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Founder - Olga Fricker
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Administrator Emeritus - Sheila Darby
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Advisory Board -
Jacqueline Anderson, Susan Brooker, Franco De Vita, Beverley Feder, Carol Garland, Marnell Himes-Ushijima, Raymond Lukens, Kirk Peterson, Trinette Singleton
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Board of Directors -
Denise Rinaldi – Executive Director
Betty Seibert – Director of Examinations
Jennifer Forcucci-Marzluf – Recording Secretary
Judith Hawkesworth – Administrator
Karyn O’Toole – Corresponding Secretary
Sylvia Palmer – Treasurer
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Board of Examiners -
Norine Brown
Judith Hawkesworth
Sylvia Palmer
Denise Rinaldi
Betty Seibert
Heidi Zolty​
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National Committee -
Kathy Koester – Chair
Nicole Bennett
Lara Ciganko
Maria DeConti
Alison Durham
Felicia Fry
Debbi Miller
Ami Watters
Board of Directors & Examiners
Executive Director:
Denise Rinaldi, FCUSA, FISTD, Examiner
Denise Rinaldi has been involved with Cecchetti USA for approximately 34 years, currently serving as the Executive Director. She has been an active participant on the Western Committee (serving as secretary, bookstore coordinator, and then chairperson) and now serves on the board of directors. She has been examining for the organization for several years and greatly enjoys having that opportunity to see the wonderful work put forward by our member teachers as well as getting to know the members on a more personal basis. Ms. Rinaldi studied with a wide variety of teachers with her primary training in the Cecchetti method under the guidance of Sheila Darby. Her school annually submits students for Cecchetti exams and the company provides valuable performing experience throughout the year; most notably a full-length Nutcracker with an orchestra. In addition to running a school and a pre-professional ballet company, Ms. Rinaldi works at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Project Manager for the student government. This position has gained her valuable expertise in leadership, organizational principles and human resources. As a senior manager for the Associated Students at UCSB Ms. Rinaldi oversees a budget of $9 million dollars, supervises their publications and computer departments and oversees a variety of campus projects. As the primary responsibility of the CUSA Executive Director is to oversee the business aspects of the organization, Ms. Rinaldi is happy to have the opportunity to use those management skills gained in her work at UCSB to benefit CUSA.
Director of Examinations:
Betty Seibert-Fellow/CUSA, ISTD & Senior Examiner;
Maestro Cecchetti Final Diploma; Director of Examinations, CUSA;
Former Chair, Cecchetti International – Classical Ballet
Betty Seibert is honored to have served Cecchetti USA as Director of Examinations since 1994, and humbled to have been elected by her peers in 2008 as chair of Cecchetti International – Classical Ballet. Her teaching career – spanning five decades, four schools, and thousands of students – has been an extension of her unique background as a performer in her own right. Ms. Seibert performed over a dozen leading roles in the classical ballet repetoire with the Florida Ballet Company, and became a featured dancer for the Sarasota and Asolo Opera Companies before becoming involved with musical theatre. She performed professionally in musicals and in dramatic plays for 14 years as a member of Actors Equity Association, where her favorite roles included Lola in Damn Yankees, Claudine in Can-Can, Dream Laurie in Oklahoma!, and Emilie in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. In addition to performing, she has choreographed 32 dance concerts for her own studios, and over 40 musical theater productions for Equity summer stock, opera companies, dinner and community theatre, colleges, and performing arts high schools from Maine to Floria. In the theatrical world, Ms. Seibert first gained experience as a director, which she continues to employ as she serves as Artistic Director of Cecchetti Ballet Theatre. She also directed the DVD documenting the syllabus contained in the Maestro Cecchetti Final Diploma, released by Cecchetti USA in 2010. As a performer, choreographer, director, teacher, and examiner, Ms. Seibert’s first priority has always been promoting the theatricality of dance as a true performing art, in the studio as well as on stage.
Recording Secretary:
Jennifer Forcucci-Marzluf-LCUSA
Ms. Forcucci-Marzluf has been teaching dance for over 20 years. Jennifer holds her Licentiate Teachers Certification with Cecchetti USA, Classical Ballet and has completed her Advanced 2 (Grade 10) Examination. Miss Jennifer continues her ballet studies with Cecchetti USA’s former Executive Director, Marnell Himes-Ushijima. She is currently on Cecchetti USA’s Board of Directors and volunteers her time with numerous projects for the organization. Throughout her ballet career, Jennifer has attended several summer courses and workshops, receiving instruction directly from top ballet masters. Jennifer attended the Orange County High School of Performing Arts, where she studied commercial arts and ballet. At the age of seventeen, she became a certified ballroom dance instructor for the Imperial Ballroom and went on to dance and compete in both pro-am and professional categories. Along with Co-Directing CF Dance Academy, Jennifer also enjoys being the Director of CF Dance Academy’s Ballet Intensive Program, preparing and submitting candidates for yearly ballet examinations, sharing her love of the Cecchetti work and hiring guest teachers for Master Classes. Miss Jennifer is also the Director of CF Dance Academy’s award-winning Fullerton Youth Ballet, who competes annually and also participates in community performances. Miss Jennifer also enjoys directing CF Dance Academy’s annual Nutcracker Ballet as well as CF Dance Academy’s annual Spring Showcases. Jennifer attended the Orange County High School of Performing Arts, where she studied commercial arts and ballet. At the age of seventeen, she became a certified ballroom dance instructor for the Imperial Ballroom and went on to dance and compete in both pro-am and professional categories. Along with Co-Directing CF Dance Academy, Jennifer also enjoys being the Director of CF Dance Academy’s Ballet Intensive Program, preparing and submitting candidates for yearly ballet examinations, sharing her love of the Cecchetti work and hiring guest teachers for Master Classes. Miss Jennifer is also the Director of CF Dance Academy’s award-winning Fullerton Youth Ballet, who competes annually and also participates in community performances. Miss Jennifer also enjoys directing CF Dance Academy’s annual Nutcracker Ballet as well as CF Dance Academy’s annual Spring Showcases.
Administrator:
Judith Hawkesworth-FISTD, FCUSA, FCCA, Examiner
Mrs. Hawkesworth holds her Fellowship with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, London, England, Cecchetti USA and Cecchetti Council of America. She is current CUSA Administrator, Residential Summer Course Coordinator and sits on the CUSA Board of Directors. She was appointed Examiner for Cecchetti USA in August 2012. Mrs. Hawkesworth received her Cecchetti training from Elizabeth Baird, Aleta Davis, and Marnell Himes-Ushijima. She offers over forty-five years of professional dance instruction experience which includes: preparing students and presenting students for Cecchetti ballet examinations, creating a written syllabus for pre-school and primary levels, coaching classical variations, choreographing ballet production and competition pieces, producing and directing a full length “Nutcracker” for Ballet Etudes, a non-profit youth ballet company and training teachers in levels pre-school through advanced. Judith served as Ballet Director for two highly respected Performing Arts and Commercial Dance schools in the Orange County, CA area for 20 years. She was a staff member of Huntington Academy of Dance, under the direction of Marnell Himes-Ushijima for 15 years. Judith considers her proudest accomplishment her many former students who have gone on to embrace teaching as their chosen careers. Her vocation is to use her life experience and training as a dance educator to nurture the minds, bodies and spirits and enrich the lives of children through the love of dance. In 2005 Judith relocated to South Carolina. She is currently a staff member at The Dance Place in Camden, directed by Ari Dickinson.
Corresponding Secretary:
Karyn O’Toole- AISTD, LCUSA
Ms. O’Toole began her dance journey at age three in Cromwell, CT, studying multiple styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, acrobatics, ballroom, and baton twirling. She received her initial teaching training there and later took over the school, expanding its programs and producing classical ballets. She earned a BA in Special and Elementary Education with minors in Dance and Spanish, and a Master’s in Dance and Movement Studies, blending educational and therapeutic dance approaches as a Reading Specialist for Connecticut’s Long Lane School.
For nearly two decades, Karyn served as Lead Teacher and later Artistic Director at Berkshire Dance Theatre, where she developed a progressive curriculum for students from preschool through high school and directed original productions. Trained as a Cecchetti ballet instructor, she has guided over 300 students through their examinations and regularly participates in seminars for continued learning. Karyn teaches at Cheshire Dance Centre, supporting operations and The Nutcracker production.
She is Chairman of the National Association of Dance and Affiliated Arts, developing programs for special needs children, seniors, and faith communities. Many of her students have continued in the dance field as performers, teachers, and therapists, while Karyn’s teaching integrates her academic knowledge with a commitment to inclusive, rigorous dance education.
Treasurer:
Sylvia Palmer Zetler, FCUSA, Examiner
Ms. Zetler started dancing with Kay Armstrong in Vancouver, B.C. She won a scholarship to the National Ballet School in Toronto, and then was taken into the National Ballet of Canada. She also studied at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and with many of the foremost European teachers in London and Paris. Ms. Zetler performed for many years with the National Ballet of Canada and with the Canadian Opera and CBC TV in Toronto. She holds an MFA degree in Creative Teaching Techniques and is a Fellow and Examiner with CUSA. Ms. Zetler received two Canada Council of Arts grants devoted to the betterment of the dance arts. She is Head of the Dance Department of the California State Summer School of the Arts. Her students grace the stages of many companies in the US and Great Britain.
Norine Brown, ARAD, AISTD, LCUSA, Examiner
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Norine Brown received her early dance training in Vancouver, Canada, and furthered her education at the Hammond School of Dancing in Chester England where she attained diplomas in Modern, National, RAD Ballet, Imperial Ballet, Anatomy, and Ballroom. She then joined a French touring company and traveled extensively, performing throughout Europe. Following her professional career as a dancer, she re-settled in Vancouver and began a career teaching ballet. In 1986 along with husband Jeff, Ms. Brown moved to Sacramento, California. Since that time, she has undergone continual training and upgrading in the Cecchetti method, training with Shiela Darby, FISTD. Norine travels to workshops and summer courses throughout the USA and Canada where she teaches students and participates in teacher’s classes. Ms. Brown has been an active Board Member of SADA (Sacramento Area Dance Alliance) for the past 20 years working in many capacities and is currently acting as Corresponding Secretary. SADA is a non-profit company that produces workshops and offers scholarships to local dance students.
Many of Norine’s former students have advanced their careers to become professional dancers with major Canadian and American Ballet companies. Norine enjoys teaching dance to all age groups whether they desire a professional career or are attending classes for pure enjoyment. Norine has served on both the West Coast Committee and the Board of Directors of CUSA. She was appointed a National Examiner in 2017.
Heidi Zolty, FCUSA, Fellow, Examiner, CC-CICB, Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma
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Ms. Zolty began her Cecchetti ballet training in South Africa under the guidance of Dawn Bloom and Evelyn Wayner . After accomplishing all the Cecchetti Graded and Major exams, in her grade 12 school-year, she took her Advanced 2 Cecchetti Exam and received special permission to take her Associate Qualifying exam. At age 17 Ms. Zolty was accepted into PACT Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet. At age 20 she received a soloist position with the Oldenburg State Theater. Here she danced many soloist/principal roles including Anna in the “The diary of Anna Frank” which was choreographed especially for her. In 1989 she was awarded her Enrico Cecchetti Diploma under the guidance of Kathleen and Vivienne Keegan and in 1995 she was awarded her Fellowship with Distinction under the direction of Jean Spear. Ms. Zolty is currently the owner and director of HZ Ballet Classique in Vancouver Canada and The English Ballet School in Laitila Finland. She has trained and coached multiple dancers who have achieved their Qualifying and Diploma level examinations. Ms. Zolty joined the CUSA board of examiners in January 2022.
Teacher Mentors
Cecchetti USA Examiners are available for teacher training and mentorship in person or via Zoom.
Norine Brown LCUSA
Sacramento, CA
norinebrown8@gmail.com
Judith Hawkesworth FCUSA
Columbia, SC
judithhawkesworth@gmail.com
Sylvia Palmer FCUSA
San Diego, CA
sylvpalmer@aol.com
Denise Rinaldi FCUSA
Santa Barbara, CA
pasdenise@aol.com
Betty Seibert FCUSA, Final Diploma
Cheshire, CT
BSeibert@CheshireDanceCentre.com
Heidi Zolty FCUSA, Final Diploma
Finland
hzballet@shaw.ca