Faculty

Prima Classical Coaching strives to provide the highest level of dance education.   The Vaganova method remains as the pillar of our training method, while drawing on other techniques and training methods to provide a well-rounded dance education. We are excited to announce our exceptional teachers and professionals joining our faculty.

Jennifer Mack's 20+ year dance career includes working nationally and internationally with 120+ organizations in dance, theater, opera, music, commercials, and film. Most recently choreographing for An Opera's Theater (AOT) production of Lucretia (April 2022), performing in & co-choreographing for MN Opera's An Anonymous Lover (Feb 2022),  choreographing & dancing in Dances at the Lakes Festival both in Duluth & Minneapolis (July 2022) with Christopher Watson Dance Company, Kinetic Kitchen & Open Door Project, appearing in Jess Forest's film for Right Here, Right Now Showcase (March 2022), dancing in Hatch Dance & Honeyworks Dance Co's LDV (August 2021), Offleash Area's Mulier Dierum (July 2021),  and choreographing MN Opera's Flight (2020). She also was awarded a Cowles Center Generating Room Choreography Residency (2020-21). She also currently is an instructor and the Ballet Program Director for Danceworks Performing Arts Center and an instructor for St. Paul Ballet. Past Career highlights, Local: Alternative Motion Project (founding member), Collide Theatrical Dance Co., Continental Ballet, Curio Dance, Jagged Edges Ensemble, James Sewell Ballet, St. Paul Ballet. Non-local: Dwight Rhoden, Jodi Melnick, Szeged National Ballet, Harvest Contemporary Dance Festival, Reverb Dance Festival.

She's also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and previously judged for Midwest Stars Dance Competition. She graduated from the University of WI-Stevens Point (Magna Cum Laude ) with a BA in Dance plus BS degrees in Arts Administration, International Business w/ minors in Music, Art and Biology where she received a Bukolt Scholarship. She also spent time training under Alonzo Lines Ballet, BDC, Colorado Ballet, Cunningham School, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Janet Lang Dance Studio, Milwaukee Ballet (Merit Scholarships), ODC, Robert Moses Kin, Rochester Ballet School, Steps and Traffo.  

Joanna Mednick was born in San Francisco, California, and trained at City Ballet School, San Francisco, California, under the direction of Damara Bennett. During her sophomore year in high school, Joanna was a Coca-Cola scholarship recipient at the American Ballet Theater School in New York City. After her training at City Ballet School, Joanna joined the San Francisco Ballet in 2000 as an apprentice and was promoted to Corps de Ballet in 2001. After seven years at the San Francisco Ballet, Joanna joined the Corps de Ballet at the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Shortly after joining Dutch National Ballet, she was promoted to Coryphee and then again to Grand Sujet. After 10 years of dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, Joanna retired from her professional career in 2017. Joanna has worked with the top ballet choreographers from around the world and is excited to share her diverse knowledge in Ballet with aspiring young dancers.

Sophie Rossmiller is a versatile dancer who was born and raised in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She began studying ballet at St. Paul Ballet, where she studied for 7 years, and has continued to expand her technical and creative fluency in other dance styles since then. These styles include modern, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and exposure to historical dance forms. Her passion for dance combined with her interest in movement and the human body inspired her to pursue a dual-major Bachelor of Arts from Hope College in Exercise Science and Dance. While at Hope, Sophie had the opportunity to work with choreographers such as Sharon Wong, Heather Cornell, Matthew Farmer, Tracy Dunbar, and Jasmine Meija. Additionally, Sophie has furthered her development as an artist by attending various summer programs and spending a semester abroad at the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris, France.

Ted trained with Frank Bourman and started his dance career with Loyce Houlton’s Minnesota Dance
Theater. He left Minnesota and went on to a career in classical ballet, most notably with Washington
Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theater and American Repertory Ballet. While performing with Ballets
Grandiva he had the opportunity to tour Japan, performing comedic and classic ballet works. Since
moving back to Minnesota he performed with Ballet MN, MN Dance Theater, Ballet of the Dolls,
Continental Ballet, Twin Cities Ballet of MN and a variety of local choreographers. At St. Paul City Ballet
he danced and was also an Artistic Partner for 10 yrs, producing many full-length ballets. It was at SPCB
he met and danced with Miss Jacqueline. He was AD of Rochester Dance Co. for 8 years and AD of
Hopkins Youth Ballet at Hopkins Dance Co, where he also taught ballet for 12 years. 

Noah graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts with a BFA in musical theater and an emphasis in dance. He has studied dance under the mentorship of Jane Lanier, Jumanne Taylor, Sarah Reich, Tammy Mader, Cathy Wind, and Ellen Keane and is currently teaching dance and choreographing across the greater Twin Cities area. Noah has been a company member in Stone Soup Rhythms at the American Rhythm Center, the Ballet Arts Youth Ensemble, Keane Sense of Rhythm’s Youth Tap Ensemble, and Elite Tap Feet. Noah was recently seen in the Twin Cities dancing in Michael Heitzman and Jared Grimes’ production of 42nd Street at the Ordway. When not dancing Noah can be found singing, acting, working on film projects, and playing yo-yo. He has performed with the Guthrie Theater, Park Square Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Old Log Theater, History Theater, Porchlight Music Theatre, the Chicago Fringe Opera, and toured nationally with Troupe America. 

Andrea's professional performing career spans over 25 years. A graduate from Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Division, she has continued to evolve in contemporary and musical theater styles, in such productions as Celine Dion's "A New Day," Cirque du Soleil's "Viva Elvis," and "Chicago" International tour. A current resident of Minneapolis MN, she has most recently performed at the Guthrie Theater ("West Side Story," "Guys and Dolls," "Cyrano de Bergerac"), Chanhassen Dinner Theaters ("Holiday Inn," "Music Man"), The Ordway ("Smokey Joe's Cafe"), and in several Collide Theatrical's original jazz dance musicals.

Andrea has choreographed for several regional theaters and studios across North America and has taught master classes internationally in ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, Fosse style (Broadway Across America), and Mindful Movement. A movement mentor, certified in Clinical Somatic Education, Franklin MethodⓇ, and AiM - Anatomy in Motion, her focus is to guide an embodied and efficient way of moving, facilitating a deeper understanding of functional movement and dance technique in every style, for every mover.

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Yuki Tokuda, originally from Japan, and was trained under Mikiko Dei, Hideo Fukagawa and Jun Ishii, internationally recognized dancers, teachers and competition judges. She moved to the US in 2000 to continue her training in New York at the Joffrey Ballet School. Ms. Tokuda has danced professionally with USA Ballet, Peoria Ballet, Metropolitan Balle tand she was the principal dancer at Continental Ballet for 7 years. With diverse training in classical, contemporary, modern and jazz, she is an international guest dancer and collaborator with many companies, including Minnesota’s James Sewell Ballet and Minnesota Dance Theatre. While training in New York, Ms. Tokuda’s instructors included David Howard, John Prinz, Fabrice Herrault, and Michael Vernon. At Steps on Broadway in New York she was one of the first International Visa Program students. She has also, trained with Boston Ballet and Connecticut Ballet. She has performed many principal roles, most notably in: Le Corsaire, Don Quixote Pas de Deux, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo, Princess Aurora, Lilac Fairy and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Clara in The Nutcracker, Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Coppelia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the title roles in Romeo and Juliet, Giselle. Ms. Tokuda is a faculty member at Minnesota Dance Theatre and a certified STOTT Pilates Instructor. Her choreography was chosen for
Choreographer’s Evening at The Walker Arts Center and commissioned by Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, Wooddale Church, Cerulean Fire, Japan America Society of Minnesota and Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing
Artists. She is a co-director with Rie Tanaka of Mirage Performing Arts which mission is envision to enrich and enhance both cultures of  Classical Music and Ballet. 

Gabriella is a southern belle from New Orleans, Louisiana who has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She graduated from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University with a BFA in Musical Theatre with an emphasis in Dance. She trained under the mentorship of Jane Lanier, Tammy Mader, Jessica Hartman, Jumaane Taylor, Sarah Reiche, Laura Wade, Sarah Schafer, and Kim Sagami. She has performed with Valleyfair, Porchlight Music Theatre, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Jefferson Ballet Theatre, and Tulane Summer Lyric. She has recently performed at Valleyfair as a Polka Dancer in their Grand Carnivale event. When not performing, Gabriella loves to bake, go on adventures, and spend time with friends and family. She is a triple threat, so she loves singing and acting as well. Gabriella can be seen on Disney + 's Encore as one of the professional performers. She has done background work for shows on the CW as well as Disney Channel. Gabriella is working on becoming a Pilates instructor.