Ruby Dance Center

PHONE: (813) 385-1228 6520 US Highway 301 S. Ste #101 Riverview, FL 33578

Instructors

Mrs. Claudia Ruby - Founder and Dance Director

A native of Bolivia, Claudia Ruby began her studies in dance with Melba Zarate of the Teatro Argentino de La Plata. In 1986 she was awarded a full scholarship to the National Ballet School of Ukraine graduating as “Artista de Ballet” in 1989. While living in the Soviet Union, she represented Bolivia dancing “Cueca” (character dance) in numerous dance festivals winning first prize in the Moscow International Festival in 1988. She performed with the Bolivian National Ballet, Pennsylvania State Theater, Ballet Bellevue, Chamber Ballet of Santiago, Chile and her repertoire included Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Don Quijote, Carmen, La Fille Mar Gardee, and other full length classical ballets. She also danced the lead roles in Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and Beast with Berto Borges from the National Ballet of Cuba.

As a teacher, she is a graduate from the Pennsylvania State University in Elementary Education and Dance Education. She has attended teacher training seminars with North West Pacific Ballet, Dance Educators of America, Soviet Dance curriculum with Irina Kolpakova, and Cuban technique with Sara Acevedo director of the National Ballet School of Cuba. She has taught summer workshops for the Energy Source Dance Association throughout the United States. Her greatest achievement has been founding the largest Performing Arts Center C. A. P. in her native country Bolivia as well as being able to bring qualified teachers form all over the world for the last 25 years that have changed the course of dance in that nation.

Melanie Anastacia Van Allen - Choreographer

Melanie Anastacia Van Allen (Ph.D., M.A., M.F.A.) is a New York City-based choreographer, dancer, teaching artist, emerging scholar of dance, and yoga practitioner. She holds a Ph.D. in Dance Studies from Texas Woman's University. Melanie also holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography/Performance from the University of Michigan, where she was awarded the Julian and Vera McIntosh Memorial Fellowship Award and a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Choreography/Performance from Ohio State University. She also holds a Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the Draper Program of Social Thought at New York University and a Masters of Arts in Performance Studies from the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University.

Melanie’s choreography has been presented internationally at Centro Artistico Pereyra with members of Ballet Oficial de Bolivia and the professional Modern company ARTEMOVIDA, La Paz, Bolivia, the Linea Classica Dance Festival, La Paz, Bolivia, and the International Dance Carnival, Berlin, Germany. In the United States, Melanie presented work in Chicago, Detroit, The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, The National Dance Education Organization Conference, The Charles Wright African American Museum, The Michigan Youth Arts Festival, Savannah Arts Academy, and Wayne State University's Annual Children's and Umbrella Concerts. Melanie has also held dance adjunct faculty positions at Eastern Michigan University, Oakland University, and taught as a graduate student instructor at the University of Michigan.

Melanie is also a certified yoga instructor, completing her 200-hour yoga teacher certification with Kay Kay Clivio and Adam Vitolo at Pure Yoga in New York City in 2017.