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MaryElizabeth Mock

 


 

MaryElizabeth Mock began her training in Ballet, Jazz, and Modern Dance at Florida Ballet Arts School where she trained for twelve years under the direction of Lynn Winslow and faculty members Catherine Huh, Systie Fairweather, Kim Freedom, Fletcher McClendon, and Bryan Tippen, who was responsible for redirecting the school's system to the Vaganova Method.  

She furthered her training at Connecticut's prestigious Nutmeg Conservatory under the tutelage of Sharon E. Dante, Joan Kunsch, Eleanor D'Antuono, Denise Warner-Limoli, and Scott Thyberg. While attending Nutmeg Conservatory, Ms. Mock trained intensively in the pedagogy of the Vaganova Syllabus.

Ms. Mock then studied under Linda Kintz and Mark Mejia at the Kintz-Mejia Academy of Ballet in McClean, VA. There, she had the opportunity to work under the notable artistic interpretations of Mr. Mejia, who is well know for his choreography and attention to detail. Ms. Kintz, whose distinguished career has taken her to such heights as performing at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, took Ms. Mock under her wing. Ms. Mock fondly describes her experience with Mr. Mejia and Ms. Kintz as the "icing on the cake". In addition, Ms. Mock was able to work with Armenian-born Rudolph Karatian (formerly a Ballet Master with the Kirov Academy and currently with the Washington Ballet).

 

Her acceptances to summer intensives include Boston Ballet, Princeton Ballet where she was awarded scholarships by Princeton Ballet's founder Audrey Estey, Washington Ballet, Colorado Ballet, workshops with Alex Ursiliak of Germany's Stuttgart Ballet, a workshop with renowned Ballet Master Azari Plissetski of Switzerland's Bejart Ballet, a workshop with Galina Shlyapina (former prima-ballerina of the Moscow Classical Ballet), and Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA where she was awarded a full scholarship, and worked closely with people such as Denise Pons, Michael Maul, David Howard, and Sydelle Gomberg.

At the age of 14, Ms. Mock was selected by Jean Allenby-Weidner and Eddy Toussaint to join the former Sarasota Ballet Junior Company under the artistic direction of the world acclaimed Eddy Toussaint. At ages 16 and 17, Ms. Mock performed with the Nutmeg Ballet Company in Connecticut in soloist roles such as "Columbine Doll" and "Marzipan Soloist" in The Nutcracker while attending the Nutmeg Conservatory. Ms. Mock's professional performing experience in Ballet includes the Sarasota Ballet of Florida under the acting direction of Jean Weidner and Pavel Fomin, Classical Ballet Theatre under the direction of Mark Mejia, and guest performances with Miami City Ballet, Ballet South, and Southern Ballet Theatre. Her most memorable ballets performed were Walpurgis Night from the opera "Faust", Giselle, Raymonda, Paquita, Don Quixote, "Arabian" Pas de Deux and "Marzipan" Pas de Deux in The Nutcracker, Serenade, Symphonic Variations, variations form La Bayadere, "Wheat Fairy" from Sleeping Beauty, Tarantella, Pas de Quatre, the principal role of "Peter" in Mejia's Peter and the Wolf, and the soloist role as Dracula's bride in Mejia's production of Dracula!

As a jazz dancer, Ms. Mock performed for Starpointe Jazz Productions under the direction of Fletcher McClendon. With Starpointe, she danced for Industrials, Festivals, Benefit Shows and for the Oxy Chem Corporation's National Convention. In 1997, she assisted Mr. Frank Hatchett, "Master of Jazz" and owner of the world famous Broadway Dance City in NYC, as a choreography demonstrator for his South Florida Master Classes. In addition to her training with Fletcher McClendon, Ms. Mock has also studied with Frank Hatchett, Keith Clifton, Randy Allaire, Jacqueline Hill, Rhonda Miller, Gregg Russell, Aurey Reitz, Thymme Reitz, and Georgio Fagan in Jazz and Hip-Hop.

Before the commencement of Florida Ballet Arts Academy in 2000, Ms. Mock taught and choreographed for the former Florida Ballet Arts School, West Florida Ballet in Oldsmar, and BJ's School of Dance in St. Petersburg. In 1994 and 1995, while dancing with Classical Ballet Theatre, she served as the Ballet and Lyrical coach to the Olympic Gymnast Trainees in Gaithersburg, MD. Since returning to Sarasota in 1996, Ms. Mock has maintained a large Private Coaching clientelle and a faithful following of students who travel from as far away as St. Petersburg, FL, Tennessee, Washington D.C. and Virginia to study with Ms. Mock at Florida Ballet Arts Academy. Her extensive training in classical ballet has given her the opportunity to study in the methods of Vaganova, Cecchetti, and the style of Bournonville. She trains her students under the strict pedagogy of the Vaganova Syllabus.