The Director

Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in St.Petersburg, Russia from 1976-1978, Karen Morell is the first American Graduate of the two-year course in Pedagogic Method as established by the famous Russian pedagogue, Agrippina Y. Vaganova. Ms. Morell completed the study of the full eight-year syllabus and received her certification in 1978.

Prior to her own professional dance career Ms. Morell trained as a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet and Robert Joffrey Dance Center in New York City. She danced briefly for the Metropolitan Opera and the Chicago Opera Ballets in 1961 and then for 10 years as a member of the New York City Ballet. Additional performance experience includes soloist positions with the Dutch National and New London Ballet Companies.

Upon retirement from performance, Ms. Morell attended the professional dancer's teacher training course at the Royal Academy of Dance in London, England in 1976, then continued her pedagogical studies at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute in Leningrad during the next two years.

At completion of these studies she accepted a position as Director for the Icelandic Dance Company. Additional teaching experience includes classes taught in England, France, Switzerland, Holland, Canada, Japan and the USA. She has been conducting annual Vaganova teacher's seminars since 1983 and opened the Academy of Classical ballet in Oakland, California in 1992.