Faculty Bio
Please meet our faculty.
Diane Revie ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Diane Revie has studied with many renowned teachers in ballet history, including Tatiana Riabouchinska, Irina Baronova, Michel Panaieff and Andrei Tremaine from the Ballet Russe and El Gabriel, co-founder of the Performing Arts Center in Israel. Beginning dance at the age of 3, Diane studied at the Wells-Scott Conservatory of Music and Dance in the small town of Bellflower, California. Throughout her career, she has danced for countless organizations, including performances with a USO troop touring Southern California for 5 years.
Her outreach programs to nursing homes and retirement homes have continued for her 50 years of teaching. Diane has choreographed several full-length ballets and many other works and solos. Many of her students have advanced to professional careers with major dance companies such as American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Joffrey II, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Canadian Ballet, Alaska Dance Theatre and more.
Annie Harshman ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
A native of Grand Junction, CO, Annie Harshman started studying dance at the age of 8. She has been studying ballet and tap with Miss Diane since she was 12. Annie was chosen to dance the part of the Doll from an open audition in the Aspen/Santa Fe Ballet and Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra's "The Nutcracker". A talented and dedicated young dancer, Annie was also chosen to be one of only 20 students for a Joffrey Ballet's special Summer Intensive for the most advanced dancers. She currently teaches pre-ballet, ballet, pointe, tap, adult stretch and strengthen, adult ballet, adult tap, and contemporary.
Equally at home in many dance genres, Annie dances ballet, pointe, pas de deux, tap, contemporary, jazz and ballroom with easy grace and clean technique. She is a co-founder of the Grand Valley Social Dance Collective and holds lessons and open dance nights at various venues around town. Annie is also a member of Beyond Boundaries Dance Collective and appears in concerts at Mesa State College.
Judee Strauss FACULTY MEMBER
(bio coming soon)
Lindy Bryan FACULTY MEMBER
A Grand Junction native, Lindy Bryan started dancing at the age of 16. Lindy has studied ballet, jazz, tap and modern with Marsha Portelance and Ann Sanders, and now studies ballet and tap with Miss Diane. She was a part of a dance company called "Dance Visions" which competed and won awards in Denver and Las Vegas. Her dancing husband, Micky, was also a member of this group. Her warm and gentle personality is perfect for young children as she currently teaches creative movement.
Lindy is the head teacher of the preschool, Montessori of Grand Junction. She enjoys ballroom dancing with her husband and spending time with their daughters, Rebecca and Erica, both of whom are students at the studio. "I love working with the preschool age. They're filled with wonder and honesty, and are full of energy. They keep me on my toes!!!"
Liz Vrettos GUEST TEACHER - CONTEMPORARY
Liz Vrettos has a B. A. in Speech Communication from Colorado State University and has lived and worked in Grand Junction most recently since 2002. She has vast experience in teaching, choreographing, and especially, performing as a dancer. While living on the Front Range, she danced with the Harrah Kahn Dance Company for a year and danced in community projects in Fort Collins.
Most recently, she taught modern dance at Mesa State College and has chreographed and performed with Mesa State for the last 2 years. She is also a member of the Beyond Boundaries Dance Collective and has been teaching yoga for the past 3 years at the Hot Yoga Studio. Liz has been dancing her entire life (Her mother says even in the womb.) and she enjoys sharing her love of dance with others.
Valerie Madonia GUEST TEACHER - BALLET
A native of Tonawanda, NY, Valerie Madonia began her dance training under Maris Battaglia at the American Academy of Ballet. At age 14, she entered the National Ballet School of Canada and became a member of the National Ballet upon graduation. At the invitation of Mikhail Baryshnikov, she joined the American Ballet Theatre, where she danced soloist roles. Five years later, she established herself as a leading ballerina with the Joffrey Ballet, where she received critical acclaim in many of Artistic Director, Gerald Arpino's signature works, and danced for 10 years.
Valerie has had the honor of dancing with Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, Armitage Gone! Dance, Baryshnikov and Co., Complexions Dance, Inc., Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet and at La Gala des Etoiles in Montreal and Greece. She has appeared in 4 PBS "Dance in America" specials and is featured in the book, "Classical Ballet Technique" by G. W. Warren. She is a teacher on faculty for the Joffrey Ballet School and the New School University in NYC, an annual master teacher at the Yokohama International Dance Intensive in Japan, the Artistic Director of Dance Mosaics, and the Artistic Consultant for Dance! Telluride.