Faculty

The Conservatory of Movement

Faculty

Barbara Land attended Point Park College, University of Pittsburgh, and the University of British Columbia, and holds a teaching diploma and certificate from the Royal Academy College in London, England. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she served as Director of the University of Nevada, Reno Dance Program from 1995 to 2010. Barbara is internationally known for her writings on dance history, dancers’ wellness and injury prevention. She has choreographed for The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra (Carmina Burana, Romeo and Juliet, and Rodeo); The Nevada Opera (HMS Pinafore, Pagliacci, Die Fledermaus, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Traviata, The Merry Widow and Carmen); Reno Chamber Orchestra (Clearly McCleer The Clocks); and University of Nevada, Reno (Amahl and the Night Visitor, Hansel and Gretel, and The Merry Widow). She has taught at Vassar College; New York Wagner College summer program, Staten Island; Banff Center for the Arts, Canada; Pepperdine University summer program; Ballet Metropolitan, Columbus, Ohio; and the Royal Academy of Dancing International Summer School. Barbara is the recipient of the State of Nevada Governor’s Arts Award in Dance and the Distinguished Teaching Award from the University of Nevada, Reno College of Liberal Arts. In the summer of 2010, she made her second trip to the Peruvian Amazon to study the rituals of the rainforest.

Miriam Allen studied Royal Academy of Dance from the age of three in England and progressed through theater and modern dance into the International Dance Teachers Association. She started her international career dancing for Doris Haug and Miss Bluebell in Monte Carlo, the Italian Riviera, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, Iran, Sicily, Tunisia, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the famous Moulin Rouge in Paris. After settling in Reno, she began teaching at The Conservatory of Movement in 1988 and is a registered Royal Academy of Dance teacher and co-director of A.V.A. Ballet Theatre.

Alexander Van Alstyne has been dancing since the age of eight in Salt Lake City, Utah and received full scholarship to the University of Utah. At 15 he began dancing professionally with companies such as Ballet West, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and Utah Ballet. He moved to Reno, Nevada, in 1988 for "Hello Hollywood Hello" at Bally's and has been teaching in the community for the past 14 years. As a result of his experience in Reno, Alexander was inspired to create A.V.A. Ballet Theatre.

Marty Lewis, teaches jazz at the Conservatory. Marty's career began in Las Vegas at the Aladdin with a major role in Guys and Dolls as a dancer. From there he went to The Lido Cabaret in Paris, France, Television Broadcast Limited in Hong Kong, and then touring as a star in productions in Italy, Korea and Japan. After his extensive world tours, he accepted a role in Hello Hollywood, Hello! at the MGM Grand, thereby bringing Mr. Lewis to Reno, NV. He starred in a production with Charo, and then danced in Jubilee in Las Vegas, a show that is still very popular today. In 1992 Marty choreographed Twist and Shout: The Ultimate Beatle Review at Harveys Lake Tahoe, a show that received many rave reviews for its choreography. He has been guest-choreographer at numerous regional schools over the last few decades. From 1997-2005, Marty became the Director and Dance Captain of the Outreach Program, a performing arts program that helped thousands of at-risk youth in the Reno/Sparks area. His other credits include working at NBC, City Kids, Miss Teen USA, La Toya Jackson in Concert, Smokey Robinson in Concert and the Suzanne Sommers TV Special. Mr. Lewis is also a part of the Karen Burns Production Company.

Michele (Missy) Hill was born and raised in Reno, and has danced since age ten. At fourteen, she became professional under the direction of Reno’s Opera and Ballet Masters, Ted Puffer and Maggie Banks, respectively. In 1996, Maggie Banks’ company, Nevada Festival Ballet, was founded where Michele flourished as a student and performer. She danced many principle and soloist roles in Classical Ballets such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppéllia, Rodeo, La Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Firebird. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from University of Nevada, Reno, as well as a degrees in Dance, with an emphasis on teaching, and French Literature & Basque Studies from University of Pau, Southern France. She has taught in the Dance Department at the University of Nevada, Reno for eleven years and in the Reno community for twenty.

Kelly Rubero began her dance training at the age of four with Salwa Rizkalla at Southland Ballet Academy/Festival Ballet Theater in Huntington Beach, California. At 16 she attended the Boston Ballet Summer Intensive Training Program. Kelly moved to Reno in 1998 and has performed in numerous productions with the University of Nevada, Reno, the Nevada Opera, and Alexander Van Alstyne’s A.V.A. Ballet Theater. She has danced various roles in classical ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Coppelia, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Swan Lake. In 2003 Kelly received her degree in Secondary Education and recently completed her master's degree in Literacy.

Eve Allen began her dance training at the age of three with Miriam Allen at The Conservatory of Movement and has completed the R.A.D. syllabus with Distinction through the Intermediate level. In 2007, Eve received a B.S. in Business Management and a minor in Dance from the University of Nevada, Reno. While attending UNR, Eve taught beginning ballet and was the recipient of the Dr. Art Broten dance scholarship and the Frank S. Maika dance scholarship. She has worked with choreographers Barbara Land (UNR, Nevada Opera Association), Cari Cunningham (UNR, bellē contemporary dance company), John Lehrer (LehrerDance), Margaret “Maggie” Banks (Nevada Festival Ballet), and Kristin Avansino. Since 1999, Eve has performed leading roles with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre including the Snow Queen and Arabian in The Nutcracker, the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Princess Aurora and the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, and the Dragonfly and Martha in The Secret Garden. One of her favorite roles by far was Alice in Alice in Wonderland in 2009. Currently, Eve is an M.F.A. candidate studying teaching and choreography in the Department of Ballet at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

The Conservatory of Movement • 73 W. Plumb Ln. Reno, NV 89509 • (775) 786-1221