Misako Aoki, Owner & Artistic Director
Misako Aoki began her dance training in Japan and later trained at the Royal Ballet School in London. From there, she joined the Matsuyama Ballet Company, one of the major ballet companies in Japan, and performed in Europe and China with Rudolf Nureyev. After moving to the United States in 1993, Misako founded her own studio and taught at Towson and UMBC. She was also a rehearsal assistant for the Moscow Ballet's Nutcracker and the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker at the Hippodrome. Additionally, Misako is the Artistic Director of Misako Ballet Company, a non-profit professional dance company. She has served as a scholarship review panelist for Howard County Arts Council for several years and as a 2015 Dance panelist at Maryland State Arts Council. She opened a 2nd Studio Misako Beats , in 2016. She was one of the panelists at the Visionary Women event which was held by Columbia Art Center and Columbia Archives in 2019. In 2023, she was appointed AAPI Commissioner by Dr Calvin Ball, Howard County Executive.
Ms. Misako Aoki received FY 2019 Mark Ryder Original Choreography Award
Congratulations to Ms. Misako Aoki who was selected as the recipient for the Howard County Arts Council’s FY 2019 Mark Ryder Original Choreography Award!
Teachers
Jessica McElvaney, Ballet & Contemporary Modern Dance
Jessica McElvaney graduated with a B.A. in Dance from UMBC, where she trained with Liz Walton, Carol Hess, Doug Hamby, and Sandra Lacy. She attended additional intensives and workshops with Doug Varone and Dancers and Clancyworks. She also holds a B.A. in Modern Languages and Linguistics and an M.A. in Instructional Systems Development. She performed throughout the area with Misako Ballet Company and danced original and repertory works by Misako Aoki, Eva Anderson, and Fumihito Shimizu.
Jessica has been teaching dance since 2004 and enjoys working with students of all ages and levels.
Misei Daimaru, Contemporary Dance
Misei Daimaru is a professional dance artist and teacher with over 20 years of experience. She draws on her eclectic background to produce unique and lasting experiences on stage as a performer and in the studio as an instructor. As a graduate of the reputable Alvin Ailey Dance School, Ms. Daimaru believes that dance should be available for anyone who has a passion to experience it. A few of her professional credits include The MetropolitanOpera, Janusphere Dance Company, Saeko Ichinohe Dance Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theatre.
Bettye Ames, Belly Dance & Flamenco
Bettye Ames is a Belly Dancer who has performed locally for more than a decade. Having learned Belly Dance from some of the best instructors in the DC, MD, VA area and having enjoyed various performance formats, I am excited to share my knowledge of physical, musical and cultural considerations for a beautiful Belly Dance performance. Teaching is both an honor and a way for me to give back to the art form that has given so much to me. I am inspired by the self confidence student’s gain as they learn Belly Dance. I enjoy seeing how this confidence shows up in other areas. Belly Dancing fits all sizes.
Read Ms. Bettye's article here.
Faith Lee, Ballet
Faith Lee has been dancing since age 4, training in various ballet techniques. She graduated from Maryland Youth Ballet’s Conservatory program. She trained with Olivier Munoz, Julie Miles, Ethan Brown, Christopher Doyle, and more. Her notable roles include Clara in the Nutcracker, Cupid in Don Quixote, Little Swans, and Butterfly Queen in Tensia Fonseca’s Dragonfly Queen. Faith has studied summers with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Washington Ballet. Faith wants to foster a love for dance in her students and hand down wisdom that her own teachers imparted on her during her training years.
Carlee Roscoe, Modern Dance
Carlee Roscoe graduated from Carroll Community College with an associates in Arts. She has been trained in various styles of dance such as ballet, jazz, modern, musical theater, tap, and hip-hop for 18+ years. She began choreographing in high school as a freshman with their dance team and for their musicals. Since 2018, she has been the choreographer for Westminster High School’s musicals and has grown very fond of teaching non-dancers that they can, in fact, dance!
Lauren Jurd Hawkes, Summer Camp
Lauren Jurd Hawkes is from Columbia, Maryland. She has been dancing for over twenty years. Her background includes studying ballet, modern and jazz. She is in the process of completing her Masters in Leadership of Education from Notre Dame University of Maryland. She is a certified mommy and me instructor and certified in pre/post-natal fitness.
Rachel Visosky, Ballet
Rachel Visosky has been studying Vaganova and French ballet technique since the age of four. She has trained under German Zamuel, Mark and Sandra Carlson, Olivier Pardina, and Marina Oreshkevich, and has trained at Ballet West, Sarasota Ballet, and Orlando Ballet. Her lead roles include Kitri in Don Quixote, Katrina in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, and Sugar Plum and Clara in The Nutcracker. Rachel is passionate about teaching ballet and hopes to share her love for the art form with her students. Rachel is currently a company member at the Ballet Theatre of Maryland.
Ginny Wong, Hip-Hop & Mommy and Me Movement
Ginny Wong began dancing at the age of 12, specializing in street dance. She first learned breaking and later on transitioned into hip-hop at 14 years-old. She joined the Mount Hebron High School's Breakdance Club as the first female breaker and served as the 2017-2018 co-captain. Ginny has choreographed and performed for several large events such as pep-rallies, basketball games, and showcases. Ginny graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics as a Sherman STEM Teachers Scholar, studying both child psychology and elementary education. She has professional experience working with children, including her present position as an instructor for "Mommy and Me Movement", a class that focuses on dance and motor skills engaging both parents and their toddlers. She has also worked as a co-counselor for other Howard County Recreation and Park classes at Misako Ballet Studio such as Princess Ballerina Dance Camp, Moana Dance Camp, and Hip Hop Fusion Camp.
Roman Mykyta, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Ballroom Dancing, & Character Dance
Roman Mykyta developed an interest in Ukrainian dancing at an early age and joined the Lyman Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Baltimore, MD. Shortly after, he began studying the Cecchetti Method of ballet at the National Ballet School in Bowie Maryland, under the direction of Pamela Moore. He continued his studies with teachers Bat Udval and Evgenia Singur in the Vaganova Ballet Technique at the Carroll County Dance Center and Ballet Conservatory. In 2014, Roman joined the Ballet Theatre of Maryland under the artistic direction of Dianna Cuatto where he danced for three seasons. Throughout his career, Roman has deepened his knowledge in character and folklorique styles and techniques. Beginning in 2017, Roman had the opportunity to study in Ukraine as a guest at the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, to work with the Studio Company of the Virsky National Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and to perform with the Horlytsya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Kyiv and the Yunist Honored Ukrainian Folk Ensemble in Lviv. Since 2019, Roman has studied at the National Pedagogical University Dragomanova in Kyiv, Ukraine and has taught and choreographed throughout Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ukraine.