Faculty
Stephanie Tollefson, Owner and Director
I have been passionate about ballet for as long as I can remember and hope to instill that same lifelong love for this beautiful art in our students of all ages by cultivating a studio atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and supported regardless of their background, age, or motivation.
I grew up in Germany and danced through my youth and college years. After my move to the U.S. my growing family kept me too busy to continue dancing and it wasn't until i was in my early forties that I found my way back into the ballet studio. In 2013 I had the opportunity to assume ownership of Ballet U and eagerly accepted this dream job with all its challenges and rewards.
I am continually exploring new ways to refine what we offer and how we can best serve our growing clientele. I am licensed in teaching Progressing Ballet Technique and am also a certified Leap 'N Learn instructor.
Karen Chu
Karen grew up in Ames, IA, where she began her dance training at the Robert Thomas Dancenter. She fell in love with ballet there and has been dancing ever since, even through university and graduate school. While living in Chicago, IL for graduate school she continued advanced ballet training as part of the Ruth Page Center for the Arts Young Dancer Program. She loves both the technical challenge of ballet, as well as dance as a form of expression, and especially hopes to pass that on through her teaching, When she isn’t in the dance studio, Karen also enjoys doing graphic design and illustration, as well as music production, and singing and playing the piano.
Karen is a certified PBT and Leap 'N Learn instructor and attended the CPYB Teachers Workshop in 2021.
Brian Norris
Brian received his initial training from Penny King, in Grants Pass, Oregon, and continued at Jefferson Performing Arts, in Portland, while dancing with their student company - The Jefferson Dancers. He was a dancer and Rehearsal Assistant with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, dancer and Ballet Master with Rochester City Ballet, and guested with New York Theater Ballet. His teaching credits include being on faculty at Draper Center for Dance Education, Nazareth Academy, Rochester Association of Performing Arts, and Springfield Ballet. He conducted master classes at Live, Shinjuku-mura in Tokyo, Dance Space in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Missouri State University, and the American College Dance Association Conference. Brian was Artistic Director for Les Ballets Grandiva and Men On Pointe, Co-director and presenter for Mid-Pointe Project, and Associate Artistic Director of Springfield Ballet. He worked on development and served as Ballet Master for Man Dance Company of San Francisco, served a choreographic residency with Benjamin Breones Ballet in New York City, and attended the CPYB Teachers Workshop in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
I find it my duty to inspire dancers to love ballet as much as I do. It’s my intention to challenge them to reach beyond their perceived abilities, get them to work their full range of movement, and help them to find enjoyment in the simplest steps. It is important for me to create a fun environment in the studio, and keep dancers entertained (and focused) while helping them improve. I make it a point to give every dancer in every one of my classes attention and give constructive feedback no matter their skill or aspirations.
CLARA MESSNER
Clara began her teaching close to home in El Dorado, KS, shortly after graduating the Kansas City Ballet’s Day Program in 2020. At the time, she had plans to finish with dancing, and began looking into ministry. However, after the start up of teaching dance, she felt called to step back into it herself, feeling as though God was leading her. Through the remainder of 2020 and into 2021, she participated in teaching fall and summer classes at various local studios, focusing primarily on ballet, with ages 2-18. In 2022, Clara moved to Madison as an apprentice with Magnum Opus and began teaching in the fall with Ballet U, focusing on the Pre-Ballet level. She is now a company artist with Magnum Opus and excited about her fifth season in the Madison area.
ASHLEY PAIGE ROMINES
Ashley Paige Romines began her dance training at age ten in Sevierville, Tennessee, and at age sixteen continued on to pre-professional ballet training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She then studied on scholarship at the University of Oklahoma and graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in ballet pedagogy. Ashley Paige performed professionally for three seasons with Northern Ballet Theatre in New Hampshire and taught at several ballet schools throughout the northeast. During her training and professional career,
Ashley Paige had the honor to learn from such inspiring teachers as Marcia Dale Weary, Darla Hoover, Mary Margaret Holt, Donn Edwards, Dennis Marshall, Melinda Howe, Leslie Hench, Laurie Jones, Denise Vale, Jeremy Lindberg, Karyn Edison, and many others.
After her performance career, Ashley Paige focused on her teaching, choreography and ballet administration career. In 2007, Ashley Paige joined Springfield Ballet as the Artistic & School Director, where she spent twelve seasons through 2019. During her tenure and upon her return to the organization in 2021, she has choreographed and staged the annual production of The Nutcracker as well as several original full-length and one-act classical and contemporary ballets.
Additionally, she attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s Teacher’s Workshop, with the late Marcia Dale Weary, which was instrumental in her approach and philosophy for training dancers from tots to pre-professionals.
Ashley Paige relocated to Denver with her husband, Frank, in 2019. While there, she was on faculty for all levels and did private coaching at Littleton Ballet Academy, served on faculty at Colorado Ballet Academy, working mainly with the pre-professional program, and was on faculty for Colorado Conservatory of Dance. She continues to serve as guest faculty at Littleton Ballet Academy as well as at Springfield Ballet.
Having now relocated to the Madison area in 2025, she is excited to share her “passion for
dance, poise for life” with the Ballet U dancers!
JOSIE COOPER
ANNA Liveris
SOPHIE BROOKS
Judy Ferreri
Judy Ferreri studied ballet with Moscelyne Larkin and Roman Jasinski of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, studied ballet at the Melissa Hayden studio in New York City and studied modern dance at the Martha Graham Studio and Merce Cunningham Studio in New York City. She has performed professionally with the Tulsa Civic Ballet, and with various regional and university groups. She has given a solo and duet recital in New York City and was a founding member of Kanopy Dance Theatre.
Charmaine Ristow,
Guest Teacher
Ballet U Founder and Master Teacher Charmaine Ristow’s lifelong dance background includes training, performing, choreography and teaching worldwide for prominent professional schools, including the UW Dance Major program, and classical ballet companies, co-founding the original Madison Nutcrackers, Kanopy Dance, MetroDance, Inc. and Ballet Madison and performing with Rudolf Nureyev, at the Milwaukee Ballet and Sweden's Cullberg Ballet. She is also the founder of the Verona Youth Ballet Nutcrackers. Ms. Ristow holds a degree in Special Ed and Early Childhood Teaching from the UW-Madison and is also a certified Pilates instructor, personal trainer and nutritional counselor. Her students can be seen performing worldwide in ballet and modern dance companies as well as directing their own schools and companies and/or still enjoying the benefits of dancing recreationally well into their 60s and 70s.
Capital Times article from 11/29/2015.