2024 NFB Dino Light Playbill - Other - Page 11
Shari Allen, Assistant Director
Shari Allen, holds BFA in Dance from Radford University and a Professional
Educators Certificate by the state of Florida Department of Education, has
studied with North Carolina School of the Arts, Richmond Ballet and Boston
Ballet School. She has performed with Ballet Theatre of Boston, Boston Dance
Co., Impulse Dance Co., Mill Mountain Theatre, Southwest Virginia Ballet and
been a touring member of Lightwire Theater.
Shari taught ballet and jazz for the Harvard-Radcliffe Dance Department, the
Jeanette Neill Dance Studio in Boston, the Fort Wayne Ballet, Florida Dance
Association and the University of West Florida. She is a nationally certified
Pilates instructor and received her M.S. in Art Education from Florida State
University. For over 30 years, Shari has found her passion in teaching. When she
is not working she loves spending time with her family, taking care of animals
and creating art.
Timothy Knoll, Community School Assistant Director
Timothy Knoll has a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah. He has performed
with Todd Rosenlieb Dance, Virginia Ballet Theatre, and Central West Ballet.
Favorite ballet roles include "Solor" in La Bayadere, "Puck" in A Midsummer Night's
Dream, and the Purple Rain duet from "Prince Tribute." Timothy has taught with
The Governor's School for the Arts, MOGA Conservatory, SLC Ballet, and the Starz
Enrichment Program. He has choreographed classical and contemporary dance
works for Excel Dance Theatre and En Pointe Dance Academy. He has taught
students ages 2 to 70 and earned an outstanding service award for fundraising and
outreach with Excel Dance Theatre.
Haley Blaise, Ballet Mistress
Haley Blaise began studying ballet in Portland, Oregon at Oregon Ballet Theater.
She also studied on full scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Northwest
Academy and The Portland Ballet, where she received training from influential
teachers Patricia Brewer-Jones, Nancy Davis, Carol Schults, Elizabeth Guerin and
Robert Guitron. Mrs. Blaise has performed roles in Balanchine’s The Nutcracker,
Balanchine’s Raymonda, Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, Dennis Spaight’s
Ellington Suite and Gloria, Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadere, and John Clifford’s La
Boutique Fantasque to name a few.
Mrs. Blaise began her teaching in Fort Lauderdale, FL. From there she relocated
to Pensacola, FL to teach at Ballet Pensacola in the academy and performed as a
Soloist in the resident professional company. Mrs. Blaise was invited to Virginia
School of the Arts intensive programs as a guest instructor and was later hired as
Ballet Mistress. As a member of the VSA faculty, she contributed to restructuring
the ballet program and staging ballets. Haley returned to Portland and joined
the Polaris Dance Theatre company and to start a family. While back in her home
town she also continued teaching for Polaris Dance Theatre, Oregon Ballet Theatre,
Bodyvox, DanceFusion NW, The Portland Ballet and Reed College.