Faculty

Our instructors are recognized professionals in the world of dance and enrich our program by bringing their dance and choreographic skills from such companies as San Francisco Ballet, the Chicago City Ballet, Penninsula Theater Ballet, the American Festival Ballet, the Long Beach Ballet and the Royal Academy of Dance. They provide a positive environment for establishing a solid foundation in classical ballet.

Jeannette Petrick, Napa Valley Ballet's Artistic Director, trained with the San Francisco Ballet under the direction of Lew and Harold Christensen and later served on the dance faculties of Butler University, the University of Washington, the University of Idaho and the Cornish Institute for the Arts in Seattle. She was also a ballet instructor for several years with Maria Tallchief's Chicago City Ballet where she choreographed for prima ballerinas Maria Tallchief and Suzanne Farrell. Ms. Petrick has been the Artistic Director of her own ballet company which toured nationally, performing in such places as New York City and at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Both she and her company were featured on a PBS 'Dance in America' program. She has received a Governor's Medal for Excellence in the Arts, two Choreographer's Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, two first place medals from the British Council for productions overseas and commendation from the Partners-of-the-Americas for her work with the National Ballet of Ecuador.  She holds a Master's degree in Theatre Arts and a Bachelor's degree in Arts Education; she also has California state teaching certification for grades K-12.

Ms. Petrick teaches ballet to students of all ages as well as pointe and pas de deux.

Vivian Aragon is a recent graduate of SUNY Purchase in New York where she earned a BFA in Dance and a BA in Art History. Upon her return to California, she danced with Peninsula Ballet Theatre for two seasons, performing soloist roles. During her college years, she also studied in the Netherlands at the Rotterdam Dance Academy. Her early training followed the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus at the Susan Hayward School of Dance in Montara, California. She completed all of the RAD examinations attaining the status of Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance and was invited to compete as a semi-finalist in the Genee Internationa Ballet Competion in Sydney, Australia. She has also performed in other international venues, such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, as a principal with Burklyn Ballet Theatre, and the Springboard Montreal Professional Project in Canada. Miss Aragon has been a ballet instructor for over ten years, and is also a talented and accomplished choreographer.

Miss Aragon teaches all levels of ballet at NVB.

Milissa Bradley is a native of Kingsburg, CA. She began her professional ballet training on full scholarship under the direction of Diane K. Moiser at the Northwest Ballet Academy. Milissa also trained and performed with the Long Beach Ballet under the direction of David Wilcox. She has performed with The Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theatre, Ballet Conterpointe, Liss Fain Dance, Dance Through Time, Ballet America, California Youth Ballet, North Coast Dance and Mendocino Ballet Company. 

She currently teaches and choreographs for School of the Arts of San Francisco (SOTA) and has choreographed for Benicia High School’s Advance Dance Team. As well as an accomplished instructor, performer, and choreographer Milissa has been featured in the national ad campaign “Only in San Francisco” and also for the “Make A Wish Foundation.”

Ms. Bradley teaches all levels of ballet, modern dance and Jazz at NV

Emmee LaRose  began her professional career at an early age dancing as a member of the corps de ballet with the State Street Ballet Company in Santa Barbara.Her first roles included featured appearances in The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, and Carmen. Ms. LaRose later auditioned for the New Jersey Ballet and was promoted to the position of soloist before ultimately traveling to Cambridge, Massachusetts where she danced with the Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre as a Principal Dancer. Here she was able to develop original roles in contemporary ballets created by renowned choreographer Jose Mateo. Ms. LaRose had her early training at the San Francisco Ballet and the Boston Conservatory. She has been teaching and choreographing locally for several years.

Ms. LaRose teaches all levels of ballet at NVB.

Regina Feiner began studying ballet at her home in Rhode Island before gaining acceptance into the training program at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Harold Christiansen. At SFB, Regina attended classes taught by Anatole Vilzak and Ludmilla Sholler, former dancers with the legendary Ballet Russe. While still in her teens, Ms. Regina's performances with the San Francisco Ballet included the very first televised production of Lew Christensen's THE NUTCRACKER. She has performed with Alan Howard's Pacific Ballet Company based in the bay area and with the Anna Cheselka Dance Center in Studio City, Los Angeles.  She is a certified instructor for the New York City Ballet Workout and has conducted these unique classes at The Wellness Center at Queen of the Valley Hospital here in Napa.

Ms. Feiner teaches Ballet Basics and Teen/Adult Ballet at NVB.

Kelsey Miller has a duo interest in both theatre arts and dance. She has been a student in the Solano College Actors Training Program since 2008. Locally trained and then later studying at summer intensives both with the American Ballet Theater and the Joffrey Ballet Schools in New York, Ms. Miller has gained valuable training in classical technique. 

Miss Miller specializes as a teacher of the NVB pre-ballet classes and serves as a substitute teacher.