Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio This is Me

Education

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1. 1. The Willis Ballet

   www.willisballet.com/Peggy%20W - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/19/2008   Last Visited: 8/19/2008

   Peggy Willis-Aarnio,The Willis Ballet
   
   The Willis Ballet
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   Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio is Professor Emeritus and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Theatre and Dance, former Head of the Dance Program at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas.She was also a former soloist with the Fort Worth Ballet in Fort Worth, Texas.She received her B.F.A. and her M.F.A. Degrees from Texas Christian University in 1970 and 1972, respectively and her Ph.D. in 2002 from Mellen University.From 1968 to 1971, she performed in over 2800 performances in a summer theatre in Florida.She has continued her professional development with a series of post-graduate pedagogical studies with John Barker of New York, and Valentina Roumiantseva of the Vaganova Ballet Academy of Saint-Petersburg, Russia.In 1992, she received an invitation to complete her (advanced level) pedagogical studies in Teaching Method at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, where she became the first American Ballet Teacher to be sanctioned as a "Certified Practitioner and Teacher of the Teaching Method of Classical Ballet."
   
   She is a prolific choreographer with over 60 original ballet works to her credit.Her full-length, original ballet, "Dracula - the ballet" appeared on U.S. Public Television in 1982 and was shown by over 70% of the PBS Affiliates nationwide (the highest carriage rate, at that time, of any fine arts program originating outside the N.Y. metropolitan area).
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   Professor Willis-Aarnio is also the Author, Director and Narrator of the unique and valuable video reference work on the (Russian) Teaching Method of Classical Ballet, "Classical Ballet Lesson" (In eight Volumes, first through eighth class).
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   Dr. Willis-Aarnio is also the Director and Senior Teacher of The Willis Conservatory of Classical Ballet, a school that she founded in 1979 specifically for the purpose of providing an affordable opportunity for local children, regardless of family circumstances or background, to have access to true Classical Ballet Instruction.The School celebrates its Twentieth Anniversary this Fall.In 1983, a group of local friends formed The Willis Ballet (so named to honor her for her achievements in teaching and choreography), to give her the means to continue to pursue her artistic vision, "To Preserve the Complete Tradition of Classical Ballet in Education, Teaching and Performance."Her official title became "Artistic Director/Choreographer," a post she has held ever since.The Willis Ballet, working through the Conservatory (its official school) and in concert with The Texas Tech Department of Theatre and Dance, has expanded the performing opportunities for Tech and local Ballet Students, and brought true Classical Ballet performances to Lubbock and other ballet audiences all over North America, and even to the United Kingdom (1987).
   
   Professor Peggy Willis-Aarnio has recently been honored by the Society of Russian Style Ballet (President, Gabriella Komleva, Honorary Chair, Anna Lendrum), Headquartered in London, England.The Society is an international examining body for promoting teaching and performing excellence in ballet.She was accepted to the Society as an honorary member, and designated as the Society's North American Representative and their newest board examiner.As the North American Representative of the Society, she is actively engaged in building a teacher/school network in North America, and conducting teacher training courses for any (and all) interested parties.
   
   Professor Willis-Aarnio has also been engaged for the last seven years in doing research, and writing the first, English Language Biography of the life and professional achievements of the great Russian Pedagogue and Choreographer, Prof. Agrippina Vaganova.
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   Prof. Willis-Aarnio was awarded a leave of absence (Sabbatical) by Texas Tech in 1997, so that she could complete her primary source (Russian Language) research.The manuscript was complete in the Fall of 2001, and was published by the Edwin Mellen Press (Lewiston, NY) in October of 2002.
   
   In 1998, she was honored by the City of Lubbock, when she became the recipient of the YWCA's 1998 Woman of Excellence in Arts and Culture Award.
   
   Since her retirement from Texas Tech University in 2003, she has continued in her career by serving as Director of The Willis Conservatory of Classical Ballet and as Artistic Director/Choreographer of its company, The Willis Ballet.To date, her works have been seen by over one half million people in North America and Europe and her educational products are sold and appreciated world wide.She continues to train teachers who are interested in the teaching method of classical dance, the only scientifically based and physiologically sound training system for classical ballet today.
   
   Peggy Willis-Aarnio is the Daughter of Margaret Dozier and the late Walter Dozier of Panama City Beach, Florida, and the "Twin Flame" of Paul Aarnio.
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2. 2. Welcome to our Website

   www.willisballet.com/Open.htm - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/19/2008   Last Visited: 8/19/2008

   Peggy Willis-Aarnio, Artistic Director / Choreo grapher
   
   (click on photo for a selection of categories covered in our website)
   
   Prof. Peggy Willis-Aarnio, PhD
   
   (click on photo for a selection of categories covered in our website)
   
   For anyone, we offer educational and entertainment products of classical ballet; for teachers, a methodical and scientific approach to the teaching of classical ballet with our teacher training programs; for students, ballet lessons for all ages; and, for the public, performances showcasing the finest in Russian Classical Ballet, including new classical choreography.Our Artistic Director and Choreographer, Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio, is Professor Emeritus at Texas Tech University and Former Head of their Dance Program.Presently, she is Director and Senior Pedagogue of the Willis Conservatory of Classical Ballet, and Artistic Director/Choreographer of The Willis Ballet.She is an internationally recognized author, educator, teacher, dance historian, and choreographer and is also a leading authority on the teaching method of classical dance.She offers teacher training courses, and is ready, willing and able to help teachers internationally who have the desire to learn the most modern, scientific, authoritative and most effective teaching method for classical ballet, one that has produced the greatest ballet artists of the twentieth century.Prof. Willis-Aarnio's original choreography has been seen internationally in over 400 cities, in North America and Europe with world premieres of her work in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, most notably at the Hermitage and Pushkin Theatres, the first American to choreograph Russian Classical Ballet in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, the birthplace of Russian Classical Ballet.Dedicated to Classical Ballet, she is contributing to the continued growth of the art in education by her "Classical Ballet Lesson" Video/DVD Series, sold worldwide, in Teaching, by her international Teaching Congresses, (sponsored by Infinity Ballet Conservatory of North Carolina), in Performance with her original new choreography and by her husband, Paul Aarnio's and colleague, Gary Lindsey's effort to manage, book and produce ballet tours of the highest quality of classical ballet all over North America.
   
   Prof. Willis-Aarnio can be reached at wiballet@msn.com or telephone: 850-236-1555.
   
   "Dedicated to the Preservation of the Complete Tradition of Classical Ballet, in Education, Teaching and Performance."

3. 3. IBC Faculty Page

   www.infinityballet.com/WhoWeAr - [Cached]

   Published on: 8/4/2008   Last Visited: 8/4/2008

   Peggy Willis-Aarnio
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   Ms. Senchak has formal pedagogy training in the Complete Teaching Method of Classical Dance developed by Vera Kostrovitskaya and based on the work of Agrippina Vaganova at the Imperial Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, taught by Prof. Peggy Willis-Aarnio.
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   Ms. Panter recently participated in the 9th and 10th International Teacher's Congress for the Study of the Teaching Method of Classical Ballet, taught by Peggy Willis-Aarnio M.F.A., Ph.D., in July 2006 and successfully completed studies in the elementary work.