Wilhelmina is a former dancer with New York City Ballet under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. She is best known for her roles in the ballets now known as “Balanchine Black and White.” She was Artist-in-Residence at academic institutions including Sarah Lawrence College, Vassar College, and The Masters School, and she has held faculty positions with Talent Unlimited High School for the Performing Arts, where she created a Balanchine Curriculum for the New York City Department of Education approved by the George Balanchine Trust©. Wilhelmina has been Artistic Director of Catskill Ballet Theater, Artistic Advisor for Ulster Ballet Company, Co-Director of Woodstock Children’s Theater, and Director of Dance and Musical Theater for South Bronx Charter School for International Cultures & the Arts. She is a licensed teacher in both Dance and Work-based learning who has been choreographing and directing dance and theater for over twenty-eight years. She is on the advisory boards of Rosie’s Theatre Kids and MindLeaps. She is a member of the nominating committee for the Chita Rivera Awards and an advisor for I Can Still Do That, a branch of the Florence Belsky Charitable Foundation. Wilhelmina feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to study and work with the great masters of Dance of the 20th Century. She believes it is her responsibility to pass on the great gifts that were bestowed upon her.

Email: wilhelmina@stapletonschool.org

Laura is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. She trained at the Kirov Academy in Washington DC, Contra Costa Ballet, Central West Ballet, and Danville Ballet. After graduating, Laura began working in Australia with Tasmanian Classical Ballet and then with Manassas Ballet Theatre, Columbia City Ballet, Sierra Nevada Ballet, and Ballet Tucson where she performed both principal and soloist roles. Last year Laura returned to San Francisco and began performing with Oakland Ballet, Oceanica Ballet, and Trivial Motion. Ms. Lunde had been a ballet teacher at the Stapleton School of Performing Arts since 2021.

Email: laura@stapletonschool.org

Morgan Olson was born and raised in Southern California. She began her dance training at a local ballet school in Lake Arrowhead, CA. She attended summer intensives such as American Ballet Theatre and Philadelphia Ballet. Morgan attended Idyllwild Arts Academy on scholarship for all four years of high school. There she studied Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Dance Composition, as well as performed in various classical and contemporary repertory pieces. Morgan graduated from Idyllwild Arts in 2021 with scholastic honors and a certification in the arts (dance). Morgan now lives full time in Marin and has begun her career as a dance instructor and arts administrator here at Stapleton School of the Performing Arts. She also teaches dance under the direction of Alan Scofield with Kiddo! Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation, bringing dance education into local elementary schools. Morgan is incredibly honored to share her knowledge and love for dance with the next generation of aspiring artists.

Email: morgan@stapletonschool.org

Isabella Qureshi was born and raised in Marin County, CA. She began her early dance training at age 4 at Dance Theatre 7 in Fairfax, CA. Isabella went on to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance with a concentration in Visual Media at MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE in New York City. Upon graduating, she returned to the Bay Area to teach Jazz, Contemporary, & Ballet. Isabella has performed professionally with the Carmen Carnes Dance Ensemble, Salsa Vale Todo, Marin Musical Theatre Company, Novato Theatre Company, and the Altarena Playhouse in Alameda. Isabella, most notably, was the Choreographer for the Grateful Dead’s New Year’s Eve concert to ring in 2020, and choreographed a dance segment in an episode of the ABC tv series “Scorpion.” Isabella joined the Stapleton faculty in 2016, and continues to share her passion for dance to children and adults throughout the Bay Area.

Email: bella@stapletonschool.org

Megan is a native of Marin County and began her dance training with Virginia Stapleton at age 4. While dancing with Stapleton School of the Performing Arts for 14 years, Megan performed in 11 Nutcrackers; La Fille Mal Garde, Coppelia, David McNaughton's Tom Sawyer, and numerous repertory pieces. She later returned to perform with the Offspring Company. Megan earned her BA in dance in May 2004 from Denison University in Granville, Ohio. While at Denison, she received training in classical ballet as well as contemporary dance. Megan performed in various repertory pieces and danced in a collaborative performance with Bobby McFerrin. She was a teacher and director of the Creative Movement Program at Denison, introducing dance to children ages 3-8. Megan began her teaching career with Stapleton in Fall 2004 and has loved instilling her passion for dance in her students.

Email: megan@stapletonschool.org

Originally from Sacramento, Brynn Vogel grew up dancing at Capitol Ballet Center. Upon graduating high school, Brynn danced at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre while attending Point Park University. After receiving her Bachelor of the Arts, she shifted her focus to contemporary dance and joined Texture Contemporary Ballet in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Brynn danced for Texture for eight years and continued to work with them as she moved towards a freelance career in San Francisco and New York City. She now is a Certified Personal Trainer and is so excited to join the amazing faculty at Stapleton!

Email: brynn@stapletonschool.org

Héctor (they/she/he) was born and raised in Mexicali, Baja California, México. They began their training with Manuel Torres in El Centro Estatal de las Artes (CEART) and attended a couple of summer intensives in the US throughout their high school years. They were one of the recipients of The Herb Alpert Foundation Scholarship when they attended the California State Summer School for the Arts (CSSSA) in 2015. Héctor recently graduated from the Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet BFA Program affiliated with Dominican University of California. Post-graduation, they had the opportunity to work with Sean Dorsey Dance, Detour Dance Company, and Dawson Dance SF in the Bay area.

Email: hector@stapletonschool.org

Saoirse was born in San Francisco. She started dancing when she was 3, and has wanted to teach ballet ever since. When she was 12, she transferred to Stapleton from a different ballet school, and danced there until she graduated, performing in the Stapleton Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, and many repertory pieces. More recently, she's returned to Stapleton as the Queen in Swan Lake, as well as joining in community theatre productions. She is glad to be home at Stapleton and sharing her love of dance with a new generation!

Email: saoirse@stapletonschool.org

Lindsey Johnson is currently a fourth-year college student studying under Alonzo King in the Alonzo King Lines BFA Program partnered with Dominican University in San Francisco, California. Here she is exploring what it means to fully embody dance and become a unique artist. She grew up in Pittsburgh, PA under the instruction of Patricia McKeown The Dance Company for the Performing Arts (DCPA). It was here that her passion and potential was harnessed to push her beyond the studio setting. Lindsey continued her studies outside of DCPA with summer programs all over the country including the Boston Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, Chautauqua Institute, and others. More recently, she has explored other styles at Limón’s Professional Program, Hubbard Street, and WHIM W’HIM. In high school, Lindsey studied at both Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Not only is she forging her own path but continues to connect with the next generation of young artists at Stapleton School for the Performing Arts. Here she shares her experiences and understanding of what it takes to become the best artist, the best dancer, the best person, and leave your mark on the world through the limitless mediums of expression.

Email: lindsey@stapletonschool.org