Director & Founder - Jeana Klevene
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Jeana began her dance training at the age of 3 with Marlene Turbin-Weldon. She has attended the Joffrey Midwest Workshop and spent 3 summers training with the American Ballet Theatre, studying under such teachers as John Magnus, Cynthia Harvey, Charles Maple and Rebecca Wright. Her repertoire includes Jardin, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Don Quixote, An American in Paris and Carmen, as well as various contemporary pieces by Mia Michaels, Leslie Browne and Frank Galvez.
Jeana danced professionally with the Lexington Ballet Company for the 2001-2002 season and later returned to join their faculty from 2007-2012. At the Lexington Ballet she served as an instructor, stage manager, outreach coordinator and helped found the summer arts program MAD Camp, which she later directed. She also choreographed several contemporary pieces, as well as the full-length ballet of “Peter and the Wolf”, performed with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. She has since continued to teach and choreograph at numerous dance studios in the state of Kentucky, and is currently on the faculty of Bluegrass Youth Ballet. In the summer of 2015 Miss Klevene had the honor of training at the prestigious Boston Ballet, completing their Adaptive Dance Training program. Jeana resides in Lexington, KY with her husband Robert and beloved dog Wednesday (aka Baby Bat).
Jeana danced professionally with the Lexington Ballet Company for the 2001-2002 season and later returned to join their faculty from 2007-2012. At the Lexington Ballet she served as an instructor, stage manager, outreach coordinator and helped found the summer arts program MAD Camp, which she later directed. She also choreographed several contemporary pieces, as well as the full-length ballet of “Peter and the Wolf”, performed with the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra. She has since continued to teach and choreograph at numerous dance studios in the state of Kentucky, and is currently on the faculty of Bluegrass Youth Ballet. In the summer of 2015 Miss Klevene had the honor of training at the prestigious Boston Ballet, completing their Adaptive Dance Training program. Jeana resides in Lexington, KY with her husband Robert and beloved dog Wednesday (aka Baby Bat).
Director of Development - Sarah Wilson
Sarah was born and raised in Paris, Kentucky and currently lives in Midway with her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Emily. Sarah attended Morehead State University and graduated in 1999 with a BA in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations. She has been a supporter of Allegro Dance Project since Emily started her first class in 2017 and has been so excited with Emily’s progress. Her previous positions in public relations and development in higher education have given her skills to utilize in her work with Allegro Dance Project. In addition to her role of Director of Development, Sarah is also the pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Lexington, home schools her daughter, and enjoys photography and the arts.
Sarah was born and raised in Paris, Kentucky and currently lives in Midway with her husband, Steve, and their daughter, Emily. Sarah attended Morehead State University and graduated in 1999 with a BA in Mass Communication with an emphasis in Advertising and Public Relations. She has been a supporter of Allegro Dance Project since Emily started her first class in 2017 and has been so excited with Emily’s progress. Her previous positions in public relations and development in higher education have given her skills to utilize in her work with Allegro Dance Project. In addition to her role of Director of Development, Sarah is also the pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Lexington, home schools her daughter, and enjoys photography and the arts.
Music Director - Thomas Usher
Thomas is a musician from Hoover, Alabama. He graduated from Berea College where he studied percussion with Tripp Britton. He has performed with The Studio Players and in Kentucky Conservatory Theatre's Winterfest and Summerfest, with numerous bands. Thomas provides live music accompaniment for Allegro Dance Project's Inclusive Dance Outreach programming, writes and performs original music for our shows and hires, rehearses and directs a talented team of musicians for our performance events. This is his sixth season with Allegro Dance Project, and his fifth year serving as music director.
Thomas is a musician from Hoover, Alabama. He graduated from Berea College where he studied percussion with Tripp Britton. He has performed with The Studio Players and in Kentucky Conservatory Theatre's Winterfest and Summerfest, with numerous bands. Thomas provides live music accompaniment for Allegro Dance Project's Inclusive Dance Outreach programming, writes and performs original music for our shows and hires, rehearses and directs a talented team of musicians for our performance events. This is his sixth season with Allegro Dance Project, and his fifth year serving as music director.
Instructor - Caroline Price
Caroline grew up in Independence, KY and has been dancing since she was 3 years old, training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. She has competed in many regional competitions and won numerous awards and accolades. She has been assisting and teaching classes for years, and first found Allegro as a volunteer for our Inclusive Dance Outreach Program. Now she is not only a company dancer but also an instructor. She absolutely loves teaching and helping others experience the joy of dance and the freedom of expression. She is a Junior at the University of Kentucky and has been accepted into the UK nursing program for the fall of 2023. This is her second season teaching and first season dancing with Allegro Dance Project.
Caroline grew up in Independence, KY and has been dancing since she was 3 years old, training in ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and lyrical. She has competed in many regional competitions and won numerous awards and accolades. She has been assisting and teaching classes for years, and first found Allegro as a volunteer for our Inclusive Dance Outreach Program. Now she is not only a company dancer but also an instructor. She absolutely loves teaching and helping others experience the joy of dance and the freedom of expression. She is a Junior at the University of Kentucky and has been accepted into the UK nursing program for the fall of 2023. This is her second season teaching and first season dancing with Allegro Dance Project.
Instructor - Tess Fower
Tess has been dancing with Bluegrass Youth Ballet for eleven years and has attended summer intensives at Alma Dance School and Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. They are a rising senior in the SCAPA ballet program at Lafayette High School where they are also a violist in the Lafayette Orchestra and a new member of Lafayette Theatre. Tess assisted in their middle school special education class for three years, has been assisting with our weekly Adaptive Dance Classes for five years and is now an instructor. This is their fifth season with Allegro Dance Project.
Tess has been dancing with Bluegrass Youth Ballet for eleven years and has attended summer intensives at Alma Dance School and Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. They are a rising senior in the SCAPA ballet program at Lafayette High School where they are also a violist in the Lafayette Orchestra and a new member of Lafayette Theatre. Tess assisted in their middle school special education class for three years, has been assisting with our weekly Adaptive Dance Classes for five years and is now an instructor. This is their fifth season with Allegro Dance Project.
Outreach and Performance Musician - DeBraun Thomas
DeBraun grew up surrounded by many different musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area and began playing in music clubs with father's bands at the age of 15. In 2009 he moved to Lexington,KY to attend the University of Kentucky. After graduating in 2012 he has been focusing on music in addition to working at the local NPR affiliate WUKY. Since 2013, DeBraun has been performing his original music as the DeBraun Thomas Trio. His influences range from artists like Jimi Hendrix to Otis Redding and he describes his music as Rock N Soul. He released his first solo album, All My Colors are Blind, in 2015 recorded at Shagri-La Productions by Duane Lundy. DeBraun is an accompanist for our Inclusive Dance Outreach program & Adaptive Dance classes and this is his eighth season performing and composing with Allegro Dance Project.
DeBraun grew up surrounded by many different musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area and began playing in music clubs with father's bands at the age of 15. In 2009 he moved to Lexington,KY to attend the University of Kentucky. After graduating in 2012 he has been focusing on music in addition to working at the local NPR affiliate WUKY. Since 2013, DeBraun has been performing his original music as the DeBraun Thomas Trio. His influences range from artists like Jimi Hendrix to Otis Redding and he describes his music as Rock N Soul. He released his first solo album, All My Colors are Blind, in 2015 recorded at Shagri-La Productions by Duane Lundy. DeBraun is an accompanist for our Inclusive Dance Outreach program & Adaptive Dance classes and this is his eighth season performing and composing with Allegro Dance Project.
Outreach and Performance Musician - Cara Coppola
Cara is a mom, writer, singer/songwriter, and Foster Parent Educator who lives in Lexington with her younger daughter Willow, who has multiple disabilities. Disability and Inclusion, motherhood, writing, books, and nature are all prevalent in her original songs that she’s put into her own genre, HymnFolk Blues, which is also the title of her new EP (on all streaming platforms). Growing up surrounded by the music of Nina Simone, Simon and Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra, combined with years of Suzuki viola lessons and eighteen years of Catholic choir have melted into her own sound, steeped in the blues of her reality of pushing a wheelchair through an inaccessible world, sprinkled with the folk sounds of her tree hugging soul, and resonating with the hymns she grew up singing in harmony with her sister and mother. She is currently planning a small single-mama style mini-tour of her EP this summer, follow Cara Coppola Music on Facebook for upcoming dates. This is her first season with Allegro Dance Project, both playing in the performance band and as an outreach accompanist.
Cara is a mom, writer, singer/songwriter, and Foster Parent Educator who lives in Lexington with her younger daughter Willow, who has multiple disabilities. Disability and Inclusion, motherhood, writing, books, and nature are all prevalent in her original songs that she’s put into her own genre, HymnFolk Blues, which is also the title of her new EP (on all streaming platforms). Growing up surrounded by the music of Nina Simone, Simon and Garfunkel and Frank Sinatra, combined with years of Suzuki viola lessons and eighteen years of Catholic choir have melted into her own sound, steeped in the blues of her reality of pushing a wheelchair through an inaccessible world, sprinkled with the folk sounds of her tree hugging soul, and resonating with the hymns she grew up singing in harmony with her sister and mother. She is currently planning a small single-mama style mini-tour of her EP this summer, follow Cara Coppola Music on Facebook for upcoming dates. This is her first season with Allegro Dance Project, both playing in the performance band and as an outreach accompanist.
Outreach and Performance Musician - Emma Browning
Emma is a violinist who recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with degrees in Music Performance and Arts Administration. She grew up in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and has been playing the violin for 15 years. Her background is in classical music and has enjoyed playing in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout high school and college. She began at Allegro Dance Project as an intern, and now assists the outreach classes as a musician, plays in the performance band, and is an administrative assistant. Above all else, she strives to bring joy to others with the music she makes, and to bring people closer to the arts through her administrative skills, which is exactly what she loves about working at Allegro Dance Project!
Emma is a violinist who recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with degrees in Music Performance and Arts Administration. She grew up in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and has been playing the violin for 15 years. Her background is in classical music and has enjoyed playing in orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout high school and college. She began at Allegro Dance Project as an intern, and now assists the outreach classes as a musician, plays in the performance band, and is an administrative assistant. Above all else, she strives to bring joy to others with the music she makes, and to bring people closer to the arts through her administrative skills, which is exactly what she loves about working at Allegro Dance Project!
