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Meet Our Faculty
VALERIE MADONIA
Program Director/Teacher
A graduate of the National Ballet School of Canada, Valerie danced
with the National Ballet for two years before joining American Ballet
Theatre at the invitation
of Mikhail Baryshnikov. During her five years with ABT, she was given
the opportunity to dance soloist roles and toured with Baryshnikov & Co.
during off season.
Valerie went on to join the Joffrey Ballet, where she established
herself as a leading ballerina and danced for ten years. More recently,
she has danced
with Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet, Le Gala des Etoiles, Complexions,
Armitage Gone! Dance, and Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet.
Valerie has appeared in six PBS Dance in America specials and is
featured in the book, Classical Ballet Technique by Gretchen Ward
Warren.
Valerie is on the faculty of the Joffrey Ballet School and the New
School University/Eugene Lang College in New York City and is a founder
and teacher at the
Telluride Dance Academy in Colorado.
OLIVIER WECXSTEEN
Teacher/Choreographer
Born in France, Olivier Wecxsteen trained at the Princess Grace Dance
Academy of Monte-Carlo with Marika Besobrasova. At nineteen,
choreographer Pierre Lacotte offered Olivier his first professional
contract with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, while there he became a
soloist, under the artistic direction of Jean-Yves Esquerre.
In 1993, Olivier joined Boston Ballet as a principal dancer under the direction of Bruce Marks and danced all the leading roles in the company’s vast classical and contemporary repertoire. Olivier moved to Canada in 1998, working with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Larry Rhodes.
Olivier has been a guest artist with companies throughout North America, participating in international galas like "An Evening with Ballets Stars" and "Diamonds of World Ballet" in Moscow. In 2003, Olivier worked as a principal guest artist with the San Francisco Ballet for the winter season.
Olivier has coached numerous dancers and taught in the US, Canada and Asia. He most recently completed a residency at Syracuse University. Olivier has been featured on an extensive Italian photo essay "L’Architettura de la Danza" by Alberto Moretti, on a book and postcards by eminent photographer Helmut Newton and on a stamp of the Principality of Monaco. He had a role in a documentary film, "Danser à Tout Prix", that premiered at the World Film Festival of Montreal.
MICHAEL ANDERSON
Teacher
Michael was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and danced the
majority of his professional career with The Joffrey Ballet.
(1993 to 2005). He is currently employed at Columbia College Chicago
and working with Michigan Ballet Theater as their Associate
Artistic Director. Michael also enjoys teaching, performing and
choreographing throughout the United States and around the world.
With an extensive list of repertory danced with The Joffrey Ballet,
Michael has also made guest appearances with numerous companies
throughout the world, including Noriko Hara’s Ballet Company in
Hiroshima, Japan, The Metropolitan Ballet of Caracas, Venezuela,
Nevada Dance Theater, Michigan Ballet Theater and
Mobile Ballet, in Mobile, Alabama.
In 1996, Michael was recognized by the state of Utah as a Utahn who has
made significant contributions to the well being and perpetuation of the
arts in the State.
Michael’s most recent work TIMELINES (2005) was done for Thodos Dance
Chicago as part of their choreographer’s workshop and then placed in
the company’s permanent repertoire and heralded by the Chicago
Sun-Times as “A mini-masterpiece…”
TRINITY HAMILTON
Teacher/Choreographer
Trinity was raised in the Chicago suburbs, training with the Chicago
City Ballet under Maria Tallchief and graduating from the Salt Creek
Ballet in Westmont. After attending her freshman year at Butler
University on full scholarship, Trinity joined The Joffrey Ballet
(1996-2004)and was nominated for the Princess Grace Awards in 1996. She
had the opportunity to perform fifteen principal roles during her years
with the Joffrey Ballet. Trinity is featured in the 2003 Robert Altman
film, The Company, whose main character played by Neve Campbell was
loosely based off of Trinity's life experience with The Joffrey.
Trinity has performed and choreographed pieces in Clearwater, Tampa, and
Chicago. She has also morphed her dancing abilities into art
installations for galleries in Tampa, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Trinity
has organized benefits for The Families of Freedom Fund from 9/11, MAC
Makeup's A.I.D.S Fund, and Tampa Bay's Mental Health Care Fund. She is
currently the ballet mistress and resident choreographer for the Dance
Theatre of Tampa.
DAVID DECAMINADA
Accompanist
David, originally from Columbus, Ohio, has been involved with ballet and modern dance as an accompanist since 1984. His associations include the Atlanta Ballet, Atlanta School of Ballet, Agnes Scott College, Georgia State University and S.E.R.B.A.
Since 1987, David has been associated with the Emory dance program as one of the dance musicians, accompanying ballet and jazz via piano and percussion. He also has worked as an accompanist with the Roswell Dance Theatre, the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance, and The Metropolitan Ballet Theatre with Maniya Barredo, former prima ballerina of the Atlanta Ballet. David accompanies many summer dance programs and auditions in addition to the Joffrey South Workshops.
