Premiere Ballet Academy Faculty and Staff 

Melissa Mulligan – Owner, Artistic Director and Ballet Instructor

         

Melissa Mulligan began her ballet training in El Paso, TX under the direction of Vivian Eurich, Ingeborg Heuser, Norma Glass, and Myrna Sundermann.  She continued training at the University of Texas in El Paso and El Paso Community College, where she studied Special Education and Ballet. She has danced with Ballet El Paso, also known as Ballet of the Americas, City Ballet in El Paso, and was offered a position with the San Francisco Ballet but an injury prevented her from pursuing the opportunity.

Mrs. Mulligan has been teaching ballet and other forms of dance for over 25 years. In 2005 she started a ballet program through Royalty Dance Academy. In 2009 founded the Ballet Royale Company in Rockwall, TX where she staged ballets such as Penguin Café, Coppelia, Cinderella, Dinner at the Ballet and The Tales of Beatrix Potter, the Ballet. In 2014 she moved to San Antonio and began teaching at Ballet San Antonio Academy.  Mrs. Mulligan also assisted with Ballet Latino de San Antonio and became the Artistic Director of San Antonio Youth Ballet where she staged the ballet Alice in Wonderland.

Now Owner and Artistic Director of Premiere Ballet Academy and Premiere Ballet Ensemble, she continues to teach, choreograph, direct and stage new productions such as An Evening with Frank Sinatra, The Tales of Beatrix Potter Ballet, Alice in Wonderland, and Coppelia.

Mrs. Mulligan loves to teach and help dancers of all levels reach their dreams.  She also loves her family.  She has been married for 23 years and has four children.

Tammi Green – Co-owner

Brenna Mulligan – Ballet, Contemporary/Contemporary Pointe, Ballet Fitness Instructor

Brenna Mulligan began her training at age five under the direction of her mother Melissa Mulligan. Over the course of her training she has trained under various accomplished teachers and mentors in all genres of dance. At 16, she originated the role of Clara for Ballet San Antonio’s The Nutcracker choreographed by Easton and Haley Smith.
Throughout her training she has competed, placed, and received special awards such as the Outstanding Choreographer Award at the Youth America Grand Prix. Choreography is of high interest for her and she continues to pursue it throughout her pre-professional and professional training.  Mulligan has performed in ballets such as Coppelia, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and the Tales of Beatrix Potter to name a few.
Recently promoted to Soloist with Ballet San Antonio, Mulligan has performed principal roles such as Princess Aurora and Bluebird from Sleeping Beauty, the Black Swan from Swan Lake, Clara from the Nutcracker, and the leading role of Kitri in Don Quixote.

Meg Rulewicz – Ballet Instructor

Megan Rulewicz was raised in San Antonio, Texas, and trained under the direction of Vladimir Marek and Nancy Smith at the Vladimir Marek Ballet Academy. After graduating high school, Megan began studying ballet at Brigham Young University, where she was coached and taught by Shani Robison, Jan Dijkwel, and Suzi Wood. While performing with the Ballet Showcase Company at BYU, she danced roles in Snow Queen, Raymonda, and originated roles and appeared in many choreographic works by the BYU faculty and students. In addition to performing with the company, Megan premiered her first choreographic work, Silent Victims of a Raging Storm, in 2006 and received an Outstanding Choreography Award from the dance department.

Upon graduating from BYU with a B.A. in Dance in 2007, Megan began graduate school at the University of Utah. During her time there, she studied under the direction of Regina Zarhina, Mikhail Tchoupakov, Conrad Ludlow, Maureen Laird, Sharee Lane, and Richard Wacko. She danced in various ballet department productions and choreographed five original works, including two contemporary ballet solos for the Youth America Grand Prix Competition in 2009. Megan graduated from the University of Utah in 2010 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Ballet, with emphases in choreography and teaching.

In 2010, Megan joined the faculty at UTSA, and began working to build a dance degree program for the university. She currently serves as the dance department coordinator for the university and teaches ballet, modern dance, and history of dance.  She continues to choreograph and coach for showcases and competitions nationwide, and is a member of the National Dance Education Organization and CORPS de Ballet International.

Renee Blackwelder – Ballet Instructor

Renee’ Blackwelder began her dancing career at the age of three with the prestigious Boving School of Dance in Houston, TX, under the direction of Valentine Boving and Ballet Mistress Olga Kostritzky. After graduation from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) in Houston, as a dance major, Renee’ spent five years with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and seven years with Kennedy and Company. She has performed in various ballets including the Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Nutcracker, Peter and the Wolf, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty and Coppelia.  She also earned the highest honor in the senior division of the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) Program under the direction of Ms. Kostritzky. As an accomplished tap dancer, Renee’ has performed in various musicals in the Houston area including The Boyfriend, Cats and excerpts from A Chorus Line and Chicago. Renee’ also has a new love for Flamenco joining the group Espana Viva in 2017 which performs all over the San Antonio area. Renee’ has been teaching in Houston and San Antonio since 2006  sharing her love of dance. She earned an Associate of Arts degree in Business from San Jacinto College in Houston. Renee’ and her husband reside in San Antonio and have two beautiful daughters.  One is currently dancing at University of Texas at Austin and the other is in the Professional Training Division with Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thaddeus Morris – Ballet, Tap, Partnering/Pas de deux, and Musical Theater Instructor
Assistant Director for Premiere Ballet Ensemble

Thaddeus Morris began his dance training in San Antonio, classically under Connally’s Dance Workshop, and tap dancing with Third Coast Rhythm Project. He then majored in Musical Theater at Belhaven University. Following college graduation, he performed professionally with the Montgomery Ballet for three seasons and appeared as a guest artist in several ballets and musicals around San Antonio. In his recent season with the Montgomery Ballet, he performed as Nutcracker/Cavalier in the Nutcracker and the Prince in Snow White to name a few. Theatrical appearances include the portrayal of Cliff in Cabaret and Cain and Japeth in Children of Eden with Performing Arts San Antonio, Brad in Hairspray with the Legacy Theatre, Damis in Tartuffe, and Jesus in Godspell. In 2019, Thaddeus returned to San Antonio as an Artist in Residence with San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. With SAMET, Thaddeus took the stage for the Spun Sugar pas de deux in Hansel and Gretel, Kai in The Snow Queen, and performed in Dominic Walsh’s Sucumbir. For his most recent guest performance, Thaddeus portrayed the Shop Keeper in Ballet Conservatory of South Texas’ production of La Boutique. With Premiere Ballet, Thaddeus performed as the King of Hearts in the 2021 production of Alice in Wonderland, performed a duet and improv tap number in the Premiere Ballet Ensemble production of Motown Memories, and performed as Dr. Coppelius in our spring 2022 production, Coppelia. Thaddeus absolutely loves being a part of the Premiere Ballet Academy staff and being Assistant Artistic Director with Premiere Ballet Ensemble. On the rare occasion Thaddeus isn’t in the studio, catch him supervising lighting for the Magik Theatre, video editing, or in the kitchen experimenting with new cuisine.

Micaela Morris – Ballet and Contemporary Instructor

Micaela Morris received her early dance training with Georgia Academy of Dance and Georgia Dance Theater in Peachtree City, Georgia. Following high school, she attended Belhaven University and now holds a BFA degree in dance. After graduation in 2018, Micaela performed as a company member with the Montgomery Ballet. Her favorite rolls while performing in Montgomery include Spanish in the Nutcracker the Sylph Pas in Graduation Ball, and Fish in Carnival of the Animals. Micaela also loves musical theater and has most recently appeared as Brenda in Hairspray and ensemble in The Music Man. In 2019, Micaela moved to San Antonio to be an Artist in Residence with San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet. With SAMET, Micaela performed the Spun Sugar pas de deux in Hansel and Gretel, was the Lady of Summer in The Snow Queen, and performed in Dominic Walsh’s Sucumbir. Most recently, Micaela appeared in Ballet Conservatory of South Texas’ performance of La Boutique as the Shopkeeper’s Wife. Micaela has loved becoming a part of the Premiere Ballet family this year as an instructor and Assistant Artistic Director with Premiere Ballet Ensemble. She delighted in performing a duet in the Premiere Ballet Ensemble production of Motown Memories, and performing in our spring 2022 production, Coppelia. She looks forward to more future performances! 

Yania Noyola – Ballet Instructor

Kim Ingram – Jazz and Contemporary Instructor

Carla Sankey – Thrive Director and Jazz Instructor

Kat Umlang – Pilates Instructor and  Ballet Instructor

Karen Umlang – Office Manager

Missi Davis – Studio Assistant and Shop Manager