Master Teacher, Charmaine Ristow, has an extensive performance background coupled with worldwide experience in founding, performing, directing and choreographing for dozens of dance companies. She is also a certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer.

Ms. Ristow started dancing at the age of three and continued her education by studying ballet, choreography, modern, lyrical jazz, and musical theatre with such notable teachers as David Howard, Xenia Chlistowa and Edward Villella. She earned her BS degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and recently received the Wisconsin Dance Council's Certificate of Distinction.

She has taught at the Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and Madison Civic ballets, as well as the University of Wisconsin-Madison Major Dance Program, Stockholm Academie and Dance Masters of America.

Ms. Ristow gained invaluable knowledge while rehearsing and performing with Rudolf Nureyev in "Les Sylphides" in addition to studying and performing with the internationally acclaimed Jean-Paul Comelin's Milwaukee Ballet, touring throughout Europe with Stockholm's Cullbergballetten as well as dancing in the Edinburgh Festival.

She co-founded, performed and choreographed for the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble, Choreographer's Consortium, Kanopy Dance Theater, Madison Civic Ballet, and MetroDance, Inc. Charmaine's students can be seen performing with companies such as the Pacific Northwest Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.