Salt Creek Ballet is pleased to have a talented teaching staff, all of whom are experienced professional teachers with a demonstrated love for teaching.


Christina Salerno, Executive Director
A former company member of Salt Creek Ballet, Ms. Salerno completed her ballet training as a scholarship student at San Francisco Ballet School. She has danced as a soloist with Boston Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Switzerland, and Royal Ballet, London over her 15-year career, performing leading roles in La Bayadere, Les Patineurs, Symphonic Variations, Cinderella, Nutcracker, Apollo, Waterbaby Bagatelles, and The Tales of Beatrix Potter among others. Ms. Salerno completed a Bachelor of Arts degree with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration from Skidmore College in 2006.

Michele Broviak has owned and operated Gotta Dance Studio in Chicago from 1987 - 2003. She has won the national and World Dance Champions choreography award and has also received Entertainment, Choreography and Top Teacher awards with various organizations. Ms. Broviak's intense training has been in ballet, pointe, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, musical theater and baton with instructors from all over the world. She has had an extensive stage and film career, performing in shows such as Guys and Dolls, Bye Bye Birdie, They're Playin Our Song, and A Chorus Line and participating in Dancefest and Human Rhythm Project. She has worked with stars such as Jessica Lange, Chris O'Donnell, Ann Jillian, Joan Cusack, Robert Conrad and Patrick Swayze.

Colette Gilbertson started dancing at age 6 and has now been teaching for more than 25 years. Before coming to Salt Creek Ms. Gilbertson taught at the Downers Grove Park District and was artistic director of her own student company, The Off Main St. Dancers. Many of her former students have pursued professional careers in dance. She has a teaching certificate from The Royal Academy of Dance in levels 1-9, and a diploma in fitness and nutrition. During her career she has choreographed high school musicals and dance teams in the Fox Valley area. She has studied with many well-known teachers including Lou Conte and the late Jimmy Payne. Colette began teaching for the Salt Creek Ballet in 1997.

Angie S. Keneipp is a native of Los Angeles who moved to Chicago fifteen years ago. While in L.A. she was senior member, soloist and choreographer for Jazz Dancers Inc., L.A.’S premiere concert jazz dance company. Angie has also appeared as a featured dancer in several films such as “Staying Alive”, “One From the Heart”, and “I’ll Do Anything”. She has worked and collaborated with the creative talents of Twyla Tharp, Sylvester Stallone, James L. Brooks, Ben Vereen and John Travolta, just to name a few. Her teaching and choreographic talents have taken her all over the globe. She has taught at Paramount Film Studios, Dupree Dance Academy and tours with conventions annually. Angie has performed with Chicago Dance Medium, a prominent Modern Company on the Chicago dance scene and is choreographing for several projects in Los Angeles and Chicago. Angie was honored to choreograph for Dance Chicago's showcase , one of Chicago's largest dance festivals . Her unique style is appreciated by all.

Jacqueline McDaniel began her training in Des Moines, IA, under the direction of Konstantin and Irina Uralsky. While attending a summer intensive at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., she was invited to attend the pre- professional program, studying under Ludmila Morkovina, a graduate and professor of the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Upon graduation, Jacqueline danced with Omaha Theater Ballet and as a guest performer for Central Dance Theater and Iowa Dance Theater. During this time she performed several classical works, including: "Daphnis and Chloe", "A Midsummer Nugh's Dream", "Sleeping Beauty, and " Swan Lake". Jacqueline then put her dancing career on hold to attend college. She relocated to Chicago where she received a degree in Marketing with an Art minor from Roosevelt University. During and after college, Jacqueline taught at several Chicagoland dance studios and performed with the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble. Jacqueline spent last year dancing with Ballet Theater of Maryland and teaching at the Chesapeke Arts Center.

Emily Moser began her studies with Irina Vassileni-Uralsky at the School of Ballet Iowa and also with Susan Snider at Vine Street Ballet. She went on to earn a BFA in Dance Performance from Northern Illinois University where she trained under Randall Newsom, Judith Chitwood and Paula Frasz. While attending NIU, Emily performed many principle and soloist roles in ballets such as Paquita, Les Sylphides, Giselle, Coppelia and The Nutcracker. Emily has performed with many Chicagoland dance companies such as Chicago Ballet, Momenta, the Schaumburg Dance Ensemble and Tyego Dance Project. She also has danced on the east coast with Connecticut Ballet and Ballet Long Island.

Julie Sanfilippo holds a BA from Beloit College and attended Columbia College as a community student. There she trained with Anna Paskevska and Jan Erkert who were strong influences. Other teachers who have helped develop her skills include Homer Bryant, Bill Evans, Larry Long, and Molly Shanahan. Since then she has danced with Kanopy Dance Company, Chicago Dance Medium, Perceptual Motion, Tyego Dance Project, Momenta, Paula Frasz and numerous independant choreographers. Her choreography has been presented in The Field, Around the Coyote, Dance Chicago, Vaudeville Underground, and Momenta. She has taught for Homer Bryant, was head of the dance program for Joans Studio for the Performing Arts, and most recently trained competitive figure skaters in dance. She is currently on faculty at the Academy of Movement and Music, teaches private lessons and yoga.

Boris Skrynnik is a professional instructor and choreographer of classical ballet (Vaganova technique), international character dance, pointe, partnering, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and specialized dance technique for ice skaters and gymnasts. He began his study of dance at the Ballet and Theater College in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine in 1969. He also studied dance in 1989 at the Moscow State University and received a Bachelor of Arts from the Moscow State University of scenic Art. He was a soloist and choreographer for the Berioska State Academy Dance Company from 1976 to 1991. He toured in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and New Zealand. Mr. Skrynnik created dance productions for several ballets including Petroushka by Stravinsky, Dubinshka and others. He was a professor of Choreography and Dance at the Politechnical Academy ESPE in Quito, Ecuador from 1994 to 1997. In the U.S., Mr. Skrynnik has worked at the International Ballet Academy in Pacific Grove, California teaching dance and choreography for all ages and levels as well as dance compositions for tango, Latin dance and rhythmic gymnastics. Currently he teaches at private dance schools throughout the Chicago area and has joined the faculty of the Salt Creek Ballet in 2008.

Susanne Carroll Wren originally from New York, trained with many prominent teachers including four years at the High School of the Performing Arts in New York City. She performed in a variety of Broadway shows, national companies and TV shows, working for renowned choreographers such as Bob Fosse, in Sweet Charity, Ron Field in Cabaret, and Michael Bennett in Promises Promises. She has appeared locally at the Shubert and Goodman Theatres. Ms Wren has been on the faculty since 1978 and was Assistant Artistic Director of the Salt Creek Ballet from 1986-1998.