About

Capital City Ballet Center is nine years old but has a history of twenty five years. Our philosophy is one of partnership with parents, teachers, and students. Whether career-oriented or dancing for recreation, dance students at the center will receive excellent training under our progressive syllabus and limited enrollment policy. The studio is located at 8749 West Hackamore Drive behind Wal-Mart and can be accessed from the Maple Grove or Overland Roads.

Our faculty includes: JoAnne Michaels and Melissa Strader

Melissa Strader/Director

Melissa’s early training began in Pensacola, Florida with her mother, Gioia Michelotti (a second generation dance studio owner) and the pre-profesional Youth Company, Kaleidoscope Children’s Dance Theater. She studied many summers with the world renowned Sonia Arova, and took master classes in the Cecchetti Method. Melissa attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama on a ballet scholarship offered by the Montgomery Ballet; and while there, helped develop a dance minor program. During this time, she continued to broaden her ballet training by taking master classes with David Howard and Finis Jhung.
Upon graduation, Melissa began her professional career with the Montgomery Ballet under the directorship of Don Steffy and Mary Lou Hume. She rose to the level of principal there, dancing such roles as “Heloise” in David Anderson’s premiere of “Abelard and Heloise”, “Sugar Plum Fairy” in “Nutcracker”, and “Swanilda” in “Coppelia”. While in Montgomery, Melissa began teaching in the Montgomery Ballet School, which trained dancers for their Youth Company.
She later moved to Boise to dance with Ballet Idaho under the directorship of Toni Pimble. It was there that Melissa had the opportunity to work with the nationally known choreographer Lynn Taylor-Corbett’s as “The Lady at the Party” in Ms. Taylor Corbett’s ballet, ” In A Word”.
After retiring from a decade of dancing professionally, Melissa began teaching in the Ballet Idaho School under the directorship of Sarah Arnold Phipps. She has also taught for the Pat Harris Dance School , and most recently for Capital City Ballet Center. Melissa has worked as a choreographer for E.N.C.O.R.E. Players at the Morrison Center, and as dance coach and choreographer for Gem State Gymnastics. She has also choreographed for Capital City Ballet Youth Company; and her piece “Elemental” was premiered in 2008.
With her twenty years combined teaching and dancing experience, Melissa Strader will continue to offer the highest quality of classical ballet training and performance opportunities here at Capital City Ballet Center.

JoAnne Michaels

JoAnne studied with the University of Utah’s department under the direction of William Christensen and began her early training with Goleta Civic Ballet. She performed and taught for the San Francisco Dance Spectrum and other studios in the San Francisco Bay area. This is JoAnne’s 12th season working with the studio. Ms. Michaels is a true professional with the best interests of the students as her goal. She is also a Co-Artistic Director of CCYB and created an original “Snow Maiden” for the company in 2007.