Faculty

Helen Wilkins

After completing the Advanced Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dancing, London, and performing with the Banff Festival Ballet Company, Wilkins accepted a scholarship to study in New York City.  Within six months she was touring professionally with Marvin Gordon’s Ballet Concepts, performing in summer stock at MusiCarnival in Cleveland, as well as dancing at the Royal Alexander Theatre in Toronto.  In Toronto, she choreographed an opera for Colin Graham of the Sadlers Wells.  A tour of Europe followed, including study with Rosella Hightower in Cannes.  Upon returning to the U.S. she became ballet mistress of Fort Wayne Ballet and later the Delaware Regional Ballet.  She served as school director of the Canton Ballet until coming to Edmonds to found Olympic Ballet Theatre with her late husband, John Wilkins.  She produced OBT’s annual Choreography Showcase for eight years and commissioned a score for the 1996 premiere of a NW artists’ collaboration.  She was proud to direct the Regional Dance America / Pacific Festival in 2003 with 20 visiting ballet companies in mster classes and performances.  Wilkins currently serves as treasurer for RDA / Pacific Association of ballet companies.

Daniel Wilkins began his training at Olympic Ballet and went on to the School of American Ballet, where he danced principal roles in works by Balanchine at Lincoln Center in the graduating Workshop. He danced for two years with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.  Returning to NYC, Wilkins joined Donald Byrd/The Group, performing featured roles in Life Situations, Harlem Nutcracker, and Carmina Burana at Lincoln Center.  Daniel danced principal roles with Complexions during its first international tour to Brazil.  For four years he worked with the Outlaws under the direction of Melinda Roy (NYCB.)   In 2000 Daniel joined Suzanne Farrell Ballet performing at Kennedy Center and the New Victory Theater.   He is in his fifth season as Artistic Director of his own NYC based contemporary company, danielandsomesuperfriends, which has premiered five full-length works at Diane von Furstenberg – The Theater in NYC.   Wilkins has performed many roles as guest artist with OBT.  In Seattle, he danced with Spectrum Dance Theater and choreographed a new work for the Northwest Best Series.   dass premiered one full-length work at the Bagley Wright Theatre and two at Edmonds Center for the Arts, the most recent one in association with Read Across America.

Tatiana Cater studied ballet, Russian ethnic dance, character dance, and historical dance at the Moscow State Institute of Culture.  She toured to Russia, Austria, and Germany and performed in 1992 as solo dancer with the Russian International Ballet Collective in Benidorm Palace, Spain, where she appeared on national television.  Cater taught ballet to children at the SunriseDanceSchool in Russia.  She currently teaches creative, ballet, and folk dance for OBS and represents Olympic Ballet faculty at the Seattle Skating Club.  She has choreographed several new works for Olympic Ballet Theatre including "Russian Melodies recently performed at OBT's Spring Production, Festival of Friends.  She has taught for Olympic Ballet since 1995.

Maika Misumi began studying contemporary ballet at an early age with Hiroshi Ono Kyoko/Wainai in Japan. She studied and performed in Russia with the Bolshoi Ballet. 
In 1997 Misumi came to New York City where she studied at the Joffrey School and Peridance Center.  She has performed with Kun-Yang-Lin, Long Island Ballet, and
Nina Buisso and has presented her own works at Context Theater and Dance
Theater Workshop.  Misumi, who directs her own company, has performed several roles as a guest artist with Olympic Ballet Theatre and is currently dancing with Zol Scofield in Seattle.  She has been a faculty member of Olympic Ballet School since summer of 2006.