Instructors

Miss Diana 

Miss Diana has taught ballet for over 45 years. She began taking ballet at the age of three while her parents were at Indiana University. She studied under Pearl Allen and Elizabeth Sharpless during her formative years. While at the Miami Conservatory she decided that one day she would have her own studio and the children of all ages would perform the story ballets. She has toured and performed with The Theatre in the Round ballet company and the Tanya O’Malley Ballet Company as a member of the corps and as a soloist. She was the director of The Belfrys Apprenticeship Players for eight years and a director and actor of over twenty productions at the Belfry as well as a choreographer. She and Miss Shannon created the White River Ballet Company and Stone Soup Childrens Theatre over twenty five years ago

Cheyanne Darnielle-Elam

Cheyanne Darnielle-Elam began her ballet training at the age of four years old at the Desert Youth Ballet in Rancho Mirage, CA under the direction of Valarie Mahabir. She continued her training throughout her youth, continuing at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts Classical Dance Department, from which she received her diploma. Upon graduation from LACHSA, she joined Los Angeles Ballet as a trainee and performed with the company throughout the year. After completing her year with LA Ballet, she chose to continue her education at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the direction of Dean Susan Jaffe, where she earned a Certificate in Ballet. She has danced in roles such as Arabian, snowflake, spanish, Flowers, mirliton, La bayadere corps, metallurgy an original work choreographed by Susan Jaffe, as well as vampire bride. She is currently dancing in her third season with Ballet Theatre of Indiana, and is looking forward to working with a diverse group of young dancers as she ventures into teaching.

Casie Nicole

Casie, from Fishers, IN, started dancing at 3. She received her training and performed with the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, where she had the opportunity to dance multiple principal roles before graduating early to pursue a career in Ballet.

Casie spent her summers on scholarship training with the University of Cincinnati CCM, The Rock School, the Chautauqua Institution School of Dance, and the Milwaukee Ballet. At the age of 17, Casie performed the Summer Fairy variation from Kent Stowell’s Cinderella with the Ballet Theatre of Indianapolis.

Casie accepted a position with Charlotte Ballet, where she performed multiple works of George Balanchine, and several lead roles in Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Nutcracker. Casie especially enjoyed working with Dwight Rhoden in his world premiere of Othello. After accepting a position with the Milwaukee Ballet, Casie had the opportunity to perform the role of the lead lost boy in Michael Pink’s world premiere of Peter Pan, as well as performing in Cinderella and the Nutcracker. While dancing with Nevada Ballet Theater, she had the privilege of performing in George Balanchine’s Serenade, as well as multiple performances in collaboration with Cirque Du Soleil. Casie performed lead roles such as Nikiya in La Bayadere and Belle in Beauty and the Beast with Ballet Theatre of Indiana. Throughout all of these performance seasons Casie was also on staff with each organization’s Outreach programs and Instructional Staff.

After an extended maternity leave, she accepted a position with the Fort Wayne Ballet and she was on faculty at the AUER Academy of the Fort Wayne Ballet. She served as the Youth Company Director at Central Indiana Academy of Dance. She taught on faculty at Project Ballet as a ballet instructor and coach. Casie is honored and delighted to be a Director at the White River Ballet Company.