The Faculty of North Dakota Ballet Academy:
Artistic Director - Company Dancers - Guest Artists - Character Artists
Executive Director/ Artistic Director
Laura Dvorak is the Executive/Artistic Director of the North Dakota Ballet Company & Academy and has been studying dance for over twenty-five years, as well as choreographying and teaching through the Midwest. She began her dance training at the North Dakota Ballet Company. Laura was an adjunct faculty member for the Dance Department at St. Cloud State University for four years instructing beginner and immediate jazz classes, In addition, she was the founder and Executive Director of the Minnesota Dance Ensemble, which is a non-profit dance company in St. Cloud, MN. She has studied at Steps on Broadway, Broadway Dance Center, Alvin Ailey, and Merce Cunningham studios in New York City. She has a degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Dance. Currently she works full-time at the UND College of Business & Public Administration as the Director of External Relations.
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Faculty Members
Brooke Erickson is a senior Accounting student at the University of North Dakota. Starting as a figure skater she quickly moved into the world of dance. Beginning her dance career at a young age, she danced with Minnesota Dance Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet School, River Valley Dance Acadamy and the Chaska Senior High school varsity dance team. In addition, Brooke is a Delta Gamma at UND and an Accounting Club member. Brooke is a fourth year North Dakota Ballet Company member as well as ballet instructor.
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Erin Porter has been trained in ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, musical theater, and modern over her 18 years of dance at various studios in Minnesota including Dancin on Broadway in Brooklyn Park and The Dance Warehouse in Chanhassen. Erin competed with these studios in several large dance competitions throughout the twin cities in large group and solo performances. She performed the lead role as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty for NDBC's winter ballet in the 2008-2009 season and is currently working at Altru hospital as a medical laboratory scientist. Erin has been an instructor and company member with North Dakota Ballet Company since 2008.
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Laura Goehring began dancing at the age of 3 where she trained with the North Dakota School of the Performing Arts and Dance Ect!. She has studied under the direction of Michelle Larkin, Tommy Walsh, Gus Giordano, Kyle Tucker and Ron Guidi of the Oakland Ballet, and performed in ‘The Nutcracker’, ‘Hansel & Gretel’, ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘La Fille Mal Gardee’. Laura attended the University of North Dakota where she received a B.A. in Business Administration majoring in Marketing. This is Laura’s second year with the North Dakota Ballet Company.
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Emily Theurer began dancing at the age of five and loved it immediately. She has trained in classical ballet and modern, but ballet quickly became her passion. She danced with Northern Plains Dance in Bismarck until 2010, where she performed the roles in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Wizard of Jazz, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Nutcracker, The Jungle Book, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan. Emily began teaching at Northern Plains Dance, taking on summer dance camps for the studio ranging in themes from Project Tutu to Fancy Nancy. This is Emily’s first year teaching at North Dakota Ballet Academy and is happy to be back for her second year as a North Dakota Ballet Company member.
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Lauren Fischer is in her third season with the North Dakota Ballet Company. In addition to dancing Lauren is a Company Assistant, Marketin Intern, and Instructor. Lauren is classically trained in ballet, tap, jazz, and modern and is orginally from the Twin Cities. Currently Lauren is a junior at the University of North Dakota majoring in Marketing and French,
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Nicole Mahanna is currently residing in Grand Forks while studying at the University of North Dakota in pursuit of a degree in Business Finance, in addition to a Dance minor. While residing in Minnesota, Nicole received the majority of her dance training at Midwest Youth Dance Theatre, located in Roseville, MN. Studying under the creative director, Emily Blacik-Joos, Nicole was trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Musical Theatre, Modern, and Contemporary styles. Last year she took part in the company’s rendition of La Fille Mal Gardee, as well as the spring company concert, performing original works by Laura Dvorak. This is Nicole’s second year with the North Dakota Ballet Company.
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Sue Moe has been a name in the Grand Forks area for a number of years through various dance teams, Crimson Creek productions, and studios. She is a stylist at Regis Salons and guest make-up artist for the North Dakota Ballet Company. She is overjoyed to be participating in her second season with NDBC as both tap instructor and company member. Sue has trained in ballet, tap, jazz and hip hop in the Grand Forks area and NYC. Sue has been dancing for over 20 years.
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Lindsay Hudson-Baez , a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received her early training from Cultural Arts Ballet Theatre under the direction of Dame DeDe Leda. She continued her studies with the Alabama Youth Ballet under Stevan Grebel and the Alabama Ballet under the direction of Tracy Alvey. Lindsay teaches ballet at The University of North Dakota as well as the North Dakota Ballet Academy. While at NDBC, Lindsay has performed The Dying Swan and featured role's in La Fille Mal Gardee, Pas de Quatre and original works by Laura Dvorak. Lindsay and her husband Brandon have a little boy who will turn two in December. This is Lindsay’s second season with the North Dakota Ballet Company.
Photo by Reeves Photography