Faculty
Megan Levine | Director & Owner
Megan Levine has been teaching and choreographing classical and contemporary ballet within pre-professional training programs and competitive teams. In 2020, Megan was offered company contracts, but due to the ongoing pandemic, decided to take her love and passion for dance and pass that on to the next generation of young artists. Soon after, Megan established her own studio, MJL Center for Dance.
Megan Levine is the recipient of several Outstanding Teacher Awards. Her students have won Third place, Top 12 placements at YAGP Semi Finals and have received invitations to several YAGP Finals. Additionally, Megan's students have received multiple first place awards at various ballet competitions and numerous choreography awards at both regional and national dance competitions.
To date, her students have obtained many scholarships, acceptances, professional company positions as well as college dance programs to Royal Ballet School London, Alberta Ballet, John Cranko, American Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, Arizona State University, Colorado Ballet, Orlando Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre, among others.
As a young dancer, Megan attended various regional ballet schools in the Chicago area studying Vaganova and Balanchine. Throughout the summers, she trained as a scholarship student at several esteemed schools, including Cincinnati Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet Arizona, and American Ballet Theatre in New York.
At the young age of 14, Megan received invitations to train year-round at both Colorado Ballet and Ballet Arizona. She also had the pleasure of working with former American Ballet Theatre dancers Amanda Mckerrow, Valerie Madonia, Ethan Brown, Harriett Clark, former American Ballet Theatre Studio Company director Kate Lydon, and former Ballet Arizona Studio Company Director Carlos Valcarcel.
Megan’s repertoire includes La Bayadère, Giselle, Paquita, Cinderella, numerous
Nutcrackers as Snow Queen and Arabian, as well as contemporary works such as Moonlight Rush and Firebird. She was also a featured dancer in the neo classical production Ornaments staged by Alvin Ailey II director Troy Powell.
Brianna Steinfeldt
Brianna Steinfeldt studied on full scholarship at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, which led to her being asked to join American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in 2011.
During her season, she danced at the Royal Ballet School in London and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. In 2011, she was promoted to apprentice during American Ballet Theatre Nutcracker season.
Brianna has studied on full scholarship at prestigious summer intensive programs such as: American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Steifel and Stars program under the direction of Gillian Murphy.
In 2008, she placed as a top twelve finalist at Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York. Brianna also received second and third place at the Chicago YAGP in 2008 and 2009.
Haley Marcin
Haley Marcin is a creator, educator, and performing artist, who graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Carolina Greensboro with a BFA in Dance with a focus in choreography and performance.
Haley has had the pleasure of performing works by Martha Graham, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane, Janet Lilly, B.J. Sullivan, Clarice Young, and several Chicago choreographers such as Hanna Bricston and Jessica Miller Tomlinson.
Haley has trained and performed with companies in several cities including Chicago and New York. She has performed nationally and internationally and her choreography has been performed on several stages including Alto Monte, Italy.
After training on full scholarship in Calabria, Italy, Haley apprenticed with the Michael Mao Dance Company in New York. Since moving back home to Chicago, Haley has danced with Aerial Dance Chicago and is currently dancing for Project Bound Dance and Still Inspired(?).
When Haley is not taking class or rehearsing for a show, she loves creating her own works and teaching. Haley has been invited consecutively to teach at an Honor’s Ballet Summer Intensive at The Dance Company in Alabama. More recently, she was selected to be the master contemporary teacher at The Dance Center of Greensboro by the Southeast Committee Cecchetti Council of America. Haley was also asked to teach Release technique classes at FINI Dance Festival in Calabria, Italy.
Haley’s drive, deep love for dance, and constant need to learn more has led her to many new places, opportunities, performances, and accomplishments that shape her and the performer she is today.
Riley McMurray
Riley McMurray first encounter with dance was when his older sister was taking ballet classes. After sitting watching his sister dance, Riley decided to give ballet a try. When Riley was 12 years old, he knew he wanted to become a professional dancer. In 2012 Riley attended his first Youth America Grand Prix and placed Top 12 in the Junior classical division.
That same year Riley auditioned for Houston Ballet Summer Intensive and was accepted on full scholarship. In the fall of 2013, Riley was accepted to train at Houston Ballet as a full-time student. He trained in the academy for four and a half years. In March 2018, Houston Ballet’s artistic director Stanton Welch offered Riley an apprenticeship with the company.
In 2019, Riley was promoted to Corps with Houston Ballet and is currently on company.
Antonio Rosario
Antonio Rosario graduated from Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet. In 2013, he received an offer to join Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Company. He performed soloist and principal roles in classics such as Raymonda, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Ventana from Auguste Bournonville, Harlequinade, and Swan Lake. Antonio also danced with Ballet Fantastique, as a principal dancer, for the 2015/16 season.
He has performed with the Eugene Symphony at the Hult Center and he danced with Ballet 5:8 for three seasons as a principal dancer. Antonio recently came back from studying at the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen (Denmark), performing works by Auguste Bournonville and others.
Mr. Rosario has been teaching ballet for eight years and has experience teaching dancers of all ages and levels in classes such as classical ballet, Core Dynamic, Men’s Class, and flamenco. In 2014, Antonio received the Teacher’s Certificate from the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet.
Antonio is also an accomplished flamenco dancer, and won second place in the New York State Certamen Flamenco Competition in New York City - held in Lincoln Center. Antonio has also traveled abroad and studied the origins of flamenco in Spain with respected dancers, Rafaela Reyes “ La Repompa”, and Raquel Heredia “ La Repompilla”.