Faculty
Suzanne Koucheravy
As a certified Polestar Pilates Practitioner, Suzanne Koucheravy is employed as a personal trainer at Body Dynamics Inc., a Pilates-based, rehabilitative physical therapy
practice in Arlington, VA, where she focuses on rehabilitative physical
conditioning and core conditioning, with particular focus on rehabilitative
recovery from injuries for dancers and athletes.
Suzanne has been a member of the faculty of the Maryland Youth Ballet since 1996. During that time Suzanne has taught a wide range of classes, including: ballet for children and adults; creative movement; introduction to dance for boys; stretch; and Pilates conditioning for dancers. Suzanne teaches extensively throughout the area to include the Washington School of Ballet, George Mason University, and the Academy for Classical Acting at the George Washington University. She has recently focused on developing curriculum in ballet and Pilates for dancers, pre-professional actors, and elite athletes.
Suzanne received her BS in Theater/Dance, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Kansas State University. Her early dance training was with Edith Royal, the Joffrey Ballet School (where she received a full scholarship), and American Ballet Theater. She also trained with Maggie Black, Marjorie Mussman and Meredith Baylis. Ms. Koucheravy has performed with DC Dance Theater, the Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, the Classical Ballet of New Jersey, Ballet Tacoma, and the Ballet Royal.
Meghan Rudorfer
Meghan
Rudorfer was trained at the
Classical Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia. Summer training programs
included the Joffrey Ballet, Atlanta Ballet and the Central
Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Upon graduation from the Classical Ballet Academy she pursued her career at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance. While in New York, Meghan performed with Graham 2nd Company, to include roles in Acts of Light, Appalachian Spring, and Serenata Morisca. Her teachers include Pearl Lang, Denise Vale, Virginie Macene, Kevin Predmore and Jennifer Depaulo and Marjorie Mussman.
Since leaving the Graham Company, Meghan has returned home to join the faculty of Classical Ballet Theatre, once again. She is honored to be able to work with the incredible faculty at the Classical Ballet Theatre.
Igor Sapotko
Igor
Sapotko hails from Minsk, Belarus
where he was trained in the rigors of classical ballet under the
direction of Alexander Kolidenko at the National Choreography Academy
of Belarus. Here he was schooled in academics as well as Vaganova
ballet technique, Art History, Music Theory, Piano, Character,
Historical/Folk Dance, Pas de Deux, Acting, Production and Rehearsal.
Upon graduation Mr. Sapotko went on to perform professionally with the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus, The Moscow Festival Ballet and The Bolshoi Theater Grigorovitch Ballet where he traveled to the United States, Japan, France, England, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Egypt, Singapore and Taiwan. Interested in expanding his contemporary repertoire he came to the United States in 1995 where he performed with the Sacramento Ballet, the Washington Ballet, the Milwaukee Ballet and the Manassas Dance Company. Here he worked with such notable choreographers and artists as John Clifford, Jean Pierre Bonnefous, Violette Verdy, Mark Diamond, Simon Dow, Ron Cunningham, Basil Thompson and Corrinne Binda.
His repertoire includes Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Trios Cliumph, Le Rendezvous, Gaite Parisienne, Don Quixote, Birds of Paradise, Western Symphony, Grande pas Classique, Four Temperments and La Bayadere among many others.
After retiring from the stage Mr. Sapotko has worked as a teacher, coach, Ballet Master and Choreographer, most recently at the Mogilev National School of the Arts in Belarus.
He now brings numerous years of experience to the Classical Ballet Academy of Northern Virginia and the Classical Ballet Theater.
Jody Skye Schissler
Jody Skye Schissler began her training in Reston, VA at the Conservatory Ballet. She furthered her training at the Joffrey Ballet School, Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet in New York City, all as a scholarship student.
At the age of 17, Jody was invited by Suzanne Farrell to join the Fort Worth Ballet. From there she continued her dancing career with solo and principal roles at Ballet Chicago and the Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas in Venezuela. In the mid 90’s, Jody began touring as a guest artist, performing with a variety of companies and schools throughout the US. In 2001, she joined the Ohio Dance Theatre as Principal Dancer, playing leading roles at the historical Cleveland Playhouse. Throughout her career she performed a vast repertoire of principal roles in classics such as The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake, A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and Giselle.
“Ms. Skye”—as her students refer to her—has 20 years of teaching experience. Even as a student her attention to details was recognized and she was chosen to participate on the teaching staff of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Then, while in the midst of her dancing career, she was part of the permanent staff in such outstanding professional schools as the Fort Worth School of Ballet, School of Ballet Chicago, Milwaukee Ballet School, and Ohio Dance Theatre. She has taught in Northern Virginia for the past seven years with students ranging in age from 3–63. Many of her students have gone on to join professional dance companies and to great success in collegiate dance programs. Ms. Skye joined the staff at Classical Ballet Theatre in 2008, and is thrilled to be a part of this excellent organization.
Jody Skye Schissler currently lives in Reston, Virginia with her husband Allen and three children. She has been privileged to work with and learn from many remarkable artists throughout her career, and is honored to pass on that knowledge to the next generation of dancers.
