Faculty

“Patience, dedication, perseverance, integrity and the pursuit of excellence are noble qualities; these are the same qualities required for students - and their teachers - to make progress and to succeed. Instant gratification is not applicable to any serious dance training or any serious educational pursuit. True joy, sincerity, strength, courage and confidence are the character traits of our students.” - Carole Alexis

Please note that all teachers follow a scrupulous methodology and curriculum created by Carole Alexis that is continuously refined and adjusted to our students’ evolving needs.

Conservatory - Trainee Program - Your dream starts here - Professional training -

Conservatory - Trainee Program - Your dream starts here - Professional training -


TRADITION INTO THE 21st CENTURY

Carole Alexis - Director

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres / Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

Carole Alexis' approach to teaching is rooted in a love of the art of dance and the arts in general. She passionately offers and passes on to her students many years of rich knowledge and experience from three continents. 

Carole Alexis reminds her students, whatever their age, that the individual is at the service of the art of dance to become an artist and a person eager to advance society through constructive and positive actions, as opposed to the individual who uses the arts for the sole purpose of his or her recognition or success. 
Carole Alexis is renowned for her approach to teaching classical ballet, modern, and contemporary techniques, as well as dances from the African diaspora, through the study of the understanding and decomposition of movement, the in-depth study of the foundations of the techniques, and the study of dance-related anatomy. 

Drawing on her extensive experience, Carole Alexis has created a methodology with exercises that promote body alignment, strength, flexibility, and stamina, as well as the correct use of the turn-out muscles, even for students lacking certain initial abilities. 

She even instills in her students respect and care for their bodies through physical preparation, understanding of the necessity of hydration and a healthy, balanced diet—essential for high-level sport—and the practice of numerous cross-training exercises.

Carole Alexis has created numerous barre au sol exercises designed to prevent injuries, enabling students and professional dancers to become advanced athletes or return to dance after an injury. She is also a specialist in the Boris Kniassief technique. 

Alexis has regularly trained students who began pre-professional dance studies later than most and has brought young adults up to the level, allowing them to access prestigious programs and universities, win competitions, and gain positions within professional companies.

It has been observed on several occasions that her students, having followed other paths than dance and deciding to return to it for pleasure or other reasons, whether after a few months or several years, quickly and spectacularly regain a good level, thanks to an understanding of the anatomy of the body, self-discipline, and a solid foundation.

She prioritizes emulation over competition, convinced that self-confidence lies in developing one's abilities and talents without comparing oneself to others, which can lead to insecurity, negativity, resentment, anger, as well as a lack of joy and inner freedom. 

Alexis knows, after many years of teaching, that a confident person can admire and celebrate the talent and success of their peers and, thus, continue to progress and flourish.

She sometimes had to redirect some students (more so lately because of social medias) who compared themselves to dance stars or other people with a different physique from their own, by introducing them to other exceptional dancers who looked more like them, thus offering these students heroes with whom they could potentially identify.

She encourages and guides her students to study dance history, languages​​, and the arts and to recognize all those who have come before us and contributed to the art of dance.

Carole Alexis encourages her students to demonstrate curiosity, imagination, observation, and open-mindedness in order to become performers with the artistic sensitivity necessary for dancers and theater performers and to be able to convey the complexity of emotions in the interpretation of any role.

Carole Alexis's current and former students embody her unique signature: clean lines, beautiful dancing, exemplary alignment, impeccable technique, a keen sense of theatricality, artistry, commitment, and human values.

Each year, Alexis and her wonderful team work hard, beyond the required conservatory hours, to prepare students for auditions, workshops, and, if necessary, university admissions by helping them build a strong portfolio.

Carole Alexis sends her students to participate nationally and internationally in workshops and masterclasses that allow them to deepen their knowledge with other teachers and students from other schools.

Whether it's the theater staff, international or national teachers from other programs, academic teachers or anyone who visits our conservatory, everyone praises the ethics and the qualities of our students, particularly their discipline, politeness, concentration, diligence, elegance, and sense of humor.

Carole Alexis's students have been accepted into and regularly participate in the prestigious programs of the Paris Opera Ballet, the Royal Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, the Netherlands Dans Theater, the American Ballet Theatre, the Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West, the Juilliard School, the Martha Graham School, as well as the prestigious Varna International Ballet Competition. Her students have won numerous competitions and performed with the English National Ballet, the Paris Opera, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Atlanta Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, and the American Ballet Theatre. 

Carole Alexis remains in touch with many of her former students, who share stories with her of how they apply their dance training in life and various fields of profession.

Carole Alexis - Director

Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres / Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters

Westchester Magazine

Consulate General of France in New York

Continuing Education: Stage de professeurs Opéra de Paris -Bolshoi Certifications etc..

Isodale Alexis -

Ballet Teacher

Isodale Alexis was born into a family of professional artists and grew up amoung many renowed and talented artists, in theaters, concert halls, recording and dance studios.

She started her ballet training at the age of five. At the age of 13, she started training pre-professionally with her mother, Carole Alexis. Isodale was accepted and offered merit scholarships to numerous programs such as the Manhattan Youth Ballet, Studio Maestro, Joffrey Ballet, and Dance Theater of Harlem.

Isodale decided to train full-time at the conservatory of Ballet des Amériques with her mother in order to obtain the clean lines and impeccable technique that are the hallmark of her mother’s students. She graduated with honors from the conservatory and joined the professional company of Ballet des Amériques where she became a driving force and a leading dancer adored by audience members.

Isodale studied music at the Bloomingdale School of Music and the Harbor Conservatory.

Isodale attended summer intensives, programs and course such as The Bolshoi, ”ART of" a Ballet Summer Course supported by William Forsythe in France. She studied with Charles Jude, Étoile of the Paris Opera; Elizabeth Platel, Étoile and Director of the Paris Opera School; Cyril Atanassoff, Etoile of the Paris Opera at the “Stage International d’Arcachon France.” Isodale also attended intensives with legendary Ballet Master Nikoloz Makhateli, former principal dancer of the Kirov, Director of the Vaganova School in Tbilisi.

Isodale takes additional classes with Elena Kunikova and Karyn Averty, première danseuse de L’Opéra National de Paris and principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet.

Isodale—like her mother, director Carole Alexis—has demonstrated a keen eye and talent for teaching while closely working with other faculty members to bring out the best in each student. Ms. Isodale is proud of the visible progress that all her students are making.

Corey Mangum - Ballet, Character, Jazz Teacher

Before Joining Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre / Ballet des Amériques in 2018 with whom he perform regularly as well as touring, Corey Mangum danced professionally with Ballet Austin, Kentucky Ballet Theatre, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Quad Cities, Ajkun Ballet Theatre, Connecticut Ballet, and as a guest in Ballet Spartanburg and Carolina Ballet. Corey Mangum worked closely on his technique with Carole Alexis and his "corps d’esprit, eagerness to learn and evolve as a person and artist has lead him to constant leap of progress visible and appreciate by the people that became found of the dancer that he has become, such as audience members, his directors and company fellow members. Corey Mangum was promoted as the assistant choreographer in 2021. Corey J. Mangum II is a native of Irmo, South Carolina, where he started dance at the age of 7 with the full, dedicated and warm support of his parents, with Mrs. Ann Brodie which at the time shared studios with Professor Susan E. Anderson; Founding Director of Dance program & company at University of South Carolina. Corey Mangum continued his training at Ann Brodie’s Carolina Ballet under the Executive Director and Executive Artistic Director John Whitehead. Mangum trained classically with Artistic Director, Mrs. Mimi Worrell; Eriberto Jimenez, Artistic Director of International Ballet Festival of Miami; Julia Moiseeva, Hillary Krieger-Toth, Gabor Toth, Joseph Phillips, Keith Merans, Sarah Mearns, and Mickhail Ronnikov from the Moscow Academy of Choreography of the Bolshoi Theatre. Corey Mangum continued his studies in his native state, and graduated from the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville where he benefited and received additional instruction apart from his regular classes and courses from Stanislav Issaev, Ballet Master at City Dance Conservatory; Irina Ushakova; Sandra Neels, Merce Cunningham Trust; Lloyd Whitmore; and Guest Choreographer Robert Barnett of The George Balanchine Trust. Corey Mangum has attended intensive programs with Ballet Austin, Bolshoi Ballet and Joffrey Ballet etc.. Corey Mangum II dances roles from the classical repertoire as well as contemporary, modern and neo-classical pieces, in Carole Alexis Ballet Theatre (aka Ballet des Amériques), while holding the position of Assistant to the Choreographer. We invite you to join us, as we enjoy this wonderful dance artist!

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Irene Przywara - Creative Mouvement & Ballet Teacher

Irene Przywara was born in San Francisco, California, and trained in New York City on full scholarship at The School of American Ballet, at Ballet Academy East, and in Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Professional Training Program as well as in the Professional Division at The Ailey School. She has spent summers training with American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and New York State Summer School of the Arts. Ms. Przywara has performed with Cincinnati Ballet and Cincinnati Ballet II, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble under Arthur Mitchell, Eglevsky Ballet under both Ali Pourfarrukh and Lazlo Berdo, Lumière Ballet under Venti Petrov, and, as an apprentice in the second company, with North Carolina Dance Theatre under Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux. Ms. Przywara is proud to be an active, pioneer company member of Ballet des Ameriques. Taking part of the countless successful public performances with the company and demonstrating a powerful and noticeable development into a complete artist in recent years, she continues to hone her skills and expand her knowledge through ongoing studies in both the United States and abroad and under master pedagog , Carole Alexis, as well as through her studies at the Liberal Education for Arts Professionals program of St. Mary’s College of California..

As Head of Lower School of Ballet des Amériques, Irene Przywara—like director Carole Alexis—believes in the importance of passing down the knowledge of dance with integrity. She is proud of the success of our students and thrilled to work in the conservatory setting where all faculty members are on the same page. Ms. Przywara is looking forward to continuing to work with young people to help them reach their full potential in dance.

Jacqueline Bertault - Character Teacher

Born in Akron, Ohio, Garrett McCann attended Firestone High School, graduating with a Performing Arts degree. Garrett also studied dance at the University of Akron and spent a summer at Point Park University's International Summer Dance program. Following graduation from Firestone's Visual and Performing Arts program, Garrett joined Verb Ballets in Cleveland, Ohio, under the direction of Margaret Carlson. After a year and two summers with the company, Garrett went on to pursue his education at SUNY Purchase in the Conservatory of Dance, where he graduated with a BFA in dance performance. During his time at Purchase, Garrett studied under Stephanie Tooman, Wallie Wolfgruber, Nelly van Bommel and many others. He has performed works set by Amy Miller, Nicolo Fonte and attended the American Dance Festival, where he worked with Twyla Tharp. Garrett became a member of Ballet des Amériques in 2015.

Garrett McCann - Modern & Acrobatic Teacher

Born in Akron, Ohio, Garrett McCann attended Firestone High School, graduating with a Performing Arts degree. Garrett also studied dance at the University of Akron and spent a summer at Point Park University's International Summer Dance program. Following graduation from Firestone's Visual and Performing Arts program, Garrett joined Verb Ballets in Cleveland, Ohio, under the direction of Margaret Carlson. After a year and two summers with the company, Garrett went on to pursue his education at SUNY Purchase in the Conservatory of Dance, where he graduated with a BFA in dance performance. During his time at Purchase, Garrett studied under Stephanie Tooman, Wallie Wolfgruber, Nelly van Bommel and many others. He has performed works set by Amy Miller, Nicolo Fonte and attended the American Dance Festival, where he worked with Twyla Tharp. Garrett became a member of Ballet des Amériques in 2015.

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Chloé Wareham-Gordon -

Yoga Teacher

Chloé Wareham-Gordon’s first introduction to dance/ballet pedagogy was as a work-study teacher’s assistant at The Ailey School’s First Steps program (ages 3-7). She also attended the Professional Performing Arts School, where she peer tutored in history, science and math, which included holding group-peer tutoring/studying sessions with 3-7 students at a time—receiving the school’s “Crystal Stair Aware for Courage, Character and Endurance” in part as a commendation for this service. Later, while a BFA Dance student at UNC School of the Arts, Ms. Wareham-Gordon took a Ballet Pedagogy semester-long class, taught private dance lessons to young children and adults, and peer tutored in Anatomy and Physiology as a work-study student. As an intern at Mark Morris’s Dance for PD program, she assisted with dance classes for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Similarly and subsequently—as an intern at Peridance Capezio Center—she was a teacher’s assistant for a variety of kids’ classes. In 2017, she obtained her Registered Yoga Teacher certification from Savvy Soul Yoga in Winston-Salem, NC. Ms. Wareham-Gordon has taught students of all-ages and levels in yoga since. Miss Wareham-Gordon teaches Yoga and anatomy classes at the Carole Alexis’s prestigious conservatory, Ballet des Amériques,

Franck Muhel - Afro Caribbean Teacher

Born in Martinique, Franck Muhel's performances are renowned for their dynamic creative energy that inspires and electrifies audiences all over the world. As principal dancer with Eddie Torres, the Mambo King, and featured soloist, Franck has performed and choreographed with internationally acclaimed orchestras: Eddie Torres Mambo Kings Orchestra, Mitch Frohman Latin Jazz Quartet, Mambo Legends, Frankie Morales Orchestra, Jimmy Delgado Orchestra, Jimmy Bosch Orchestra, Orlando Marin Orchestra, Roberto Rodriguez Band, Eddie Montalvo Band, Frankie Vasquez & Los Soneros Del Barrio, Bobby Sanabria and more. Franck Muhel and can be seen in the famous movie In the Heights

Mr. Muhel teaches Afro-Carribean dance at Ballet des Amériques.

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Marcello Bernard - Ballet Teacher

Mr. Bernard received his early training at “Armonia Danza” (directed by Mariangela Bernacchia) in his native Italy; during this time he also trained with Member of International Vaganova Method Society’s Marit Bech, as well as receiving numerous awards in well renowned European competitions such as “Eurocity” and “DanzaEuropa”. In 2011, after a brief visit at the Contemporary Academy , Codarts, in Rotterdam, he joined the Ajkun Ballet Theatre, under the Artistic leadership of Leonard and Chiara Ajkun, where he performed a wide variety of traditional repertory ballets such as "Don Quixote", "The Nutcracker" and "La Bayadère", as well as being the lead role in multiple contemporary masterpieces choreographed by Mr. Ajkun, including “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” &“Goya, the Spanish Master”. In 2018 Mr. Bernard joined Connecticut Ballet as a featured dancer directed by Brett Raphael, as well as joining Ballet Des Amériques, the professional Company and Conservatory led by Carole Alexis. As a guest Artist over the years, Marcello has appeared and performed with companies like Orange County Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Youth Ballet & Kodiak Dance Theatre, as well as international dance showcases and workshops like the Dance in Italy Festival and Danzainfiera.

At the moment, even during these difficult times, he’s still immensely grateful to continue to share his knowledge and passion for the art of dance with the talented students of the Complexity Dance Center, Movement Dance Center, DanceIT Dance School, and Ballet des Amériques.