About
Dorothy Daniels Lister received her early training at the Elvie DeMarko School in Pensacola,Florida. She continued her studies in New York at the Swoboda School, later known as the Ballet Russe School), under the guiding hand 'Of Madame Swoboda. Her other illustrious teachers included Frederic Franklin, Anatole Vilzak, Edward Caton, Boris Romanoff, William Dollar, Bill Griffith, Leon Danelian and Igor Schwezoff. She attended New York University and Hunter College before joining the BALLET RUSSE DE MONTE CARLO COMPANY. She danced with such renowned stars as ALICIA ALONSO, MARIA TALLCHIEF, NINA NOVAK, ALEXANDRIA DANILOVA, IGOR YOUSKEVITCH, FREDERIC FRANKLIN, LEON DANELIAN AND LEONIDE MASSINE.
After leaving the Ballet Russe, she continued to pursue, develop and expand her talents. This led
her into making guest appearances with numerous Civic Ballet and Opera Companies. She performed many of the famous pas de deuxs from various ballets and such roles as the "FIREBIRD" with the New York Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony and the Hartford and New Haven Orchestras.
Having studied Tap with such renowned teachers as Jack Stanley and Carlos and Jazz with Luigi, her varied talents ted her into Musical Theater where she performed on Broadway, Off Broadway
and in several Industrial shows. She also appeared in summer and winter stock companies, Dinner Theaters, working with such stars as Bernadette Peters, Mickey Rooney, Elaine Stritch, Joel Grey and at the renowned Radio City Music Hall. She has worked in several theater positions advancing from the chorus of a Musical to performing leading roles and to assisting Directors and Choreographers.
With her knowledge of the Theater & Dance, she decided it was time to share her knowledge and
experiences with others. She began her Teaching career at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For two
years she was on staff at the Kingsboro College of the Performing Arts, a college dedicated to the
training of boys and girls at the college level. She was invited to join the teaching staff of the
American Ballet Center, the official school of the ROBERT JOFFREY BALLET COMPANY. For
Twenty-five years, she not only headed the Children's Department but also taught technique and
variations classes to the Advanced and Trainee levels. She was responsible for rehearsing 65
children for the New York performances of the Joffrey's Ballet "NUTCRACKER."
She found time to coach dancers for various jobs and competitions as well as actors and
actresses for dance roles in television and film work.
She was asked to return to Broadway to perform in Michael Bennett's musical BALLROOM in
1978.
She has students performing in all mediums of dance from Classical Ballet companies to Radio
City to Broadway and Television.
She considers correct training from the Beginner level to the Advanced level to be of the utmost
importance and the teaching of Children to be her forte. She developed a Pre-Ballet teaching
syllabus that has been used at the Joffrey School for over Twenty-five years.
She is the co-author of the book, CONVERSATIONS WITH CHOREOGRAPHERS published in
1996.
In 1997 She moved back to her hometown and is presently the dance coach for the Tate High
School's Chaparrals and Cadets. She has choreographed musical shows (Fiddler on the Roof, Annie Get Your Gun, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Cabaret, Dames at Sea, Seven Brides for Seven
Brothers, Once Upon a Mattress, George M) for Tate High School and for the PHS production of She
Loves Me. She was asked to be one of the preliminary judges for the 1998 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1999, she taught master classes for PANOPLY, Huntsville's Festival of the Art as well as acting as-one of the judges for their 17th annual Choreography Competition. She continues to teach: for the Joffrey School's summer session.
Faculty
Dorothy Lister
Bobby Biggs
Cathy Born
Shawna Fulton
Nanette Grimm
Jessica Jensen
Robyn Ayers