AboutUs

John Magnus
Artistic Director

John Magnus was born in South Africa where he received
his early dance training at the University of Cape Town
Ballet School. His talent and artistry drew the attention of
the Cape Town City Ballet Company and he accepted a
position with the company.

In 1980, Mr. Magnus moved to the United States to serve
as ballet master for Nevada Dance Theatre. After just a
few years, he felt compelled to move to New York City
where he was hired as a teacher for the New Jersey Ballet
School and Company. In 1986, Robert Joffrey asked John
to join the faculty of the Joffrey Ballet School. He was
privileged to be the last teacher hired by Robert Joffrey
before Mr. Joffrey’s death in 1988. While on faculty at the
Joffrey School, he also taught for the Joffrey Ballet
Company and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet.

The Joffrey Midwest Workshop was established in Flint,
Michigan in 1996 and Mr. Magnus was named Artistic
Director by Joffrey Ballet School director Edith D’Addario.
The workshop was renamed Magnus Midwest Dance in
July of 2009 to honor his vision and leadership. In 2005,
he was appointed Artistic Director of the Joffrey Ballet
School and created a full length Nutcracker performed at
the Skirball Theatre New York and reviewed by The New
York Times as “glorious and sweetly inventive”.

In 2009, Mr. Magnus ended his 23 year relationship with
the Joffrey Ballet School to accept the position of Artistic
Director for the Portland Festival Ballet in Portland,
Oregon. He is the Co-Artistic Director for the San
Gorgonio Ballet in California and President of the
American Readers Theatre, a not-for-profit organization
promoting literacy through the performing arts. In past
years he has served as the Artistic Director for the Great
Lakes Summer Workshop and the Joffrey Midland Summer
Workshop.

His choreography includes West Virginia Opera (Faust and
Der Fledermaus), Simple Symphony (Benjamin Britten)
and Overture (Schubert) created for the collaboration
between the Joffrey Ballet School and Arts Umbrella
School in Vancouver and new works for the Joffrey Ballet
School Dance Ensemble performed at the Boch Centre for
the Performing Arts in Massachusetts. Mr. Magnus has
collaborated with American Readers Theatre and created
works for the Big Read based on Steinbeck’s Grapes of
Wrath and the Edgar Allen Poe poem Annabel Lee and
guest teaches throughout the states and for the Regional
Dance America

Julia Olsen-Rodriguez
Artistic Director

Miss Olsen -Rodriguez Founding Artistic Director of San
Gorgonio Ballet received her training from many of the
finest teachers including John Magnus, Charles Maple,
Zelma Bustillo, Luis Fuentes and Clifford Breland. A seven
year full merit scholarship student of the elite Joffrey Ballet
School Trainee Program, she has been accepted to such
schools as American Ballet Theatre, The Kirov , The
Bolshoi at Vail, Houston Ballet, The Rock School of the
Pennsylvania Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center,
and The School at Jacobs Pillow. She has performed with
many companies such as American Ballet Theatre, Inland
Pacific Ballet, Redlands Festival Ballet, Palm Springs
Ballet, and Bre Dance Theatre. Noted for her superb
technique, delicate grace, and elegant expression, she is
also a principal dancer with San Gorgonio Ballet.

San Gorgonio Ballet
240 West Ramsey Street Banning CA 951/ 922-8820 fax 951/ 922-8830

Copyright 2009 San Gorgonio Ballet Company All Rights Reserved

San
Gorgonio
Ballet

Elyssa Guardino
Principal Dancer

Ms. Guardino Ballet Mistress and Principal Dancer with
San Gorgonio Ballet has danced in the three major
disciplines of classical, modern, and musical theater. She
has performed with Boston Ballet, Chicago Ballet, and
Radio City Ballet as a Soloist. She was a Principal dancer
with the avant-gardecompany of Rudy Perez and the
modern companies of Joan Lumbari, and Paul Sanasardo.
She is an accomplished dancer, singer, and actress and
has appeared in many national tours and on Broadway.
.After settling in the desert, she performed as Principal
dancer in eight seasons of The Nutcracker at the
McCallum Theater, and two hundred performances of the
popular review Sinatra My Way. Noted for her grace and,
beauty, and perfection of stage presence and technique,
she was selected by Robert Beck, Founder of Palm
Springs Ballet, to be his Prima Ballerina. Ms. Guardino has
also served as Artistic Director of Palm Springs Ballet.

Ms. Guardino is an accomplished dance teacher, having
many years of experience teaching for major schools
nationally.

Barbara Crafts

Barbara Crafts began dancing in Melbourne, Australia with
teachers from Ballet Rambert. When she returned to
America she trained with Carol Serenberg of Ballet Russe
de Monte Carlo. She spent two summers in New York City
training with Talia Mara, Arthur Mahony, Serge Romanoff
and Hilda Bustova at Ballet repertoire. One of her
classmates was Maria Vegh. College training was with
William Christiansen at University of Utah. Mr. Christiansen
was forming a company separate from the university.
Fellow students were Michael Smuin, Kent Stowel, and
Finus Jhung. Mr. C. assigned Finus Jhung to be Barbara’s
partner for the years they trained at Utah. The university
company performed the first full length Coppelia in
America, on nationwide television and won a Ford Grant to
form the separate company. The company was first named
Utah Ballet, then Utah Civic ballet, and finally in 1963 Ballet
West , which is it’s name today.

Barbara retired from ballet to continue college in the field
of teaching, and raise a family. She returned to dance in
January of 2001, studying at several area studios. She
performed the role of Step-Mother in Riverside Ballet Arts
performance of Cinderella in 2003. She began training with
San Gorgonio Ballet in 2004 enjoying the technical
excellence and choreographic beauty that Miss Julia Olsen-
Rodriguez brings to the stage. At 70 years old Barbara
has not lost her love of dance.

Evan Knapp
Ballet Master / regisseur

Evan Knapp hails from Oregon and began his training at
The American Dance Theatre in Oregon. Highlights from
his performing years include dancing with the Rockettes at
Radio City Music Hall, North Carolina Dance Theatre,
Charlotte City Ballet, San Diego City Ballet, Isaacs
McCaleb and Dancers, San Diego Dance Theatre.
Favorites from the theatre include A Chorus Line, West
Side Story and 7 Brides for 7 Brothers as a member of
AEA. As an instructor he has taught for a wide variety of
private and public institutions, including The Idyllwild Arts
Academy, Coronado School of the Performing Arts, The
Virginia School of the Arts and The American Dance
Theater. In addition he has had the pleasure of teaching
for San Diego State University, Portland State University,
California Ballet, The Institute for Arts Education, Oregon
Arts in Education, and San Diego’s Academy of
Performing Arts. Evan is known for his expressive, athletic
Jazz style and contemporary take on classical ballet.