Heidrun S. Robitshek – Artistic Director & Instructor – began her studies in Classical Ballet and Character in Heidelberg, Germany under the direction of Tatiana Sawitzkaya and Henryk Szymczak. She took the examination to be certified as a professional in Stuttgart, Germany and studied with Anne Wooliams of the Stuttgart Ballet. Ms. Robitshek danced professionally with the State Opera and the State Theaters in Pforzheim, and Heidelberg, Germany. Ms. Robitshek studied at the Palucca School in Dresden, Germany, with Gret Palucca, and in Cologne, Germany, with Ursula Borrmann. Since in the United States, Ms. Robitshek has studied with Gene Hammett, Susan Borree, Teresa Martinez, Perry Brunson, Maggie Black, G.T. Darvash, Oleg Tupine, Gennadi Vostrikov and has danced professionally with the Richmond Ballet, Norfolk Civic Ballet, Annapolis Ballet, The Common Glory Outdoor Drama with Howard Scammon and Myra Kinch, Cumberland Dance Company, and the Chamber Ballet of Williamsburg. She has worked with choreographers Anton Dolin, Valerie Deakin, Edward Stewart, Luis Fuente, Dariusz Hochmona, Myra Kinch, Florin Scarlat, Robin Comissioni, and Enrique Martinez. As Artistic Director of the Chamber Ballet, Ms. Robitshek produced or choreographed The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, La Fille Mal Gardée, Les Patineurs, The Blue Danube, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast, Fairy Tale to Fairy Tale, The Secret Garden, The Magic Flute, and The Tales of Beatrix Potter. In alternating years Ms. Robitshek accompanies selected students to Heidelburg, Germany, where they participate in L’Art de la Danse, a cultural exchange program. This is a tradition Ms. Robitshek started in 1993. Ms. Heidi also teaches seminars in Mexico, the United States, and Germany. She teaches Ballet 2A-3, Intermediate-Advanced Ballet, Character Dance, Pas de deux, Beginning Pointe, and Intermediate Adult Ballet.
Adelle P. Carpenter – Studio Director & Instructor – began her training at the age of ten as a protégée of Heidi Robitshek at the Chamber Ballet. She studied dance at Old Dominion University and has participated in numerous productions of The Nutcracker and other classical ballets for Chamber Ballet and other companies. Ms. Adelle attended summer studies at Ballet West and the Joffrey Ballet. She has competed in international dance competitions in Peru and Moscow and is a member of the Robitshek Dance Ensemble that performed in Heidelberg, Germany. Her full-length ballet roles include Swanhilda in Coppelia and Alice in Alice in Wonderland. In pas de deux, Ms. Adelle has danced Le Corsaire, peasant pas de deux from Giselle, the Snow pas de deux with the Old Dominion University Ballet and the grand pas de deux in Chamber Ballet’s 1995 performance of The Nutcracker. She worked one season with Busch Gardens in the Festa Italia show. She was on the teaching staff of the Chamber Ballet from 1994 to 2006 and performed many principal roles in Chamber Ballet’s productions. Ms. Adelle has been teaching dance for nearly twenty years. She is the proud mother of three. (Photo credit Corey Miller at coreymillerphoto.com)
Emily Buttolph has been dancing since she was three in many places and styles. She graduated from University of Iowa in 2020 with a BFA Dance and a BA in English and Creative Writing. In her time at Iowa, she had the pleasure of working with choreographers Kristin Marrs, Jennifer Kayle, Dr. Christopher-Rasheem McMillan, and Armando Duarte in faculty pieces, as well as many graduate student theses and indepen- dent projects. Ms. Buttolph moved to Chicago after college. She performed with Noumenon Dance Ensemble for two seasons and worked on several independent projects. After working for two years, Emily came to Williamsburg to attend William & Mary Law School.
Ainsley Carpenter has been dancing at Virginia Regional Ballet since she could walk. She has danced in multiple Nutcracker Ballet performances in ensemble and solo roles. She has attended the Richmond Ballet summer program, as well as Choreography Workshop and performance with acclaimed Broadway choreographer Richard Stafford. In 2022 she danced several principal roles in VRB’s Fairy Tale to Fairy Tale. She attends Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, pursuing dentistry.
Helen Gault, originally from Williamsburg, began her training at age three with the Chamber Ballet. She later trained at the Eastern Virginia School for the Performing Arts. She was chosen to participate in programs at the Joffrey Ballet in New York City, the Virginia School of the Arts, and North Carolina Dance Theatre. Her first professional appearance was with The Music Theatre of Williamsburg. In 2003, Ms. Gault joined Virginia Ballet Theatre where she danced in roles such as Waltz Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, Dream Clara in The Nutcracker and both the Firebird and the Princess of Immortal Beauty in Firebird. Further pieces in her repertoire include Rachmaninoff’s Divertissements, Lew Christensen’s Con Amore, Coppelia, Cinderella, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. She was a principal dancer for Ballet Virginia International and a guest artist with the Elbert Watson Dance Company. She has been teaching classical ballet for over fifteen years at various schools throughout Hampton Roads and during the summer intensives at The Washington School of Ballet.
Angelique Jones has over 25 years teaching experience teaching ballet, jazz, and tap. Her dance experience spans many years of commitment to the arts. Her professional training includes study in the fields of ballet, jazz, modern and tap. She has performed with the Festival Ballet, Ruth Mitchell Ballet, LeFace Productions and various repertoires with Gotta Dance and Company. Prior to moving to Virginia, Angelique performed In the Atlanta area, she worked with Alex Pelham of Colors, Jimmy Locust, and Roberson Entertainment. She choreographed and produced numerous fashion shows and was selected to choreograph for Charelle. During the 1996 Olympics, she represented IBM and performed for athletes and guests from around the world. She was formerly ballet mistress with Roswell City Dance, before moving to Virginia. While in Virginia she taught for Virginia School for the Arts before teaching for Denise Wall’s Dance Energy for 22 years. We are excited to welcome her to the VRB family!
Miss Kira Morris started dancing at the age of three with Margie Williams Studio of Dance. She has studied many different styles of dance including ballet, contemporary, tap, jazz, hip-hop and baton. She has performed in the Virginia Regional Ballet production of the Nutcracker in various roles including Russian, mask, candy cane, waltz, and party scene. She has also danced the role of Spanish in the Ballet Califia production of the nutcracker located in California. Aside from Nutcracker, she has competed and attended dance conventions growing up. Her love of teaching continued outside of dance when she completed her teaching degree at Old Dominion University. She feels very lucky to continue to share her passion of dance with students of all ages.
Marcus Rivera, PT, DPT, SCS, received a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Christopher Newport University before earning his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University. He is board-certified as a Sports Clinical Specialist by the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties. A highly trained Physical Therapist with specialty expertise in sports rehabilitation and injury prevention. He believes that every movement has a purpose – either for sport, leisure or work. Restoring the body to that optimal function is his goal, achieved by a personalized plan for exercise, manual therapy or combination of methods. He graduated from Lafayette High School and remained in Hampton Roads for his undergraduate and post-baccalaureate education. He gives back to the community volunteering with Warhill High School Football team coaching offensive line and leading strengthening conditioning. Marcus donates his time to our studio, conditioning and training dancers. His knowledge of motion, kinesiology and overall mechanics benefits the classical Vaganova Ballet foundations our studio teaches. Marcus works several training sessions during the dance year with our dancers correcting strengthening and increasing range of motion. He is on sight during Nutcracker performances and rehearsals to aid and prevent injury with assessment. We are so grateful to have him on the VRB team.
Abby Sturgill is a dedicated ballet instructor with nearly a decade of experience inspiring dancers. Her journey includes training at the prestigious Oklahoma City Ballet. Following her time as a full-time dancer, Abby continued to share her passion by dancing and teaching through the dance minor program at Liberty University, as well as with their student-led Divine Call Dance Team. Beyond this extensive teaching experience, Abby is also a certified Pilates instructor, recognizing the importance of cross-training for dancers’ strength and flexibility. Furthermore, her psychology degree from Liberty University provides her with a unique understanding of student development, allowing her to foster a supportive and encouraging learning environment. Abby is dedicated to the holistic development of her students, and we are excited for our dancers to learn and grow under her guidance at Virginia Regional Ballet.