Cheryl Madeux
Ballet Franklin Artistic Advisor
Cheryl Madeux, a Connecticut native, received her training at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts under the direction of Sharon Dante and Donna Bonasera. She has enjoyed a long professional career, dancing with such venerable companies as the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and principal dancer with the Hartford Ballet under the direction of Kirk Peterson. Madeux performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe and has been coached by such ballet luminaries as Igor Youskevitch and Eleanor D’Antuono. Her extensive classical repertoire includes all the full-length classical productions as well as principal roles in The Nutcracker, Giselle, Coppelia, The Firebird, Balanchine’s Serenade, Spectra de La Rose, and much more. It also includes works by choreographers such as Gerald Arpino, Kirk Peterson, George Balanchine, Michel Fokine, Anthony Tudor, Martha Graham, Margo Sappington, and others. Among her early accomplishments, Madeux was awarded first place in the National Society of Arts and Letters Ballet Competition at the age of 15, as well as a finalist at the III International Ballet Competition in Paris and the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. She was later recognized by the White House Commissions Program for excellence in academics and dance and was awarded a Level One Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
As an educator, Madeux has been a guest teacher and coach for many ballet institutions across New England. In 2005, she became ballet director at Franklin School for the Performing Arts and assisted in developing their conservatory ballet program, as well as choreographing and directing their full-length ballet productions. In 2009, she successfully completed her certification in the ABT National Training Curriculum for Primary through Level 7 & Partnering and was later appointed to the prestigious Board of Examiners for the curriculum. In addition, she became a summer faculty member for the ABT Young Dancer Program and ABT summer intensives, as well as an assistant instructor for the NTC teacher certifications. Madeux was a guest judge for the Connecticut Classic Ballet Competition in 2014 and 2019, an adjunct professor for ballet and pointe at Dean College and successfully coached dancers from FSPA to the YAGP finals in NY. Madeux resides in Wrentham, MA with her husband and two children.
Eivar Martinez
Instructor of Ballet
Eivar Martinez graduated from the Youth Ballet of Venezuela and was offered a contract with the National Ballet of Caracas under the Artistic Director Vicente Nebrada, where he quickly rose to the rank of principal dancer. He was featured in Nebrada’s Coppelia, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Paquita, Diana and Actaeon, Le Corsaire, Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pa de deux, Nuestros valses, Batucada, La Luna, Pentimento, Fiebre, among others. He has toured Europe, the USA, China, and South America. As a Finalist competitor in the June 2000 New York International Ballet Competition, critics and audiences noted his technical virtuosity and athleticism. Mr. Martinez danced for three seasons as a member of Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma. He was featured in Romeo And Juliet, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Lila York's Celts, Paul Taylor Company B, Amadeus Amodio Carmen, Balanchine’s Who Cares? and well as many other contemporary works by Nacho Duato. Eivar then joined Festival Ballet Providence as a Principal dancer during its 25th season, RI audiences enjoyed his technical brilliance and virtuosity in many roles, including Giselle, Don Quixote, Diana And Acteon, Le Corsaire, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Anthony Tudor's Leaves Are Fading, Agnes De Mille's Rodeo, Spring Waters, Victor Plotnikov Carmen and Coma and others. Mr. Martinez then danced as a Principal dancer of Dance Alive National Ballet for its 2009/2010 season, where he performed such works as Dracula, Cavalier in Nutcracker, Black Swan pas de deux, and contemporary works. Eivar has appeared as a Guest Artist with Colorado Dance Theatre, Coastal Youth Ballet, State Ballet of RI, Minnesota Ballet, Heritage Ballet and others. He appeared as Guest Principal Dancer for Kentucky Ballet Theatre where he performed Grand Pas Classique and Sugar Plum Grand Pas. Here he was recognized by the Kentucky Council of the Arts for his performances. Mr. Martinez has appeared as a Guest Artist, Master Instructor and Choreographer with numerous Ballet schools and Companies throughout the Country. Currently, he teaches for Newport Contemporary Ballet company and multiple ballet schools throughout New England.
Hannah Rezendes
Instructor of Ballet
Hannah Rezendes (she/her) is a performer, choreographer, and teacher from Franklin, MA. She graduated from Salve Regina University with degrees in Dance and Psychology, and was a member of Extensions, a pre-professional dance company. She spent a semester abroad in Florence, Italy where she danced weekly with the professional ballet company in residence at the Scuola di danza Hamlyn di Nicoletta Santoro. She recently performed at the Newport Jazz Festival with the Marcus Grant Trio. Hannah choreographed the musical Bright Star, at Franklin Performing Arts Company, a small Equity professional theater in Franklin, MA. She was a featured member of Electric Youth for four years, touring throughout Italy, Austria, France, England, and Switzerland. A BalletFranklin student under the direction of Cheryl Madeux, she danced many roles in The Nutcracker including Clara, Snow Queen, Kissy Doll, and Candy Cane Soloist. Her FPAC theatrical credits include Disney’s Newsies (choreo. Chaz Wolcott), The Tappy Christmas Special: LIVE! (choreo. Christopher Rice-Thomson), and THE BLACK BOX Sings… series.
Xochitl Tejeda-Cerda
Instructor of Ballet/Pointe - Guest Faculty
Xochitl is a professional dancer trained in the classical Russian and Cuban ballet traditions. She received her degree in Dance from the National School for Classical Dance in Mexico City where she was a Ministry of Fine Arts Scholarship recipient. During her formal education, she trained under the tutelage of luminaries such as Alicia Alonso, Fernando Alonso, Nellie Happee, and Carlos Lopez. She began her professional career at the age of 16 with Mexico’s National Ballet, where she performed soloist roles such as The Romantic/Good Girl in Graduation Ball, Swan Lake’s Pas de Quarte, and Sleeping Beauty’s Jewels Pas de Trois. Additional early accomplishments include receiving honorable mentions from Mexico’s National Institute of Fine Arts for her contribution to the diffusion of classical dance across the country as well as achieving quarter finals at the First New York International Ballet Competition. Her career continued with a long engagement with The Ohio Ballet, where she held Soloist, Principal, and Prima Ballerina roles as well as serving as a Regisseur and Ballet Mistress. During this time, Xochitl toured extensively throughout the United States and Latin America performing numerous main roles in productions such as First Violin in George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Pas de Deux, in Paul Taylor’s Aureole, Pas de Deux in Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies, and Venus in Ruthanna Boris’ Cakewalk. Additionally, Xochitl premiered numerous principal and solo roles from acclaimed choreographers such as Heinz Poll, Donald Byrd, Laura Dean, Alonzo King, and Lynn Taylor-Corbett among others. Xochitl also performed extensively as a guest artist with companies such as Hawaii Ballet, Dayton Ballet, and Minneapolis Ballet, among others and her classical repertoire includes all full-length classical productions with principal roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Paquita, Le Fille Mal Gardée and much more. As an educator, Xochitl served as a faculty member at The University of Akron Dance Institute and the University of New Hampshire College of Liberal Arts and has taught many aspiring dancers as Guest Faculty at institutions such as Oberlin College, The University of Akron, Canton Ballet, Wayne Center for the Arts among many others. Xochitl received the Ohio Arts Alliance Outstanding Artist Award in 2001, representing the first time this organization recognized a dancer for their contributions to the arts.
Clyde Nantais
Instructor of Ballet/Pointe - Guest Faculty
Clyde Nantais joined the FSPA Dance Faculty in 1992. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Boston Conservatory and a Master of Education from Temple University. He has performed leading roles in Equity Summer Stock and dinner theater productions. Mr. Nantais danced with Boston Ballet for seven years before teaching in its school for 17 years. He was the principal ballet teacher at the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei, Taiwan. He has served as Ballet Master for the Boston Conservatory Dance Theater, the Berkshire Ballet, and the Pioneer Valley Ballet. As choreographer, he has staged over 50 original works for more than 40 companies and schools worldwide. Mr. Nantais was also the Executive Director of the Boston Dance Company Studios and Associate Director of the Boston Dance Company. He recently retired from teaching Ballet for Musical Theater students at The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and has also retired from the faculties of the Boston Ballet and Charlotte Klein Dance Centers.
Dr. Marisa Babb-Wetherell, PT, DPT
Instructor of Progressing Ballet Technique - Guest Faculty
Marisa trained as a young dancer in the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. She performed with the Movement Ensemble Dance Company under the direction of Liana Ciaglo, including appearances with the Commonwealth Opera. Marisa also appeared in The Nutcracker with both the Moscow Ballet and Academy of Ballet Arts.
Through her college years, Marisa performed with Springfield College’s Singers, Dancers, and Best of Broadway groups on campus. She also completed a minor in dance at Springfield College while pursuing her degrees in Physical Therapy. She has continued to dance as an adult including appearances in FPAC’s The Nutcracker.
Marisa holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and currently practices in outpatient physical therapy in North Attleboro, MA. She specializes in dance medicine and is passionate about educating young dancers to use their bodies as effectively, efficiently, and safely as possible.
Marisa achieved her initial certification in Progressing Ballet Technique in 2018 and has continued on to achieve her Level 3 PBT Certification. Marisa enjoys teaching the PBT curriculum and feels it holds great value in training safe and efficient use of the body to advance dance technique and performance while preventing injuries.
