Faculty 
Ballet

Lisa Sundstrom, Artistic Director
Ms. Sundstrom, a native of Astoria, was offered a full-scholarship by Maria Vegh to attend the Marin Ballet School when she was fourteen.  A year later, she was one of 10 students chosen from around the U.S. for a year-long intensive scholarship program at the prestigious American Ballet Theatre School.  The following year, Ms. Sundstrom toured the country with ABT II, after which Mikhail Baryshnikov invited her to join the main company.  She was offered a soloist contract by Robert Weiss of Pennsylvania Ballet, where she quickly rose to principal dancer status and remained for 10 years.  Known for her lyrical quality, dramatic ability and musicality, Lisa Sundstrom danced numerous leading roles including:  Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Juliet in Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Caroline in Tudor’s The Lilac Garden, the Glove Seller in Massine’s Gaiete Parisienne, and the Sleepwalker in Balanchine’s La Sonnambula.  She appeared on Television in: Push Comes to Shove, Paquita and Les Sylphides with ABT and was chosen by Peter Martins as Effie in La Sylphide for Pennsylvania Ballet. 

Ms. Sundstrom’s teaching career began at Pennsylvania Ballet School summer courses while still a performer.  After retiring from dancing, she taught full-time for Pennsylvania Ballet School and The University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  She has been a guest teacher at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (Carlisle, PA) Nutmeg Conservatory (Torrington, CN), City Ballet School (San Francisco), Contra Costa Ballet (Walnut Creek, CA), Berkeley Ballet Theatre School (Berkeley, CA) and Oregon Ballet Theatre School.  Ms. Sundstrom is committed to helping dancers of all levels reach their highest potential.

Heather Unruh, Jr. Company Director
Heather Unruh’s early dance training began at a local recreation park in El Segundo, California and continued at Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica with famous Balanchine ballerina, Yvonne Mounsey, and Rosemary Valaire of the Royal Ballet in London, England.  Later, she attended the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre, where she also performed with the company.  Ms. Unruh has performed the title role of Giselle, Dew Drop and Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker and the Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade among others.  She has attended summer programs at:  American Ballet Theatre School, San Francisco Ballet School, The Jillana School and School of Oregon Ballet Theatre.  Ms. Unruh has taught at Westside Academy of Dance, Oregon Ballet Theatre and Portland Dance Academy.  She currently dances with Polaris Dance Theatre and teaches pre-ballet through intermediate/advanced to children and adults.

Elise Ericksen, Lower Division Director
Elise trained with Betsy Frazee at Vashon Dance Institute (Ceccetti based ballet as well as tap/jazz/musical theatre) and Cheryl Krown at Vashon Dance Academy (Russian based ballet and modern).In college Elise trained in ballet, modern and composition at St. Olaf College and danced with the resident modern company CompanyDance.  She also participated in ACDFA conferences at the University of Utah, Arizona State University and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  After college she studied dance education with Rachael Singer (children’s program) and Cynthia Tosh-Kofsky (ballet levels 1-4).  Elise spent four summers at Summer Dance Lab and one summer at American Academy of Ballet in New York. 

Elise has performed all the leads in The Nutcracker as well as the title roles in The Firebird and Alice in Wonderland.   In Portland, Elise has danced with Mythobolus Dance Theatre but mostly she has focused on choreography.  Elise has choreographed five original ballets including Hansel and Gretel, Beauty and the Beast and she is currently working on an original ballet of Peter Pan.  Elise has been teaching dance for 11 years, for the last three years in the Portland area, and she looks forward to a bright future with Portland Festival Ballet.

 Kester Cotton 
A Portland native, Kester began his dance studies at age seven with the Oregon Ballet School and, at 16, moved to San Francisco to complete his training.  Kester danced for ten years with San Francisco Ballet and three years with Oregon Ballet Theatre before retiring from the stage in 2006.  Working to bring dance into the community, Kester conducted educational outreach programs in conjunction with several San Francisco Ballet tours to the Edinburgh Arts Festival in Scotland, as well as participating regularly in dance education and outreach in both San Francisco and Portland.  Also a writer, Kester is co-author, with Raymond Francis, of the 2002 book “Never Be Sick Again – Health is a Choice, Learn How to Choose it” (HCI Books).  Kester is currently teaching ballet part-time at several Portland-area dance schools, and is a full time graduate student at Pacific University of Oregon, pursuing a doctorate degree in physical therapy.  He is married to OBT dancer Kathi Martuza.

Lance Courtney
Lance began his training at Portland Dance Academy and attended classes at the San Francisco Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, and Boston Ballet School.  Lance performed with Pacific Festival Ballet in both principal and solo roles including Les Patineurs, Raymonda, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Don Quixote and all principal roles in The Nutcracker.  He has also been a guest performer with various companies and a guest teacher with Stites Performing Art Center.

John Gardner
John Gardner, a native Oregonian, began his training with Schumacher at the Portland Ballet School.  He went on to dance with major ballet companies in New York and Europe most notably American Ballet Theatre, Hamburg State Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet.  He has also acted as Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer for major companies in Pennsylvania and Texas.  An award winning choreographer and pedagogue, he founded the Oregon Festival Ballet after returning home in 1980.  Mr. Gardner was the founder and artistic director of the well-respected Pacific Festival Ballet that he built over 25 years.   As our Founding Artistic Director Emeritus, he will continue to share his vast knowledge of the ballet world and to teach for Portland Festival Ballet.

Lavinia Magliocco
Lavinia was professionally trained in classical ballet at North Carolina School of the Arts and School of American Ballet.  She came to Pilates after a life-threatening illness in 1990; with the help of her teacher and mento, Mona Williams, and physical therapist Jacqui Haas, she was able to return to performing as a classical ballet dancer at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City at the age of 27, after a hiatus of eight years. 

In 1998 she put aside performing to focus on teaching as a path of expression and exploration, though she was solicited to teach throughout her career by both students and mentors.  Lavinia is a fully certified Pilates master teacher with over 17 years experience in the field, eight years as the owner of equipoise, enlightened exercise in Portland, Oregon.

 Lavinia has also taught in Cincinnati at the School for Creative and Performing Arts as well as The Dance Hall Contemporary Dance Theatre; at Studio Maestro in New York City, Oregon Ballet Theatre School, Da Vinci School for Performing Arts in Portland, Oregon and at other venues in the United States.  She has published over 80 articles and reviews on dance for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Antenna Magazine, Pilates Forum, and Dance Magazine.  Many of her students are now professional dancers at American Ballet Theatre New York City Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, August Ballet, Julliard, NYU, Tisch, and several students are working Pilates instructors, including Angela Kim of Pilate’s Edge and Studio Blue.  Lavinia holds a BA degree from University of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Tap and Jazz

Daniel Black, Jazz and Tap Director
Danny is a former faculty member of Dance Miami, Academy of Miami, The Atlantic Foundation for the Performing Arts, Coconut Grove Children’s Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre and Okamoto Dance Theatre of Japan. Mr. Black received his training in jazz and ballet from renowned professionals such as Ben Lokey, Billy Goodson, Jackie Sleight, Roland Dupree, Jerry Grimes, Jamie Rogers, Joe Tremaine, Laurence Blake, Jacqueline Schumacher, Anita Pienovi School of Dance Arts and Dance Miami. In tap, he trained with Honi Coles, Gene Castle, Michael McBain. His performing experience includes dancing at the 1981 Expo in Osaka, Japan; and in the East Coast cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. He has also co-directed and choreographed for the Portland Trailblazer’s Dance Team and more than 60 national and international shows. In 2000, Daniel Black was nominated for Who’s Who Among America’s Teacher. Mr. Black teaches jazz and tap.

Gail Black
Gail has toured internationally and performed with the Bob Hope USO shows. Debbie Reynolds Show and Neil Diamond. In addition to several local studios, She has taught at Portland State University, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon State University. Ms. Black has choreographed Oklahoma!, Hello Dolly, Anything Goes and The Music Man for local productions as well as convention floor shows for the Benson, Marriott and Hilton hotels. She has also directed and choreographed for the Dazzle and Company, and co-directed the Portland Trailblazer Dance Team. Gail Black and the Dazzle company auditioned and were awarded the honor of performing at Disneyworld, May 2000. In April 2004, Gail’s tap number for NCD Rep won gold at the Co. Dance Regional Competition in Seattle, which qualified NCD Rep for the National Competition, Summer 2004. Ms. Black teaches jazz and tap.