Our Faculty
Julianne Spratlin, Artistic Director, Founder
After her successful, twenty-plus year professional career dancing with Atlanta Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Milwaukee Ballet, Ms. Spratlin established the Dance Training Center / San Francisco in January of 2014. She sensed the need for a new kind of ballet school in San Francisco: one with the highest quality of training, smaller classes and a warm and supportive environment. DTC/SF gives individual attention to students in a healthy, positive atmosphere, and is a place where professional dancers and students from other ballet schools come to tune-up and work on their technique. In SF, Ms. Spratlin has taught for Amy Seiwert's Imagery and regularly teaches company class for Smuin Ballet. She also regularly returns to the Atlanta Ballet Center for Dance Education as a faculty member for both the Advanced and Professional Summer Intensives. The ‘24-’25 school year will be Ms. Spratlin’s 30th year of teaching ballet!
Henry Berg
Called "one of San Francisco's leading dance teachers", Henry Berg has, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, "carved a strong artistic niche as a teacher". With a career that spans over three decades in dance, film, television, theatre and academia, Mr. Berg has established himself as one of the foremost dance teachers in the country. (Read one of his interviews with Dance Magazine). He created the Berg Method, a floor barre technique that serves as a basis for improved balance, stability, and coordination.
In 1962, he joined the San Francisco Ballet. Subsequently, he danced for over seven years with the Joffrey Ballet and assisted choreographer Twyla Tharp in New York City. In 1975, Mr. Berg created the Pacific Ballet Company with co-founders John Pasqualetti and Sue Loyd. He was a co-founder of City Ballet School in San Francisco, and later opened The Ballet Studio - a haven for professional dancers when recovering from an injury. For many years, Mr. Berg taught the company dancers’ “rehabilitation class” at San Francisco Ballet.
Samantha Clark, Associate Artistic Director
A Bay Area native, Samantha began her training under Damara Bennett and Henry Berg while spending summer’s training at American Ballet Theater (ABT). She began her professional career dancing with the Oakland Ballet and Northern Ballet Theater. In 2004, Samantha moved to New York where she danced for the innovative Cedar Lake Ensemble , the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, and Nejila Yakin/Dance among others.
Samantha teaches DTC/SF dancers in Level 3, 5, 6, Pre-Professional and has a loyal following in our Adult Ballet classes.
Kristin Long, Associate Artistic Director
Born in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Kristin Long trained at Allegheny Ballet Academy, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet School. Named an apprentice in 1989, she joined the Company in 1990, was promoted to soloist in 1992, and to principal dancer in 1999. Her awards include the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for ensemble performance in 2001 and the Princess Grace Foundation Award in 1990. She has performed as a guest artist with several companies, including English National Ballet.
Kristin specializes in training young dancers, laying a foundation of excellent classical technique, exposure to character dance, musicality, and performing skills.
Cassidy Issacson (Contemporary, Ballet, Levels 5R, 5P, 6)
Bio coming soon!
Marc La Pierre (Pas de Deux, Boy’s Class, Ballet)
Bio coming soon!
Jennifer Polyocan (Int/Adv Ballet)
A native of Great Neck, New York, Jennifer Polyocan (she, her) received her training at the prestigious School of American Ballet and with Nancy Bielski at the David Howard School of Dance. After graduating from Professional Children's School in NYC, she joined the Miami City Ballet where she remained for five years having the opportunity to perform soloist and principal roles. Jennifer later joined Wes Chapman's Alabama Ballet and the Washington Ballet where she performed soloist and principal roles. Jennifer performed title roles in Coppelia and Giselle and danced principal roles in works by Antony Tudor, Nacho Duato, Septime Webre, Kirk Peterson, and Dwight Rhoden. In addition to a career in ballet, Polyocan is a graduate of New College of California with a degree in Arts and Social Change. She has taught ballet for over 20 years to both children and adults. She has taught at ODC, UC Berkeley, For Smuin Ballet, Amy Stewart’s Imagery, Belvoir Ballet, and the University of San Francisco. She acquired a certification in the Vaganova method of levels 1-3 from the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, and training in RPM (Revolutionary Principals of Movement). Polyocan has studied extensively with her mentor and friend Augusta Moore, and shares many of her teaching pedagogies as she had the most significant influence on Jennifer as a teacher. She has completed a three-year training course at the Alexander Technique Center of Cambridge and is ATI certified and also certified in PBT (Progressing Ballet Technqiue™) Throughout her career she experienced mind-body techniques as an essential and valuable measure for preventing injuries and firmly believes that body awareness and curiosity leads to an intelligent dancer, performer and artist.
Harriet McMeekin
Born in Bethesda, Maryland, Ms. McMeekin enjoyed gymnastics, softball, karate, and swimming before starting ballet at the age of 12. Prior to her dance career with Jose Mateo’s Ballet Theater, Oakland Ballet, Ballet San Jose, and The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, she graduated with a BFA Magna Cum Laude in Dance Performance from The Boston Conservatory, now part of Berklee College of Music.
Ms. McMeekin has experience teaching and coaching children, professionals, and adult levels. She is a certified GYROTONIC®, GYROKINESIS®, and Pilates instructor, as well as the owner of Movement For Everyone in San Francisco.
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Brennan Wall (Adult Beginner Ballet)
Bio coming soon!