Lizanne McAdams-Graham, has over 40 years experience as a professional dancer and dance educator and has devoted her entire life to the arts. She began training at the age of 3 under the direction of her late mother, Lorraine McAdams, legendary Director and Founder of the National Ballet of New Jersey and her father, a professional musician raising five children on a 12 acre dance complex. In her youth she was a full year scholarship student to Joffrey Ballet NYC, Harkness House for Ballet Arts NYC, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Choreography NARB workshops. She joined the Croation National Ballet and Opera Theatre in Zagreb, in the former Yugoslavia at the age of 17 dancing principal and leading roles in Nutcracker, Coppelia, Giselle, Swan Lake, Serenade, Romeo & Juliet, Sleeping Beauty and Firebird, Graduation  Ball, Carmina Burana, Bolero and Cinderella. She has studied with Finus Yhung, David Howard, John Prince, Maria Vegh, Basil Thompson, Michael Smuin, Alonzo King, Maggie Black and Robert Blankshine, Kristina Elliot,Yehuda Maor, Loyce Holton, and Pavel Rotaru.

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Mid career Ms. McAdams-Graham joined the renowned ODC/Dance, exploring contemporary dance, completing world tours in Russia, Southeast Asia, Hawaii, and Australia, along with residency at Jacobs Pillow, Joyce Theater, City Center, Lincoln Center in NYC, and Kennedy Center in D.C. She has guest appeared for Los Angeles, Santa Fe, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco Opera Ballet Companies in “Faust”, “Die Fledermaus”, “La Traviata” “Orfeo Ed Euridice” and “Aida” and appeared on the PBS televised production of "Dance in America".

Ms. McAdams served on the dance faculty for Dance Alloy at Carnegie-Mellon University, Point Park University, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Dance Center, Dance Institute and Ballet Arts of Austin. She has set major ballets on Charleston Ballet, Ithaca Ballet and Walnut Hill School for the Arts.  She retired from performing in 1997 and conducted company class for Boulder Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson, David Taylor Dance Theatre, Zikir Dance Ensemble and Wonderbound in Colorado. She conducted thriving professional classes at Colorado Ballet and Denver Dance Center for 22 years. She was Ballet Mistress for David Taylor Dance Theatre and Dawson/Wallace Dance Project. Ms. McAdams was Ballet Director/Choreographer for Sweatshop Dance in Denver and currently the Ballet School Director for Boulder Ballet.

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