Theodor Constantinescu was born into a family of musicians in Bucharest, Romania. His grandparents were concert-pianists. His grandfather, Radu Constantinescu was the founder of the State Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera in Iasi, Romania. and his father was solo-cellist, pianist, and composer.
At the age of four, Theodor Constantinescu begins gymnastic training and piano lessons in his native Bucharest. Eight years later, he moves to Canada where he joins the "École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec" in Montreal, having Mr. Daniel Seillier of the Paris Opera as principal ballet teacher. He also studies with the National Ballet of Canada and attends Collège du Vieux Montréal.
His professional career starts with "Les Grands Ballets Canadiens" in Montréal, Canada.
Upon his return to Europe, he dances with Deutsche Oper am Rhein Dusseldorf, Staatsoper Berlin, and Leipziger Ballet, and tours as guest artist Russia, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Romania, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, the United States, and Japan.
He eventually adopts the stage-name Theodore Constant.
Throughout his career, Theodore Constant performs as Soloist and Principal dancer in a large repertoire of classical and contemporary ballets in which roles are created for him. He closely works with choreographers such as Maurice Béjart, Roland Petit, William Forsythe, Uwe Scholz, Heinz Spoerli, Patrice Bart, Jorma Uotinen, and Hans van Manen among others.
As choreographer, his classical, neoclassical and contemporary productions are performed in Germany, France, Canada, and the United States, including the Mondavi Center for the Arts, and the Harris Center.
He holds Dance Teacher Diplomas from Germany and the United Kingdom, and speaks fluently German, English, French and Romanian.
He is guest Ballet Master Internationally: Semperoper Dresden - Germany, Basel Ballet - Switserland, Festival Ballet Providence, USA, Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy - Austria, Joffrey Ballet School, Manhattan Youth Ballet, Kaatsbaan International Dance Center - USA, National Ballet - Romania, John Cranko Ballet Academy Stuttgart - Germany, and many more.
Mr. Constant's students are currently teachers, choreographers, and professional dancers with Companies such as The Royal Ballet, Bucharest National Opera Ballet, Vienna State Opera Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theatre, Cullberg Ballet, Nuremberg Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Festival Ballet, etc. They have received numerous International Awards from some of the most prestigious Ballet Competitions, including the Youth America Grand Prix New York Finals & Paris European Finals, and the Prix de Lausanne.
Mr. Constant has been invited by the Romanian Parliament to the International Symposium for the Arts and Culture, by the International Dance Council as affiliate at UNESCO, and is adjudicator on International Ballet Competitions panels.
Theodore Constant has been Artistic Adviser with the National Ballet Theatre in Romania (1998-1999), Artistic Director and Choreographer with the Cologne Dance Academy in Germany (1999-2003), Artistic Director and Choreographer with the OSC Dance Company in Canada (2003-2006), Ballet Director and Choreographer with the Northern California Dance Conservatory in the United States (2006-2014), Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer with the Theodore Constant - Dance Academy (since 2014), and Ballet Master and Choreographer with the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy (2015-2016).
In 2014 Mr. Constant has founded the yearly TCDA - International Ballet Festival, which takes place in the summer. Under his Artistic Direction, the program gathers Directors, Master Teachers and Choreographers from around the world, and houses students from many different countries. Unique to a summer-program, the Festival offers each year scholarships to prestigious Dance Schools, Academies, as well as professional contracts in the United States and Europe.
Guest Artists / Faculty
Cristina Hamel - Ballet
Ms. Hamel graduated from the National Conservatory of Choreography in Bucharest, Romania and worked with Ballet-Masters of the “Mariinsky Theatre” (Kirov) in St. Petersburg, Russia before becoming Prima-Ballerina with the Bucharest National Opera House in Romania.
For the next twenty-three years, Ms. Hamel danced the majority of the classical roles, as well as promoting neo-classical and modern repertoire in the country. During this time, she was also guest artist with other dance Companies and toured internationally, performing with many other celebrated personalities of the dance world.
From 1980 she acted as Ballet Mistress with the “Theatre Capitole de Toulouse” in France, “Teatro alla Scala” (Milan), “Atter Balletto” (Reggio Emilia) and “Torino Ballet” in Italy, “Berlin Opera House” (Deutsche Oper Berlin), “Bonn Opera House” and “Düsseldorf Opera House” in Germany.
The next twelve years she is Professor of Dance with the “Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance in Cologne, Germany.
In 2002 she moves to France and is regularly invited as Ballet Mistress with many schools and large professional Dance Companies nationally and internationally.
Her students have joined major dance Companies, and have broadened the art of dance as teachers. She has produced pedagogy DVDs that are distributed by Sud Reportage, France.
Ms. Hamel is president of many national and international dance juries, as well as member of the French National Dance Confederation.
In 2002 she has received the Medal of Honor from the Romanian Government for a life dedicated to the advocacy of dance at its highest standards internationally.
Tina Kay Bohnstedt - Ballet
Ms. Bohnstedt began her dance training at the Heinz-Bosl Stiftung Ballet Academy in Munich, Germany in 1981, and received her diploma in 1989. During this time, she was awarded the Junior Gold Medal at the German Ballet Competition (1986), as well as finalist -fourth place in the Moscow International Ballet Competition (1989). From 1989 to 1998 Ms. Bohnstedt was a principal dancer with the Bavarian State Ballet, Munich, Germany.
In 1992 her artistry was recognized with the Bavarian Cultural Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts. She performed in a wide range of classical and contemporary roles, including Juliet in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Kitri in Ray Barra’s Don Quixote, Aurora in Peter Wright’s Sleeping Beauty, Mary in John Neumeier’s Nutcracker, among others. She also performed several lead roles by Balanchine including Serenade, Symphony in C and Apollo along with works by Van Manen, Kylian, Naharin, Preliojai, and many others.
Ms. Bohnstedt has toured internationally to China, Italy, Korea, Philippines, Poland, Belarus, Spain, Switzerland and the United States. After moving to San Francisco in 1998, Ms. Bohnstedt became guest dancer with the Lawrence Pech Dance Company in San Francisco, and joined the Diablo Ballet in 1999. She has since been featured in many works of Diablo Ballet in which roles have been created for her. From 2007 Ms. Bohnstedt has also been serving as a Ballet Mistress for the Company, as well as guest artist and teacher for several companies in the San Francisco Bay Area, while choreographing for dance schools and Companies, as well as solos for YAGP and Orlando World Ballet Competition.
In 2005 Ms. Bohnstedt became Director of the Diablo Ballet Apprentice Program, and in January 2011 faculty of City Ballet San Francisco. She assumed the position of Ballet Master at Houston Ballet for the 2011-2012 season, and has been Director of the Professional Program at Artisan Ballet in Houston, Texas, from 2012-2015.
Ms. Bohnstedt is presently Director of the TKB Center for Ballet and Dance in Houston, TX.
Marek Rozycki - Ballet
Mr. Rozycki began his dance training at the State Ballet School in Poznań, Poland, where he was tutored following the Vaganova Syllabus by Wanda Jakowicka and Władyslaw Milon.
His first professional engagement was with the Polish Dance Theater under Conrad Drzewiecki who at the time was the most innovative choreographer of the Polish dance scene. During a tour to Italy with the Company, Mr. Rozycki received an invitation from Reinhild Hoffmann to work with the Bremer Dance Theatre, and decided to make the move to Germany.
His next professional engagement brought him to Berlin, where he became a member of the Deutsche Oper Berlin Ballet, first under the direction of Gert Reinholm, and later under Peter Schaufuss, who overtook directorship of the Company in 1990. During this time, Mr. Rozycki danced in a vast repertoire by world famous classical and contemporary choreographers, while starting his own choreographic career.
In 1992 Mr. Rozycki was invited to join the Berlin State Opera (Staatsoper Berlin) as Soloist, under the direction of Michael Denard, and in due course became Company Ballet Master and Choreographer.
The following engagement took him to Denmark as Principal Ballet Master and assistant Choreographer to Peter Schaufuss and his Dance Company.
Mr. Rozycki then continued to broaden his artistic abilities by choreographing and teaching ballet all over Europe while obtaining his Dance Teacher Diploma from the Institut de Pédagogie et de Recherche Chorégraphiques in Paris, at the Centre National de la Danse.
Bertrand d’At, Director of the Ballet du Rhin, invited him to be the Company’s resident Guest Ballet Master and Professor for classical dance at the Conservatoire National de Région in Strasbourg.
His next engagement brought him back to Berlin alongside Adolphe Binder as Associate Artistic Director and First Ballet Master, where he cooperated in numerous projects with the Ballet Company of the Komische Oper Berlin in the period of its greatest prosperity and creativity.
Mr. Rozycki is presently Deputy Artistic Director with the National Ballet School Berlin, Germany, and acts as judge for numerous national and international dance competitions.
Jenna Johnson - Ballet
Ms. Jenna Johnson (BFA) graduated as a full scholarship student from Harid Conservatory for Dance. She attended Indiana University, also on scholarship, before joining Atlanta Ballet.
In 1995, she left for Europe, fulfilling a desire to travel while pursuing her career in dance. Ms. Johnson was accepted as a Soloist with the Romanian National Opera Ballet in Bucharest where she danced from 1995 to 1997. She then joined the Oleg Danovski Ballet Theater as a Principal in 1997. During her tenure with ODBT, she performed throughout western Europe as Carmen, Scheherazade, and Odette/Odile, forming a successful partnership with her future husband, Daniel Precup.
Ms. Johnson returned to the United States in 2003 to dance with Oakland Ballet. There, she received critical acclaim for her interpretation of Robert Moses' Lone Woman and other contemporary works including Sightings by Margaret Jenkins and Trois Gymnopedies by Ron Guidi.
Since 2004 Ms. Johnson is Principal Dancer with Ballet Tucson, performing leading roles such as Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Dracula, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and Carmina Burana among many others.
Nadege Hottier - Ballet
Nadège Hottier began her training in classical ballet at the National Conservatory of Metz (France), under the tutelage of Alain Davesne and Daniel Franck. After a honorary graduation she continued studying at the Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes, Rosella Hightower and Maurice Bejart`s Mudra School in Brussels where she was fortunate to work with Jorge Donn.
At the age of seventeen, Ms. Hottier started her professional career as a Soloist with Ben Van Cauwenbergh at the Theater of Luzern where she met Valery Panov and Galina Panova. They invited her to join them at Oper Bonn Ballet in Germany.
After a few years dancing in Germany's (then) Capital city, she remained in Germany for another 7 years to dance with Oper Leipzig Ballet under Uwe Scholz, the Berlin Deutsche Opera Ballet under Richard Cragun and Sylviane Bayard, alongside Staatsoper Hannover and Theater Trier as Guest Artist.
Ms. Hottier's repertoire spans from the great classical to neoclassical and contemporary works in which many roles were created for her. During her career she has worked closely with Valery Panov, Shonnach Mirk, Ben Van Cauwenberg, Youri Vamos, Uwe Scholz, Mauro Bigonzetti and Peter Schaufuss among others. Nadege Hottier has appeared in the film "Dreyfus" with the Bonn Opera Ballet, the DVD "The Romantic Ballet" and on television and ballet documentaries, as well as in "Salome" - a production by Ken Russel.
Ms. Hottier has taught at Valentina Kozlova`s Dance Conservatory of New York, Studio Maestro, Manhattan Youth Ballet, and The French Academy of Ballet. She has also been a guest faculty member at Peridance Center. Her students are finalists at Youth America Grand Prix and can be found in professional dance Companies throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in leading roles in Broadway productions. Her devotion, guidance and technical approach are infused by the ballet maestro Valery Panov, the dancer Alexej Moussatov, and her own rich experience.
In addition to her teaching career, Nadege has staged works from the classical repertoire, such as Swan Lake, La Sylphide, Paquita, Nutcracker, Pas de quatre, and had created works for Manhattan Youth Ballet and the French Academy of Ballet. Her choreography has been presented at Manhattan Movement Art Center, Alvin Ailey, Joyce Theater, and The Goldman Sonnenfeldt Auditorium.
Ms. Nadege Hottier is presently Director of Premiere Division Ballet in New York City.
Cosmin Marculetiu - Ballet
Mr. Marculetiu is a native Transylvanian from Sibiu, Romania. At age 9, Cosmin was discovered in a nation-wide search for artistic talents and accepted into the Academy of Arts and Choreography in Cluj-Napoca, RO. He completed the Academy with honors and also received certification in pedagogy and choreography.
After graduating, Mr. Marculetiu was contracted as Soloist with the Romanian National Ballet in Cluj-Napoca, RO and the touring company Europe Ballet.
He continued his professional dance career with the Croatian National Ballet in Croatia's capital, Zagreb. Mr. Marculetiu also danced in various productions and commercials produced by Zagrebacka Televizija, which was the leading television network in Croatia.
In 1992 he joined Soloist the Landesbuhnen Sachsen in Radebeul (Dresden), Germany where he danced for 10 years as Soloist. The Sachische Zeitung and The Morgen Post followed his dance career and published many excellent reviews and articles about his life and performances.
Mr. Marculetiu has established himself as a Master ballet instructor in New England and the east coast since his arrival to the USA in 2002. He was on the dance faculty of the Boston Arts Academy and Artistic Associate at Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre where he coached,
taught, and rehearsed students and Company members. Mr. Marculetiu has also received excellent reviews for his performances in various productions from the Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, and the Metro.
In August of 2010 Mr. Marculetiu founded the International Ballet Academy of Norwell, and in 2013 the New England Movement Arts in Burlington, MA, where he is currently executive Director of both establishments.
Luz Morante - Ballet
Ms. Morante graduated from La Escuela National de Ballet in Lima, Peru as a professional ballet dancer and teacher. She was immediately invited to become a member of Peru’s foremost classical ballet company, Ballet Municipal de Lima. There she performed and worked with famed international dancers, teachers and choreographers, among them the late Fernando Bujones former star of American Ballet Theatre; Jorge Esquivel long time partner of Alicia Alonso and leading dancer with Ballet de Cuba; and Mikhail Koukharev formerly principal dancer and professor of ballet at Russia’s Bolshoi Theatre.
Ms. Morante has performed in all the major ballet classics including “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle,” “The Nutcracker” and “Don Quixote.” She was also one of the founders of the Christian Artists Association of Lima.
In the United States her ballet career continued in California where she was principal dancer and assistant director/choreographer for Placer Theatre Ballet. She was also active with Sacramento Ballet and taught classical dance at the Rocklin Conservatory of Dance.
In Las Vegas she directed the ballet program at North Star Dance Academy and, since 2005, has choreographed and staged numerous local productions of “The Nutcracker” ballet.
Many of her students have qualified for extended training at the prestigious schools of American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet and Nevada Ballet Theatre. Ms. Morante’s dedication to the art of classical ballet is a unique and enduring source of inspiration for her students.
Saul Marziali - Ballet
Saul Marziali was born in Milan, Italy. At the age of 10 he started ballet training at the School of the Milano Teatro alla Scala and continued his studies for 4 years at the Bolshoi Ballet School in Russia, graduating in 1987 from both schools.
Mr. Marziali joined the Zurich Opera House under the direction of Uwe Scholz, where he was promoted to Soloist in 1992. He then went on to dance with "Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo” in Monaco, Leipzig Opera House in Germany, and La Scala Ballett Company in Italy, where he worked with guest teachers like: L. Arujo, P. Beamish, K. Bennetts, W. Burman,
L. and P. Dobrievic, A. Francillion, A. Hall, T. Härm, P. Neary, A. Rizzi, P. Ruanne, P. Schaufuss, E. Terabust, T. Van Cauwenberg und V. Verdy.
Apart from dancing in the classical repertoire of La Scala he was also dancing in Balanchine's Agon (set by Patricia Neary), Mats Ek's Giselle and Forsythe's “In the Middle somewhat elevated” (set by William Forsythe and Kathrin Bennets). For the season 1999/2000 he was member of the Bern Ballett in Switzerland, where he performed the role of the Death in Robert North's "Death and the Maiden"(set by Robert North).
Since August 2000 Mr. Marziali is freelance Ballet Master and Principal Dancer. In 2000 he toured Italy with the company "Balletto del Sud" in Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried with the first soloist of the Sofia Opera House, Diliana Nikiforova, at the Gala evening in Lecce (Italy) in the pas de deux of Le Corsaire and Swan Lake act 2, and Prince Desiré with the ABT soloist Xiomara Reyes, for the new production of The Sleeping Beauty.
His most important roles include Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream - (Uwe Scholz), The Prince in Firebird -(Scholz), Romeo in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, James in La Silphyde - (Bournonville/Schaufuss), Desirè in The Sleeping Beauty - Petipa/Scholz) end the Death in Robert North's Death and The Maiden.
Most important Choreographers: Balanchine, Tudor, Mats Ek, Petipa, Scholz, Cranko, Nureyev, Forsythe, Bournonville, Petit and Robert North. Mr. Marziali is presently guest Ballet Master Internationally.
Daniel Precup - Ballet
Daniel Precup is a graduate of the acclaimed National Choreographic High School in Bucharest, Romania. He joined the Oleg Danovski Ballet Theater at 18, eventually rising to the rank of Principal Dancer.
He has starred in international tours in The Miraculous Mandarin, The Three Musketeers, and Swan Lake.
In 2003 he joined Oakland Ballet, before becoming a Principal Dancer with Ballet Tucson in 2004 during its inaugural professional season. He has danced leading roles in Dracula, Esmeralda and the Hunchback, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, The Sleeping Beauty, and A Midsummer Night's Dream, to name only a few.
Since 2011, he has begun to create works for the Company to great audience response. His unique choreographic perspective has been noticed in his Boler-O, Carmen, and Gemini. He has created new, original work for the Tucson Desert Song Festival 2016, as well as his Carmina Burana for the Season Opener.
Mr. Precup is presently Ballet Master and Choreographer with the Tucson Ballet.
Dacia Biletnikoff - Contemporary
Ms. Dacia Biletnikoff has trained under Theodore Constant for 5 years, and has performed in his choreographies at the Jacob Pillow International Dance Festival, and the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts.
Upon Mr. Constant's recomendation, Dacia’s training has then extended from California, United States to Europe, where she attended the London Contemporary Dance School - "The Place", receiving her Bachelors of Arts in Contemporary Dance with First Class Honors.
During that time, she studied under dancers and choreographers from Random Dance Company, Batsheva Dance Company, DV8 Physical Theatre, Scottish dance Theatre, and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
After graduation, Dacia’s experience as a Choreographer and Performer continued to grow. She collaborated in Bologna, Italy at Leggere Strutture, directed by Brigel Gjoka. Also, she studied with dancers from the William Forsythe Company (Germany) and Wim Vandekeybus / Ultima Vez (Belgium).
She then accepted an apprenticeship with Carabdanza in Madrid, Spain where she worked and performed for eight months.
Currently, Dacia is Company member with Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement.
Brendon Feeney - Contemporary
Brendon Feeney was born in California, USA. He started his dance training at the "Center Stage Dance Academy" in El Dorado Hills, California.
For the next three years he furthered his training at the "Northern California Dance Conservatory" in Roseville, California, where he trained in ballet with Theodore Constant. Here, he performed as "Puck" in A Midsummer Night's Dream and "Basil" in the grand pas de deux from Don Quixote -among others, and has received scholarships to attend summer programs at the San Francisco Ballet School and the Juilliard School in New York City. In 2008 he has won the First Place at the Palm Desert International Dance Festival for his interpretation.
He received his first engagement in 2009 with "Ballet Theater Regensburg" in Germany, directed by Olaf Schmidt, where he performed for the next three years.
Between 2012-2015 he was part of "Ballet Theater of Hagen”, Germany, where he danced in pieces by director/ choreographer Ricardo Fernando, as well as works from Marguerite Donlon, Hugo Viera and James Wilton.
Since 2015 Brendon is Company member with the “State Theatre Braunschweig” in Germany.