Kevin Overbey- Artistic Director

Kevin Overbey danced professionally for more than 15 years with nationally recognized companies such as the San Antonio Ballet, The Atlanta Ballet, and Nevada Ballet Theatre. He was a guest performer in several productions with Ballet Tennessee, and Dance Alive in Florida. In his professional career he danced roles such as the Cavalier, Snow King and lead Waltz in the “Nutcracker,” Dracula in “Dracula,” one the four couples in Balanchine’s “Allegro Brillante,” and he worked with many prominent choreographers.  Overbey also performed in the acclaimed Bally’s show “Jubilee” in Las Vegas, and “Red Hot” in Shanghai China.

Overbey taught ballet throughout his performing career.  He taught company class for Ballet Tennessee, and was on the staff of Academy of Nevada Ballet Theater, teaching advanced ballet for several years. Overbey has a degree in Education from University of Nevada Las Vegas which helped him associate ballet pedagogy with the physical, mental and psychological developmental stages of his students.

Overbey is the Director of Southside Dance Studio, and he is the main ballet teacher for the school. He brings a rich, eclectic knowledge of ballet technique, and an ability to make that technique comprehensible to his students. He has been successful in helping his students transform technique into artistry and has several former students who have or are dancing professionally. 

Overbey has been teaching ballet since 1980, and is a lifetime learner. He continues to study the latest teaching theories, as well as anatomy and kinesiology. For his knowledge, experience, and success as a master teacher of ballet Overbey gives thanks to those he has worked under and his Heavenly Father. 

John Landovsky- Guest Instructor

JOHN LANDOVSKY was born in Riga, Latvia. Mr. Landovsky's extensive performing career has affiliated him with several dance companies on the mainland and abroad, including International Ballet Company, Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, The Roland Petit Ballet in Paris, and Wurttenberg Stats Opera in Stuttgart, Germany. He has shared the stage with many renowned artists including Rudolph Nureyev, Henning Kronstrom, Erick Bruhn, and Helgi Thomasson. Mr. Landovsky was the choreographer for ten years at Chicago's Candlelight Dinner Theatre where he won the Joseph Jefferson Award for best choreography. 

Mr. Landovsky has taught at many prestigious schools including the University of Illinois, National Academy of Arts in Champaign, Illinois, Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, Texas Christian University, and the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. He has served as the Artistic Director of Bartlesville Civic Ballet in Oklahoma, Duluth Ballet in Minnesota, and Ballet Hawaii. 

Since founding HSB, John Landovsky has had a formidable presence as a ballet teacher who is passionate about his art and about teaching students, many who now teach or perform professionally. Students of Mr. Landovsky have performed with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Washington Ballet, Ballet West, Nederlands Dance Theatre, and on Broadway, and have participated in numerous prestigious international ballet competitions.

Veronica Zink- Instructor

Veronica Zink has been a professional ballet trainer and coach in the United States and England for over twenty years. She trained in England, Boston, and New York, received her teacher certification from the Associated Arts School in London, furthered her studies at the Boston Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet Schools, and was soloist in Rhode Island Ballet Theatre. She has taught in the California State University system and was Ballet Mistress for Amherst Ballet Theatre and the Academy of Performing Arts as well as in private studios across the country. Her students have been accepted at such schools and universities as the Kirov Academy, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory of the Arts, Washington Ballet, Houston Ballet, Interlochen Arts Academy as well as Juilliard, SUNY/Purchase, Florida State, UNCC, and Winthrop. She also has students who have danced in Broadway shows. On a personal note, Ms. Ronnie lives with her cat, Tika. She also has a daughter Louisa, who was a professional modern dancer, and 2 adorable granddaughters, Paloma and Monica. 

Anna Baker VanCura - Guest Instructor, April 2024 Residency

Anna Baker VanCura had early foundational ballet training at Schwarz School of Dance in Dayton, OH. She also studied with Jorg Fasting in both class and private instruction. Anna also attended and performed at several Northeast Regional Ballet Festivals, including one in which she was one of the students who worked with Mr. Balanchine in a special workshop class. She was selected for the School of America Ballet Summer workshop and Joffrey Summer workshop. Her first professional job was with the Cincinnati Summer Opera.

After receiving a Ford Foundation Scholarship from Fredric Franklin, she studied at National Ballet of Washington, D.C., where she also performed with the company in a world premiere, "Catalyst' and in "Swan Lake." Upon completing her scholarship training she joined Ruth Page International Ballet where she also performed with Lyric Opera, the Arie Crown Theater "Nutcracker," and toured in every large city in the United States. During summer breaks from the company, Anna enjoyed solo roles in "Brigadoon," "Carousel" and special dances in "Song of Norway."

She joined American Ballet Theater in New York for a summer states tour. Afterwards, she returned to Chicago as a soloist and later principal dancer with Chicago Ballet under direction of Larry Long.  Some of Anna's roles were Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet," choreographed by Ruth Page, American Beauty Rose and Sugar Plum Fairy in Arie Crown's "Nutcracker," the Swan and Cupid in "Carmina Burana," all choreographed by Ruth Page, and the female lead in Larry Long's "Childsplay." On tour, she danced the lead role in "The Lesson," choreographed by Fleming Flindt. She danced leading roles in performances for Chicago school children and taught for Chicago Ballet School for several years.

Anna opened her own school, Dupage Dance Academy in Elmhurst, IL, that is still in existence under a former student. She was resident choreographer for Hinsdale Opera, IL, co-founded Ballet Midwest and co-directed with Barry VanCura. Anna and Barry married and raised two of Anna's children, Ana and Tony and had a daughter, Victoria. Together they directed the National Academy of Dance at Champaign-Urbana, IL, and Anna held a visiting assistant professor position at University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, IL.

Anna and Barry were a power couple who worked together to develop dance schools, companies, create choreography, and continued to perform together for many years. Their most important dance impact was establishing Baker-VanCura Ballet Center and Ballet Tennessee. Anna has received teacher awards from the state of Tenessee and her career spans more than 50 years. She continues to find ways to promote the Dance Alive Program, guest teaches, and also enjoys her new role as "Grammy" to her grandson, Aiden.

Anna Marie Holmes - Guest Instructor, March 2023 Residency

Anna-Marie Holmes (born April 17, 1942) is a Canadian-born ballet dancer, educator and choreographer. Holmes received an Emmy Award in 2000 for her staging of Le Corsaire for PBS. She was the founder and co-artistic director for the International Academy of Dance Costa do Sol in Portugal.

Holmes was a soloist with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet from 1960 to 1962 and a guest performer with the Kirov Ballet during the early 1960s, the first North American dancer invited to perform with them. Holmes has also performed with the London Festival Ballet, the Scottish Ballet, the Berlin State Opera, the Dutch National Ballet, the Chicago Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. 

In 1985, after retiring from performing, she joined the Boston Ballet as ballet mistress and was named that company's artistic director in 1997. She also served as dean of faculty for the Boston Ballet's Center for Dance Education. She left the Boston Ballet in 2001. 

She has taught at The Royal Ballet in London, the Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse, the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo and the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen. Holmes was founder and co-artistic director for the International Academy of Dance Costa do Sol in Portugal. She has been artistic director for the school of the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Holmes has also been artistic director for the Jacob's Pillow dance festival. In 2006, she was co-founder of Ballet Adriatico, a summer festival in Italy.

Holmes danced a pas de deux with her husband in Norman McLaren's award-winning film Ballet Adagio. The pair were also featured in Grant Munro's documentary Tour en l'air, which won first prize in its category at the American Film Festival.

Holmes is known for her restaging of classic ballets, particularly those from Russia, such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère and The Nutcracker. Various choreographers including Agnes de Mille, Peter Darrell and Ruth Page have created works for her.

Holmes is also co-manager of Editions Anna-Marie Holmes, a publishing house for ballet music.