Guest faculty
Maddy Werner
Guest Instructor
Maddy Werner began her dance training with nine years at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, most notably by Daniel Blake. During her time under his direction, she had the opportunity to perform multiple original works with James Sewell Ballet, who collaborated with the studio for several years. She also performed Dew Drop Fairy, and Sugar Plum Fairy in ‘The Nutcracker’ as well as numerous original works by Daniel Blake.
When she was 15, she was accepted into Houston Ballet Ben Stevenson’s Academy Summer Intensive Program. While attending the summer program, she was offered and accepted a full scholarship into the year-round program. She trained with the Houston Ballet Academy for two years, during which she had the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker with the professional company. Maddy also completed one summer program with the Orlando Ballet in Orlando, Florida, where she was offered a Traineeship, but she ultimately declined.
When she was 18, she accepted a position with the Lexington Ballet Company in Lexington, Kentucky. She performed lead roles in 'The Nutcracker' and 'Cinderella', but, unfortunately, her career came to an end before her first season even came to a close due to an injury. The following year, Maddy took a position as the head ballet instructor at Diamond School of Dance in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
While Maddy enjoyed teaching, she desired a change in her life, and she ultimately ended up attending college for Law Enforcement and graduated in 2016. She accepted a job with South Lake Minnetonka Police Department Minnesota in 2017, and held the position of Patrol Officer and Field Training Officer for nearly four years before retiring. During her time as a Police Officer, she continued to be a guest teacher at studios throughout the metro area.
After leaving law enforcement, Maddy became a year-round teacher at North Ballet Academy in 2021, where she still teaches today. She acted as Artistic Director producing and staging the classical ballets The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle.
As a former student of Daniel Blake, she knows first-hand how impactful of an instructor he is. Maddy is thrilled to be able to share her knowledge with the students of BalletCorps, and hopes to inspire the new generation of dancers through her love of classical ballet.
Kei Han Lee
Resident Composer
Kei Han Lee is a composer of art music rooted in the Western classical tradition, a multi-instrumentalist, and fiber artist from Rochester, MN based in the Chicago area. Studying music theory along with classical piano and violin throughout their childhood and teenage years, Lee found fulfillment in the collaborative processes of music-making, whether it be in their participation in orchestras, chamber music, or receiving and teaching private lessons. During their college years, Lee fell in love with studying the theoretical and socio-cultural components of music and its history, which contribute deeply to their understanding of music and practice.
Lee received their Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College in Music and Communication, graduating magna cum laude in spring 2023. During their time at Boston College, they participated in the Boston College Symphony Orchestra, serving on the executive board and as concertmaster. They also participated in several chamber groups through the Chamber Music Society, founding both the Vandy String Quartet and the Chestnut String Quartet, the latter of which performed Lee’s first string quartet in their senior recital, with Lee playing the first violin part. Lee was the winner of the Boston College Symphony Orchestra’s annual concerto competition in 2023, and performed the Barber Violin Concerto as a soloist with the symphony orchestra. Lee recently completed a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Music Studies from Berklee College of Music, where they developed skills relating to music business and law, music production, and film scoring.
Taryn Pachciarz
Guest Instructor and Pointe Advisor
Taryn Pachciarz was born in Kansas City, Missouri and received a majority of her training on full scholarship at the Kansas City Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, performing Waltz Girl in Serenade for the SAB workshop. Taryn was given her Corps de Ballet contract with the New York City Ballet and performed numerous Balanchine and Robbins ballets including, Stars and Stripes, Jewels, Symphony in Three Movements, West Side Story Suite, and The Cage.
Taryn just completed her 13th season with Kansas City Ballet and has been featured in numerous roles in The Nutcracker, The Four Temperaments, The Sleeping Beauty, Jiří Kylián’s Petite Mort, Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room, Wendy in Peter Pan, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Sylvie Pas From William Forsythe’s In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, the Lead Woman in James Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Myrtha in Giselle, Russian girl in Serenade and the Principal girl in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Rubies and Diamonds. Some of her favorite choreographers to originate roles for include Matthew Neenan and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. Taryn is excited to lend her expertise and guidance to BalletCorps and it’s students.
Logan Pachciarz
Guest Instructor and Choreographer
Moving Arts Artistic Director and Co-Founder, Logan Pachciarz began his official dance training at the Franklin School of Performing Arts and at the Nashville Ballet, and his professional career at the age of 15 as a member of Twyla Tharp’s dance ensemble Tharp! During their acclaimed national tour, he performed in three premiere works, Sweet Fields, Heroes, and 66. He then continued his formal dance education at the North Carolina School of the Arts under the tutelage of Ton Simons, Fernando Bujones, and Warren Conover. Joining Boston Ballet II at the age of 18, Mr. Pachciarz was soon promoted to the main company, in which he performed works by choreographers such as Rudi van Dantzig, Christopher Wheeldon, and Ben Stevenson. After two years at Boston Ballet, in 2001 Mr. Pachciarz joined Kansas City Ballet. During his 15 years with the Company, he has performed leading roles in a diverse repertoire, ranging from classical works such as Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet, to contemporary and modern pieces, such as Jardi Tancat, Dark Elegies, The Catherine Wheel Suite, and The Moor’s Pavane. One of his most celebrated roles at Kansas City Ballet (and one which he shared with co-director Anthony Krutzkamp, to equal acclaim) was as the infamous count in Michael Pink’s Dracula. Along with co-artistic director Anthony Krutzkamp, Mr. Pachciarz founded the Kansas City Dance Festival in 2013 in order to develop an exciting performance series for the Kansas City community. Logan is excited to have to the opportunity to work with BalletCorps.