Director of Training

Katie Puder is the founder of Avant Chamber Ballet and serves as its Artistic Director and primary choreographer. She has created over 30 ballets with ACB and collaborated and choreographed with Rapides Symphony Orchestra, International Music Festival in San Antonio, American Baroque Opera Company, Orchestra of New Spain, Abilene Ballet Theater, Verdigris Ensemble and many more.

She started dance with Wichita Falls Ballet Theater and moved to Fort Worth to continue training where she studied with Maria Terezia Balogh and Paul Mejia. She was a member of Metropolitan Classical Ballet for six years and danced in classics such as Raymonda, La Bayadere, Paquita, Don Quixote, and Spartacus as well as a dozen Balanchine ballets including Agon, Four Temperaments and Bugaku. In 2007, she moved to Athens, Greece and studied ballet and contemporary dance at D.A.N.C.C.E.

In 2012 she founded Avant Chamber Ballet and has developed it into a professional company known for exciting new commissions and live music as well as the industry-leading Women’s Choreography Project. Under her leadership, ACB has garnered national attention as an example of a modern ballet company that reflects the future of the art form.

Associate Director of Trainees

A native of Arkansas, Madelaine Boyce began her ballet training at the Academy of Ballet Arkansas, and later Ballet Memphis School. At the age of 14 she moved to Philadelphia to train at Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rock School and was a part of their year round academic training program.

In 2004 Madelaine began studying with former New York City Ballet dancer Paul Mejia, and former Bolshoi Ballet principal dancer and current Bolshoi Ballet Master, Alexander Vetrov, at Metropolitan Classical Ballet in Arlington, Texas, joining the main company as an apprentice a year later. While dancing with Metropolitan Classical Ballet Madelaine danced roles in many classical ballets including La Bayadere, Raymonda, and Paquita, as well as Balanchine ballets such as The Four Temperaments, Concerto Barocco, and Square Dance.

In 2007 Madelaine joined Madison Ballet in Wisconsin under the direction of W. Earle Smith. For 5 seasons she performed in many ballets, teaching for the School of Madison Ballet and its outreach program, Movement In Your World, where she taught thousands of students throughout Dane County.

Madelaine returned to Texas in 2012 and is a founding member of Avant Chamber Ballet. She has originated many roles in ballets choreographed by ACB Artistic Director Katie Puder, including Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Teenage Scrooge in A Ballet Christmas Carol. While with the company Madelaine performed Principal and Soloist roles in Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie and Walpurgisnacht Ballet.

Madelaine has been on faculty with the Avant Chamber Ballet trainee program since its inception, and became Associate Director of Trainees in 2023. She was previously choreographer and Assistant Director of the Plano Metropolitan Ballet where she choreographed numerous works for the student based company. Madelaine is also a certified Pilates instructor through Romana’s Pilates International.

Associate Director of Trainees

Melissa Meng is from Vestal, New York, where she has been dancing since age 4. At 13, she began training with Rafael Grigorian at the Rafael Grigorian School of Classical Ballet. She has attended summer programs at the NYSSSA School of Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, the Chautauqua Institution and Balletmet.

In 2014, Melissa graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in Ballet, an Outside Field in Applied Health Science, and a Minor in Psychology. While at IU, Melissa had the opportunity to train under Michael Vernon and Violette Verdy, and danced soloist and principal roles in works by Petipa, Martins, Graham, Bournonville, and Balanchine. Melissa also began her teaching career at IU, teaching students of all ages at the Indiana University Pre-College Ballet program. After graduation, Melissa danced with the Colorado Ballet Studio Company for two seasons, under the direction of Gil Boggs. She has performed with the main company in The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Septime Webre's Alice in Wonderland, and Christorpher Wheeldon's A Midsummer's Night's Dream. Melissa has also performed with Zikr Dance Ensemble in Denver, CO and Arc Dance in Seattle, WA.

Since joining Avant Chamber Ballet in 2016, Melissa has originated principal roles in ballets by Katie Puder, Fernanda Oliviera, Jock Soto, and Madison Hicks. Melissa has also had the opportunity to dance featured roles such as Jumping Girl in Balanchine's Who Cares, the Sugarplum Fairy and Dewdrop in Paul Mejia's The Nutcracker, the Lilac Fairy in the Sleeping Beauty, and Alice in Katie Puder's Alice in Wonderland. Melissa has taught ballet to students of all ages since 2013 and is proud to have many of those dancers enter elite college programs or become professional dancers. She became Associate Director of the Trainees at ACB in 2023.

Shawn Stevens is originally from Houston, Texas. At age 14, she attended Walnut Hill School of Performing Arts under the direction of Sydelle Gomberg. She continued her training at the School of American Ballet. In 1982, she was chosen by George Balanchine to join the ‪New York City Ballet (NYCB). During her time with the company, she performed principal roles in Balanchine's ballets, including Symphony in Three Movements, The Four Temperaments, and Symphony in C. She also danced in the original cast and performed principal roles in Brahms/Handel, choreographed by Twyla Tharp and Jerome Robbins. ‬‬‬‬‬‬ Stevens has worked with many other choreographers, such as Peter Martins, William Forsythe, Edward Villella, Ib Andersen, and Joseph Duell. During the 10 years she performed with NYCB, she danced in the TV programs Live from ‪Lincoln Center with NYCB and Dance in America. She has also appeared as a principal dancer with the New York City Opera in Cinderella. In 1991, Stevens joined Twyla Tharp Dance, where she performed for five years. With Tharp's company, she performed repertoire works as well as new works as a principal. She was asked to dance in the Cutting Up tour with Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Stevens’ film credits include I'll Do Anything and In the Upper Room, both choreographed by Tharp. Stevens was personally invited to perform in Tharp’s hit Broadway musical Movin' Out. She has been teaching ballet at several schools, universities, and companies throughout the United States. She is approved by The George Balanchine Trust to restage George Balanchine works and also stages works by Tharp through the Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation.

Juliann McAloon started her dance training in Cornwall, NY at Dance Design School. While at Dance Design she completed her Royal Academy of Dance Exams and earned her Solo Seal award in Toronto, Canada. Juliann has attended many ballet summer intensives such as The Rock School, Boston Ballet, and New York State Summer School of the Arts on scholarships. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Ballet and an Outside Field in Exercise Science at Indiana University. While at the university, she trained under Violette Verdy and Michael Vernon. She was also given the opportunity to be coached one on one by world renowned dancers and artists such as Cynthia Gregory, Victoria Simon, Helen Starr, and Mimi Paul. Juliann has danced a variety of lead roles in ballets ranging from Twyla Tharp’s Sweet Fields and Agnes de Milles Rodeo, to Balanchine’s Serenade, Valse Fantasie, Four Temperaments, Raymonda Variations, and Who Cares?. Juliann danced with Sarasota Ballet from 2010-2012 before moving to Dallas to dance for ACB. Juliann was a principal dancer for ACB for eight seasons and retired in 2020.

Modern Faculty

Marlee Fleisher is a choreographer, dancer, and creator. Originally from Dallas, Texas, Marlee has trained and worked in the Dallas dance community for over 20 years. She is an alumnus of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and Adelphi University. Before the establishment of Meat Market Productions, Marlee Fleisher received the Kyle Richards choreography award and created a full evening production ‘not to disappoint, but” in April 2021. She has collaborated with other artists and professors on numerous short films and pieces and is the director of the newly formed dance company - Meat Market Productions. Marlee teaches weekly Modern class at ACB and is on the faculty of Booker T Washing High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

Guest Faculty

Michele grew up in Dallas, Texas. She began her training with Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson at the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. At the age of sixteen she moved to New York City to attend the School of American Ballet on full scholarship. Two years later, she became a member of the New York City Ballet. In her twelve year career at New York City Ballet, Michele had the opportunity to perform many soloist and principal roles including: Balanchine’s “Apollo”,” Rubies”, “Agon”, “Symphony in Three Movements”,” A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Stars and Stripes” to name a few. Michele also originated many roles including Jerome Robbins’ “West Side Story Suite”, Peter Martins’” Echo”, Christopher Wheeldons’” Slavonic Dances”, and David Parsons’ Touch”. In 2000, Michele joined Texas Ballet Theater under Ben Stevenson. While at TBT, she performed several principal roles including Ben Stevenson’s “Copellia”, “Four Last Songs”,” Dracula”, and “Peer Gynt” along with Balanchine’s “Allegro Brilliante” and “The Four Temperaments”. Michele has also made several guest artist appearances including “Tchaikovsky pas de Deux”, “Who Cares”, “Barber Violin Concerto”,” Carmina Burana”, “Rubies” later joining Bruce Wood Dance Company where she was also Company Manager.

Guest Faculty

Mr. Brooksher grew up in Mesa, Arizona where he received his early training at Ballet Etudes and Jeanne’s School of Dance. At the age of 13 he left Mesa for Washington D.C. to attend the Kirov Academy of Ballet (KAB), one of the premier ballet training schools in the world, on full scholarship for their accelerated professional training program. His studies included ballet technique, repertoire, technical theory, pas de deux, historical court dance, character dance, contemporary movement, pedagogy, music theory, nutrition, kinesiology, painting, sculpture, injury prevention, Pilates and Gyrotonics. Mr. Brooksher graduated from KAB with High Honors, and from Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School with a Certificate of Merit, in 1993.

Throughout his career Mr. Brooksher performed all of the great classical ballets and worked with the most influential choreographers of the time. He is known as one of the greatest partners of his generation. Among all of the leading male roles he performed he is most fond of the role of Albrecht in Giselle. After dancing professionally in The Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Internationale, Boston Ballet, and Texas Ballet Theater, Mr. Brooksher returned home for a single season with Ballet Arizona before embarking on his teaching career.Throughout his career Mr. Brooksher regularly took the time to return to his home in Mesa to serve as temporary faculty for Ballet Etudes and Phoenix School of Ballet. Under his tutelage his students have gone on to become professional performing artists in theaters all over the world. Mr. Brooksher founded and directed Brooksher Ballet in Mesa, Arizona to provide professional training opportunities in his hometown while simultaneously continuing to work as a director and faulty member with other dance organizations around the country.

Mr. Brooksher currently serves in a number of national and international organizations as well as being a faculty member for the Oklahoma City Ballet Yvonne Chouteau School. He is a member of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – International Dance Council and has also served as the United States international representative and director of pedagogy for the Classical Dance Alliance. Mr. Brooksher also served as Associate Artistic Director for his alma mater, The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. and was involved in all aspects of running an international boarding school and high-level dance education organization.

Guest Faculty

Riolama Lasa-Lorenzo has an extensive, professional ballet career which began after she fled Cuba with her family in the Mariel Boatlift event in 1980. In 1993, she received the prestigious Princess Grace Award and trained in New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet. In 1995, she was invited to join the New York City Ballet where she danced principal roles in many ballets and originated roles in works by Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins. Between 2003 and 2012, Ms. Lorenzo was a Soloist and then a Principal in the Pennsylvania Ballet . During that time, she also earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

Guest Faculty

Jock Soto, who is half Navajo Indian and half Puerto Rican, was born in Gallup, New Mexico, and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. At the age of five, he began studying ballet with local teachers after seeing a television special featuring Edward Villella in the Rubies section of George Balanchine’s Jewels. Mr. Soto continued his studies at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet. While at the School, Mr. Soto danced the role of "Luke" in Peter Martins' The Magic Flute, which was choreographed for the School's 1981 Workshop performances. That year he became a member of the Company's corps de ballet. In June 1984 he was promoted to the rank of soloist, and one year later he became a principal dancer.

Mr. Soto's extensive repertory includes featured roles in almost every Balanchine ballet in NYCB repertoire.

Mr. Soto has appeared as a guest artist with the Kirov Ballet in Jewels in 2003 and at the Bolshoi Theatre with stars from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre in 2003.

In addition to his performing career, Mr. Soto was a member of SAB's faculty from 1996-2015 and is considered one of the legendary teachers of this generation. Since his retirement from New York City Ballet in 2005, he has held master classes and choreographed across the country. His most recent projects have included multimedia and multi-discipline creations with Wheelwright Museum, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Harrison Coll and Karen Armitage

Mr. Soto was the recipient of the Casita Maria Award for Hispanics and The First Americans in the Arts Trustee Award. Friends In Deed recognized Mr. Soto for his patronage of AIDS research, and in 2002, the School of American Ballet presented him with the Mae L. Wein Award for Distinguished Service.

Our Meals, a cookbook written by Mr. Soto and former NYCB principal dancer Heather Watts, was published by Riverhead Books in October 1997. In November 2011, Mr. Soto’s autobiography Every Step You Take: A Memoir was published by Bargain Price.

Mr. Soto resides in Eagle Nest, NM with his husband Luis Fuentes.