About Tacoma City Ballet

Mission

  • TO PRESERVE AND PERPETUATE THE TECHNIQUE AND TRADITIONS OF CLASSICAL BALLET
  • TO NURTURE AND DEVELOP THE INTELLECTUAL MIND AND PHYSICAL BEING OF YOUNG DANCE ARTISTS
  • TO CULTIVATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT ENCOURAGES ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT
  • TO ENSURE EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE STUDY AND PERFORMANCE OF CLASSICAL BALLET
  • TO ENSURE THE STUDY OF CLASSICAL BALLET IS FINANCIALLY ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
  • TO CREATE ARTISTICALLY EXCELLENT AND ACCESSIBLE PROFESSIONAL BALLET PRODUCTIONS FOR ALL

History Synopsis

Miss-Jan-Collum
In 1955, Miss Jan Collum founded The Jan Collum School of Classical Ballet and The Concert Ballet Group of Tacoma. The School to impart excellent classical ballet instruction, and the Company to perform classical ballet with a stellar standard of excellence and professionalism. The Concert Ballet Group of Tacoma began with six Company Dancers who soon blossomed into thirty. By 1965, The Concert Ballet Group of Tacoma was renamed BALLETACOMA and established as a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation. BALLETACOMA, under the Artistic Direction of Miss Jan Collum, forged a local, regional, and national reputation for excellence in classical ballet instruction and performance for the next thirty years. In 1995, BALLETACOMA was re-christened Tacoma City Ballet which combined both the School and the Company under a single 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Corporation. Since 1955, The Concert Ballet Group of Tacoma, BALLETACOMA, and Tacoma City Ballet have presented an annual performance season in Tacoma, as well as touring productions to other regional cities. With the opening of the Pantages Theater in 1983, Miss Jan Collum finally realized her dream of establishing an annual performance season in a professional theater with live professional orchestra. In 2010, through the generosity of the Dimmer Family Foundation, Tacoma City Ballet created a fully equipped black box theater in the Merlino Art Center to host miniature performances, as well as community events. Tacoma City Ballet has resided in the Merlino Art Center since 1983, and in this majestic historic building that is one of the jewels in Tacoma’s architectural crown, Tacoma City Ballet studies, rehearses, and performs the art of classical ballet.

Executive Staff | Artistic Staff | School Faculty

  • Miss Erin M. Ceragioli, Executive Director, Artistic Director, Director of Tacoma City Ballet School, School Faculty
    Miss Ceragioli serves as the Executive and Artistic Director of Tacoma City Ballet, and the Director of Tacoma City Ballet School. For over three decades, she has forged a reputation as a master teacher and a choreographer who has staged many full-length ballets in the classical repertoire and has also choreographed numerous original ballets. Miss Ceragioli began her primary study of classical ballet under Miss Archalee Correll, and continued her advanced study under the tutelage of such stellar teachers as Harold Christensen, Lew Christensen, Willam Christensen, Benjamin Harkarvy, Robert Joffrey, Janet Reed, and Maria Tallchief. After a short professional career, Miss Ceragioli studied the syllabi of the Danish, English, French, Italian, and Russian Schools of Ballet earning her teaching certifications. She joined the Faculty of The Jan Collum School of Classical Ballet in 1987, and after four years of serving on the School Faculty, as Ballet Mistress, and as Assistant Artistic Director of the Company, Miss Jan Collum appointed Miss Ceragioli as
    Co-Artistic Director of BALLETACOMA. In 1995, BALLETACOMA was re-christened Tacoma City Ballet, and Miss Jan Collum assumed the title of Artistic Director Emeritus formally passing her legacy to Miss Ceragioli.
  • Mr. John DeLoma, School Faculty
    Mr. DeLoma began studying classical ballet under the tutelage of Miss Jan Collum at the age of 4. He has studied under master teachers from San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and New York City Ballet. After a performing career in which he danced principal roles in major classical and neoclassical ballets, Mr. DeLoma pursued a degree in architecture, and has been the principal owner of his own firm since 2003. Mr. DeLoma serves as a Faculty Member of the Tacoma City Ballet School specializing in Men’s Technique and Pas de Deux.
  • Mr. Travis Goldman, Ballet Master, School Faculty
    Mr. Goldman began studying classical ballet in Port Angeles at Miriam’s School of Dance. After moving to Tacoma, he continued his studies under Miss Jan Collum. Mr. Goldman has studied under master teachers Hugh Bigney, William Christensen, Robert Joffrey, and Kabby Mitchell III.. Mr. Goldman has danced principal roles in classical, modern, and contemporary repertoire. Each season, he reprises his role as Herr Drosselmeyer in Tacoma City Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Mr. Goldman is an award-winning choreographer, who has received regional acclaim for his innovative choreography, and is also a talented musician who has composed music for his original choreographies. In 1998, Mr. Goldman joined the Faculty of Tacoma City Ballet School. Mr. Goldman is Owner of North Coast Kayaks (NC Kayaks), and continues to serve as Ballet Master and Resident Choreographer of Tacoma City Ballet Company, and as a Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.
  • Miss Melissa Lovejoy-Goldman, Ballet Mistress, School Faculty
    Miss Lovejoy-Goldman received her classical ballet training at Tacoma City Ballet School under the tutelage of Miss Jan Collum and Miss Erin Ceragioli. While continuing to perform with Tacoma City Ballet Company, Miss Lovejoy-Goldman attended the University of Washington and received her Bachelor of Arts. In 2001, she joined the Faculty of Tacoma City Ballet School and also served as General Manager of Tacoma City Ballet. Miss Lovejoy-Goldman is Vice President of Enterprise Engagement Resources at Northwest Credit Union Association, and continues to serve as Ballet Mistress of Tacoma City Ballet Company, and as a Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.
  • Miss Anne Milner, School Faculty
    Miss Milner began studying ballet at the age of eight. She began her formal classical training under the tutelage of Miss Erin Ceragioli and Mr. Joel Myers at Tacoma City Ballet School in 2015. While performing with Tacoma City Ballet Company, Miss Milner danced numerous corps de ballet roles, as well as principal roles. In 2019, Miss Milner attended Boise State University in Idaho. She was also accepted into the Idaho Dance Theatre where she performed professionally from 2019 to 2021, and continued her classical training under Marla Hansen, Artistic Director of Idaho Dance Theatre. Miss Milner returned to Tacoma to begin her journey of attaining her Registered Nursing Degree. She is thrilled to be back at Tacoma City Ballet now working as a professional dancer in Tacoma City Ballet’s Professional Company Division, and as a Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.
  • Miss Kristin Olson, School Faculty
    Miss Olson received her classical ballet training at Tacoma City Ballet School under the tutelage of Miss Erin Ceragioli. She later attended Western Washington University where she continued her dance training and received her Bachelor of Arts. In 2012, she moved to South Korea and became a faculty member for an English immersion elementary school. Aside from teaching English, Miss Olson also started a very successful after school dance program. In the spirit of her great love of dance and movement, Miss Olson ventured to Thailand in 2016 to immerse herself in the study of Yoga and its instruction. After moving back to the United States, Miss Olson became the Arts Program Director, as well as Dance Instructor, for the Gordon Family YMCA. From 2018-2020, she served as the Arts Director for the entire program. In 2021, Miss Olson returned to Tacoma City Ballet and serves as a Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.
  • Ms. Kara O’Toole, Development Director, Adult Open Program Director, School Faculty
    Ms. O’Toole has served on the dance department faculties of the University of Washington, University of Memphis, George Mason University, and Cornish College of the Arts. She has served as Executive/Artistic Director for Velocity Dance Center in Seattle, and as Executive/Artistic Director for Orcas Center on Orcas Island. As a performer, Ms. O’Toole danced professionally in the works of many notable choreographers including Jose Limon, Bebe Miller, Mark Morris, Vaslav Nijinsky, Paul Taylor, and Pat Graney. Ms. O’Toole holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts from Mount Holyoke College. Ms. O’Toole has been living in Tacoma with her family since 2018, and serves on the faculties of Pacific Lutheran University, Tuladhara Yoga, and Seattle Theater Group in the Dance for Parkinson’s Program. Ms. O’Toole is thrilled to be working at Tacoma City Ballet as Development Director, Adult Open Program Director, and Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.
  • Miss Olivia Williams, Pilates Mat Instructor, School Faculty
    Miss Williams has over 20 years of experience in the study of movement and dance. She discovered her passion for Pilates while training with her mentor, Tara Steppenberg. Miss Williams received her Pilates Teaching Certification from the PhysicalMind Institute in 2008, and has acquired additional certification in Standing Pilates, a specialty field pioneered by Leslie Powell of Movements Afoot Pilates in New York City. Miss Williams has taught Pilates throughout the Puget Sound Region, California, and Mexico. Presently, she owns and operates Olivia Williams Pilates, and offers one-on-one training. Miss Williams is very pleased to serve as a Faculty Member of Tacoma City Ballet School.

Administrative Staff

  • Rebecca Jensen, School Receptionist
  • Kumi Oya, Company Archivist

Ballet Class Piano Accompanists

  • Jeff Anderson
  • Marina Katsel

Theatrical Production Staff

  • Salvatore Lucente, Technical Director, Set and Properties Design and Construction Director
  • Madeleine Arnold, Wardrobe Mistress
  • Walter Kilmer, Lighting Designer
  • Bernard Kwiram, Tacoma City Ballet Orchestra Music Director
  • Byeong W. Chae, Tacoma City Ballet Photographer

Health and Wellness

  • Sound Spine and Joint Physicians * Dr. Matthew Grierson, MD and Dr. Nancy Kadel, MD
    1700 Westlake Ave. N. Ste. 400 | Seattle, WA 98109 | Phone: (206) 455-6700
  • The Health Connection Chiropractic | Acupuncture | Massage
    601 S. Pine St. Suite 201 | Tacoma, WA 98405 | Phone: (253) 396-1000

ABOUT US

Tacoma City Ballet
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation
Classical Ballet School
Professional Performing Company

TACOMA CITY BALLET

508 6th Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: (253) 272-4219
Email: tacomacityballet@gmail.com