OLIVIA SCHREINER
- BALLET & PILATES INSTRUCTOR -
Olivia’s dance training began at the California Academy of Ballet. From there, her studies took a more serious focus on classical ballet when she joined the Contra Costa Ballet under the directorship of Zola Dishong and Richard Cammack. Olivia also had the opportunity to dance as an Apprentice of Diablo Ballet under the direction of Tina Kay Bohnstedt. During these years, her training consisted of a strong Vaganova emphasis with influences from many other styles and teachers. After sustaining several injuries early on in her career, Olivia was forced to postpone her dancing. Confronted with many surgeries and decisions that would impact the future of her dancing, Olivia decided to use this time to educate herself on the body and explore how ballet can marry with proper bio-mechanics in the hopes restoring her ability. During this time when she was unable to dance ballet regularly, Olivia spent many hours each week doing aerial arts, contortion, and contemporary dance at local circus centers. Six years later, after a tremendous amount of work and dedication to her Pilates practice and anatomy/physiology studies, she can proudly dance pain free!
Olivia is a comprehensively trained, PMA certified Pilates teacher through Balanced Body University. She is also currently on track to graduate in Spring 2020 from California Baptist University with a B.S. in Kinesiology. Having taught ballet since 2007, Olivia is passionate about challenging and empowering dancers while educating them on how their bodies were designed to function. This unique perspective allows her students to expand and grow as classical dancers without compromising safety in their movement.
Grace Petron
- BALLET & TAP INSTRUCTOR -
Grace Petron was born and raised in York, PA, where she began her dance training at a young age. She moved to Erie, PA, to study Dance and Liturgical Dance at Mercyhurst University on a presidential scholarship, and graduated with a B.F.A. degree with honors in service. She served on the Recognized Student Clubs/Organizations Council of Representatives, the Leadership Team within the Dance Department and President of the Mercyhurst University Liturgical Dance Ensemble which allowed her to perform, choreograph and show her passion for liturgical dance. Grace appeared with the ensemble at several places including the Northwest PA Synod Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, and the Women's Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Retreat. She has also traveled with the ensemble to New York City, London England, and numerous churches and worship settings around the Erie area.
While earning her degree, Grace attended Project Dance NYC, the Rockette Summer Intensive and appeared as a guest artist with Lake Erie Ballet and SoMar Dance Works. Grace joined as a company dancer with Anastasis Ballet Company in 2019.
Having taught ballet since 2012, Grace is passionate about challenging dancers to express themselves through their dancing while in the studio and on stage.
BRYANNA CROSS
- BALLET INSTRUCTOR -
Bryanna joined our Radiance family in the Fall of 2022. She is a very knowledgable and experienced dancer herself. She is the founder of Crossing Lines Center for Dance & Health Education. Co-founder of Bryra Movement Collective. She specializes in Yoga, Ballet, Pilates, and Frnaklin Method.
She started dancing at age nine. Two years later, she began her serious ballet training at the New Jersey Ballet School. Simultaneously, Cross’s love for teaching was born when she started assistant teaching at her local dance studio. At the age of 13, Cross attended the San Francisco Ballet School Summer Intensive and was invited to continue her training with the San Francisco Ballet's year-round program. At age 14, Cross developed a community outreach program providing ballet/creative movement classes for pre-school to early elementary school-aged children. Cross spent two summers at The School of American Ballet's Summer Intensive. Additionally, she trained privately with Marina Eglevsky, principal of the Harkness Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and Hamburg Ballet.
In 2009, Cross joined the Artesan Dance Company, dancing soloist roles in many original contemporary ballet pieces. She then taught upper-level ballet and Adult classes for a local dance academy. Cross continued her teaching career at the Valley Dance Theatre teaching ages 3 through adults. There she also worked as a rehearsal director and choreographed for VDT's studio company. Moving back to the east coast where her training began, Cross taught with the Eglevsky ballet school in Long Island, NY, meanwhile performing with the Eglevsky Ballet, Baltimore Ballet, Neglia Ballet, and Artesan dance company in several corps de ballet and soloist roles. Upon returning to the west coast, Cross continued teaching with multiple ballet schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. Alongside creating many original classical and contemporary pieces of choreography, she also directed and choreographed a full-length Nutcracker. Her final stop was teaching with the Contra Costa Ballet.
Additionally, in 2016, Cross started developing the Crossing Lines program, starting with seven workshops and a two-week summer intensive program in one year's time. Cross's fascination with anatomy and physiology encouraged her to study how to more effectively teach young dancers to move through space healthily. Cross proceeded to obtain her 200 hour Yoga certification, Pilates Sports Center certification full apparatus, and Franklin Method lower back certification. Cross has worked to develop a method of teaching/training based on how the body naturally moves, cultivating healthy movement and keeping her clients/students from suffering chronic injuries, as well as feeling stronger, happier, and ever more powerful.
Rachel Roepke
- Founding Member -
- EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR -
Rachel Roepke began her classical ballet training under the direction of Sherida Sullivan in 1986. Under the direction of Mrs. Sullivan, Rachel performed the roles of Carabosse (The Sleeping Beauty), Little Swans and Pas de Trois (Swan Lake), and the Summer Fairy (Cinderella). She continued training with Jolynda Lyon at SONdance Ministries in 1999. She completed grades 1-4 and professional levels 5-6 Ceccetti syllabus examinations, earning certificates from the Cecchetti Council of America. Additionally, she began to teach and choreograph for SONdance Ministries and became a certified teacher in the Cecchetti method grades 1-2. In 2002 Rachel moved to Jackson, MS where she spent two years training professionally with Ballet Magnificat!, and dancing with Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Company. While at Ballet Magnificat!, Mrs. Roepke received instruction from teachers including ballet mistress Sol Nazario, Tennille Carver, Kathy Thibodeaux, Jiri Vaborsky, and National Ballet of Cuba's Laura Alonzo. She performed in Deliver Us!, Unveiled Hope, Burlap to Cashmere, A Christmas Festival, God Gets the Glory, The Mission, and Real Life.
In 2004 she moved to Jackson, MI to teach for the Academy of the Arts, dance for the Jackson Ballet Company and receive additional training from former Ballet Magnificat! Trainee Director Tennille Carver.
In 2005 Rachel returned to California and was asked to assume the position of Artistic Director for Aroma - SONdance Ministry Team. She continued as Artistic Director for Aroma until June of 2009, directing, choreographing, dancing and touring to various events in California including the Southern Baptist Tsunami Youth Convention. She was also on staff with SONdance Christian Dance School teaching ballet technique, pointe, pre-pointe and jazz until June of 2009.
Rachel was fortunate enough to tour to Amsterdam in 2007 and 2008, dancing and presenting public and school performances as well as offering dance workshops.
Mrs. Roepke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational Leadership and Management and a minor in communication from Regent University. In addition to her ballet certifications, she has been a certified STOTT Pilates instructor since 2008.
Rachel now acts as the Executive Director of Radiance School of Ballet, overseeing all the functions of the organization and providing vision for the future. She also serves as CEO and Artistic Director for Anastasis Ballet Company. She has a passion for classical ballet and for students and desires for them to have access to the best training possible. She is passionate about equipping young people with the skills they need both to succeed in the dance world and in life.
Lindsey Parker
- Founding Member -
- WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER -
Lindsey has passionately been dancing since she was 3 years old. She trained at Yoko's Dance and Performing Arts Academy where she was a part of a Nationally award-winning competition team. Her training included ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, modern and contemporary. While at Yoko's, Lindsey was given the opportunity and privilege to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Fremont Symphony's The Nutcracker for 5 years. She was also a Dance Ambassador for the sister city of Fremont, Fukaya, Japan, and traveled to Japan twice to perform for the city's mayor and many dignitaries in Japan.
Pursuing her love for dance throughout college, Lindsey received her BFA in Dance, emphasis on Ballet, and a Minor in Business Administration from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. While at Belhaven, she studied under the direction of Caleb Mitchell and Stephen Wynne, among others. Having had the pleasure to work with many well-known instructors and guest artists, including Charmaine Hunter, Steve Rooks, and Gary Galbraith from Martha Graham Company, only made her more confident and grounded in her passion for dance.
Lindsey was hired on as a guest performer with Masterworks Performing Arts Festival for 2 years, performing in Swan Lake, as well as leading roles in many new works.
Lindsey joined as a Company dancer with Anastasis Ballet Company in 2011. During her time with the company, she has performed leading roles in Handel's Messiah Ballet, The Prayer, Testimony, PRISM & The Cobbler's Gift. Lindsey also traveled with the company on their August 2013 tour to Colorado, performing in a benefit concert for an orphanage in Uganda.
With 20+ years of teaching experience, Lindsey has had extensive experience working with students as young as 3 years old to adult. Lindsey hopes her teaching allows her students to see their great worth and to gain a love and passion for dance, just as her instructors did for her.
Jill Weaver
- Founding Member -
Jill began her dance training at the age of 5. By the age of 12 she realized she was most passionate about ballet and began to re-direct her focus to training in classical ballet at San Jose Dance Theatre under the direction of Paul E. Curtis and Shawn Stuart. Jill later trained at Western Ballet under Alessandra di Pierro and Mark Foehringer, where she performed leading roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Coppelia, and other various ballet and contemporary pieces.
After graduating high school, Jill was offered a contract to tour with Oakland Ballet Company for their national tour of The Secret Garden. Jill continued performing with the company in the Corps de Ballet for two seasons, dancing in such ballets as The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Beneath the Wake by San Francisco Ballet's Betsy Erickson, Bolero, and Billy the Kid.
Jill moved to Jackson, Misssissippi and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ballet from Belhaven University in 2003.
Jill joined Anastasis Ballet Company in 2010 and enjoyed seven seasons dancing with the company. During her time with Anastasis, Jill has performed leading roles in ballets including Handel's Messiah Ballet,The Prayer, Testimony, PRISM & The Cobbler's Gift. She also had the privilege of touring with the company to Colorado in August of 2013.
Since returning to California in 2003, Jill has been teaching ballet throughout the Bay Area, and is now excited to be teaching at Radiance School of Ballet. Jill desires to inspire the next generation of dancers to reach their full potential in the beautiful art of ballet.
Though Jill has a passion for teaching and dancing, Jill most enjoys being mommy to her two sweet boys, Dawson and Evan.
CELESTIN TONG
- BOOKKEEPING & ADMINISTRATION -
Before moving to the Bay Area in 2002, Celeste called Los Angeles her home. She graduated from UCLA in 1997 with a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics and an emphasis in Accounting. The majority of her career consisted of working as a General Accountant for a major real estate developer, but she also has background in Payroll and Human Resources. In 2009, she gave birth to her first child, Camryn, and since then she became a full-time stay-at-home mom. Her second daughter, Lucy, was born in 2012. Celeste learned of Radiance School of Ballet when she was looking for ballet classes for her oldest daughter in 2013. Then in 2015, she decided to join the studio as Radiance School of Ballet's bookkeeper and part of their office staff.
Celeste keeps not only our books, but our Ballet school working! We are very blessed to have her as a part of our Radiance Family!
Chris Sunga
- OFFICE ASSISTANT -
Chris joined our Radiance family in 2021 as an office assistant. He has helped on many different projects of videography, as well as promotional posters, for both Radiance School of Ballet and Anastasis Ballet Company.
Being an artist and dancer himself, we are glad to have him join us and be part of our team! He is always learning the world of Ballet and willing to lend such a helpful hand where needed.
Radiance Staff 2023-2024
Radiance School of Ballet Founders since opening 2013