Wanwan Cai | Chinese Classical Dance Wanwan Cai began dancing ballet and Chinese classical dance when she was five. She trained with her local art school for many years and continued her dance training in college. During college and graduate school, she also performed with a Shaoxing opera company in Tianjin, China. Wanwan taught yoga at OmTree Shala, and has served as the director and teacher of the Lawrence Jasmine dance group.
Paige Comparato | Ballet Paige Comparato started her ballet training in Topeka at age nine at Barbara’s Conservatory of Danse. She later danced with Ballet Midwest where she performed several principal roles. Paige continued her ballet training at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth for two years before returning to Kansas University to pursue a degree in Art History. She primarily teaches ballet but also choreographs, directs and costumes dance performances including Elfwyn’s Saga, Sleeping Beauty and most recently, La Fille Mal Gardee. Paige also teaches ballet for the AIM adult contemporary dance company and youth contemporary company at Point B dance studio. Paige has worked for the arts center in many capacities for more than 20 years.
Hope DeYoung Daniels | Ballet Hope DeYoung-Daniels grew up in Kansas City and has been passionate about dance for as long as she can remember. At age 15, she moved to New York City to train under the guidance of Deborah Wingert, François Perron, Marina Stavitskaya, David Howard, and Elena Kunikova, among others. Hope has shared a stage with members of New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and Brice Mousset’s Oui Danse. She has taught classical ballet, contemporary, and jazz classes in the Kansas City area for six years. She is a graduate of Johnson County Community College and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Kansas, but the most important title she holds is “mom.” Hope is excited to bring her love of movement to the Lawrence Arts Center.
Tristian Griffin | Artist in Residence, Ballet, Modern Tristian Griffin was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He trained at the Legacy School of the Arts, Virginia School of the Arts, and Kansas City Ballet. In 2014, Tristian graduated from Texas Christian University earning his BFA in ballet with a minor in English. While at TCU, he performed works with featured solos by Christian Von Howard, Gerald Arpino, and Susan Jaffe, and was awarded the Corps de Ballet International’s Basil Thompson Memorial Scholarship in 2012, and the Nordan Fine Arts Scholarship for all four years of undergraduate study. Following graduation, Tristian danced with Garth Fagan Dance Company under the direction of Garth Fagan, PJ Norwood, and Natalie Rogers-Cropper. He has also danced with Washington DC-based contemporary dance company Company E, and with the esteemed Owen/Cox Dance Group under the direction of Jennifer Owen. In addition to dancing professionally, he has also taught in various settings including classes through Em’s Spotlight and HALO Foundation for underprivileged children within the Kansas City community.
Anna Hastings | Jazz, Tap Anna Hastings is from Olathe, Kansas. She is currently pursuing a BA in dance and a minor in business at KU, where she is also a Rock Chalk Dancer. Anna is excited to be a part of the team at Lawrence Arts Center!
FACULTY
Jerel Hilding | Ballet
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As a principal dancer with the Joffrey Ballet for 15 years, Jerel Hilding performed in works by many of the 20th century’s most influential choreographers, including George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Jerome Robbins, Frederic Ashton, John Cranko, Kurt Jooss, Leonide Massine, Mark Morris, and Twyla Tharp. He directed the New Jersey Ballet’s Artist-in-Education program and worked as an instructor for New York’s City Center Theatre Outreach Program. Hilding is an associate professor and associate chair of dance at the University of Kansas, where he teaches all levels of ballet, pointe, pas de deux and music for dancers. Jerel holds a BFA in Music from Louisiana State University in New Orleans (now the University of New Orleans).
Betsy McCafferty | Preschool Dance, Kinder Ballet Betsy started ballet in Wichita, KS as a child. She continued studying as an adult under Deborah Bettinger’s program at the Lawrence School of Ballet as well as the Lawrence Arts Center. She has enjoyed opportunities to dance in the Lawrence Ballet Ensemble, the Choreographer’s Showcase events, and the Kansas Nutcracker. Betsy teaches preschool ballet, kinder ballet, dancing fairy tales, and beginning ballet classes at the Arts Center.
