FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Virginia Holte
Virginia Holte is the Founder and Artistic Director of the West Hawaii Dance Theatre and Guest Instructor / Choreographer for The Maui Academy of Performing Arts. A Graduate of the Academy of the Washington Ballet under the late Mary Day, Ms. Holte enjoyed a long professional dance career with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Chicago Ballet, Washington Ballet and various guest appearances with Ballet Internationale, New Jersey Ballet, and Indiana Ballet Theatre N.W. A Third Series practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, certified in the Pilates Method, Mat and Equipment from the Physical Mind Institute, Ms. Holte is an International Certified GYROKINESIS® and GYROTONIC® Specialized Master Trainer. She has been sharing her love of ballet and movement with the Hawaii community since 1986.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Midori Satoh
Choreographer, teacher and dancer, Midori Satoh was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts in 1993. Midori toured extensively with Shapiro & Smith Dance Company and performed in Italy, Germany, Mexico, Canada, Uzbekistan, Singapore, Malaysia, and the U.S.A. She has performed in major festivals and venues including the Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, St. Mark’s DanSpace Project, PS 122, Festival di Milano, Teatro de Danza, and Recklinghausen RuhrFestSpiele. Funded by the Japan Arts Culture Foundation, Midori co-founded New Wind Dance Project which performed at the Kai International Dance Festival in Tokyo. She has choreographed ballet, contemporary, musical theatre, and competition pieces which were performed in New York City, Tokyo, and Hawaii. Midori began her teaching career as a senior in high school and she has enjoyed teaching at West Hawaii Dance Academy since 2000. She resides in Kailua Kona with her husband and two children.
TEACHING ARTIST
Megan Joy Chapman
Megan Chapman has been teaching dance since 1987 and began her journey with West Hawaii Dance Theatre and Academy in 1999 where she has worked as a teacher, choreographer, director, and mentor. Originally from Boston, she studied classical ballet, jazz, and modern with The Franklin School for the Performing Arts, and ballet with Walnut Hill and The Boston Ballet School. After studying dance and theater for a year at New York’s Ithaca College, she explored other areas of artistry and transferred to The School of Fashion Design in Boston where she was awarded a scholarship for Best Designer. Upon graduating, Megan worked briefly for Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Orlando, in the wardrobe department before working professionally as a costume and freelance fashion designer. During that time, she continued to teach and perform in various locations. To complement her dance experience, she holds an extensive Pilates Mat certification and attended Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teachers Workshop, led by Darla Hoover. Currently, Megan is a guest artist with YWAM School of Dance Studies at The University of the Nations in Kona, as well as Saving Grace Dance Ensemble in New Hampshire, where she has contributed choreography as well as performed at Gibney Dance Center in New York City. Most recently, she contributed choreography and volunteered for Project Dance Hawaii’s 2022 event. Megan occasionally leads worship dance and workshops in various ministries, including Living Stones Church where she and her husband have attended since 1998. In addition, Megan is also a mixed media artist and the author of an adventure series geared for youth and families. To learn more about Megan’s dance history and Creative Arts background, please visit meganjoychapman.com.
TEACHING ARTIST
Alana Heuer-Salazar
Alana Heuer-Salazar began dancing at the age of 11 with West Hawaii Dance Theatre under the instruction of Virginia Holte. At 15, she started teaching ballet and hip hop to young children and adults in the studio. She also began choreographing small pieces for local productions, while she also continuing to perform in productions herself, including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Peter and the Wolf, and Don Quixote. Exploring dance further as a young adult, Alana began modern ballet and dance improvisation with Miho Morinoue and Lynn Barre, former company dancers from Complexions Ballet.
Alana continued to study dance at University of Hawaii at Manoa, under the instruction of Eve Walstrum. She moved to Colorado during her second year of college, where she studied modern dance with Monte Black at the University of Northern Colorado. She performed many original, choreographed productions and worked with innovative guest artists including, Jacob Mora and Christy O’Connell-Black.
In 2013, Alana received her Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Colorado. Shortly after graduating, she worked as a Speech Pathologist with children ages birth to three years with disabilities and language difficulties. Alana also continued her teaching instruction with Kauai Ballet Center under the direction of Jennifer Bell-Grey.
TEACHING ARTIST
Rayna Morphis
TEACHING ARTIST
Ellie Nyquist
Ellie Nyquist grew up studying ballet, tap, and jazz at a studio in Enumclaw, Washington. She joined Plateau Ballet Repertory Theatre company at the age of 12 and graduated high school as their principal dancer. Later, she found her love for teaching as she studied dance at the University of Montana. During this time, she performed at the American College Dance Association and the ballet Gisselle, as well showcasing her own choreography. During summers, she taught a variety of classes and dance camps at a studio in her hometown. Once Ellie moved to Kona, she started teaching keiki ballet classes in the community.
TEACHING ARTIST
Jenna Ojeda
Jenna Ojeda grew up studying ballet and jazz at WHDT. In addition to intensive workshops each summer, she has also studied at Ballet Hawaii and 24/7 Dance Studio on Oahu. After graduating from Kealakehe High School, Jenna moved to San Diego where she received a degree in dance. After college, she studied at The Academy of Performing Arts in San Diego, as well as EDGE studio in Los Angeles. After returning to Kona, Jenna also returned to WHDT and has been teaching for more than 10 years.
PIANIST
Megumi Kopp
Megumi Kopp began her piano studies at the age of 5 under Yoko Ogusu for 13 years in Tokyo, Japan. She continued her studies under Gates Wray, a student of Isabella Vengerova and Vladimir Horowitz, for three years while living in New Jersey. Kopp holds a bachelor of science from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. She moved to Kona in 1999. Her friend, Midori Satoh, WHDT’s assistant director, encouraged Kopp to join WHDT. Since 2005, Kopp has accompanied several classes each week and has played and arranged music for numerous performances, including The Nutcracker, Les Sylphide, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Coppelia, Alice in Wonderland, The Little Mermaid and The Wizard of Oz. Kopp provides private piano instruction to both children and adults.
Megumi’s talented work is available through streaming services and on CD. Go to Apple Music
GUEST INSTRUCTORS
WHDTA has a long history of having Guest Instructors and Guest Dancer Residencies. This is a great opportunity to further our students’ exposure to the world of dance as well as expanding their dance education.
Some of our Guest Instructors have included…
SHAINA
LEIBSON
Miho
Morinoue
Fredrick
Davis
Leo
Ahonen
Soili
Arvola
Marina
Terwilliger
Timour
Bourtasenkov
Henry
Berg
Alaine
Haubert
Called “one of San Francisco’s leading dance teachers”, Henry Berg has, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, “carved a strong artistic niche as a teacher”. With a career that spans over three decades in dance, film, television, theatre, and academia, Mr. Berg has established himself as one of the foremost dance teachers in the country. His guest teaching engagements now include annual seminars for the Boston Ballet, the Academia Anna Pavlova in Bogata, Columbia, Joffrey Ballet, Dance Educators of America, Oregon Dance Academy, and the Village Dance Arts in Los Angeles. Mr. Berg traveled to Japan where he taught seminars in Tokyo and Nagoya, staging “American Ballet Selections” in 1994 for several companies there. Mr. Berg began his dance career in Hollywood, California, appearing in such films as “State Fair”, “How The West Was Won”, and “Babes In Toyland”. In 1962, he joined the San Francisco Ballet. Subsequently, he danced for over seven years with the Joffrey Ballet and assisted choreographer Twyla Tharp in New York City. In 1975, Mr. Berg created the Pacific Ballet Company with co-founders John Pasqualetti and Sue Loyd. He also joined the faculty of the San Francisco Ballet. The list of directors, dancers, and choreographers Mr. Berg has worked with include: George Balanchine, Robert Joffrey, Gerald Arpino, Lew Christensen, Ann Sokolov, Kurt Joos, Jon Hart, and Margaret Jenkins. Additionally, he has worked with skaters John Curry and Peggy Fleming, cartoonist Charles Schultz, and has appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Leo Ahonen was accepted to the Ballet Academy of the National Opera House in Helsinki Finland at the age of six. He joined the National Ballet of Finland at the age of 14, and at age 17 guest performed with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad and the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow. At the famed Vaganova Choreographic Institute in Leningrad, Mr. Ahonen became a private student of Mr. Konstantin Shatilov and received the “Kirov Trained” Certificate at graduation. Mr. Ahonen won a Bronze Medal in the Men’s Senior category at the Second International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. He was a principal dancer and company teacher for the National Ballet of Holland, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the National Ballet of Finland. With his wife Soili Arvola, he danced as a principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and was hailed by critics as The Flying Finn, West Coast Nureyev, and the Fantastic Finn.
Soili Arvola was accepted to the Ballet Academy of the National Opera House in Helsinki Finland at the age of eight. After graduating from the Academy at age 17, she was invited to join the National Ballet of Finland, touring with the company around the world. Among her numerous honors, Ms. Arvola won a Bronze Medal and Diploma for High Artistic Achievement in Women’s Senior (Professional) Category at the prestigious International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria. She has appeared as a guest ballerina with the Finnish National Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Chicago Ballet, Houston Ballet, London’s Royal Ballet Choreographic Group, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Ballet international de Ochi of Japan, and with many symphony orchestras, opera companies, and civic ballet companies throughout the U.S. and abroad. Ms. Arvola has performed as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, the title roles in Giselle and Cinderella, Swanhilda in Coppelia Kitri in Don Quixote and many others.
Alaine Haubert, a fourth generation Californian, has the unique distinction of having been associated with America’s three major companies. She received her training from age fifteen at the School of American Ballet in New York City where she studied with George Balanchine and his illustrious post-Diaghilev faculty. After graduation from high school, she performed with San Francisco’s Pacific Ballet and then joined the national touring company of Camelot. In 1965, after a year on the road with Camelot, Alaine joined American Ballet Theatre, where she performed corps de ballet, soloist and principal roles. She was coached, during this period by such diverse and exciting choreographers as Tudor, DeMille, Robbins, Feld, Culberg, Lander, and Tetley, and also danced the classics. 
Shaina Leibson has had an over fifteen-year career as a professional ballet dancer. She has been a dancer with several companies including Alberta Ballet, Ballet Austin, and Ballet San Jose where she performed for eight years. Shaina was a soloist dancer with Ballett im Revier in Germany and spent five seasons as a Principal Dancer with Bay Pointe Ballet which was based in the San Francisco area. Shaina received her ballet training from the renowned San Francisco Ballet School.
Timour began his professional education with the Moldavian Opera House and the Bolshoi Ballet. Upon coming to America he danced with the Pennsylvania Ballet, New Jersey Ballet, and the New York-based Daring Project. In 1998, Mr. Bourtasenkov joined Carolina Ballet as a Principal dancer and founding member of the company. Mr. Bourtasenkov has choreographed works for Carolina Ballet, Infinity Ballet, New Jersey Ballet and most recently, the New York Choreographic Institute, using New York City Ballet members. His ballets include Light and Dark, sections of Messiah, Rag House, Elements, Memories, Visions, Intrigue, Dance of the Spirits, Fallen Dreams and Tango! Tango! Tango! Mr. Bourtasenkov won the Bronze Medal in the VII Massako Ohyo World Ballet Competition of Osaka, Japan and the V International Competition of Paris, France. He was awarded a jury prize at the 2nd Luxembourg International Ballet Competition. Mr. Bourtasenkov has appeared in two USSR movies: The Long Way and The Magic Star. In 1996, he filmed Little Red Ridinghood, directed by Davis Koplan and choreographed by Elena Tchernichova. In 1996, Mr. Bourtasenkov became the Artistic Advisor of Infinity Ballet and in 2005 he was named the Artistic Director of Carolina Performing Arts Center in Pinehurst, North Carolina.