««Guest Teachers
Elaine Kudo raised in New York City, received her early ballet training at the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, later spent six years at the School of American Ballet and was a scholarship student at the American Ballet Theatre School.

Ms. Kudo was a member of American Ballet Theatre from 1975 - 1989 was promoted to soloist in 1981. She danced soloist and principal roles in a wide range of works mostly in the contemporary repertory. She has had the honor of working with choreographers Anthony Tudor, Jerome Robbins, Glen Tetley, Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, Eugene Loring and Sir. Kenneth MacMillan on featured roles in their ballets, and has had roles created for her by Twyla Tharp, Lynn Taylor-Corbett, Chu San Gogh, and David Gordon.

In 1982 Ms. Kudo along with other members of ABT performed at the Spoleto Festival in Italy in a group assembled to recreate the Jerome Robbins Company Ballet USA. She also toured extensively during the summer seasons s a member of Baryshnikov & Co. from 1983 - 1986, and was Mr. Baryshnikov's partner in "Sinatra Suite" and "Push Comes to Shove" in the PBS Great Performances special "Baryshnikov by Tharp". In 1987 - 88 she joined the Tharp Dance Co. for a national tour and tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Directly after her retirement from the stage in 1990 Ms, Kudo began staging the works of Twyla Tharp, both nationally and abroad, with eight pieces in rotation, she continues to be one of the primary stagers of Tharp repertory.

She has held the position of ballet mistress at the New Jersey Ballet 1994-97 & American Repertory Ballet 1997-2003. In 1997 she and her partner Buddy Balough founded Theatre Arts Dance America - a school located in Verona NJ. In addition to teaching at TADA Ms, Kudo was on the faculty of the American Ballet Theatre summer intensive program from 1998 - 2003 and Jacob's Pillow - Contemporary Traditions in July 2007.

Ms. Kudo was given her first opportunity to choreograph at the New Jersey Ballet in 1997. That piece was later staged at the Carolina Ballet for its inaugural season in 1999. She choreographed four ballets for the American Repertory Ballet during her employment as ballet mistress. One for director Septime Webre, three as part of director Graham Lustigs', Dancing Through the Ceiling project designed to promote

Women choreographers. In addition to these works for professional companies she has choreographed a number of solos for her students receiving a choreography award from the Youth America Grand Prix. She has also contributed three ballets for the ABT summer intensive program as well as numerous pieces and a Pas de Duex for Theatre Arts Dance America.

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