The Instructors

Marlene Turbin-Weldon  Teaching dance 30 years locally, at Chicago’s American Dance Center and the Milwaukee Ballet Company School, Marlene performed professionally with the Wisconsin Ballet Company, Indiana Ballet Company and was a featured soloist in a jazz ballet choreographed for NBC-TV. A large number of Ms. Turbin-Weldon’s students have had successful careers in the dance field. As performers, her dancers have performed with the Milwaukee Ballet Company, San Francisco Ballet Company, Lexington Ballet Company, and numerous regional companies. A number of former students are also currently teaching in schools and companies across the United States and Europe. Annually, many of Ms. Turbin-Weldon’s students are accepted into accredited college and professional dance programs across the country. Ms. Turbin-Weldon has attended the teachers seminar conducted at the elite school of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, for three years and in 2004, was awarded a gold medal by the Vaganova Society. In the summer of 2007, she attended the CDA Training Intensive in New York City. She is Coordinator for the state of Wisconsin by the Classical Dance Alliance and is a member of the Wisconsin Dance Council. Earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance and Theatre Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Marlene also trained at Indiana University-Bloomington. She has set choreography for numerous school musicals and theatre events. Over the past twenty-nine years, Ms. Turbin-Weldon is one of the very few area teachers to continue her studies with internationally recognized Ballet Masters including the late Jurgen Schneider and Asaf Messerer, Geneva Cunova, Karen Morell, Thalia Mara, Oleg Vinogradov and Victoria Rockhill-Schneider, all recognized by the Kirov and Bolshoi Schools.

Jessica Kissner Foley  Ms. Foley enters into her ninth year of teaching at the Academie. After having completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Jessica has taught and performed professionally both locally and nationally. While a student, she worked with various guest artists including the late David Berkey and Patrick Strong from NYC, as well as participating in master classes with the Minnesota Ballet. Jessica attended and performed at ACDFA (American Collegiate Dance Festival of the Arts) at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Professional performance credits include the ‘6th Annual Welk Musical Christmas,’ ‘Oklahoma,’ performing the role of “Dream Laurey,” ‘West Side Story’ as tomboy character “Anybodys” and ‘CanCan’, all in Southern California at the Lawrence Welk Resort Theatre. Ms. Foley also toured nationally as Jenny, the lead role in Sesame Street Live’s ‘Everyone Makes Music’ production. Along with other fellow UWSP grads, Ms. Foley co-directed, co-choreographed, and co-produced “Permission Slip,” a professional dance concert funded in part by a cultural arts grant in 2002 near Minneapolis, MN. Jessica has been Assistant Choreographer for the KIDS from Wisconsin since 1998, where she previously was a member of the KIDS troupe, performing as a featured singer/dancer and served as Dance Captain. She has also spent several summers on the road as the Assistant Tour Director. Her skill as a choreographer includes recognition by the Jazz Dance World Congress in 1999, where she was one of 18 applicants recognized internationally. Ms. Foley has choreographed for numerous high school music groups, Community Theatre Productions, and pageants. Most recently, she has assisted in directing/choreographing for “Locals on Stage,” a benefit concert for ODC. Her teaching credits include various studios in Stevens Point, Fond du Lac, Rochester, MN, Temecula, CA, and as a faculty member for UWSP’s Musical Theatre and Dance Camp. Jessica has also been a member of the dance faculty at Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Ms. Foley will be attending the DanceLife Teacher Conference in Boston, MA this summer.

Lisa Joling  Ms. Joling began dancing at the age of four and by the age of twelve was competing in various competitions throughout the Midwest. Graduating from high school, Lisa then moved to San Diego, where she taught at the Oceanside Dance Academy. In 2000, Lisa moved to Los Angeles, teaching privately while attending Santa Monica College, where she majored in dance. During that time, Ms. Joling had the rare opportunity to perform with tap legend Fayard Nicholas of ‘The Nicholas Brothers’. While in Los Angeles, Ms. Joling also studied at the many of the top dance studios, including ‘The Edge’ and ‘Millennium’. Many of the top recognized teachers and choreographers of the entertainment industry work there including Wade Robinson, Dante, Damien Davis and Aaron Porter. In 2001, Lisa attended the NBAACP Awards, where she met Savion Glover and exchanged a few tap combos. She has participated in many Hollywood showcases, some performed and did choreography at the world famous Key Club on sunset Boulevard. In 2003, Lisa completed her ‘Pilates’ certification, which she now incorporates into her dance curriculum. Ms. Joling currently teaches all forms of dance and works with every age group, beginner through advanced. Return to About Us page