FACULTY
Allyson Deane
DIRECTOR, DEANE DANCE CENTER
Ballet, Pointe, Partnering, Character
Allyson Deane studied with her parents, Deane and Barbara Crockett, from the age of five until she joined the San Francisco Ballet company at the age of 17. Studying at the Crockett Dance Studio and performing with the Sacramento Civic Ballet Company gave her all she needed for a successful career. She began in the corps de ballet and worked her way to soloist and then on to become a principal dancer with SFB.
Ms. Deane became one of SFB Director Michael Smuin's favorite "Juliets" in his world-renowned "Romeo and Juliet" and was honored to perform this role at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland as well as in her father, Dean Crockett's, hometown of Ogden, Utah and at the San Francisco Opera House, which she called home for many years. She competed in "Dance a Paris" in Paris in Tomm Ruud's "Mobile" and was asked to make the movie "Balances," which was shown in theaters throughout the United States. She was pleased to perform the Balcony Pas de Deux from Smuin's "Romeo and Juliet" at the gala performance of the re-opening of the Sacramento Capitol rotunda and enjoyed many years of guesting as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Pas de Deux, and the Rose in Sacramento Ballet's "Nutcracker," directed by Barbara Crockett.
After marrying Don Schwennesen, another successful San Francisco Ballet dancer, she moved to Seattle where she became a teacher at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Coming back to California to join Oakland Ballet Company, she performed in Kurt Joos' "Green Table," as Mother/Sweetheart in Eugene Loring's "Billy the Kid," premiered Tomm Ruud's beautiful pas de deux "Bela di Notte," and performed the lead role in Nijinska's "Scheherazade."
Allyson Deane became Oakland Ballet Executive Directors' assistant and toured for two years as Oakland Ballet's head of wardrobe. After years of guest dancing and teaching workshops around the country, Ms. Deane and her husband opened the Deane Dance Center with Barbara Crockett and David Boyet. The school has had great success, becoming the Youth America Grand Prix "Best School 2000" as Chloe Felesina took the Junior Grand Prix, and has trained many successful professional dancers.
Crockett-Deane Ballet (now Sac Civic Ballet), under the direction of Don Schwennesen, has become a well-respected training ground for young dancers and is a Regional Dance America/Pacific Honor Company.
Ms. Deane became one of SFB Director Michael Smuin's favorite "Juliets" in his world-renowned "Romeo and Juliet" and was honored to perform this role at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland as well as in her father, Dean Crockett's, hometown of Ogden, Utah and at the San Francisco Opera House, which she called home for many years. She competed in "Dance a Paris" in Paris in Tomm Ruud's "Mobile" and was asked to make the movie "Balances," which was shown in theaters throughout the United States. She was pleased to perform the Balcony Pas de Deux from Smuin's "Romeo and Juliet" at the gala performance of the re-opening of the Sacramento Capitol rotunda and enjoyed many years of guesting as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Pas de Deux, and the Rose in Sacramento Ballet's "Nutcracker," directed by Barbara Crockett.
After marrying Don Schwennesen, another successful San Francisco Ballet dancer, she moved to Seattle where she became a teacher at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Coming back to California to join Oakland Ballet Company, she performed in Kurt Joos' "Green Table," as Mother/Sweetheart in Eugene Loring's "Billy the Kid," premiered Tomm Ruud's beautiful pas de deux "Bela di Notte," and performed the lead role in Nijinska's "Scheherazade."
Allyson Deane became Oakland Ballet Executive Directors' assistant and toured for two years as Oakland Ballet's head of wardrobe. After years of guest dancing and teaching workshops around the country, Ms. Deane and her husband opened the Deane Dance Center with Barbara Crockett and David Boyet. The school has had great success, becoming the Youth America Grand Prix "Best School 2000" as Chloe Felesina took the Junior Grand Prix, and has trained many successful professional dancers.
Crockett-Deane Ballet (now Sac Civic Ballet), under the direction of Don Schwennesen, has become a well-respected training ground for young dancers and is a Regional Dance America/Pacific Honor Company.
Don Schwennesen
DIRECTOR, SAC CIVIC BALLET
Kinderballet, Ballet, Choreographer
Director and choreographer Don Schwennesen received his training with Antony Tudor and Eugene Loring at University of California Irvine before joining the San Francisco Ballet Company and enjoying a successful career as one of its soloists. He also spent two years as a member of Pacific Northwest Ballet and eight years with the Oakland Ballet Company. Mr. Schwennesen has had two of his ballets shown at Regional Dance America/Pacific festivals.
"The Story of Noah's Ark" is an original ballet created and choreographed by Don Schwennesen. The Crockett-Deane Ballet company has performed this ballet during the spring in alternating years. Danced by professional dancers to our youngest students, this ballet is a charming classic about the trials and tribulation of Noah and his ark.
In 2017, Mr. Schwennesen choreographed a new ballet to be included in Sac Civic Ballet's repertoire. "The Magic Flute," the classical opera, was performed with music by Mozart.
"The Story of Noah's Ark" is an original ballet created and choreographed by Don Schwennesen. The Crockett-Deane Ballet company has performed this ballet during the spring in alternating years. Danced by professional dancers to our youngest students, this ballet is a charming classic about the trials and tribulation of Noah and his ark.
In 2017, Mr. Schwennesen choreographed a new ballet to be included in Sac Civic Ballet's repertoire. "The Magic Flute," the classical opera, was performed with music by Mozart.
Linda Yun
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR, CROCKETT-DEANE APPRENTICE CO.
Ballet, Pointe, Adult Ballet
Linda is a product of Barbara Crockett and Deane Dance Center. She was a full scholarship recipient to the National Choreography Conference, has had the honor of dancing in the Rhode Island World Scholar-Athlete Games representing California, was a recipient of various arts scholarships and has performed with the Sacramento Ballet.
After graduating from CSU Long Beach, she joined the Deane Dance Center staff and has become a very important element to the running of the school. Linda is also a certified Zumba instructor and was one of a hundred finalists in SYTYCD season 8.
After graduating from CSU Long Beach, she joined the Deane Dance Center staff and has become a very important element to the running of the school. Linda is also a certified Zumba instructor and was one of a hundred finalists in SYTYCD season 8.
Kermit Allen
Ballet, Boys Class, Partnering, Adult Ballet
Mr. Allen danced with Ballet Austin, has performed with the Sacramento Ballet, and is currently the director of Lodi Ballet. He has a very strong background in ballet technique. He is integral to Deane Dance Center's Adult Department and teaches the lower level foundational ballet classes.
Joy Almendariz
Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced Tap
Coming soon
Abelardo Cisneros
Adult Ballet
Abelardo is a native of Puebla, Mexico. He began dancing Folklorico in elementary school, where he formed a passion for dance, which inspired him to continue his studies in classical ballet at the Taller de Danza Clasica UAP in Mexico. At the age of 18, Abelardo continued his classical ballet studies as a scholarship student at the Stanley Holden Dance Center in Los Angeles and The David Hoard Dance Center in NYC among other places. His professional career includes modern, contemporary, and ballet with such companies as Saint Louis Ballet, Lula Washington Dance Theatre in Los Angeles, FMDT in Los Angeles, and Sacramento Ballet, where he was a resident artist until 2004, and other places. He is also trained as a Pilates instructor with experience teaching Mat and Reformer.
Lisa Gardner
Kinderballet, Adult Ballet
Coming soon!
Irina Karoulina
Ballet, Character
"Miss Irina" is a ballerina from Russia who is well versed in character work. After her dancing career, she became a teacher and, here in America, gives students at Deane Dance Center an unusually authentic training in character work and ballet.
Robert Kelley
Ballet, Pointe, Variations, Adult/DDC(EX) Ballet
Coming soon!
Sally Torres-Gil
Ballet, Pointe
Coming soon!
Pamela Lourentzos
Ballet, Musical Theater, Adult Ballet
Pam has trained in Sacramento, New York and Los Angeles and has danced with California Musical Theatre, Sacramento Opera and in many concert and musical theater productions. She has choreographed and directed many musicals throughout Northern California, including "West Side Story," "A Chorus Line," "Carousel," "Godspell," "Guys and Dolls," "Kiss Me Kate," "My Fair Lady," "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers," "Fiddler on the Roof," "Western Star" and "Ain't Misbehavin'." Pam has won four Elly Awards for choreography and direction, and one Arty (Solano County) for choreography.
Lilliana Teague
Kinderballet
Liliana began her dance journey at the age of three and trained for ten years with the Sacramento Ballet before continuing her training at Deane Dance Center. She is currently a member of the Sacramento Civic Ballet Company, where she has performed numerous lead roles in productions such as The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, and Madeline.
A dedicated student at Davis High School, Liliana balances her academic and artistic pursuits with a passion for community service. She especially enjoys working with young children and finds great joy in sharing her love of dance by teaching and inspiring the next generation.
A dedicated student at Davis High School, Liliana balances her academic and artistic pursuits with a passion for community service. She especially enjoys working with young children and finds great joy in sharing her love of dance by teaching and inspiring the next generation.
Scarlett Chambers
Kinderballet Teaching Assistant
Coming soon!
Richard Shi
GUEST MASTER TEACHER,
Ballet, Pointe
Mr. Shi received his early training with the Shanghai Dancing School and danced for 10 years as a principal dancer with the Shanghai Ballet.
He was a Silver medalist in the second round of the Chinese Ballet Competition and a Gold medalist for a Pas De Deux in the Seventh International Classical Ballet Competition in France.
Mr. Shi has been a guest artist all over the world, including in Vancouver, Canada, Cuba, Russia, Bulgaria, Singapore and Hong Kong, and he has also guested in the United States with the Ruth Page Foundation in Chicago, Minnesota Ballet, Washington Ballet Company and International Star Performance in Texas.
He was a principal dancer with the New Jersey Ballet Company and Ballet Oklahoma, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and advisor member of the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Crockett-Deane Ballet has been honored to have Mr. Shi perform pas de deux with various Sacramento Ballet principal dancers as well as dance the role of Noah in Don Schwennesen's "The Story of Noah's Ark."
He was a Silver medalist in the second round of the Chinese Ballet Competition and a Gold medalist for a Pas De Deux in the Seventh International Classical Ballet Competition in France.
Mr. Shi has been a guest artist all over the world, including in Vancouver, Canada, Cuba, Russia, Bulgaria, Singapore and Hong Kong, and he has also guested in the United States with the Ruth Page Foundation in Chicago, Minnesota Ballet, Washington Ballet Company and International Star Performance in Texas.
He was a principal dancer with the New Jersey Ballet Company and Ballet Oklahoma, assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and advisor member of the Oklahoma Arts Institute. Crockett-Deane Ballet has been honored to have Mr. Shi perform pas de deux with various Sacramento Ballet principal dancers as well as dance the role of Noah in Don Schwennesen's "The Story of Noah's Ark."