Chairman of the Faculty -- Edward Villella
Linda Villella, School Director: 305.929.7000 x1800
Ricardo Montealegre, Administrative Director: 305.929.7000 x1802
Jesus Vazquez & Nagia Ortiz, School Registrars: 305.929.7007

CHAIRMAN OF THE FACULTY -- Edward Villella
Edward Villella - (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR/CEO, MIAMI CITY BALLET) - America’s most celebrated male dancer, was born in Bayside, New York, and entered the School of American Ballet at age 10 but interrupted his dance training to complete academic studies. A graduate of the New York Maritime Academy, he obtained a B.S. in marine transportation, lettered in baseball, and was a championship boxer. As a principal dancer for New York City Ballet, he originated many roles in the company repertoire, among them Tarantella, the "Rubies" section of Jewels and the role of Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Mr. Villella was the only American, ever, to be asked to dance an encore at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. He danced for President Kennedy’s inaugural and danced for Presidents Johnson, Nixon and Ford. Since 1986, he has focused his talent, his intelligence, and his energy on creating and maintaining a world-famous ballet company in South Florida. In recognition for his achievements, President Clinton presented Villella with the 1997 National Medal of Arts. Also in 1997, he was named a Kennedy Center Honoree, and was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was elected to the presigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences. To read Edward Villella's full bio, click here.

SCHOOL ADVISOR

Roma Sosenko - (PRINCIPAL BALLET MISTRESS, MIAMI CITY BALLET) a former soloist with New York City Ballet, Ms. Sosenko is responsible for rehearsing the many ballets Miami City Ballet dancers perform during the season. Ms. Sosenko taught for Miami City Ballet School in both the winter and summer programs. During her career as a dancer, Ms. Sosenko danced many lead roles for Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine.

Faculty -- BALLET

Carter Alexander - (SR. FACULTY ADVISOR) began his ballet training with his mother Amanda Stone in Cheyenne, Wyoming. He continued at Arts Magnet and Dallas Ballet Academy before joining the Hartford Ballet, where he studied with his mentor, Truman Finney. He danced principal and soloist roles with the Kansas City Ballet, and also danced with Pennsylvania Ballet (where he taught on the faculty of the Rock School). Mr. Alexander received an offer to become the principal teacher at the Ballet Workshop New England in Boston, where he taught for five years. He also became the artistic associate of the Massachusetts Youth Ballet. He then joined Truman Finney at The School of Ballet Arizona as Assistant Director of the school. He is a principal teacher on the Miami City Ballet School faculty.

Amanda Knox Caveny – was born and studies ballet in Clinton Township, Michigan.  She attended various summer programs including The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theater, American Ballet Theatre, and the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of the New York City Ballet.  Amanda was invited to attend SAB’s year- long program on scholarship where she was chosen to dance the lead role in Balanchine’s Symphony in Three Movements for the school’s annual workshop performance. In the fall of 1997 Amanda was invited to join the New York City Ballet as an apprentice.  She was soon promoted to Corps under the direction of Peter Martins.  She has danced in much of NYCB ‘s repertory with choreographers such as George Balanchine, Peter Martins and Jerome Robbins.  In the fall of 2000 Amanda left the New York City Ballet to pursue a college degree.  She has taught master classes throughout this time.  Amanda has moved to Miami to become a full-time faculty teacher for the Miami City Ballet School. 

Geta Constantinescu - was born in Romania. She performed numerous principal and soloist roles with the Company of State Opera and Ballet in Timisoara. In 1970, while touring in Italy, she defected to the West. She performed as a guest artist all over Europe and America. Ms. Constantinescu began her teaching career in New York. She was Ballet Mistress with the Ballet Arizona, Manhattan Ballet of New York, Universal Ballet in Seoul, and the Hong Kong Ballet. She was also Lecturer with the Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. While touring the United States with the Hong Kong Ballet, she was invited by Linda Villella to become a principal teacher at the Miami City Ballet School. Ms. Constantinescu has staged the third act of Sleeping Beauty and the pas de trios from the first act of Swan Lake for Miami City Ballet company, and with Edward Villella, mounted the full-length production of Don Quixote. For advanced students at Miami City Ballet School, Ms. Constantinescu produced her own production of Cinderella, and with her colleague Rafi Maldonado, created the original ballet Carnival of the Animals, both of which were performed to high acclaim at Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. In addition, Ms. Constantinescu is a master trainer in the Gyrotonic® Technique.  

Elizabeth Keller - Born in Dubai, UAE, she began her training at the Royal Academy in London, England. She then moved to Houston, Texas, where she trained with Victoria Vittum and Gilbert Rome at the Ballet Center of Houston. At age 15, Ms. Keller was invited to train at The Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet on full merit scholarship. There she was coached extensively by Violette Verdy and danced with Pennsylvania Ballet for two seasons. In 2002 she attended Miami City Ballet School’s Summer Intensive Program and trained with Miami City Ballet School for a year, before joining the company in 2003. She danced with Miami City Ballet for eight seasons. Ms. Keller has danced with Miami City Ballet for eight seasons.  Ms. Keller has also taught in Houston and in Saratoga Springs, New York. This season she teaches for Miami City Ballet School working with students in intermediate to advanced levels. In addition, she is the Children's Ballet Mistress for George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™.

Kris Kramer - was born in upstate New York, where she began her training at the Saugerties Ballet Center and later attended teh Albany Dance Institute, under the direction of former New York City Ballet dancer, David Otto.  During the summers, she studied at the School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Chatauqua Dance Institute.  Kris joined Miami City Ballet in 2001, after being a scholarship student at Miami City Ballet School and apprenticing for the Company for a year.  During her six years with MCB, she was featured in ballets such as Giselle, Edward Villella's "THE QUICK-STEP: Unspeakable Jazz Must Go!", George Balanchine's The Nutcracker™, among others. 

Roberto Rodriguez - began his dance training with Ballets de San Juan in Puerto Rico and studied at the School of American Ballet in New York. He worked for the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, returning to Ballets de San Juan, where he performed many classical lead male roles, specializing in George Balanchine's choreographies. Mr. Rodriguez holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and in Theater and Dance Education from the University of Puerto Rico. For the past 23 years he has been teaching ballet, theater, pantomime and creative movement. He is currently a Florida State Department of Education certified teacher, a Dance Consultant for the M-DCPS, and is also an adjunct teacher for the New World School of the Arts, Theater Division.

Kim Sonderegger - trained in New York City at the Joffrey and American Ballet Theatre schools, with Ben Stevenson at Houston Ballet, Marjorie Mussman, and other noted teachers. She was associated with Ballet Arizona for 20 years, first as a dancer, performing soloist and corps roles, and later as a teacher and administrator. During her tenure at Ballet Arizona, Ms. Sonderegger directed the dance program at Arizona School for the Arts. As a faculty member in the College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses in ballet and related subjects for four years. In 2008, Ms. Sonderegger joined the faculty of Miami City Ballet School, where she teaches, choreographs for school performances, and is the liaison for accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance. She has taught ballet in Asia and South America. Ms. Sonderegger holds a Master's degree in Anthropology from Arizona State University, where she graduated Summa cum Laude, specializing in the archaeology of the American Southwest. 

Faculty -- JAZZ

Richard Amaro - began his career dancing with the Alivin Ailey Repertory Ensemble. He has appeared on Broadway in the original companies of Jerome Robbins Broadway and Dangerous Games and played the role of Bernardo with the national, Japan, and world tours of West Side Story. Mr. Amaro has performed with Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, and Vanessa Williams, and has appeared in the films The Mambo Kings and Jeffrey and on television in In Living Color and Murder She Wrote. His most recent accomplishments include choreographing a national tour of Dream Girls, numerous TV commercials and performing with Chita Rivera throughout the United States. Mr. Amaro teaches jazz at Miami City Ballet School and is a guest faculty member at New World School of the Arts. He choreographed Lounge 2200 for Miami City Ballet's "Open Barre Dance Series" with his colleagues Liz Malm and Rafi Maldonado.

Rafi Maldonado-López - is a faculty member of New World School of the Arts, where he teaches ballet and advanced Jazz for Music Theatre, and Movement in the Drama track. He has worked as a guest teacher across the Midwest as well as St. Petersburg, Russia, for the resident dance company of the famed Music Hall. He began his dance training in San Juan, Puerto Rico with Ballet Concierto and Ballet de San Juan, and later continued his studies under scholarship at Joffrey Ballet School and the Boston Conservatory. He performed contemporary works with Boston Dance Company, Minnesota Dance Theater, Ballet of the Dolls, Ballet Arts of Minnesota, as well as various commercial video works. Most recently he has choreographed for Anything Goes, Carousel, and Guys and Dolls, and has just been awarded a choreography commission for a new original Broadway musical: Palladium. Mr. Maldonado-Lopez is head of the Jazz department of MCB School since 2004.

Liz Malm - is a Miami native who graduated from New World School of the Arts. Ms. Malm has worked in the music video industry, where she has choreographed, danced and toured with artists such as Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin, Jay-Z, P-Diddy, Beastie Boys, Perry Farrell of Jane's Addiction, Lil' Romeo, Baha Men, Carlos Ponce, Jaime Camil, Tito Puente and Iron and Wine. She has choreographed many commercials and television shows such as Virgin Mobile featuring Missy Elliot, Samsung, Bud Light featuring Cedric the Entertainer, Super Bowl, Lays Potato Chips, Telefonica, Herbal Essence, Pollo Tropical, "Truth" Anti-smoking campaign, MTV, BET, CBS, Telemundo and Univision. Ms. Malm has also choreographed half-time shows for the Miami Heat. Currently, Ms. Malm divides her time between New World School of the Arts and Miami City Ballet School, where she teaches jazz, stretch, and hip hop classes and choreographs for student performances. She recently choreographed Lounge 2200 for Miami City Ballet's "Open Barre Dance Series", with Rafi Maldonado and Richard Amaro.

For more information about MCB School please call 305.929.7007 or e-mail at school@miamicityballet.org.