About ACBT Instructors
Our Instructors
All of our teachers are professional dancers who have a passion for dance, and for teaching others to dance. In addition to being highly accomplished in their fields, they are also energetic, positive, and caring people. Under ACB Artistic Director and Choreographer Phyllis Papa and the other instructors, the ACBT students participate in an extensive schedule of classes and rehearsals. Classes include classical ballet technique, and pointe, competitive team, and adult ballet. ACBT classes are held at Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, NJ. Private lessons with Phyllis are held at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ.
Phyllis Papa
Phyllis Papa has danced for major companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, and Stars of American Ballet where she has performed for President Johnson, the Shah of Iran, and numerous Royal Command Performances in Europe. King Frederick IX of Denmark was known to be one of her biggest fans.
Frederica Sestili
Federica started studying in Roseto Degli Abruzzi, Italy with Dorina Di Marco at Isadora Duncan. She graduated from the National Academy of Dance in Rome and came to the US as a trainee at the Princeton Ballet School. She has appeared as Clara, Flowers and Snow in Nutcracker. She also appeared in Don Quixote before coming to AC Ballet in 2016 as an Apprentice.
Jari Pignataro
Jari Pignataro is from Italy and studied classical dance at the Opera Theater of Rome and the National Dance Academy. In 2014 he was chosen by the Director of the Tanz Akademie in Zurich, Oliver Matz, for an internship. He has appeared in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker with Carla Fracci, Carmen with Andrea Bocelli, Don Chisciotte and Pulcinella.
Claudio Cirsone
Italy
Claudio is from Cerignola, Italy and received his early training in Bari, Puglia, at Unika, and then at the Scuola del Teatro dall’Opera in Rome. He has attended summer programs with Boston Ballet and Ajkun Ballet and was accepted in the trainee program with the Ajkun Ballet in NY . He later performed with the America Repertory Ballet in Princeton, where he appeared as the Nephew/Prince in “Nutcracker,” and Espada in “Don Quixote.”
Tiziano Villani
Italy
Tiziano was born in Italy and studied at ASD Scuola di Danza Nijinsky and Scuola del Balletto di Toscana. He has performed for the English National Ballet, Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Accademia danza di Berlino and Ecole Superieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower. He has danced in Carmen el Traidor, Butterfly, Schiaccianoci, Grande Suite Classique Verdiana and The Great Pas De Deux.
Our Summer Instructors
Phyllis Papa
Phyllis Papa has danced for major companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Royal Danish Ballet, and Stars of American Ballet where she has performed for President Johnson, the Shah of Iran, and numerous Royal Command Performances in Europe. King Frederick IX of Denmark was known to be one of her biggest fans.
Jari Pignataro
Jari Pignataro is from Italy and studied classical dance at the Opera Theater of Rome and the National Dance Academy. In 2014 he was chosen by the Director of the Tanz Akademie in Zurich, Oliver Matz, for an internship. He has appeared in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker with Carla Fracci, Carmen with Andrea Bocelli, Don Chisciotte and Pulcinella.
Caitlin Mc Elroy
Caitlin received her early training at Lowe Dance Studio and moved to Boca Raton, Florida to train at The Harid Conservatory at the age of 16. Caitlyn spent two years in the Graduate Program at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, having the opportunity to perform in the North American premiere of Derek Deane's Alice in Wonderland.
Ionut Zaharia
Ionut, Ballet Master, graduated from the Ballet Height School in Bucharest, Romania. He danced with the National Theatre from Bucharest and Oleg Danovski Theatre. Performed with AC Ballet since 2008 in principal roles such as Dracula, Nutcracker, and more.