Margaret Swarthout
Artistic Director

Margaret Swarthout, born in Sydney, Australia, was admitted at a young age to the Royal Ballet Company in London, England, where she danced for nine years. As a soloist, she worked closely with many of the 20th century’s greatest choreographers, including Sir Frederick Ashton, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Dame Ninette de Valois and Madame Nijinska, and danced with such notables as Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn.Mrs. Swarthout’s teaching career began in 1966 when she joined the faculty of the Harkness House for Ballet in New York City, at the time one of the world’s most respected dance training facilities. After moving to the Bay Area, she became affiliated with the Marin Ballet in 1975, first as a Master Teacher and Coach, and then as Artistic Director. Mrs. Swarthout has served as personal coach to dancers at the international ballet competitions in Jackson, Mississippi, and her record of placing dancers in the profession is exceptional. Over sixty graduates from her training program can be found in the ranks of ballet and dance companies throughout the United States.

In 1996, Mrs. Swarthout, along with her team of teachers, was invited to become the founding faculty of Marin Dance Theatre. Since MDT opened its doors in 1996, each year one of our senior dancers has been the recipient of the prestigious award given by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts. Twelve MDT graduates have joined professional dance companies which include: Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet, San Francisco Ballet,  American Ballet Theater, Louisville Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, and most recently San Jose Silicon Valley Ballet Company.

Vicki-Marie Bassing grew up in San Francisco studying with Harold Christensen, Bill Christensen, Roberta Meyer, Richard Gibson, Robert Del Oro,  and Alan Howard.  She was also trained in the Cecchetti and RAD techniques.  As a child she performed with The Bolshoi, Kirov, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and San Francisco Opera Ballet Companies.  Vicki was Northern California Gymnastic Champion while in Middle School.  She also skated with Holiday on Ice and coached the skaters in ballet while on tour.   

She has been teaching and choreographing for young dancers in the Bay Area for over twenty years, as well as choreographing for youth and adult musicals.     She has coached and choreographed for dancers competing in the Miccabi Games, with the dancers receiving Gold and Silver medals. 

Ms. Bassing has worked closely with Lynn Cox, developing a strong program for Marin Dance Theatre’s Young Dancer Division, giving the students  the technique and foundation necessary to begin the more advanced training in the Senior Levels.

She delights in bringing the technique of ballet to students of all ages and abilities in a way that allows them to experience the joy and magic of the art of ballet.

Cynthia Pepper got her early dance training in Salt Lake City, Utah under the direction of Virginia Tanner and the Children’s Dance Theatre. She earned a BFA from California Institute of the Arts and an MA from San Francisco State University in the Inter-Arts Program. Cynthia has choreographed for all aspects of stage, screen and film. She danced professionally with the choreographers William Christensen, Donald Byrd, Bella Lewitzky, and Loretta Livingston. Cynthia served as the outreach director for Marin Ballet in San Rafael where she also taught contemporary dance and choreography for over 16 years. She is currently the contemporary dance teacher and Community Dance Director at Marin Dance Theatre. Her award-winning dance films have been screened at numerous dance and film festivals and are distributed internationally. She has choreographed for Marin Shakespeare Company for the past four seasons doing 5 of their award-winning shows. She is a partner in Xanadu Entertainment and makes dance films for Sesame Street™. Cynthia is a proud mother of two and wife of one.

Nancy Gallenson was trained in Marin County by Leona Norman and danced professionally with Ballet West under the direction of William Christensen. For over 25 years she has taught a successful adult ballet program at leading dance facilities in the county including 10 years at her own school. Her uniquely designed ballet training program for adults and teens provides the student a learning atmosphere that is supportive, demanding, and fun. In the words of one of her longtime students: "Nancy awakens the passion of dance in me and continues to nurture my love for ballet through her enthusiasm for teaching.  In my constant pursuit for balance, she gives me the confidence to let go of the barre."

Erica Allen

Erica Allen began studying ballet at the age if eight in Tempe, Arizona. She
moved to Marin County to study with Margaret Swarthout. She has worked with Melinda Darlington-Bach, Lynn Cox, Val Caniparoli, Benjamin Harkarvy, David Palmer and Lawrence Pech. Erica is now a proud faculty member of Marin Dance Theatre.

Bridget Bartholome has been a dance instructor for over ten years.  Moving recently to the Bay Area, she danced professionally with the New Orleans Dance Collective, 940 Dance Company and she owned Studio B, home of Maya Yoga in Kansas City.  Bridget received her training at Houston Ballet and University of Arizona.  She has won many awards for choreography and is a dance critic for REVIEW Magazine.

Joanna Berman, a California native, was born in San Rafael where she received her early dance instruction.  Ms Berman continued her training at the San Francisco School of Ballet and was named an apprentice to the San Francisco Ballet company in 1984.  She joined the company later that year and in 1987 she was promoted to Soloist.  In 1988, Ms Berman became a Principal and was one of the most celebrated members of the San Francisco Ballet.  In addition to her extensive performance credits, Ms Berman is in demand as a teacher.  Her credentials include the San Francisco Ballet School, City Ballet School and Richmond Ballet School.

Peter Brandenhoff was born in Denmark and he just ended a 14 year career with San Francisco Ballet. He trained at The Royal Danish Ballet. He performed with the Royal Danish Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet, Boston Ballet, The South African Ballet Theatre and in various festivals and theatres throughout the world. He has worked with choreographers as John Neumeier, Val Caniparoli, Julia Adam, Redha, Mark Morris, David Bintley and James Kudelka to name a few. Peter  has enjoyed dancing in the widest  range of repertoire as possible, dancing everything from modern to character roles. He is currently performing with the San Francisco Opera and will be teaching and dancing throughout the Bay Area.

Erin Derstine received her dance training at the School of the Salt Creek Ballet in Westmont, IL. She attended the University of Chicago (UC) on full-tuition academic scholarship and upon graduation was initiated into the academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa. While in school, she danced for several smaller companies and eventually joined Hubbard Street 2 in 1999. After two years she was promoted to the main company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where she danced for another five years until moving to the bay area last August. With HSDC, Erin performed the works of numerous national and international choreographers including Ohad Naharin, Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Trey McIntyre, Marguerite Donlon, Daniel Ezralow, Lar Lubovitch, Christopher Bruce, Susan Marshall, David Parson and Alex Ketley, among others. Her exposure to such a diverse repertoire of movement and ideas has greatly informed her work as a dance instructor and choreographer. She started teaching in 1998, and has been on faculty at the Lou Conte Dance Studio (home of HSDC) and at other Chicagoland schools. Most recently Erin was on faculty at ODC in their youth contemporary program and was a guest artist with the company for their spring season at YBCA. This fall, she will be choreographing a piece for their youth group, the ODC Dance Jams.

Brigid Hoag began her career in her native New Orleans and went on to dance with both ballet and modern dance companies in the United States and Canada. While living in New York, she danced with Peridance Ensemble and taught at the Peridance Center. In the Bay Area, she performed with the San Francisco Opera Ballet and with a variety of independent choreographers. Ms. Hoag’s teaching and dancing have taken her to such places as the Juilliard School, Israel and Korea and she now enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with all her students from pre-ballet to pre-professional at Marin Dance Theatre.

Erica Rose Jeffrey, originally from Missoula, Montana,  studied dance at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, graduating as valedictorian before joining Ballet Internationale. After dancing professionally for several years, she attended Indiana University on full academic and artistic scholarships as a Wells Scholar and graduated with degrees in Ballet and Mediation & Conflict Resolution.  Erica studied dance and performed in India and West Africa and also created a conflict resolution education program through dance called: Moving Toward Peace. She is currently teaching, choreographing and performing throughout the Bay area.

Pamela Martin holds a Master of Music Degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music. Pamela was the Assistant Conductor for the Cleveland San Jose Ballet now Ballet San Jose for four years. Pam has conducted for Oakland Ballet, and is presently the assistant conductor of the Vallejo Symphony and is a regular guest conductor with the Master Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra.

Pam has extensive experience as a dance pianist having played for San Francisco Ballet, Ballet Austin, Marin Ballet and for Marin Dance Theatre since the beginning.

Dawn Perrin

Dawn Perrin was born in Madrid, Spain and was raised in Lee, Massachusetts where she bean studying ballet at the age of 7. She received her early training at The Cantarella School of Dance. Training some summers at Pennsylvania Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and The Joffrey Ballet School on scholarship. Ms. Perrin’s professional career began with American Ballet Theatre II. She then went on to dance with The Joffrey Ballet and The Houston Ballet. She enjoyed traveling the world and dancing many leading roles throughout her career. Some highlights include being chosen to dance the role of Juliet in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet her first year in the company. She was also selected by James Kudelka to create the lead role in the Heart of the Matter and danced the role of the Sugarplum Fairy in the World Premiere of The Joffrey’s Nutcracker. Ms Perrin has been teaching in the Bay Area since 1995 and enjoys sharing her experience and love of the art form with students of all ages.