Littleton Ballet Academy
Beyond Ballet Division Faculty
Marissa Dykstra, Jazz
Marissa began dancing at the age of 4 at One Step Ahead Dance Studio in Lakewood, Colorado. From 2009-2015 she attended Denver School of the Arts as a dance major. In 2012, she began dancing at Littleton Dance Academy, training under Bobbie and Ali Jaramillo. Marissa had the joy of performing roles such as Russian lead in the Nutcracker, Tinman in the Wizard of Oz, and the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland. Marissa had the opportunity to choreograph 3 student pieces that were featured in the school performance. In 2019, Marissa graduated from Grand Canyon University with a BA in Dance Education, where she was a member of the Ethington Dance Ensemble. Upon graduation, Marissa began her teaching career at the North Valley Arts Academies in Phoenix, Arizona. Marissa worked to provide public school students with a well-rounded dance education. Students got to experience Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Contemporary dance styles as well as supporting classes in Choreography and Improvisation. She also served as the Choreographer for the student musical “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown!” Marissa is so happy to be back home at LBA!
Adrianne Hampton, Musical Theatre, Tap
Adrianne is an award-winning musical theatre performer and choreographer. LA credits include being a two-time Scenie Award and ITL Award winner for her performances in Chicago and Born Yesterday. She recently performed Cassie in A Chorus Line at Sierra Repertory Theatre, performed several supporting roles at the Candlelight Theatre, Sheila in A Chorus Line at Centerstage in Fontana and danced professionally in a contemporary dance company in Orange County. She also played Val in A Chorus Line under the direction of Kay Cole.
Denver credits include being the first Cassie to perform the original choreography that was used in the Broadway revival of A Chorus Line under the direction of Michael Gorman at Town Hall Arts Center. She also starred as Cassie in A Chorus Line at the Pace Center, has performed many performances at the Arvada Center and was Mrs. Wilkinson in Billy Elliot at the Vintage Theatre. She recently won Best Actress for her performance as Olive in Bullets Over Broadway at the Vintage Theatre. She earned 3 nominations from Broadway World: two for Best Actress in Billy Elliot, Bullets over Broadway and one as Best Choreographer for Mary Poppins. Adrianne also won Best Choreographer at the David Marlowe Awards for The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Teaching credits include, Long Lake Performing Arts Camp NY, International Arts Camp SD, Elite Dance Academy LA, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Littleton Ballet Academy, Palos Verdes Performing Arts Academy, Venue Theatre, Los Angeles Ballet Academy, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Rocky Mountain Theatre for Kids, was a full dance scholarship student at Steps and Broadway Dance Center in NYC and danced in many dance industrials in NY. She is currently the founder of Broadway Bootcamp in Littleton. Adrianne teaches musical theatre and tap at LBA.
Bobbie Jaramillo, Co-Director
Bobbie began her training in Louisville, Kentucky where she joined the Louisville Civic Ballet at the age of nine and worked her way from corps de ballet to prima ballerina, appearing in such ballets as Giselle, Les Sylphides, Pas de Quatre, Carmina Burana, and The Nutcracker. She has danced and worked with such legends as Mia Slavenska, Andre Eglevsky, Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez, Toni Lander, and Fernand Nault and has been mentioned in the book "Who's Who in the Ballet World". Bobbie began teaching dance at the age of fifteen and at age eighteen operated her own dance school. She also studied voice and piano at the prestigious Gardencourt at the University of Louisville. Bobbie's versatility allowed her to work in the theater where she appeared as Anita in West Side Story, Philia in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Rashomon (with Actors Theatre of Louisville), and A Most Happy Fella, many to rave reviews as well as appearing in several summer productions. Bobbie moved to New York City and within ten days landed a job in the National tour of Hello, Dolly! with Betty Grable in which she performed as a dancer and was also given the understudy to the role of Ermengarde which she performed twenty-eight times. When this tour had ended, she joined another, this one starring Ginger Rogers and Dorothy Lamour. This time Bobbie was given understudy to the major role of Irene Molloy. During an appearance in this role, the world renowned pianist Van Cliburn was so taken by her performance that he asked to meet her. Bobbie went to work for a well-known children's theatre company owned by CBS performing many ingenue roles. She also appeared as Polly in The Boyfriend and Lady Larkin in Once Upon a Mattress. In the New York area she worked in Gypsy with Margaret Whiting and Promises, Promises with Orson Bean. She was also cast in a starring role in an off-Broadway production. Bobbie was called upon once again to do Hello, Dolly!, this time on Broadway with Ethel Merman. After the show succeeded in becoming the longest running show on Broadway, she and her husband David decided to start a family. After having three children (one single birth and twins) in twenty-one months, they moved back to David's hometown of Denver. Bobbie went back to teaching. She also began to ice skate and since 1976 she has been a ballet coach for figure skaters both on and off the ice. She was the assistant choreographer for the closing ceremonies for Skate America in Reading, PA. in 2003. In addition to beginning the children's program, teaching and choreographing for the David Taylor Dance Theatre Academy of Ballet for eighteen years, Bobbie has choreographed musicals at Heritage High School over the last ten years, taught tap in Heritage High Schools now defunct Theatre Topics dance class, and has taught at Front Range Community College. She and her daughter Alison opened LBA in the fall of 2003. Bobbie currently has students dancing all over the country. Many are on scholarship at prestigious dance programs in universities, another studied on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet in NYC, one is currently enjoying great success in Hollywood, and still others have also gone on to dance professionally, both in ballet and musical theatre. She also has wonderful former students who have decided not to pursue careers in dance now enjoying other options. She treasures all of her students, former and present and celebrates all of their many successes.
Karina Okoren, Pre-Ballet, Ballet, Contemporary
Karina began dancing at 3 years old under the tutelage of Irina Hamilton with Soul Motion Underground. She continued her training with Ali and Bobbie Jaramillo at Littleton Ballet Academy where she had the privilege of performing the roles of Clara in The Nutcracker, the Sprite in Cinderella, and Ozma in The Wizard of Oz. Karina continued to dance at Brigham Young University as she studied Human Development and Contemporary Dance and performed with the contemporary performance company, Dance Ensemble. A kidney transplant recipient at the age of 14, Karina believes in the power of dance to synchronize mind, body and spirit as a means of healing and expression. Karina is currently applying for Dance Therapy graduate programs to help others heal through movement.
Sarah Tallman, Contemporary
Sarah Tallman was born and raised in Greeley, Colorado. A once small town with an unusually prolific number of passionate teachers, her early training not only pushed her through the rigors of classical ballet but also exposed her to music and theatrics. Sarah had the pleasure of training with Deb Larson, Chérie Noble, Lizanne McAdams-Graham, Arthur Leeth, and Jeffrey Rockland. She holds a BA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Northern Colorado where she studied under the tutelage of Dr. Karen Genoff-Campbell, Dr. Sandra Minton and Jeffrey Rockland. Recently retired from a 22 year performing career, Sarah currently serves as Ballet Master/ Associate Choreographer for Wonderbound, a new American dance company based in Denver, CO. During her 15-year tenure as a company artist, she danced in and originated numerous Principal roles by award winning Artistic Director Garrett Ammon. She had the opportunity to perform alongside musicians, poets, mentalists, actors and visual artists. Her technical prowess and artistic development have been guided by Wonderbound President, Dawn Fay. Sarah has been featured in world premieres by Jennifer Hart, Hannah Kahn, Maurya Kerr, Laurie Stallings, Amy Seiwert, Ma Cong, LeeWei Chao, Alex Ketley, Mark Godden and Robert Mills. Prior to joining Wonderbound (formerly Ballet Nouveau Colorado), Sarah danced with David Taylor Dance Theatre, Kim Robards Dance, Lynn Barr, Gleich Dances Contemporary Ballet and Baardar Danse Kompagnie in Oslo, Norway. Additionally, Sarah danced as a Principal Artist with Central City Opera. An accomplished choreographer, she has created several works for Wonderbound in collaboration with multi-faceted Denver based musicians and visual artists. She has created works for Oklahoma City Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre, Kent State University, University of Northern Colorado, Perry-Mansfield and Western Arkansas Ballet. Sarah was one of four recipients of the 2015 National Choreographers Initiative. 2020 allowed Sarah to explore film making for dance. Her works appeared in Dance Performa’s fall film event, LunaSeas film festival and were featured as a part of Wonderbound’s Short Films. Sarah is guided by the humility that permeates the human spirit. She believes art and the stimulus of music and movement can awaken the senses by exploring the complexities of being human. The simple things that make Sarah smile include twinkling lights, the mountains and the color orange. She resides in Denver with her loving husband, and their pets.
Jamie Lane Youtsey, Conditioning
Jamie has had ten years of dance training with teachers at LBA but her first love is figure skating. She has had 21years of figure skating experience in Free Skating, Ice Dance, Moves in the Field, and Synchronized Skating. She is a four time national competitor in Synchronized Skating and is also a US Figure Skating double gold medalist. Jamie has been a Professional Skaters Association (PSA) coach for five years and a PSA rated coach in both Free Skating, Moves in the Field, Dance, and Choreography. She is also a PSA Sports Medicine committee member. Jamie has been a myopatterning instructor for eight years. She teaches conditioning at LBA.