Megan Bonneau McCool

Biography

I trained in classical ballet, jazz and modern with Gail Collins, Jana Fugate, and others at the Pioneer Valley Ballet in MA and at the School of American Ballet under such notable teachers as Suki Schorer, Susie Pilarre, Kay Mazzo, Stanley Williams, Antonia Tumkovsky, Andrei Kramarevsky, Adam Luders and Sean Lavery.  At SAB I received the Mae L. Wein Award for Outstanding Promise and danced the principal roles in ballets including George Balanchine's Dances Concertantes, Raymonda Variations, and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, as well as originating principal roles in ballets by James Sewell and Sean Lavery. I danced as an apprentice with the New York City Ballet in the early 1990’s in ballets by Balanchine and Peter Martins while also learning ballets by Jerome Robbins.

I then attended Smith College, graduating with an A.B. in American Studies and a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance. During this time, I also served as Ballet Mistress and Office Manager for the Pioneer Valley Ballet, where I staged many full length classics and rehearsed ballets including Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie and original works by choreographers such as Christopher D'Amboise, Jerry Bevington, and Saeko Ichinoe, as well as handling many aspects of the day to day as well as the grant writing of the well-established non-profit. I have since also served the organization as an artistic consultant and advisory board member.

I have taught ballet extensively and choreographed over 30 commissioned ballets throughout the east coast at numerous schools and colleges from The Walnut Hill School for the Arts to Alabama Dance Theatre, including a recent full length ballet Hansel and Gretel at The Ballet School of Stamford. I received RDA/NE Emerging Choreographer's Award and Scholarship for my first piece in 1995. My choreography has also been performed at the RDA Festivals and at the ACDFA’s National Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. I have also recently choreographed and dance directed numerous musicals including Annie Jr., Aladdin Jr., The Music Man Jr., Madagascar Jr., High School Musical, Mary Poppins Jr., Bye Bye Birdie, Newsies, and Lion King Jr.

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I have also been active as the volunteer arts coordinator for my PTSA, helping to bring numerous multicultural arts performances and activities to elementary school children and was recently awarded the Arts & Cultural Empowerment Artist Award by the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County.

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I have always been an avid photographer and videographer and have enjoyed having many opportunities to grow in this field throughout all of my activities.

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