TEACHERS
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
COLETTE LINTON-MEYER trained at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England where she received her accreditation LRAD & ARAD. Colette has been teaching in New York for over twenty years, training dancers of all ages. She taught at Coupe Theatre Studio on her arrival to the US. Founder of Cobble Hill Ballet, Colette is thrilled to bring her knowledge and experience to the community. She has loved seeing the students grow as dancers over their years at Cobble Hill Ballet. Many students have been training at CHBallet for 15 plus years and it is a great joy to see them blossom. Those students who have left to go to college have taken with them a love of dance and this appreciation of dance as an art form is what we hope to nurture.
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
PAM BEYER has been teaching at Cobble Hill Ballet since 2010. She began her dance training in Rockland County, NY at Coupé Dance Studio with one of her teachers being Colette Linton-Meyer! Over the years, she continued her training at several ballet summer intensive programs including; Pennsylvania Ballet, Houston Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Dance New York International in Spain. She studied at the Dance Conservatory of SUNY Purchase College, where she graduated with a BFA in Dance. After graduation, Pam reconnected with Colette in Brooklyn and has been teaching ever since. Pam is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 3. Pam loves sharing the joy that comes from ballet with the children of CHB and finds herself lucky to watch the student's love for ballet progress through the years.
LARISSA ASEBEDO Larissa Asebedo originally hails from Denver, Colorado and graduated summa cum laude from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. There, she completed her BFA in dance and minor in psychology while also studying abroad in Perth, Australia. Larissa is also a Dance Education Laboratory alumni from her studies at the 92 Street Y’s Harkness Dance Center under the expert instruction of Jody Gottfried Arnhold and Catherine Gallant. Larissa has been on staff with Cobble Hill ballet since 2017 where she has learned how to further adapt her love and knowledge of dance for classes with children and teens of all ages. In 2020 she joined the Stephen Petronio Company whom she rehearses and performs with outside of ballet and modern classes at Cobble Hill Ballet.
CHARLOTTE BARNETT studied dance at the School of American Ballet. She danced professionally with The Washington Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet. She graduated in 2017 from Columbia University with a degree in film. Charlotte is enjoying sharing her passion for dance with the students at Cobble Hill Ballet, teaching Ballet and Contemporary.
MEGHAN MINITELLI trained in the Vaganova technique, obtained a Bachelor of Science in Dance and Kinesiology and a Graduate Certificate in Dance in Higher Education. Meghan traveled the world dancing, until she retired as a Salsa dancer. She has had the opportunity to work in theatre and screen, both on and off stage. After hanging up her heels, she is enjoying Carroll Gardens and its delightful inhabitants. Meghan will be teaching the Monday adult ballet classes this fall.
NIKKI D’ARNAULT is originally from Miami, Florida where she began her dance training at South Florida Ballet. She spent her high school years training at New World School of the Arts, where she performed works by George Balanchine and Martha Graham, among others. To further her dance training she moved to New York and attended the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase. Here she performed works by Alonzo King, Taryn Kaschock Russell, Norbert de la Cruz III, and Kevin Wynn among many others. Nikki has also spent summers training with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, Ballet X, Ballet BC, Ballet Hispanico, The Rock School, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Currently, she is a freelance dancer performing at various venues in New York City. Nikki is very excited to be able to share her passion for dance with her community.
RACHELE PERLA, originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, trained in Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional Program and graduated cum laude from Fordham University with a BFA in Dance from The Ailey School. She has studied dance internationally and is currently a principal dancer with New Chamber Ballet as well as a freelance dancer and teacher based in New York City. Rachele has always had a passion for working with children in both artistic and academic settings and is working to complete her Masters of Education in Childhood/Special Education in Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education. She has taught ballet, modern, choreography, and repertory workshops at dance schools in the greater New York City area and beyond, and is thrilled to be joining the team at Cobble Hill Ballet!
LACEY BAROCH originally hails from Jacksonville, Florida where she began her dance training from a very young age. She earned a BFA from Point Park University with a specialty in ballet and jazz dance. Since graduating in 2016, she has danced professionally under the direction of Young Soon Kim, Yin Yue, Nicole Von Arx, and others. Currently she is dancing with White Wave Young Soon Kim Dance Company. Lacey is excited to share her passion and knowledge of dance with students at Cobble Hill Ballet.
McCALL ATKINSON has studied various styles of dance for 20 years. She began her formal training in schools across Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. McCall graduated from SUNY Purchase in 2020 with a BFA in dance and a minor in Psychology. During her time at Purchase she was given an opportunity to study abroad at the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts as a ballet major, and perform work by Ohad Naharin, Sidra Bell and Kinsun Chan. McCall has studied at Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King Lines, and Dance Theater of Harlem as a scholarship student and continues to focus on project based work today.
DESIRÉE JUSTIN is an NYC based performer, teacher, and choreographer. She has danced professionally for numerous dance companies including Boston Ballet, and Festival Ballet Providence prior to graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC. She currently teaches and privately coaches dancers and actors across the country and internationally, ranging from college auditioners to professional Broadway actors. In addition to her deep roots in classical ballet, Desiree continues to teach and professionally work in multiple dance disciplines including, tap, classical jazz, modern, contemporary, swing and hip-hop.Her musical theatre performance credits include numerous professional regional houses, tours, and Off-broadway houses, as well as broadway workshops and world debuts. Favorite credits include: Cassie (A Chorus Line), Both Peggy Sawer and Anytime Annie (42nd Street), Fantine (Les Miserables), and recently originating the role of Claire in the world premiere of The Floorshow.
AJA BELCHER-VÉLEZ is a native New Yorker. Born and raised in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, she began her training at 6 years old where she fell in love with dance, her curiosity and exploration of dance taking her all the way to Belgium, Estonia, and many other dance programs in the US. She has had the pleasure in the past of training with Ballet Hispánico, Brussels International Ballet, Estonian National Opera, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, American Ballet Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem, Boulder Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet School.
Now, Aja is persuing her BA in Dance and Human Rights at Hunter College. Aja is honored to share the deep love she has for ballet, with her students.
ASHLEY TAYLOR, a native of northern Virginia, graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Dance from the University of Alabama, where she performed with several pre-professional companies and was a 2014 recipient of the Edith Barnes Award for Choreography. Following graduation, Ashley danced with Ballet Theatre of Maryland from 2014-2018, where she performed in multiple full-length ballets and outreach programs. She has also performed professionally with VidaDance Company, Charm City Ballet, Bowen McCauley Dance Company, and Benjamin Briones Ballet. Her choreography has been performed by Ballet Theatre of Maryland and VidaDance Company, and she has directed two independent dance concerts. She looks forward to sharing her passion for dance artistry with students.
OFFICE MANAGER
SARAH REYNOLDS takes care of the running of the studio behind the scenes. Sarah has been working at CHB for 10 years and has been keeping things organized as we have grown. She is very involved with the students and their families. Sarah is the owner of Re+Breathe - a life saving CPR training service. https://www.re-breathe.com/