Theresa

What an incredible day celebrating 70 years of Lois Ellyn Ballet! Thank you to everyone who helped make our anniversary performance and gala such a wonderful and meaningful event! Your dedication, organization, and generosity are greatly appreciated. We truly believe we honored Lois’s legacy in a beautiful way. To our amazing dancers, volunteers, parents, family, and friends and alumni… thank you for your endless support, hard work, and love for this studio and community. We are so grateful to everyone who came together to celebrate this milestone and keep Lois Ellyn’s vision alive for future generations. Photos by Miles #ballet #fullerton #loisellyn #dance

Step into the legacy of Lois Ellyn Ballet at our 70th Anniversary performances this Saturday ✨ The first half of the program features original works by Lois Ellyn, including “Autumn Leaves,” “Souvenir de la Russie”and “Come Off It,” set in 1920s Trouville, France. Also returning to the stage for the first time in nearly 20 years with Nouveau Chamber Ballet is the witty storybook ballet “The Tale of the Little Grey Horse.” Join us for an unforgettable celebration of artistry, history, and dance. Tickets are still available for both Saturday performances! 🎟️ . . . #loisellyn #fullerton #dance #ballet

A little snippet of @bethinator_boom @teese1021 and @emma_andre with live music by @taylormeers at Sweater Weather ArtPärdē at @mannakindance 💃 Come see the amazing artists we have in store for you at ArtPärdē Spectacle less than two weeks away!!! 🗓️ Friday, 5/22 🎪 @verdiclubsf 🚪 Doors 6:30 with live music, show 7:30-9:30 🌮 Dinner for purchase by @moniskitchensf 🎟️ Link in bio or artparde.com No one left behind for lack of funds! Just reach out and we got you 😉 Dress up as your fave circus performer for what is sure to be amazing night 🤹🏻🤡

Hey folx, It’s been a min. My stories saw it first ☺️😅. I’m presenting a new work “Prism” on May 23 at the Paul Dresher Ensemble. This piece is very personal to me, as it is a veneration to my dear granny @grannybn and one of my best friends @dietpepsijenner . I am working with four absolutely lovely dancers and a soundscape that is a jazz lover’s dream. I hope you can make it. And if not, no love lost…I’m sure it won’t be the last. 😉✨ May 23 3pm and 6pm 🎟️: /e/smithereens-dance-salon-tickets-1984945942748?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true Part of @halcyondanceproject @teese1021 @ryrontosuarus

Only 6️⃣ days until Nouveau Chamber Ballet celebrates 70 Years of Lois Ellyn Ballet Studio: Celebrating Our Past, Present, and Future. As we count down to this special celebration, we’re looking back at past productions of “Come Off It” and the many incredible dancers who brought this work to life over the years. We can’t wait to honor seven decades of dance, artistry, and community on stage once again. 🩰 Tickets available in the link in our bio 🎟️ #ballet #dance #fullerton #loisellyn

Calling All Alumni: Join Us for a Special 70th Anniversary Celebration We are calling on all dancers who have graced our studio and stage over the past seven decades. You are an essential part of our story, and we would be honored to celebrate you. As part of our 70th Anniversary, we invite you to join us for a special gala event immediately following the 3:00 PM performance. This gathering honors the incredible legacy of Lois Ellyn while recognizing and celebrating our alumni. Reconnect with fellow dancers, reminisce about cherished memories, and be recognized for the role you have played in shaping our history. Whether you danced with us for a season or many years, you are part of our family, and we look forward to celebrating together. For more information please click the link in our bio! . . . #ballet fullerton #loisellyn #dance

All last week, we joined forces with Ballet22 for a wonderful co-LAB centered on their core mission of breaking the gender-normative traditions of ballet. Through daily ballet and pointe classes, repertoire by Myles Thatcher, improv sessions, and illuminating lectures on queer dance history with Stephanie Sherman, we explored what happens when ballet makes room for everyone. What a beautiful workshop! Our thanks to @ballet22_ for bringing this vision to ttgsf.

We’re thrilled to welcome back alumni and guest artist Theresa Knudson for our 70th Anniversary performance on May 16th ✨ Theresa Knudson received her training from Lois Ellyn in southern California. She attended intensive programs at American Ballet Theatre, NYC, Boston Ballet, Ballet Austin, Maple Conservatory, José Limón West, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Theresa began her professional career with Nouveau Chamber Ballet under the artistic director of Lois Ellyn. As a freelancer Theresa has performed with Diablo Ballet, Oakland Ballet Company, Menlowe Ballet, Wonderbound, ARC Dance, Mark Foehringer Dance Project | SF, Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet, and with many independent choreographers. She has taught for over a decade for several schools including: Lois Ellyn Ballet Studio, Academy of Dance Redwood City, Van der Zwaan Dance Studio, Moving Arts Studio, and ODC School. She has guest taught at Los Alamitos Ballet, Orinda Ballet Academy, and San Francisco Youth Ballet Academy. Theresa is a Pointe Safe Certified Teacher through SF Performing Arts Physical Therapy Pointe Safe Program. Theresa holds a BA in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton, and is the founder & owner of the Oakland based ballet studio, BlackBox Studios. She founded Halcyon Dance Project in 2019. Theresa Knudson is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of Ballet22. Under her leadership Ballet22 has commissioned over a dozen new ballets that contribute to representation in the ballet world. Ballet22 has produced dance films, workshops, live performances, and choreographer residencies. Ballet22 was named by Dance Magazine “25 to Watch” in 2021 and received an Isadora Dunan Dance Award Nomination for the 2021-22 season for Outstanding Achievement in Performance – Company. #ballet #loisellyn #ballerina #fullerton

A peek into pointe classes at our Ballet22 co-LAB 🩰 Marley is down, boots are on! As part of our Ballet22 co-LAB workshop, we welcome Marusya Madubuko and Theresa Knudson to the studios this week to teach pointe classes. There’s still time to join us—registration for daily drop-ins is available on our website (link in bio). By request, we have opened up the ability to drop in for a single co-LAB class. DM us for details. Interested in participating, but not dancing en pointe? No problem. We welcome all!

Join us on May 16th at the Brea Curtis Theater as we celebrate 70 years of Lois Ellyn Ballet Studio ✨ We’ll be revisiting some of Lois Ellyn’s most iconic choreography in honor of her incredible legacy. “The Tale of a Little Grey Horse” is an original short story ballet about a spirited horse, a farmer and his two daughters. It has been staged many times over the years and this reel features clips from 1985, 1991, 1997 and 2007. If you’ve been part of our Fullerton studio over the years, we would love for you to attend our anniversary performance, reconnect, and celebrate with us as we carry her vision forward. 💛 #fullerton #ballet #loisellyn #dance Cover photo by @dougjeanknudson5

Join us April 20-24 for our co-LAB workshop with @ballet22 🩰 Daily drop-ins are welcome! Swipe for a peek at the workshop schedule >>> We’re thrilled to be partnering with Ballet22 for a week-long experience that centers on their core mission: to break the gender-normative traditions of ballet. This workshop is a safe space for all gender identities to explore pointe work, learn classical and Ballet22 repertoire, experiment through improv class, and dive into queer dance history. This co-LAB will offer two tracks: one for dancers new or returning to pointe, and one for experienced pointe dancers. However, those who wish to participate but do not want to dance en pointe are welcome! 📅 Monday-Friday, April 20-24 ⏰ 9am-12:30pm 📍 City Dance Studios, SF (with MARLEY on the floors) Photo by @maxtphoto

Birthday week and other things. 32. Some thoughts: I’ve never felt older; yet never felt younger. I’ve never had so much fun dancing, despite being in the most pain, consistently. Dance aside, I find it sometimes easier to love myself, love the way I perceive myself. Deconstructing what beautiful means for me, and rebuilding. Did I ever truly see myself as beautiful, or was I just satisfied fitting into what I was supposed to look like as male presenting? How do I find my beauty in the complexities of my gender identity and expression? And how does my appearance relate, or not, to the way I feel inside. Am I brave or strong enough to carry that outside today? Finding my beauty outside the box, unconventional. Beauty that I can see for myself, regardless of what others perceive of me. I have the luxury and the privilege of being surrounded by people who will let me figure that out. The luxury and privilege of having time to have those thoughts, and be vulnerable. Life is f***ing hard, but life is f***ing incredible.