Nikki Cornell, Artistic Director, studied classical ballet and jazz for 15 years at the LaSpina Dance Academy in Torrance, California. As a member of their dance company, she performed in the ballet classics Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, as well as in The Pasadena Playhouse Community Theatre productions The Red Shoes, Sweet Charity, Guys & Dolls, Man of La Mancha, The Music Man, South Pacific, My Fair Lady and Oklahoma!. Nikki continued her studies in Europe and attended intensive undergraduate theater course in London, England.
Nikki received The Ballet Intensive from Moscow instructor training certificate while studying the Vaganova Method with Dimitri Roudenov (BIM Director) and Nina Kolesnikov (Kirov ballet mistress). She also attended the prestigious Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory's International Pedagogical Seminar to further study the Vaganova method.
Nikki is an affiliate of the American Academy of Ballet and annually attends the AAB's teacher's conferences in New York to pursue continuing education with Mignon Furman (AAB director), Brian Loftus (prior Director of Dance for the Arts Educational School in London), and Violette Verdy (previously Director of the Paris Opera Ballet and principal dancer with The New York City Ballet).
Nikki and students also regularly attend the International Jazz Dance Congress held in Chicago, New York and Costa Rica. She is dedicated to state of the art continuing education for her staff and students. Dance Works' students are provided many opportunities to attend seminars and workshops at universities and dance companies throughout the nation.
