Eugenia L. O'Brien
Artistic / Executive Director

A graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music with a BFA in Dance, Eugenia O'Brien is the founder of Portland Ballet. She is a leader in the field of innovative educational programming involving dance collaborations in the arts. She continues to bring national and international figures to Portland Ballet as choreographers, teachers, and performers.

Nell Shipman
Associate Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer

Nell earned her B.F.A. in Dance Performance with High Honors form Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. From there her professional performing career moved to Denver, CO where she worked with David Taylor Dance Theatre and Helander Dance Theater. Her teaching and choreography was put to use with the Bolder Moves Body Project and Dance Center. She has performed and shown choreography in New York, Chicago, Boulder, Indianapolis and Tbilisi, The Republic of Georgia.

Leslie Gibbons
Director of Development / Pre-Ballet Instructor

A graduate of Georgetown University, Leslie focuses on program and funding development. She has studied ballet intensively in New York and Washington, D.C. and has performed with Portland Ballet on numerous occasions. Leslie now teaches in the Pre-Ballet Program.

Nicole Getchell
Principal Dancer / Syllabus Program Director
Rehearsal Director / Instructor

With her Degree in Dance from Virginia Intermont College, Nicole trained with Portland School of Ballet and Andrei Bossov, performing for both Portland Ballet Company and Bossov Ballet Theatre as a principal dancer. She currently oversees the PSB Syllabus Program and serves as Rehearsal Director for Portland Ballet Company.

Vanessa Beyland
Assistant to the Director / Teen Workshop Director
Instructor

Vanessa is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. She has performed professionally on both the east and west coasts and is an experienced teacher and choreographer with a background in Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Tap. With her experience in Arts Administration, Vanessa currently assists in the office and instructs classes for all levels at PSB.

Katrina Smedal
Instructor

Katrina began her training with Ivy Forrest in Bangor, ME before furthering her studies at the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA). In 2001 she joined the Festival Ballet of Providence, RI. Katrina spent her summers at ABT, Boston Ballet, Central PA Youth Ballet, NCSA, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and in Maine with Bossov Ballet Theatre. In 2006, Katrina graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. in kinesiology. She is also a certified pilates instructor. Katrina joined PBC as a Company member in 2007.

Lawrence Golan
Music Director

Lawrence Golan currently teaches and conducts at the Unversity of Denver. He served most recently as Concertmaster for the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and continues his Portland affiliation with Portland Ballet and the Atlantic Chamber Orchestra.

Recent Guest Artists:
Andrei Bossov, Karen Montanaro, Kennet Oberly, Larissa Sintsova, William Pizzuto, Peter Kalivas, Eleanor D’Antuono, Noble Barker, Richard Rein, Claudia Jill Stoltman, Susan Osberg, Adrienne Hawkins

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