Board of Directors
Shannon Therkildsen, President
Shannon Therkildsen started dancing at the age of two. She trained in the Dallas area prior to training and perform for two years with The Hartford Ballet under the direction of Kirk Peterson. Shannon moved to Denver, Colorado, to continue her professional career as a corps member with Colorado Ballet. There, she performed in Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and Don Quixote, and other ballets. Shannon was also a member of Boulder Ballet, a founding member of Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet, and taught and competed in ballroom dancing with Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Throughout Shannon’s dance career, she taught ballet at various studios in the Denver metro area.​
Shannon retired from her dance career in 2009 when her son was born. Since then, she has joined the reinsurance industry, and is currently a Client Data Manager at Hannover Re, where she manages and trains a team of Data Analysts. After COVID, Shannon returned to ballet by joining the adult ballet community in Denver. Shannon continues to take class, perform, and teach. Being a member of the Ballet Melange Board gives Shannon another opportunity to share her love and support of dance.
Elizabeth Shipiatsky, Artistic Director
Noticing that professional dance companies were evolving in the 2010’s, Ms. Shipiatsky saw a growing need for early career dancers to have diverse skills and performance experience to be competitive in seeking employment. Observing talented, early career dancers receiving inadequate performance opportunities in studio companies or lower-ranking company positions, she envisioned a finishing school and performance company for pre-professional academy graduates. Because professional companies focus on performing she also saw the need for dancers to enter the professional world with penultimate levels of technical prowess, injury prevention, musicality and dance history aptitude, distinguished social skills, as well as performance expertise.
Ms. Shipiatsky began seeking high level faculty with national and international connections in each of their disciplines, and recruited a board of directors team with varied professional skills and passion for the arts. Ballet Melange, a registered 105c3, was officially born in 2018. Ms. Shipiatsky and her carefully acquired teams have created the most complete curriculum, performance possibilities, and networking opportunities for dancers seeking university scholarships or professional contracts. Ballet Melange trainees have received contract offers, awards and recognition, and interest from companies around the world.
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Please see our faculty pages for Ms. Shipiatsky’s teaching bio.
Cinthia Manzano , Secretary
Cindy Manzano is a partner at the law firm of Frascona Joiner Goodman and Greenstein in Colorado with over 26 years of legal experience including business law. Before becoming an attorney, Cindy studied literature and journalism and also sang and danced. Cindy has been on Boards for other organizations and has volunteered as a parent for many years at Classical Ballet Academy and Ballet Melange. She is excited to have joined the Board in 2020 and to see Ballet Melange grow as a bridge for students seeking intensive training and performance experience in order to obtain a professional career.
Jennifer Wu, Treasurer
Bio coming soon
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Maggie Mehlam
Maggie Mehlman trained under the direction of Elizabeth Shipiatsky for nearly a decade. After graduating from Denver School of the Arts and the Classical Ballet Academy program, Maggie attended Colorado College as a Boettcher Scholar, where she received a degree in Mathematics. Maggie also directed and danced in many Theater and Dance Department productions during her time at Colorado College.
Maggie currently resides in New York City and works as a Reinsurance Analyst for PURE Insurance. She continues to take dance classes in New York and is proud to serve on the Board of Ballet Melange.
Sasha Sosniak
Bio Coming Soon!
Dmitri Gromyko
A lifelong devotee of the arts, Dmitri Gromyko brings a unique blend of creativity and business acumen to the Ballet Melange Board of Directors. Born in Minsk, Belarus, he has a foundation in mechanical engineering and economics. Since immigrating to the United States at the age of 27, he has established a thriving construction business and operated a successful art gallery in Downtown Denver. Currently, Dmitri works as a realtor. Dmitri’s involvement with ballet extends beyond his board role. Since 2004, he has been an integral part of various ballet productions, contributing his talents as a dancer, props designer, and set builder. He is dedicated to bringing the beauty and power of ballet to the community and enriching the lives of audiences of all ages.
Nicole Dyer
Nicole Dyer is an early career professional with experience in the nonprofit sector. She graduated in 2020 from Willamette University with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and Spanish. Following her college education, she worked for two years as a case manager and resource navigator assisting community members who are unhoused or at risk of losing their housing.
Currently, Nicole is the Program Associate for the Telluray Foundation, a private foundation that awards grants and other forms of support to local nonprofit organizations. She manages grants administration; streamlines internal operations and reporting; and supports program development, including sourcing potential grant partnerships and researching new areas of interest. Telluray Foundation is an invite-only foundation, and Nicole also assists in the process of reviewing grant applications, nonprofit financials, and budgets.