MEET THE TEAM
Theresa Slobodnik
Ballet Director, School of BT-SLO
Artistic Director & Choreographer, BT-SLO Performing Company
Ms. Terry believes in teaching the classical fundamentals of ballet technique along with creating a challenging and artistic class for all her students. Theresa Slobodnik is from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she received her early ballet training. In San Luis Obispo she studied closely with legends Gilbert & Sydna Reed. Theresa danced professionally for Cuesta College Dance Theatre, Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo, The Gilbert Reed Ballet Chamber Dancers, Pacific Repertory Opera/Opera SLO, Deyo Dances, SLO Master Chorale and The Gilbert Reed Ballet (GRB, 1993–2003) where she also served as Assistant Director. Theresa and her husband John live in San Luis Obispo, have five children and eight grandchildren.
Blair London
Director, School of BT-SLO
Assistant Director, BT-SLO Performing Company
Blair aims to impart the joy and beauty of expressing all kinds of music through classical ballet movements. Blair London began studying folk dance in his early years and he has been studying ballet since his college days. Blair has performed as part of San Francisco’s International Folk Ballet: Khadra and dance companies in St. Louis. In San Luis Obispo. He was part of a select dance troupe invited to perform in Russia in 2002 under the direction of Lisa Deyo and performed countless roles for BT-SLO. Blair is also a Professor of Materials Engineering at California Polytechnic State University. Blair and his wife Cindy live in San Luis Obispo and have 2 children.
Brianna Darneal
Teacher
Brianna loves sharing movement and dance with others as a way to find joy, connection, expression and healing. Brianna, a San Luis Obispo native, began studying ballet with Miss Terry and Gilbert and Sydna Reed at age 5. She has performed lead roles with the Gilbert Reed Ballet and BT-SLO. In addition to performing, Brianna has experience as a choreographer and director for the UCSC dance team’s annual showcase. Outside of ballet, Brianna enjoys salsa and ballroom dancing and has placed in high-level Latin ballroom competitions (cha cha, samba, rumba, paso double, jive) . Brianna works as a physical therapist treating orthopedic and vestibular conditions. She and her husband, Robert, feel fortunate to be able to raise their son in San Luis Obispo close to family, nature and a wonderful community of the arts.
Ami Brosseau
Teacher
Watching her students discover their own love for dance and grow in confidence is what it’s all about for Ami! Ami grew up at Ballet Theater SLO where she started dancing with Ms. Terry (Theresa Slobodnik) at the age of 3. From tiny dancer to company dancer, she has grown with each performance and in many great roles. Some of her favorites include one of Swanhilda's iconic friends in Coppelia, the lead role of Esmerelda in Theresa Slobodnik's Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the principal role of Birdie in Gilbert Reed's Peter and the Wolf. When not at the studio teaching or taking ballet classes, she is studying at Allan Hancock College and loves traveling to find more life adventures.
.png)
Anna Mankins
Teacher
Anna grew up dancing pre-professional ballet in Madison, Mississippi and Atlanta, Georgia. After moving to Utah in 2016, she danced professionally with Utah Valley Civic Ballet and Aspen Ballet Company while teaching ballet to students of all ages. Anna loves the history and culture of ballet and hopes to cultivate the same appreciation in her students. She moved to the Central Coast in 2025 after marrying her husband and is excited to continue her ballet and teaching journeys at BT-SLO! When not dancing, you can find her reading, drawing, or playing with her two cats, Noski and Hashbrown.
Jordan Herman
Teacher
Jordan’s main goal as a teacher is to create a comfortable and fun environment for those who enjoy tap, and for those who are looking to try a new style of dance! He is very excited to spread his knowledge and share his love for dance, ready to help, challenge, and support his students through their journey of becoming high-quality tap performers. Jordan’s passion for teaching and performing is strong, but very young. He started 4 years ago at the Studio of Performing Arts, joining his four sisters on the competition dance team. After experiencing extensive training in various styles of dance, such as tap, hip hop, contemporary, jazz, and ballet, Jordan entered the world of musical theatre. He has starred in leading roles in several musicals and has performed with a variety of companies, including SOPA,SOPA Players, CCAT, Opera SLO, Lompoc Pops Orchestra, and most recently the beloved BT-SLO. Starting this August, Jordan will be joining PCPA to expand his knowledge in the Arts, further preparing him for any performance or teaching opportunities that come his way.
Sage Best
Substitute Teacher
Sage has a Bachelor's in Dance from Ursinus College and a background in ballet, contemporary, swing/ballroom, and modern. Sage has been dancing with BT-SLO since 2012. As a company dancer, Sage has held soloist roles as the Wolf in Gilbert Reed's "Peter and the Wolf", the titled role in Theresa's Slobodnik's "Snow Queen", lead monster in Gilbert Reed's "Firebird", and many more.
Justin McMillian
Substitute Teacher
Justin danced professionally for 20 years in San Francisco, Oklahoma, Virginia, Colorado, with tours to Portugal, Denmark, and Scotland. Some of his favorite ballets are Carmina Burana, Romeo and Juliet, and Swan Lake. When not dancing or working, he enjoys running, reading, movies, the beach, and cookies.
Kate Rossi
Substitute Teacher
Roeh Q Caramadre
Marketing and Social Media
Roeh loves storytelling through written language, visuals/graphic design, and (of course) ballet. Roeh Quisao began dancing for BT-SLO as a middle school student in the mid-2000s. After a long dance hiatus where she focused on growing a successful tech career in San Francisco, Roeh has returned to the studio and stage. She is a proud company dancer for Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo and now works locally in the hospitality industry She lives with her husband Nick, an active supporter of the company, and bunny rabbit Chibi.