PBS Staff
Artistic Director, Angelie Melzer
-Angelie has studied on full scholoarship and danced professionally with the Colorado Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet and as a Principal Guest Artist with numerous companies, such as Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Mobile Ballet, and Martha Graham.
She completed the Royal Academy of Dancing Exams and studied the Vaganova method under the tutelage of Nadia Tikhonova, receiving a full scholarship to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Moscow Russia at the age of 12.
Her favorite roles included Sugar Plum Fairy/Grand Pas in the Nutcracker, Cinderella in Cinderella, Myrtha in Giselle and Balanchine's Serenade, Western Symphony and False Fantasie, Angelie had original works set on her for gala performances in Boston and New York with the Martha Graham Company.
Angelie was an adjunct professor and guest choreographer at University of Missouri, University of New Mexico, and Texas A&M. She was the founding Artistic Director for the Missouri River Dance Company and Choreographer of the Lewis and Clark Ballet for the BiCentennial Events; commissioned by the City of Great Falls and accompanied by the Great Falls Symphony with original composition/score of music by Dan Bukvitch and Sets by Walt Disney Artist, Laurie Gilleon.
Locally in Spokane, Angelie has been asked to choreograph for the Spokane Symphony's production of Haunted Hallows, hired as a master instructor, choreographer and coach for numerous local dancers, and is the owner of Team Pilates Barre and Yoga. Working with professional dancers and students on injury prevention and post rehabilitation.
Angelie is mom to 3 active boys, and wife of retired Air Force Officer, Rod Melzer. Thanks to the Air Force for bringing them to Spokane where they fell in love with the area and are here to STAY!
Vincas Greene, Modern, Coaching, Academics
Vytal Movement Dance Co.Artistic Director
– Vincas is the founding director of Vytal Movement Dance Company (a new company based in Spokane, WA), an independent dance artist and an award winning professor currently working and developing dance community in Spokane, WA and teaching at Eastern Washington University, Gonzaga University and Company Ballet School. Along with his company development, he is currently working on a new project with film director Juan Mas and has recently presented at the 50 Hour Slam film competition and in Uncharted, a collaboration with the Spokane Symphony, Terrain Arts and several Spokane artists. As the Chair for the Department of Dance at Brenau University, where he was a faculty member for 21 years, he led the university to full accreditation with the National Association of Schools of Dance. Vincas guest teaches nationally at colleges, high schools and private studios. He had the honor of being hosted as a master teacher at Nanyang Normal University in China. Working with Brenau University, the Gainesville Ballet Company, Theatre Ballet of Spokane, Belhaven University, Jacksonville University, Gonzaga University, Santa Clarita Repertory Theatre, Pebblebrook Performing Arts High School and others, he has choreographed over 40 dances and three operas. Vincas was privileged to perform dance works by Mark Morris, Merce Cunningham, and Jacques Heim (Diavolo). In his home state of Washington, he performed in the companies of Erin Matthiessen and Long Nguyen and apprenticed with the Mark Morris Dance Group. In New York, Vincas danced with Pat Catterson and Dancers and Peter Healey’s Mesopotamian Opera Company and received scholarships to study at the Merce Cunningham Studio. After moving to Atlanta, he danced with the Carl Ratcliff Dance Theatre and several other companies including the Gainesville Ballet Company, Robin Williams, the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theater and Susan Eldridge's Red Clay. He received his MFA from California Institute of the Arts where he was invited to dance in the CalArts Dance Ensemble. He has trained with notable dance artists Merce Cunningham, Mark Morris, Marjorie Mussman, Jocelyn Lorenz, Erin Matthiessen, Alex Magno, Tina Yuan, Laurence Blake, Carl Ratcliff, Pat Catterson, Brenda Daniels, and Gerri Houlihan among many others. Vincas was elected to the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) Commission on Accreditation and served as a Visiting Evaluator for NASD and as a board member for Dance Upon Injustice. He has also written for Dance Informa.
Sarah Glesk, Ballet, Modern, Choreography
– Sarah Fealk (Glesk) grew up outside of Spokane, WA, where she began dancing at the age of 2. In 2006 she graduated Cum Laude from Cornish College of the Arts. While at Cornish, Sarah performed in such works as Martha Graham’s “Diversion of Angels”. Since graduating, Sarah helped found the CanCan Castaways and performed with companies, Zoe Scofield and Juniper Shuey, Geoffrey Johnson, Alloy Dance Project, Serendip and danced in a Saturday Knights music video. After performing in Seattle for 10 years, Sarah moved home to begin her career of teaching and choreographing. She has been teaching Modern Dance at Gonzaga University since September of 2013 and currently teaches Modern and Ballet at Artistry in Motion, Ballet Arts Academy, Inland Northwest Ballet and Spokane Ballet Studio. This past year Sarah has had the pleasure of choreographing for several film ventures with the Spokane Film Project.
Lauren Hovik, Ballet, Contemporary, Academics, Pilates Conditioning
– Lauren Hovik is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, Pilates practitioner, and arts advocate. She was a scholarship recipient at the University of Idaho Dance Program where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Dance and a B.S. in Exercise Science and Health. During her time in Moscow, she was selected for numerous awards including Emerging Artist, Dance Educator, and Outstanding Dance Major (2014, 2017) among others. Lauren has taught modern, ballet, jazz, and Pilates courses for the university as well as for various dance institutions in Idaho, Washington, Utah, and Alaska. She has danced professionally as a freelance artist in Salt Lake City, as a member of Wasatch Contemporary Dance Company, and with Long Beach Ballet touring throughout China and across the United States. She was selected to receive a full-tuition scholarship to further her studies with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company and additionally spent time training with Repertory Dance Theatre. A solo performance of hers was selected to be performed at the 2017 SoloDuo Festival in New York City. Lauren joined and has been dancing with Vytal Movement Dance Company since 2016. Her choreographic work has been showcased at the University of Idaho, American College Dance Association, National Water Dance Organization, Ketchikan Theatre Ballet, and throughout the Pacific Northwest on tour with DancersDrummersDreamers®. Lauren is a BASI Graduate having completed her Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training with Dance Specialization through Body Arts and Science International. She is a member of the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science where her research in dance biomechanics was chosen for presentation in 2015. Lauren is interested in researching dance through performance and somatic practices.
Leslie Doqui Sretenovic, Acting for Dancers, Yoga
-L e s l i e D o Q u i S r e t e n o v i c i s a L o s A n g e l e s n a t i v e w h o w e n t t o N e w Y o r k a t a g e 1 6 t o s t u d y a t S a r a h L a w r e n c e C o l l e g e a n d a t 1 9 m o v e d t o L o n d o n t o s t u d y a t t h e R o y a l A c a d e m y o f D r a m a t i c A r t s f o r 2 / 1 2 y e a r s . W o r k i n g a s b o t h a p r o f e s s i o n a l a c t r e s s a n d d a n c e r L e s l i e p e r f o r m e d n u m e r o u s p l a y s a t t h e S e a t t l e R e p e r t o r y T h e a t e r a n d w o r k e d w i t h A u g u s t W i l s o n a n d L y n n R e d g r a v e . L e s l i e a l s o p e r f o r m e d a t t h e G r o u p T h e a t e r , A C T T h e a t e r , t h e S e a t t l e C h i l d r e n s T h e a t e r , t h e F i f t h A v e n u e T h e a t e r , t h e T a c o m a A c t o r s G u i l d , t h e A l l e y T h e a t e r i n H u s t o n T e x a s , t h e S a c r a m e n t o T h e a t e r C o m p a n y t h e M i l w a u k e e R e p e r t o r y T h e a t e r , t h e G l o b e T h e a t e r i n L o s A n g e l e s a n d T h e V a n g u a r d T h e a t e r i n L o n d o n , E n g l a n d . S h e h a s a p p e a r e d i n m a n y p l a y s , c o m m e r c i a l s , f e a t u r e s , a n d p e r f o r m e d a s a d a n c e r i n t e l e v i s i o n s i t c o m s s u c h a s A D i f f e r e n t W o r l d a n d R a g s t o R i c h e s .
