Our
Directors & Instructors
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Ms. JULIA STOCKMAN
Julia Stockman is the founding Artistic Director and Principal dancer of San Gorgonio Ballet. Ms. Olsen-Rodriguez received her training from many of the finest teachers, John Magnus, Charles Maple, Zelma Bustillo, Dorothy Lister, Francesca Corkle, Eli Lazar, Luis Fuentes, Stanley Holden, Clifford Breland, Maria Vegh, and Mario Nugara.
As a student, she received full merit scholarships studying with the elite Joffrey Ballet School Trainee Program in New York. She was selected by Edith D’Addario Director of the Joffrey Ballet School as the recipient of The Gaynor Minden Scholarship in 1999. She was also 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. Ms. Olsen-Rodriguez is twice recipient of First Place honors in the category of Pas de Deux and High Point Overall at the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix.
Professionally, her first work was at the age of fifteen as a soloist in Cinderella. She has since performed with many companies such as Theatre Bethune, American Ballet Theatre, Inland Pacific Ballet, Redlands Festival Ballet, Palm Springs Ballet, California Riverside Ballet, and Bre Dance Theatre. She is a member of the City of Angels Ballet. Ms. Olsen-Rodriguez also appears as Guest Artist with many Performing Companies and has worked with such companies as Musical Chairs, Inland Valley Classical Ballet, Palm Springs Cabelleros Gay Men’s Chorus and many others.
Noted for her superb technique, delicate grace, and elegant expression she has danced many principal roles, some of her favorites being Kitri from Don Quijote, Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, Medora From Le Corsair, The Little Mermaid, The Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker, and Giselle.
As a choreographer, she has staged and choreographed several full-length classics, original ballets, and modern ballets. Her most cherished work being “Remember Charlie, A Tribute to Charlie Chaplin”, a full-Length ballet premiering in 2007 with the consent and blessing of the Chaplin Family and Roy Export. She is frequently asked to be a guest choreographer for booking agents in the Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Desert Cities. She has also been nominated for Best Choreographer by the Desert Theatre League.
As an instructor, she teaches at Hoffer Elementary School, providing classical training and performing arts awareness to children of the Pass area.
In 2014 she was hand-selected by Mario Nugara, Director of City of Angels Ballet in Los Angeles and at the time Director of California Riverside Ballet to be the Principal Ballet Instructor for California Riverside Ballet. In the summer of 2017, she was offered the position of becoming the new Artistic Director of California Riverside Ballet. She accepted. As an Instructor and Coach, she has choreographed for young dancers to compete in Youth America Grand Prix.
Classical Ballet has been Ms. Stockman ’s life passion. As a dancer, choreographer and Instructor she remains completely dedicated to her art and taking part in the classical world of sharing with others and preserving the beauty and purity of Classical Dance.
INSTRUCTOR
STEPHANIE HAGER
Level I Instructor
A Yucaipa resident, Stephanie Hagar has been training and dancing classical ballet for over ten years. She has been with San Gorgonio Ballet since 2013 having performed in numerous productions with the School and the Company. Ms. Hager has received high acclaim for her performances as The Little Mermaid in the San Gorgonio Ballet Company’s Premier Performance of The Match Girl and as Lucy in San Gorgonio Ballet Company’s Premier Performance of Dracula. A Corps de Ballet member of San Gorgonio Ballet Company we are pleased to have Stephanie Hager on staff teaching Beginning Ballet.
INSTRUCTOR
ALBERTOSSY ESPINOZA
Guest/Master Class Instructor – Modern, Latin Rhythm Cardio
Born in Ecuador and raised in Chicago, Albertossy is an internationally known actor, dancer, choreographer, and instructor. He is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and AGMA. His dance career began as a Theater Dance major at Northern Illinois University (NIU). After three semesters at NIU, he was scouted by Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater and offered a company scholarship. Albertossy soon became an apprentice and started touring with the company, nationally and internationally. He also toured nationally and internationally with Soul y Duende Spanish American Dance Theater, Walt Disney Productions, and Regina Klenjoski Dance Company. His other credits include teaching abroad, guest choreographing for various dance companies and performances in West Side Story, Annie Get Your Gun, Babes in Toy Land, The Pajama Game, and El Barbero de Sevilla and Victor Victoria. He was also a proud member of Joel Hall Dancers, Teresa y Los Preferidos Spanish Dance Company and Winifred Haun & Dancers. Albertossy’s works as a choreographer have been presented nationally from Chicago to Los Angeles and internationally in Spain, France, Guatemala, Mexico, Canada, and Australia.
Biography
In Los Angeles, Albertossy has choreographed for the Canadian TV series “Boystown,“ the film “HEELS” and two music videos, “Life is for Living,” featuring Julissa Aguirre and “Fuego Malagueña” featuring internationally renown artist, Esteban. Albertossy has worked with Lula Washington Dance Theater, Rosanegra Flamenco Company, Celina Zambon Flamenco Dance Company, Company of Strangers, Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre, Zina Bethune Theatre Dance and Djanbazian Dance Company. In 2004 he founded Los Angeles FUSION Dance Theater and made his company debut at SOLA Contemporary Dance Festival. The company has performed in various Los Angeles based dance festival since then and was invited to Guatemala to perform the piece “TRAPPED.” In 2010, Albertossy was invited by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre dancer, Vernard Gilmore to perform in New York City for Summer Stage. His experience of sharing the stage with Alvin Ailey dancers was a dream come true. 2010 also brought a prestigious Lester Horton Award nomination for “Sweet Dream,” a duet Albertossy choreographed and performed with Milva Rinaldelli for his dance company. In January 2011, by the request of the Board of Directors of Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles, Albertossy stepped in the role of President for the organization after serving on the board for three and a half years. 2011 also brought Albertossy to the Malibu Stage Company as a principal dancer and choreographer for the incredible, “Victor Victoria” musical. His highlight was when the Legendary Dick Van Dyke expressed how impressed he was with the choreography. In 2012, Mr. Van Dyke asked Albertossy to choreograph the production of “Cabaret” which he was producing. 2013 brought Albertossy the opportunity to teach Master Modern, Flamenco Fusion and Latin Rhythm Cardio classes throughout Los Angeles, and he was invited by the LA Opera to perform in their production of Carmen with Maestro, Placido Domingo. Albertossy joined the LA Opera again in February of 2015 for “The Barber of Seville.” He played the role of Ambrogio.
In his pursuit of acting, Albertossy made his debut in one of the lead roles in an independent film, “The Price of the American Dream.” Since then he has had a lead role on five more features, three short films, and a Canadian TV series.
Albertossy credits his mother for giving him the strength, will and drive to push onward in all aspects of life. He is tremendously grateful to his family, friends, and teachers for their love and support and especially recognizes his good friend and foremost supporter, Carolyn James.
INSTRUCTOR
Diane Johnson
Level I Instructor
Miss Johnson is a professional dancer in our company, San Gorgonio Ballet. She was promoted to the company in the fall of 2017 after training exclusively with San Gorgonio Ballet School for 10 years. As a student, she was in SGB's elite program and in SGB's Junior Company, which are programs structured for talented and dedicated students training for a professional career in classical ballet. She has performed in numerous productions with our school and company. One of many was The Snow Queen in The Match Girl, in which she received high acclaim for her performance. Other productions she has performed in include The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Graduation Ball, and much more. In 2020 she was given a position on San Gorgonio Ballet School's teaching staff, instructing our youth program held at San Gorgonio Ballet, Yucaipa Community Center, and Chatigny Community Center. We are very happy to have seen Miss Johnson grow and delevop this talent and passion for ballet and to continue with this beautiful art fom.