Paul Smith, brother of 'Mrs. K .....
I
have always been in wonder at what my sister Janet – there you go, I said it
again – has achieved. I am one very
proud little brother."
Ally Butler 
" I learned more about life and myself while in rehearsals at KDA with Mrs. K, Ms. Alison, and Ms Jane always encouraging me to fulfill my potential." Ally started dancing with Kravenko at the age of 3, discovering her favorite dance expression in contemporary ballet and modern dance. Ally graduated Kravenko Dance Academy and The Meadows School in 2008, and left Las Vegas to attend the University of San Francisco where she is working towards a major in Art History / Arts Management and a minor in Psychology. Ally continues her passion for dance, studying at Lines Ballet in San Francisco. Ally encourages those still studying at KDA, "Never quit dancing. Even when everything else seems to stop, dancing never will. You will always be most comfortable in a dance studio."
Stephanie (Dalley)
Bunker Stephanie
grew to love classical ballet during her 2 ½ years at Kravenko Dance
Academy. She recalls, “The faith and
kindness everyone had in me to excel and make myself better in such a short
time is something I will always remember.”
Daniel Cooke To other aspiring dancers Daniel offers the following words:
“Dance is a full time occupation. Take
all of your experiences and use that to fuel yourself. Each day we should strive to learn something
new and, once learned, apply it to our craft.”
Rachael
Gigar
Daniel began dancing at Kravenko Dance Academy when he was 14 years old and
quickly developed a love of classical ballet.
He soon became a member of the company, as well as becoming a principal
dancer in KDA’s productions. During this
time Daniel also began attending High School at Las Vegas Academy, and with hard work and the
discipline he learned at KDA, maintained an Honor Student GPA. As a
sophomore in high school, Daniel made the commitment to pursue becoming a professional
dancer. He was fortunate, through the efforts of KDA, to
be awarded a scholarship to attend Walnut Hill in Natick, Massachusetts -- a
school internationally recognized as one of the premier secondary schools for
the arts in the world.
“ I just finished a five week intensive at the Hill which was both
challenging and eye opening. I really got to know the faculty and staff and am looking
forward to the upcoming school year.”
Daniel will continue at Walnut Hill, where he plans to complete his high
school curriculum and continue to participate with the school’s ballet
curriculum -- continuing to develop his physical and technical strength,
propelling him toward artistic growth.
Daniel credits KDA for the discipline and other life tools that continue to
serve him well, and for opening the doors to the world of dance for him. “Mrs.
Alison and Mrs. Kravenko have given me the tools and guidance needed to pursue
a dance career. They are also packed full of advice and knowledge that I
believe has made a big part of who I am right now.”
“…The most important thing I learned [while
at KDA] was self-respect and the love of the arts.”
Rachael attended KDA 15 years, developing a life-long love of the arts -- particularly ballet. She now attends Colorado State University where she majors in English Education. She also has hopes of attending law school, and is currently is involved in a Mock Trial at CSU. Rachael was also involved with CSU’s dance program, however that was interrupted in April 2009 when she was injured in an accident while walking on campus, resulting in a broken pelvic bone. Rachael is working hard to recover from her accident. True to her hard-working nature, she hopes to not only recover but return to the shape she was in at while at KDA, which she considers to be the best in her life.
Rachael
spent the majority of her childhood and high school years at KDA studying dance
with Mrs. K and Ms. Allison. “There were so many things that happened
during those 15 years that I couldn't name them all, but I think the most
important thing that happened over my time there was that I learned
self-respect and the love of the arts.
The love I have for the arts has continued to be a big influence in my
life and I thank Mrs. K and Ms. Allison for that.”
Rachael
encourages those currently studying dance at KDA to, “Keep dancing, no matter what, and always keep the love of dance in your
heart. Work hard, but make sure that you
are always having fun and remember that you are beautiful inside and out. I wish everyone at Kravenko the best
and hope that you all are doing amazingly.
Love you all.”
Everyone
at KDA joins together in wishing Rachael the best in her recovery. We know she’ll “keep dancing, no matter what.”
Catherine Erickson Catherine has gone on to apply the same discipline she displayed at Kravenko to her interests in medicine. After graduating Kravenko Dance Academy and Clark High school, Cathy went on to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara. She continued on to attend medical school at Oregon Health and Sciences University. She is currently finishing her residency in Emergency Medicine at Denver Health Medical Center, and is starting an ultrasound fellowship at Denver Health. She recalls of her experience with Kravenko, “Mrs. K was one of the most influential people in my life. I will always look back to her words of wisdom, humor and support with fond memories.”
Heather (Kimber) Hermann
"Dancing appears glamorous, easy, delightful. But
the path to paradise of the achievement is not easier than any other. There is
fatigue so great that the body cries, even in its sleep. There are times of
complete frustration, there are daily small deaths." -Martha Graham
Heather attended Kravenko Dance Academy for 12 years, developing a love of the Balanchine technique, Tap and Fosse. She attended high school at Las Vegas Academy, graduating with a diploma in AP Visual Arts and Photography. Heather was awarded numerous photography awards from outside competitions contributed by the LVA photography dept, and was rated LVA’s top Visual Art Student from 2004-2007.
"Their gift of dance now embedded into me has been the ultimate basis of my artistic creations..."
With her gifts in the arts, Heather went on to become 1st and 3rd year winner for the Las Vegas Showgirl Cast and Reunion Show Art Competition. In 2004's Choreographer Showcase, its 25th anniversary, Heather danced in "Tabula Rasa", and was pictured in City Life along with Michael Szani aside the caption "Local dancers and choreographers excel at this year's Showcase." The show was described by dance critic Hal de Becker as follows: "The program reached its highest level with Alison Kravenko's 'Tabula Rasa' to the mesmerizing score of the same name by Arvo Part. Ms. Kravenko's richly nuanced choreography was an uncompromising and challenging visualization of the music and the seven dancers... performed with the skill and respect it deserved."
She is currently working on costume illustration for an upcoming Vegas show debuting winter of 2009, along with shooting her first feature film "Red Herring" working wardrobe and designing with Mrs. Eden. She also uses her artistic year winner for the Las Vegas Showgirl Cast and Reunion Show's Art Competition.
talents working as
an independent artist and writer, where she specializes in illustration,
costume, traditional/digital painting, and conceptual character/environmental
design, and writing surreal novels centered on fairy tale elements.Heather has fond memories of her days with KDA, acknowledging how it has
impacted her work and life, “Mrs. K, Ms.
Alison and Ms. Jane taught one major factor to me that stands out above the
rest, "discipline." This is something from them that can never be possibly
taken from me and has served me well throughout my life. They let my soul roam
free in the studio and on stage taking my senses onto whole new levels.
My
first major soloist piece in the Youth Ballet called "Sonata for
Calliope" made such a huge impact in my life that I've actually stuck with
the name assigned to my role of "Calliope," the muse of historical
poetry, and it has become my pen-name within visual arts and writing. I
sometimes feel this beautiful ballet choreographed by Ms. Alison is where my
life truly began.
Their gift of
dance now embedded into me has been the ultimate basis of my artistic creations
showing how delicate beauty, bodies and movement can be displayed under the
simplest factors. Yet there is a whimsicality to it all that is vastly
absorbing and thought-provoking. They gave me a deeper view on life and their
gift of dance is rooted within me forever. I thank them for all they've done
and helping me pursue my dreams and accomplishments.”
Stephanie 
(Adams) McHugh
Stephanie attended Kravenko Dance Academy from 1985-1993. It was during these 12 years with Kravenko that Stephanie was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency. Although the disorder made it difficult for Stephanie to keep up with others in her age group, she credits in part her Kravenko experiences for giving her the strength and confidence to keep going. “I believe the support I received from both my family and my Kravenko family gave me the strength to stay motivated and confident even if I was different from everyone else. Thank you!”
After several years spent in customer service with the casino industry, Stephanie is now beginning a new venture in Bikram yoga. Stephanie will be running a new studio in the Summerlin area of Las Vegas – Bikram Red Rock – opening Summer 2009!
“As an adult about to start my own family, I look back on my days at Kravenko with a sense of pride and accomplishment. I would not be the person I am today without Mrs. K. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Megan (McDonald) O’Blenness
Megan attended Kravenko Dance Academy from 1984
to 1999. During these 15 years Megan
grew to love ballet as well as her time spent at the KDA studio. Megan went on to attend the University of San
Diego, graduating in 2003 with a Bachelor of Business Administration. Megan and
her husband Cory, married in May of 2007, had their first son, Jackson Mark, in
December 2008. After her 5-year career
as a Human Resources professional, Megan is now enjoying her role a
stay-at-home-mom.
Megan looks fondly on
her years at the studio with Mrs. K, and the special bond that was forged
between them, “When I was seven years old my
father passed away unexpectedly. I will
always remember that on the one year anniversary of his death, Mrs. K gave me a
tiny doll to let me know that she was thinking of me. From that moment on Mrs. K was more than just
a dance teacher to me. She was a mentor
and a friend. The time she took to talk
to me after class about "life" will always hold a special place in my
heart. The countless classes, rehearsals,
exams and recitals bring back such great memories of dedication, passion and
friendship. I am honored that I was able to grow up with Mrs. K and that we
still hold that special bond today.”
Julie Sirianni
Julie danced with the Kravenko Dance Academy for 11 years, developing a deep love for ballet. After graduating KDA and her local high school, Julie went on to attend the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Julie credits her time at Kravenko for many things that have affected her life…
"I met my best friend, Stephanie Adams, and was maid of honor in her wedding!!!.... My years at Mrs. K's shaped me into the person I have become today. The memories are priceless and the time I spent dancing in the studio is something that I cherish.”
Sydney Southers
Sydney
attended KDA for 8 years, developing a love of ballet and the arts. She went on to attend Ithaca College, with a
major in Drama and a minor in Communication Mgmt and Design, and is now
focusing her studies on directing and choreography.
Sydney shares these words of wisdom, “Art is important, not just dance but all of
it. It is everywhere and the more you
can spot it the more you start to understand yourself and the people around
you.” Acknowledging how KDA has affected
her life... “Every experience that I had at
Kravenko has affected me. Every person I have met and every lesson that I
learned has helped me in life.”
“I feel very privileged to have
had the chance to learn from such talented teachers. I never really realized
what I was getting until after I left.”
Jennifer Tessier Berelowitz
Jennifer attended Kravenko Dance Academy for 12 years, and recalls growing up in the academy, “I learned a lot from Mrs. K. She really will always be viewed by me as a type of Mom. She gave me so much confidence in myself. Often I think about all the bar work and recitals and exams that were successful. However, even more, I remember the long conversations she had with me after I barely passed my grade three ballet exam, or didn't give my all in class. She was always encouraging me to do better, do more.”
Jennifer
worked for 10 ½ years as VIP Service Supervisor and Concierge Supervisor with
the Bellagio Resort and Casino, during which time she was voted in as a full
member of Les Ciefs d’ Or USA, an exclusive
international organization for concierge professionals having only
approximately 500 United States members.
A mother of two boys, Jennifer is now home focusing on both her family,
as well as getting ready to start her own business.
To other
KDA dancers Jennifer offers this advice, “Enjoy
every moment in the studio. There is
such a freedom in dance that I have never found anywhere else.”
