Darlene Myers
Founding Artistic Director

Choreographer and teacher Darlene Myers began her professional career with Pennsylvania Ballet Company. She toured the United States dancing works of Balanchine, Butler and Sokolow. Ms. Myers went on to teach classical ballet, modern, jazz and choreography at the State University of New York at Albany for five years prior to opening her own ballet school. The Myers Studio has offered comprehensive training to young men and women in classical ballet, pointe, partnering, choreography, and related dance forms since 1985, and many students of the studio are dancing in professional companies worldwide today.

In 1990 Darlene Myers founded Northeast Ballet Company, the resident company of Proctor's Theatre, and she continues to serve as Artistic Director. Annual productions of The Nutcracker are enjoyed by over 5,000 audience members each year. Ms. Myers' choreography has been performed at numerous locations in both the U.S. and abroad. Darlene was chosen in 1999 as one of ten American choreographers to premier a new work in Vienna and Lithuania. Darlene is best known for the full-length ballets of Nutcracker and Cinderella as well as for numerous more avant-garde contemporary works.

Publications include:

Who's Who of Entertainment

Who's Who of American Women

DANCE Magazine

Upstate New York Magazine

Peter Frame
Artistic Advisor

Peter Frame joined the New York City Ballet in 1976 and attained the rank of principal dancer in 1987. In great demand as a guest artist and master teacher, Mr. Frame left New York City Ballet in 1990 He performed in his own choreography with Northeast Ballet in April 1990 at Proctor's Theatre. He is presently setting Balanchine ballets around the country as he pursues his new career as a personal fitness trainer. He also teaches daily Boys Class at the School of American Ballet, and most recently developed the New York City Ballet Workout Program with Melinda Roy.

Deborah Wingert

Artistic Advisor

Amanda Sheehan Zenner

Ballet mistress of Northeast Ballet Co.

Amanda started her dance training with Darlene Myers.  She was a member of the Northeast Ballet Company.  As a member of Northeast Amanda performed in numerous productions including Ms. Myers’ first production of The Nutcracker. 

Amanda continued her dance education in college.  She received a dance scholarship to attend Hope College in Michigan.  Hope's precise theoretical and technical curriculum prepared Amanda for performance, choreography, production and education.  Amanda earned her B.A. in Special Education at Hope College, and her Masters of Education at Lesley University. 

Currently Amanda is working for her family’s business, The Costumer Inc.

Christine Geren
Ballet Instructor

Christine started her dance training with Darlene Myers and the Northeast Ballet Company. With Ms. Myers, she performed various solo roles in yearend recitals, including the Don Quixote variation as well as performing in the annual performances of the Nutcracker including Marzipan, Chinese, Flowers, and Snowflakes and Snow Queen.

Determined to achieve her dream of becoming a professional dancer, she went on to pursue a degree in dance at Mercy Hurst College under dance and academic scholarship. Under the direction of Tauna Hunter, Michael Gleason and Jay Kirk, Ms. Green excelled. She earned an apprenticeship with the Lake Erie Ballet under the direction of Robert Vickrey, which gave her the opportunity to perform as a soloist in such classic ballets as Coppelia , Paquita and The Nutcracker. While at school, Christine was given the opportunity to perform a wide variety of roles, including a solo in Balanchine's Serenade, set by Judith Fugate; the peasant pas de deux from Giselle; Tomm Rudd's contemporary Mobile; Alice from Yves deBouteiller's Alice in Wonderland; soloist roles in Raymonda; and Corsaire pas de deux. She has also had the opportunity to perform in special works set by guest choreographers - Donlin Foreman's Spirit, Christina Maria's Old Time Religion, and Luis Montero's Bolero.

Since graduating from Mercy Hurst with a BA in Dance, Ms. Geren has continued to broaden her repertoire. She has had the opportunity to perform Paula Weber's Carmina Burana, David Lichine's Graduation Ball, Michael Fokine's Les Sylphides and Petrouchka, Philip Jerry's Our Town, and the principal part in Madeline Cantarella-Culpo's Caprice.

Melissa Barr
Northeast Ballet Company Principal Dancer

Melissa Barr, a native of Schenectady, began studying classical ballet at the age of seven. She began training with Darlene Myers while in high school, and continued to dance with the school and Company while a student at Union College. Melissa performed in the "Chinese" variation and "Journey through the Snow" in NBC's Nutcracker, as well as the role of the "Fairy Godmother" in an NBC production of Cinderella. During that time, Melissa earned her B.A. in Political Science, and her Master of Arts in Teaching (secondary ed., social studies). In 1996, under the guidance of Ms. Myers, Melissa received a fellowship to intern at Edward Vilella's Miami City Ballet. She went on to work in fundraising, first for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and then the Princess Grace Foundation, USA in New York City. Since college, Melissa has studied with various teachers, including Larry Long at Chicago's Ruth Page School of Dance; Christian Claessens, Diana White and Roma Sosenko at the Scarsdale Ballet School; Michael Vernon at New York's Steps on Broadway; and Dieter Riesle at the Stamford Ballet School. Melissa has since moved back to Schenectady, where she is thrilled to be on staff at Myers, and as a rehearsal assistant for the Company.

Christen Rymanowski

Northeast Ballet Company Principal Dancer

Christen began her training at the age of three. She has trained with Guilderland Ballet, trained with Jana Fugate, Christopher Tabor, Elizabeth Carr, Ricci Addan, Deborah Fernandez, and Denise Limoli, among others. She has attended Walnut Hill=s Summer Dance workshop, and has participated in dance intensives with Limon Modern Dance Company, Bill T. Jones, and the Broadway tour of AFosse@. She has also danced in workshops and performances with Dance Machine International=s ABroadway Today@. Christen is a 2004 graduate of the University of Buffalo with a BA in Dance and Psychology. She joined Northeast Ballet in 2005 and is currently enrolled at Russell Sage College in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

Sara Weck

Northeast Ballet Company Principal Dancer

Meghan Del Prete
Northeast Ballet Company Principal Dancer

Meghan Del Prete is a Skidmore College Alumnus, graduating with Departmental Honors in Dance Performance and Choreography. She is certified through Romana's Pilates at Drago's Gym in NYC (now True Pilates NY) to teach the authentic Pilates method. She teaches Pilates at Skidmore in the Dance Department, and owns Reform - A True Pilates Studio, located on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. Professional dancer with Northeast Ballet Company and seen in such roles as Sugar Plum in Nutcracker and leading roles in Stories that Dance at Proctor's Theatre.
Meghan began ballet with Miss Myers at age 6, and is thrilled to now be part of her staff.

Emalie Varno
Northeast Ballet Company Principal Dancer

Emalie began her dance training at the age of 8 with Myers dance school. She continued her dance education through high school performing in numerous productions as a member of Northeast Ballet Company. Over the years Emalie has performed many roles with NBC=s Nutcracker. Emalie has been a staff member at Myers Dance School since September 2004. In addition to her role as an instructor/dancer with Myers and NBC, Emalie graduated from Siena College with a degree in Marketing. She currently works as a market analyst for a Schenectady firm.

Marcus Rogers
Instructor/Choreographer

Marcus Rogers received his initial training from Cindy's Academy of Dance and later on, Myers Dance Studio under the direction of Darlene Myers. Marcus has also studied under scholarship with The Joffrey Ballet School, Peridance Center, and Studio Maestro in New York City. Marcus has taken from and worked with renowned teachers such as Debra Wingert (NYCB), Francheska Corkle (The Joffrey Ballet), Igal Perry (Peridance Center), Alexandre Proia (NYCB and other companies), Francois Perron (Paris Opera Ballet), among others.

Marcus Rogers began his professional dancing career dancing with the national Tour of Bear in the Big Blue House LIVE. He then went on to play "The Count" in the West Coast national tour of Sesame Street Live. Marcus has also danced with Jean Ann Ryan Productions as a swing on a brand new cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Lines (The Dawn, 2002). Marcus is currently dancing ith Northeast Ballet, is on staff as a jazz instructor, ballet instructor, rehearsal assistant, choreographer, and studio manager at Myers Dance Studio. Marcus is also on the staff at Union College, teaching jazz and ballet. Recently, Marcus was commissioned by the National Museum of Dance, dancing a pas de deux to a new piece called "The Fire Within", choreographed by Darlene Myers.