About our Seminar Instructors

Our instructors are some of the best costumers and designers working today, and all bring many years of talent, experience, and expertise to the classroom. Not only are they the best at what they do, they are also wonderful teachers.

These short bio's are intended to provide you with just an inkling of their very extensive backgrounds and abilities.

She has been designing and constructing tutus and other dance costumes for over 35 years, has written and published several books on dance costume design, construction, and decorating, and has designed and published a wide range of adult and children's dance and costume patterns.

She is considered one of today's leading authorities on dance costuming, and her books and patterns are in use by professional and amateur costumers at ballet companies and schools all around the world. Her designs have been commissioned for performance and competition, film and television, print and advertising, and have won numerous awards and acclaim.

She has designed and/or created tutus and other costumes for several prestigious dance companies, including North Carolina Dance Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Ballet Trocadero, Ballet San Jose, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre-II, and many many others, for several RDA companies, and for hundreds of dancers competing in the International Ballet Competition (IBC), New York International Ballet Competition (NY-IBC), Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Prix de Lausaune, and in regional, national, and international pageants and competitions, and for numerous guest artists.

Ms. Folts has conducted tutu and costume design, construction, and decorating seminars since 1996, and has taught this fine art to costumers from every continent. She fully understands the techniques and methods of 'The Masters of Yesteryear', and successfully combines those methods and techniques with today's fabrics, technologies, and choreographic styles.

Her design credits include "The Nutcracker", "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake", "Don Quixote", and "Cinderella", as well as numerous lyrical pieces and period costumes. She has worked with Ballet Etudes, several schools, studios, and companies, Sue Turner-Cray of the "Manchester Girl", and designed costumes for the Youth America Grand Prix competition. Some of her work will be featured in a soon-to-be-released photographer's book of tutus.

Ms. Beasley is known for her patience and for the care with which she develops her designs, as well as for her friendly, easy-going, and ‘approachable’ teaching style.

Originally a native of Seattle, Washington, she now resides in California, where she works as a freelance artist, and lives with her daughter and son (who, as we understand, is an aspiring chef of some renown – be nice, you might get a dinner invite!).

But both are very talented designers and colorists in their own right. Check out Jessi's tiara designs, and Sarah's decorating skills - great stuff!

They work with Claudia at the seminars as classroom-assistants and tiara design instructors. In Claudia's words: "Jessica and Sarah are fabulously talented !"

Betsy has a very strong and thorough understanding of the costuming needs and values of all types of productions, from local student recitals to professional dance programs to Broadway touring companies. We are very proud and pleased to bring Betsy's skills and knowledge to our classes!

Side note, this lady also 'trucks'! She met her husband on the 'Phantom' tour many years ago, fell head over, promptly ran out and got her CDL, and joined him on the road hauling Broadway shows, dance companies, entertainers, and orchestras all over the country.

He is a master costumer, an outstanding designer, and has worked as a cutter/draper, tailor, craftsman, milliner, puppet-maker, first-hand, and stitcher. With all this experience, he has developed an extensive knowledge of all aspects of production and design.

Travis has an incredible eye for detail, and a wonderful ability to work with textures, colors, and layering. He is a really fun and patient instructor, and he will teach you much more than you were expecting. We are wonderfully happy to have him as a part of our Seminar Team this year.

Mr. Barney's CV includes a stint as draper for the Haute Couture Atelier of Frank Sorbier in Paris, and many roles as designer and draper for dance, theatre, and musical theatre productions and companies.

Jeremy is currently the resident Costunme Designer for the University of Arizona School of Dance. He is a very talented designer, and an intelligent, interesting, knowledgaable, and fun and funny teacher. We are very excited to have him join our teaching staff!