Our Instructors

Director

Carolyn Zettel-Augustyn 
Ms. Zettel-Augustyn has been teaching ballet for more than thirty years. She first began her ballet training in Canada  and received a scholarship by her teacher to attend The Washington School of Ballet. In the late 70’s she apprenticed as a teacher and in 1983, she founded her first school in Canada where she was the school director for nearly 25 years.  

In 2006, she moved to NY and worked for ballet schools on Long Island and in 2011, she founded Classical School of Ballet LI. She was the first ballet teacher on Long Island to enter students in the ABT® National Training Curriculum ballet exams.  

Ms. Zettel-Augustyn is an ABT® Affiliate Teacher Pre-Primary through Level 7 and Partnering of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is an ABT Affiliate Examiner and has been awarded an ABT Fellowship. Carolyn Zettel-Augustyn holds teacher certification with Canadian Dance Teachers’ Association (CDTA), and has been awarded Life-Time Member status. During her tenure with CDTA she was appointed Chair of the Ontario Branch Ballet Division that consisted of 400 ballet schools and was an invited member of the Examiner Syllabus Committee which was responsible for the development of the syllabi. In addition, she is a Certified Yoga ®Teacher and Music Together Teacher. 

Ms. Zettel-Augustyn’s teacher training includes numerous seminars, workshops and conferences including; Canada’s National Ballet Teacher Training summer program, David Howard’s teacher program and ABT ®National Training Curriculum teacher training programs and workshops. She has guest taught at conventions for both teachers and students.  

Several of her former students are dancing professionally across the globe, others have become choreographers, dance teachers and dance physiotherapists. Her students successes are a testament to her commitment to teaching.


Vice Director

Frank Augustyn
Mr. Augustyn trained at the prestigious National Ballet School of Canada and was invited to join the National Ballet Company of Canada in 1970 where he became Canada’s most renowned male ballet dancer of the 20
th century. In 1973, he and Karen Kain won a special award for the best pas de deux at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow.

Throughout his illustrious career Mr. Augustyn danced all the major classical roles as well as a number of significant contemporary roles and has danced on nearly every major stage around the globe.

He has worked with the most highly celebrated choreographers including Rudolf Nureyev, Erik Bruhn, Maurice Béjart and Glen Tetley and has partnered renowned ballerinas including; Carla Fracci, Karen Kain, Marianna Tcherkassky, Evelyn Hart, Gelsey Kirkland, Galina Panova, Eva Evdokimova, Cynthia Gregory, Marie Christine Mouis, Veronica Tennant and others including the famed Rudolph Nureyev in Songs of a Wayfarer.  

Augustyn has guest performed with Boston Ballet, Berlin Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Beijing Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Talin Ballet.

Mr. Augustyn has been decorated with three honorary degrees and in 1979 was bestowed the most distinguished title of Canada, Officer, Order of Canada (O.C.). He co-produced and hosted the television series, "Footnotes, The Classics of Ballet", first aired on Bravo Television and authored the accompanying book, "Footnotes, The World's Best Loved Ballets".

Mr. Augustyn has guest taught Boston Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, American Ballet Theatre, Alberta Ballet, Shanghai Ballet, Beijing Ballet and others.

He is trained in the Cecchetti method and is an ABT® National Training Curriculum Certified Teacher Pre-Primary through Level 7 and Partnering.

Frank Augustyn is an Associate Professor at Adelphi University, Garden City, NY where he served as Chair for 19 years.


Faculty

Tamara Babic
After graduating at the School of Classical Ballet in Zagreb, Croatia, Tamara Babic became a Corps de Ballet member of the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb. 

She has been teaching dance for more than 15 years and has never regretted exchanging the stage for the classroom, and believes she has found her true calling in teaching.

Ms. Babic is an experienced professional teacher in Ballet, Character Dance, Historical Dance, and related disciplines to young and pre-professional dancers. She holds a Masters in Education degree from the University of Zagreb and is a qualified Ballet and Piano teacher, becoming a certified NYC Ballet Workout Instructor in 2010. 

She is also an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum and was awarded Affiliate status for her successes at entering students in examinations. Tamara teaches Ballet and Piano classes in NYC and in the New York Metropolitan Area and is a Festival Relations Manager of the summer Salsa Beach Splash Festival in Croatia.

In addition to teaching at private schools Ms. Babic is an Adjunct Professor at  Adelphi University, Garden City, NY.




Faculty

Haemee Hwang
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Faculty

Nicola Hospedales
Ms. Hospedales studied ballet at the Alkins School of Ballet in England. She went on to obtain a BA (Hons) in Theatre Dance from London Studio Centre and to become an associate of the Royal Academy of Dance. Her performance career took her to the UK, Trinidad, Grenada and Brazil. She freelanced with many different companies and eventually founded her own dance company, NHD Dance.

For the last ten years, Ms. Hospedales has had the privilege of being able to teach alongside her performance work. She has a Certificate in Dance Education and registered teacher status (RTS) from the Royal Academy of Dance. She is also an ABT® Certified Teacher who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary to Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.


Guest Faculty

John Prinz
John Prinz grew up and received his first ballet training in Chicago, Illinois and then continued at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City as their first scholarship student. He went on to finish training at Balanchine School of American Ballet before joining the New York City Ballet in 1963. He was quickly promoted to Principal and danced many leads in Balanchine ballets including The Nutcracker, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet and Tarantella and was one of the original leads in Jerome Robbins Dances at a Gathering.

He partnered ballerinas such as Suzanne Farrell, Allegra Kent, Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride and Violetta Verdi. Mr. Balanchine created the Pas de Deux La Source for Mr. Prinz as well as leads in Jewels, Glinkiana, Don Quixote and Valse Fantaisie. Also at New York City Ballet, Frederick Ashton revived Les Illuminations with Mr. Prinz in the title role. In 1970, Mr. Prinz joined American Ballet Theater where he was a principal dancer until 1979. Roles here included leads in Giselle, Coppelia, Fancy Free, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire and in Anthony Tudor ballets Jardin aux Lilas and Romeo and Juliet and he created roles in new ballets by Alvin Ailey, The River. He partnered ballerinas such as Natalia Makarova, Gelsey Kirkland, Carla Fracci and Cynthia Gregory. John began teaching in 1978 in New York City including classes at Robert Denvers Westside School of Ballet and the Scholarship Program at the American Ballet Theater School.

He gave master classes throughout Japan for the American Ballet Workshop in 1983-84 and has guest taught at San Francisco Ballet School. He staged Balanchine ballets such as Tarantella and choreographed Emperor Variations for the Capital Ballet of Washington D.C. in 1978. As Assistant Director or Ballet Master, he has worked at the Pittsburgh Ballet, Cleveland Ballet, Ballet Nacional de Espana, Zurich Opera House and Staatstheater am Gartnerplaz, Munich. In 1993-94, Mr. Prinz formed a company which was invited as the first American ballet company to participate in the second International Nureyev Festival in Kazan, Russia.


Guest Faculty

Betty Prinsen
Betty Prinsen brings her unique professional dance background as performer and teacher with major dance companies to all that she does. Betty has taught at Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, and Ballet Hispanico in New York City. Betty has her B.A. from Vassar College and M.A. from Columbia University.

Daycare Dance

Becca Retter
BECCA RETTER is a one of our faculty for our daycare dance program. She is a multi-talented dancer, teacher and choreographer. She is an expert at the Al Gilbert Tap Technique and the nation’s leader in pre-school material for dance schools. She is known for creating the most usable, age-appropriate music and choreography for dance studios with her product Dance Advantage through Music- Works Unlimited. Her products Dance Adventure and Dance Creation are the perfect solution for any preschool class combining technique and creative movement in a fun, imaginative way. Becca currently travels across USA teaching for DanceMakers heading up their highly unique and popular convention preschool classes called Camp Dance since 2006.

She has also had the pleasure of teaching for Dupree Dance Expos, Dance Masters of America (DMA), Dance Educators of America (DEA), SADM, CNADM, Dance Teacher Connection and Rhee Gold’s DanceLife Teacher Conference and Retreat Center. She also co-directs her and her husband’s tap company the NYC Tap Crew. Ms. Retter has danced on MTV and internationally in Canada, Denmark, Guatemala and Russia. Her love and enthusiasm for dance make her a favorite among students and teachers and she always enjoys sharing her talents.




Betty Prinsen
Betty Prinsen brings her unique professional dance background as performer and teacher with major dance companies to all that she does. Betty has taught at Alvin Ailey, Broadway Dance Center, and Ballet Hispanico in New York City. Betty has her B.A. from Vassar College and M.A. from Columbia University.