Artistic
Director
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Artistic Director, Cassandra Macino is open and available for Guest Teaching throughout the Toledo metropolitan area and the United States. Ms. Macino teaches all levels of Classical Ballet to all ages. For more information please call the school (419) 297-2458.
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Artistic
Director, Ms. Cassandra Macino, began training in
classical ballet under the instruction of Ms. Gail
Grant-Ryan in Toledo, Ohio. At the age of twelve,
she was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship from
the School of American Ballet in New York City given
by Suzanne Farrell, former principal with New York
City Ballet. Her scholarship continued through age
seventeen. Ms. Macino has continued to study extensively
in New York City, at American Ballet Theatre, Harkness
House for Ballet Arts and Joeffrey Ballet. She also
studied classical ballet with Finis Jhung, and in
particular Melissa Hayden and Wilhelm Burmann. Ms.
Macino has also studied jazz at Steps on Broadway
and Broadway Dance Center under renowned jazz instructors:
Chuck Kelly, Phil Black, Betsy Haug, and Frank Hatchett.
Ms. Macino founded the Cassandra School of Ballet
in 1972. In 2000, she established a sacred arts
dance company, giving students performance experience
while performing throughout the community. Ms. Macino
has hosted many master classes at her school with
a variety of distinguished guest teachers: Frank
Ohman—former soloist with the New York City
Ballet and now director of New York Dance Theatre and Ohman School of Ballet;
Olivier Pardina, of the Paris Opera Ballet and now
a Principal Faculty Member with Miami City Ballet; Bud Kerwin, with
Indianapolis Ballet; Kenn Tolle, Artistic director
of Hosanna Sacred Arts and faculty member of Briarwood
Ballet; Stephanie Wingard with Adeum Dance Company
in Houston, Texas.
Ms. Macino has choreographed over 100 original dances
and has staged and produced a variety of classical
ballets: The Sleeping Beauty Ballet—Act III;
Cinderella Ballet; La Boutique Fantasque, Nutcracker
Divertissements; Hansel & Gretel; and The Little
Match Girl. She also wrote and choreographed an
original, full length ballet, Visions of Sugar Plums.
Cassandra Macino served on the Ohio Arts Council
Board of Directors and on the Board for the Toledo
Arts Commission. The Cassandra Ballet of Toledo has performed with The Toledo Symphony Orchestra's Young People's Concerts and The Music Under The Stars Summer Concert Series for 35 years.
Students from the Cassandra Ballet have been accepted
into the most prominent summer dance programs in
the country including School of American Ballet,
American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet, Joeffrey
Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. Many alumnae have
gone on to dance professionally with companies such
as Miami City Ballet, New York Contemporary Dance
Theatre, New Jersey Ballet, San Francisco Contemporary
Dance, and Pittsburgh Ballet.
Ms. Macino attributes the success of her student's training to tradition, perseverance, and meticulous
attention to detail. The classroom environment is
disciplined and inspiring, encouraging young dancers
to follow their dream to dance and to look to the
future with enthusiasm. She hopes that the discipline
of dance assists in the physical, emotional and
social growth of each student. Through study and
performance, students are encouraged to grow in
an appreciation of and commitment to the arts, sharing
this gift with others. Ms. Macino will be teaching classical ballet during the 2017-2018 school year at Dance Expressions in Maumee and Holland, Ohio. |
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