsylvania Ballet, under the direction of Angel Corella, where he rose to the rank of demi-soloist, dancing leading roles and world premieres. He has worked with renowned choreographers and distinguished artists, including Fernando Bujones, Jiří Kylián, Christopher Wheeldon, and William Forsythe, among others.
He resumed his business administration studies at Temple University in Philadelphia, graduating with honors. He was also on the faculty at Bryn Mawr College for two years and was Associate Director at The Metropolitan Ballet for seven years. Etienne has judged and taught master classes at international ballet competitions such as the Hong Kong International, World Ballet Competition, Universal Ballet Competition, American Dance Competition, and National Ballet Competition.
Etienne was named Director of the Rock School-West Chester location in 2022. Since then, he established a world-class school and trained outstanding versatile dancers. Etienne’s work won accolades, including Best School and Best Teacher at the Youth America Grand Prix and the Universal Ballet Competition. Most recently, he represented the Rock School at the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.
Tauna Hunter - Guest Instructor, Summer Intensive Week 3: August 11-August 15:
Ms. Hunter is Professor Emeritus and retired Chair of Dance at Mercyhurst University (1994-2019). She began her dance training with Willam F. Christensen and continued at the University of Utah where she earned B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in ballet performance and choreography. She performed as a principal dancer with Ballet West and Dallas Ballet and appeared as a guest artist with Ballet Concerto, Colorado Ballet, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Northern Ballet Theatre (England), The Pavlova Celebration International Tour and numerous regional companies throughout the United States. During her affiliation with Ballet West, she worked under the guidance of Bruce Marks and Toni Lander and received critical acclaim as one of the company’s leading ballerinas.
In 1982, she placed as a semi-finalist at the II International Competition in Jackson Mississippi. In 1985, she co-founded DANSOURCE, a national networking and information service that connected dancers and companies for over ten years. As its’ Managing Director, she was highlighted in “Megatrends 2000” and featured in “Success” Magazine as a trendsetter in the future of the arts.
Ms. Hunter has appeared in all the major roles of the classical repertoire and has taught for companies, universities, and private schools throughout the United States and in England, Canada, and China. She has staged numerous full-length classical ballets and choreographed over twenty-five contemporary works. For 10 years she was a Guest Artist in Residence for the Interlochen Arts Academy summer dance program and during the 2023 season she taught workshops for Joffrey South, University of GA, Ballet Concerto, Margo Dean’s School of Dance, Erie Contemporary Ballet Theatre, Mercyhurst Summer Dance Experience, and Cleveland Ballet Conservatory. 2024 highlights include acting as a judge for the Etoile Dance Competition, staging Willam F. Christensen’s Coppelia Divertissements for the University of Utah and teaching in the U of U Summer Intensive. She has been honored with the Chautauqua Artist Teacher Award, Erie Arts and Culture Lifetime Achievement Award, the University of Utah Legacy Award and was highlighted in the July 2017 issue of Dance Teacher Magazine. She currently serves on the Advisory Boards of Ballet Concerto (TX) and Dance Now Miami! (FL). She has also served as Chair of the Erie Arts and Culture board, on the University of Utah Artistic Advisory Council, the National Association of Schools of Dance board and locally acted as artistic advisor to Lake Erie Ballet for eighteen years as well as serving as President and Chairman of the board for the Erie Dance Consortium (Erie, PA) from 2000-2010. For the 2024-25 season she is teaching for Erie Dance Conservatory, Mercy Hilltop Senior Center, Mercyhurst University, and Sovereign Ballet. Ms. Hunter has been married to Michael S. Gleason for 37 years and they have a 30-year-old daughter, Caitlin. When she is not teaching, coaching, or staging ballets, she enjoys traveling with her family, gardening, and golfing. As a breast cancer survivor, she actively supports breast cancer awareness.
Ericka Goss - MBA Artistic Director:
Ms. Goss began dancing at Bohaty’s School of Dance in Michigan and was also a member of the Children’s Ballet Theatre of Michigan. She later became a member of the senior trainee division of the Grand Rapids Ballet through high school, working under Laura Schwenk-Berman and Gordon Pierce-Schmidt. Accepted into Pacific Northwest, Boston Ballet, and Joffrey Midwest summer intensives, she attended Joffrey on full scholarship. After four years in Grand Rapids, Ericka was accepted into Atlanta Ballet’s Pre-Professional Division on full scholarship. Promoted to the company as a Fellowship dancer, she danced as a Fellowship for two years under Sharon Story and John McFall. In the summer of 2011 she attended the LINES Ballet Summer Intensive in San Francisco under full scholarship. After 3 seasons with The Atlanta Ballet, Ericka was hired into the Saint Louis Ballet in St. Louis, MO. She danced with SLB for 7 seasons performing soloist roles and had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Christopher D'Amboise, Emery LeCrone, Twyla Tharp repeteur Matthew Dibble, Francis Patrelle, Kevin Jenkins, Pam Tanowitz, Gregory Dolbashian, and Michael Uthoff. She danced roles in Balanchine's Western Symphony, Serenade, and was a tall girl in Who Cares? as well as performing soloist roles in Gen Horiuchi's The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Giselle. She is also a founding member of Deos Contemporary Ballet in Grand Rapids, MI.
Ericka is PBT and Pointe Safe certified and has been teaching for 16 years, both with Atlanta Ballet and Saint Louis Ballet School, as well as at the Belleville School of Ballet, Academy of Performing Arts, and Turning Pointe School of Dance.
Grace Sinke - MBA Pre-Professional Division Ballet Instructor:
Ms. Sinke started her training here in Michigan. She has trained and performed with The Grand Rapids Ballet School under Patricia Barker, Turning Pointe School of Dance under Debra Burr, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet under Desmond Richardson and Dwight Roden. She continued her training with The Mercyhurst Dancers under C. Noelle Partusch. She has appeared with The Mercyhurst Dancers, Deos Contemporary Ballet and SoMar Dance works. She has performed classical works including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Giselle, and has appeared in over 20 contemporary dance works. Grace attended Mercyhurst University on both academic and dance scholarships and graduated with a B.F.A. in dance and a minor in Psychology. She has experience teaching ballet, jazz, contemporary, and creative movement from Mercyhurst University and Turning Pointe School of Dance.
McKenna Hoek - MBA Pre-Professional Division Ballet Instructor:
Ms. Hoek began her training here in Michigan. Her first ten years of dance training were spent dancing competitively in tap, jazz and ballet. She finished her training at Turning Pointe School of Dance under the direction of Debra Burr. She then attended Mercyhurst University where she earned B.A’s in both elementary education and dance performance under the direction of C. Noelle Partusch. Post graduation she had the opportunity to accept a two-year contract at the Louisville Ballet under the direction of Robert Curran, Mikelle Bruzina, and Harold Uwe Kern. During her time there she had the opportunity to be a part of many classic and contemporary productions such as Giselle, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and works by renowned choreographers such as Ching Ching Wong. She is excited to be back in the area and teaching at Michigan Ballet Academy.
Rowan Allegra - MBA Pre-Professional Division Ballet Instructor:
Ms. Allegra is a third-generation ballet dancer and was raised in the Bay Area. She began her ballet training with her parents, Andre Reyes and Cynthia Drayer, former principals with San Francisco Ballet. She went on to train at renowned institutions including Boston Ballet School, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance. Rowan has been dancing professionally since the age of 18 and has worked at Texas Ballet Theater, Indianapolis Ballet, and currently at Grand Rapids Ballet. Rowan has been passionate about the art of teaching ballet since a young age and has experience teaching all levels of dance, from pre-ballet to pre-professional to adult beginner. She has taught various levels at Tulsa Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet to name a few. Rowan is so happy to be at Michigan Ballet Academy spreading her love of the discipline and beauty of ballet!