June Taylor-Dixon
School Founder and Artistic Director
June Taylor-Dixon began her formal ballet training in Coventry, England at the Pattison’s Academy of Dance and Drama. Pattison’s Academy merged academic studies with extensive performing art education. Upon the completion of her rigorous training, she graduated as an Associate of the following: Cecchetti Ballet Society, Royal Academy of Dance, International Dance Teacher’s Association, and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She then began her professional career, first dancing in a small company in England, then continuing her career with musical theater productions in the west end of London. Later, she toured as a musical theater dance and comedy duo, eventually going on to dance with the Wiesbaden Stadtsopera company in Germany.
Upon retiring from the stage, she chose to teach what she loved. She underwent further training as a teacher, and received teaching certificates from the Royal Academy of Dance, the International Dance Teacher’s Association and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance. She then founded a school and opened a pre-professional jazz company in Wiesbaden, Germany. As the artistic director and founder of her school, she offered a strong curriculum based in the Royal Academy of Dance and Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance modern syllabus. Under her tutelage, fourteen of her students became associates of the International Dance Teacher’s Association. Many of them later went on to teach and open their own dance schools.
In 1983, Miss June moved to Portland, Oregon to be married to Wayne Dixon. Following her passion for dance education, she founded June Taylor’s School of Dance in 1984. Her keen eye for detail and heartfelt devotion to her students are only a few of the reasons her studio is the prestigious school it is today. Many of her students have gone on to dance in professional ballet companies (American Ballet Theater, Ballet Idaho, Colorado Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Greensboro Ballet, Houston Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theater and Pacific Northwest Ballet), compete as finalists in international ballet competitions, and gain acceptance to distinguished schools (The Australian Ballet School, The Banff Centre, Carolina School of the Arts, Goh Ballet Academy, Houston Ballet Academy, Indiana University, School of Oregon Ballet, and Suny Purchase).
Gretta Murray-Marchek
Ballet
Gretta Murray-Marchek, born in Invercargill, New Zealand began her training in the Royal Academy of Dance method. After completing all of the examinations from Primary to Advanced she moved to Portland, Oregon to further her studies abroad. Gretta’s pre-professional training was at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA where she also danced with the company in many performances. On to Oregon Ballet Theatre, dancing professionally then Burklyn Ballet Theatre and Louisville Ballet, each company providing a variety of styles and repertoire. Roles have included The Sugar Plum Fairy from the Nutcracker, Odette from Swan Lake and Aurora and the Lilac Fairy from The Sleeping Beauty. Ballets danced include La Bayadere, Raymonda, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet and Cinderella to name a few. Teaching has been a part of all this dancing starting in New Zealand at the National Ballet School then in the United States at Burklyn Ballet Theatre, The Dance Academy, Arizona Ballet School and now June Taylor’ s School of Dance. Choreography is also one of Gretta’s loves, having won numerous awards, she continues to enjoy creating new works. Gretta’s goal in teaching is to get the most out of each student’s individual talent and to pass on the joy of dancing!
Cameron Smith
Ballet and Jazz
Cameron Smith hails from Portland, Oregon where she was trained in the Royal Academy of Dance method under Marjorie Soriano. Ms. Smith also trained extensively in tap and jazz at June Taylor’s School of Dance in conjunction with her technical ballet training. Ms. Smith has had an impressive professional dance career spanning fourteen years. She has danced as a soloist with Houston Ballet, principal with Ballet Memphis and principal with Ballet Florida. In her career she danced a wide range of both contemporary and classical roles by some of he dance worlds most renowned choreographers like Glenn Tetley, Paul Taylor, George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Christopher Bruce, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Trey McIntyre, Stanton Welch, Vicente Nebrada, Lila York, Mark Godden, Sean Lavery and Peter Martins. Ms. Smith has been teaching since she herself was a student. She has been involved in teaching programs throughout her dance career at Houston Ballet Academy, Ballet Memphis School, at studios throughout South Florida and at the New American Youth Ballet and Conservatory. She has choreographed for Ballet Florida Step Ahead, Northwest Dance Theatre and for Jupiter Dance Academy. In addition to teaching at June Taylor’s School of Dance, Ms. Smith is also the assistant artistic director of Northwest Dance Theatre. She is please to be back in the Portland area to share her experience and knowledge with the future dancers of tomorrow.
Rachel Fleming
RAD Registered Teacher
Ballet, Tap and Jazz
Rachel Fleming is a native of Portland, OR where she studied ballet (R.A.D.), classical jazz and tap with June Taylor-Dixon from the age of 7. In addition to her studies at June Taylor’s School of Dance, Rachel continued her dance training at the University of Oregon and San Jose State University and has worked with tap mentors Lou and Patti Richards and Janet Descutner. Rachel has received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance from the University of Oregon and is a certified Royal Academy of Dance teaching member. She has performed with Santa Clara Ballet, University of Oregon Repertory Dance Company and Northwest Dance Theatre. In May 2002, she received the Outstanding Leadership in Service to Dance Award for her involvement with Dance Oregon, a dance organization at the University of Oregon, where Rachel acted as fundraising coordinator from 1999-2000 and director from 2000-2002. Aside from her love for teaching, Rachel is a member of the Skylark Tappers, a Portland tap company. Rachel has been teaching at June Taylor’s School of Dance since 2002.
Laura Green
RAD Registered Teacher
Ballet
Laura Green, born in Beaverton, Oregon, began her dance training at June Taylor’ s School of Dance at the age of 12. She has completed Grades 3 through 8 of the Royal Academy of Dance examinations as well as Intermediate through Advanced 1 of the RAD Vocational exams. She is currently working towards her Advanced 2. Miss Laura has been teaching ballet at June Taylor’s since 2005 and received her Royal Academy of Dance Teaching Certification in October 2008. In addition, Miss Laura has been teaching beginning Tap, Ballet, and Creative Movement at the Conestoga Recreation Center in Beaverton since 2006. She has taught from ages two to eleven and has lead and co-taught a number of dance camps over the summer for the Parks and Recreation Center. Miss Laura currently dances with Northwest Dance Theatre and has performed in Coppelia, Alice in Wonderland, Les Sylphides, Paquita, La Bayadere and the Nutcracker.
Thorey Mountain
Special Guest Teacher for Winter 2012 Term
Jazz – Tap – Ballet – Performance Classes
Thorey Mountain is currently Head of Jazz at Elmhurst School for Dance in Birmingham, England.
After training at Arts Educational Trust and with Anna Northcote, Thorey became a member of the Sadler’s Wells Opera Movement Group. She studied jazz with American jazz dancer and choreographer, Matt Mattox and danced with his Jazzart Company at the Edinburgh Festival and at the Roundhouse in London. Thorey appeared in the original West End productions of Applause, Pippin and A Chorus Line and had the unique opportunity of working with Bob Fosse. She also appeared extensively in television productions, commercials and films, notably The Slipper and the Rose for Mark Breaux.
For some years, Thorey made her home in the USA where she taught jazz, tap, ballet and acting in schools as well as in private studios, including June Taylor’s School of Dance. She was also a guest teacher at Jefferson High School for the Performing Arts and resident choreographer for Portland’s Musical Theatre Company.
After returning to the UK, Thorey taught at the Dance School of Scotland and at London Studio Centre before moving to Elmhurst. She also obtained her BA Honors degree in Theatre Dance (Dance Education). Thorey has enjoyed her role as the Birmingham-based tap tutor for the wildly successful West-End production of Billy Elliot. She has recently been thrilled to see two of her students star in the role of Michael on the London stage.
