Faculty

Santa Rosa Dance Theater faculty members have many years of professional experience, both performing and teaching.

• Tamara Statkoun (Artistic Director)
• Gina Ness
• Connee Lutz
• Stephanie Romano

Tamara Statkoun (Artistic Director)
Ms. Statkoun received her training at the famed Vaganova Ballet Academy and was a principal dancer with the Maly Ballet Theater in St. Petersburg, Russia.   She also danced and toured with the Kirov Ballet and with the Kremlin Ballet of Moscow.   Honored Artist of Russia, Ms. Statkoun danced numerous leading roles during her 20 years as a professional.   She holds a Masters Degree in Choreography and Ballet Technique from St. Petersburg State Conservatory.

Gina Ness
Ms. Ness received her early training in San Francisco and was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship to study at the San Francisco Ballet School at age 15.   She also studied under scholarship at Harkness House in New York City. Ms. Ness went on to a 13-year career with the San Francisco Ballet Company including 2 years as a soloist and 9 years as a principal dancer.

Connee Lutz
Ms. Lutz began her dance training with Merriem Lanova in San Francisco.   Over the years she has studied ballet, character, modern dance and flamenco.   She holds a BA degree in Fine Arts from Sonoma State University.

Stephanie Barclay-Romano
Stephanie Barclay-Romano has 15 years of teaching experience in the bay area. She is a professional dancer and choreographer who began her career in classical ballet. After performing with Oakland Ballet Company, Eglevsky Ballet and several other local companies, she performed as a lead dancer on Royal Viking Cruise Line. She has performed with the Marin Mountain Play Association and Woodminister summer stock as well as dancing in shows in Taiwan and Korea. Stephanie now combines her unique background in classical ballet, jazz, tap and character dance with her love of teaching and creating choreography.
She stages theater productions for circus troupes, dance bands and vocal groups as well as choreographing musicals for schools and theater companies around the bay area.