Melanie Cortier (Co-Founder/Director) was raised in South Bend, IN. After moving to New York, she graduated cum laude from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance. She has danced professionally with several companies and choreographers throughout the U.S. and abroad, including Michael Mao Dance, Dances Patrelle, Lydia Johnson, Stamford Ballet, American National Ballet, and Gen Horiuchi, for whom she was dance captain at the Opening Ceremonies of the 1998 Winter Olympics (Nagano, Japan). She has been choreographer and/or costume designer for BMuse, Inc./ Kate Thomas Contemporary Ballet, Phoenix Productions (Evita), The Puppeteer Cooperative (Carmen), Marymount Manhattan College and Eidolon Ballet in Concert. Melanie guest teaches at several schools in New York including Steps on Broadway, The 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center, and The American Youth Dance Theatre. She has been on faculty at Ballet Academy East, New York since 1993. Melanie has been creating her own ballets, dancing and costume designing with Eidolon Ballet in Concert since its inception.

Marwa Bernstein (Dancer/Board Mamber) has been dancing professionally since she was fifteen. She is currently working for the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera as well as freelancing with various companies. In addition, she has expanded her resume to include acting credits within the New York theatre community, while at the same time, staying true to her childhood promise to herself to continue her education, she started attending Sara Lawrence College in 2004. In the past she has performed with such companies as: Ballet Ireland, Rika Oriental Ballet at Lincoln Center and Townhall Theatre, The Lexington Ballet, The Nashville Ballet and the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Some of her favorite role include: Giselle (Giselle), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Firebird (Firebird), Sugarplum Fairy (Nutcracker), Marie Taglioni (Pas De Quatre) and the soloist role in Trey McIntyre's Square One. She is honored to have had the privilege of working with such wonderful people as, Gelsey Kirkland, Peff Modelski, Christian Holder and Charla Genn. As an actress Marwa's credits include 'Performance' at Here for the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Edward II with The Queens Company, '3D World' at the New York Fringe Festival, 'Artists and Anglers' for The No Pants Theatre Co. and a brief stint as a 'very naughty dancer' for The Aquila Theatre company! Marwa is a founding member of Eidolon.

Billy
Blanken

Billy Blanken (Dancer) grew up in Springfield, Ohio and graduated from Ball State University with degrees in acting and dance and trained at the Joffrey Ballet School. He has worked with Lane & Co Arts, Amy Marshall Dance Company, Mobile Ballet, York Dance Works, Atlantic City Ballet Theatre, Brooklyn Ballet, Catherine Gallant Dance, Ballet Mink Colbert and Les Ballets Grandiva. Billy joined Eidolon Ballet in 2008. He would like to thank his family and friends for their support.

Christina Chockley (Dancer/Stage Manager) is originally from Jefferson City, Missouri where she began her training at Dancenter under the direction of Karen Boyer. She attended the University of Utah where she recieved her BFA in Ballet with triple emphases: Teaching, Performance and Character Dance and with a Mathematics Minor in Spring 2005. Then she recieved her MFA in Ballet in Teaching and Scholarly Research from the University of Utah in 2006. While in Utah she studied under many people including Conrad Ludlow, Sharee Lane and Attilla Ficzere. She also performed in many University shows and toured internationally with the Character Dance Ensemble for three years. Christina has been a member of Eidolon since 2006.

Danielle Cortier (Rehearsal Director) grew up and began her dance training in South Bend, IN. She is a graduate of Ball State University, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Dance and a minor in Dance Education. Since moving to New York, Danielle has worked with the Puppeteers' Cooperative, and performed at events such as "On the Matter of Moby Dick" at Lincoln Center, "Big City Blues" in the 'Out of Doors' Festival, and "IndepenDance" at City Center. She has performed with Common Thread Dance Company, and currently dances with Mariana Bekerman Dance Company. She is on faculty at Ballet Academy East. Danielle has enjoyed working as rehearsal director for Eidolon Ballet since 2008.

Valerie Cortier (Dancer) is originally from South Bend, IN. She attended Webster University in St. Louis, MO where she received a BFA in Dance. She has performed choreography by Gary Hubler, Beckah Voigt, Jennifer Medina, and Stacy West, as well as danced for the musical group In Twilight in their latest video production. She has also performed with the Puppeteer Cooperative at Lincoln Center’s Outdoors Festival, and Common Thread Dance Company. Valerie has been on faculty at Ballet Academy East since 2004 and guest teaches at Bridge for Dance and Broadway Dance Center. She has been with Eidolon since 2005.

Meredith Fages (Dancer) has performed with Armitage Gone! Dance, Wally Cardona, Palissimo/Pavel Zustiak, Heidi Latsky Dance, Steeledance, XYZeta Projects/Jimena Paz, Eidolon Ballet, Todd Rosenlieb Dance, and Virginia Ballet Theatre. She has been featured in the works of Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, and Antony Tudor. Meredith has served as rehearsal assistant for Heidi Latsky and Ginger Thatcher, and she was a member of the faculty for the 2009 Peridance Summer Teen Intensive. She was born in Charleston, SC and graduated from Columbia University with a Pre-Medical Concentration in English. Meredith has been a member of Eidolon Ballet since 1999.

Della Hasselle (Dancer) began her training at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the major performing arts high school of her hometown, where she graduated as a merit scholar. While attending Fordham University/The Ailey School on full scholarship she worked with choreographers such as Kevin Wynn, Nathan Trice and Milton Myers. Della graduated from Fordham with honors and a double major in Dance and Comparative Literature, and is a contributing writer for Dance Magazine. She has worked with the Tulane Dance Company, High Frequency Wavelengths and the Jane Comfort Dance Company. Della is currently a dance instructor at Ballet Academy East and has been a member of Eidolon Ballet in Concert since 2007.