About Children's Nutcracker 2020
Mission Statement
The award-winning Children's Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is an authentic, professional-level ballet company that produces professionally staged productions showcasing San Antonio's most talented children. Dancers are selected by invitation or audition. The Children's Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit organization 501 (c)3.
Mission: The Children's Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) seeks to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds.
Children's Ballet of San Antonio
Founder and Artistic Director
| VANESSA BESSLER, MBA
Vanessa Bessler is a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Panama. She started her dancing career very early and was a full scholarship student at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York, New York. Her training includes the Vaganova, Royal Academy of Dancing, and Cecchetti methods along with modern dance and jazz. Vanessa has studied in Panama, Panama; New York, New York; Havana, Cuba; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Milan, Italy; and Miami, Florida under renowned teachers including Wasil Tupin, Angelco Yureska, Belinda Writes, Hector Zaraspe, John Magnus, Marek Cholewa, and Elena Kunikova among others. She also participated in several international dance festivals in Argentina, Peru, and El Salvador. Vanessa performed principal roles in Ballets including Don Quixote, Paquita, La Bayadere, Raymonda, Le Corsaire, Nutcracker, Spring Waters, Flower Festival, Paris Flames, Dying Swan (from Le Carnaval des), and Diana and Action.
In her twenty-plus years of teaching, Vanessa has a track record of preparing successful students who have joined professional companies and strong college programs. She also has prepared numerous Youth American Grand Prix (“YAGP”) regional Top 12 Finalists and Award Winners, including dancers who have progressed to the final round of the YAGP competitions held in New York. Bessler has been recognized as Outstanding Teacher for 5 consecutive years at YAGP (2016 - 2020) and with the Outstanding School Award in 2018. Additionally, her dancers have been selected to compete in the highly prestigious Prix de Lausanne, the Vaganova Prix, and the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. Furthermore, her students have received numerous scholarships to world-renowned schools and summer intensive programs.
Vanessa holds degrees and certifications from the following institutions: Master of Business Administration, Barry University, Miami Florida; Postgraduate degree in Education, Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua, Republic of Panama; Bachelor of Arts, Universidad Santa Maria La Antigua, Republic of Panama; Bolshoi Academy Teacher Certifications, Cecchetti Method Teacher Certifications, and Royal Academy of Dancing Teacher’s training. She also completed a Teacher Training program at the renowned Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy, and the Vaganova Ballet Academy.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
CBSA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President
Doris Slay-Barber
Treasurer
Lesley Remington
Secretary
Tim Bessler, Ed.D.
Camille Denton
Frank Morrill
Courtney Myers
Jennifer Todd
Shannon Turner
Martha Valadez
A Very Special Thank You
to our Circle of Supporters!
(*June 1, 2019 through December 4, 2020)
President’s Circle
Carla and John Brozovich
Dance Center of San Antonio
Julian Gold
Kronkosky Foundation
San Antonio Area Foundation
Deborah and Frank Morrill
Director’s Circle
Producer’s Circle
Monika and Neal Dalrymple
Artist’s Circle
Camille and Laddie Denton
Susan and Steve Hassmann
Got It Covered Events, Inc.
Melanie and Robert Thomas
Zchicel and Ernest Trevino
Ambassador’s Circle
Lisa and Sergio Alvarado
Loan Oak Village
Jessica and Jay Bryand
Cathy and Ronald Fronheiser
Elizabeth and Sean Kiehne
In Honor of Amy Kochheiser’s passion for Dance
Jenna and Jared Natho
Lesley and Mark Remington
Silver Eagle Distributors, Inc.
Debra and John Stephan
Still Life Photography by Alexander Devora
Jennifer and Jason Todd
Sonia and Gene Williams
Jessica Worth
Advocate’s Circle
Belles & Beaux
Michelle and Mark Bishop
Magdelena and Chris Bolner
Brooke and Walter Leddy
Dark Horse Sportz
Lee and Russell Marlowe
Courtney and Ryan Myers
Jennifer Orr & Victoria Orr-Kirsch
Suzanne and Michael Petrusch
Monica and Marcos Restrepo
Meredith Shindler
Sally and Robert Todd
The Gardenia & Musical Club
Vanessa and Gregory Van Cleave
Friend’s Circle
Brittany Bader
Debbie and Paul Bessler
Jill and Scott Bevans
Carlen Blume
The Bolner Family
Heather Carleston
Beth and Bill Clanton
Jason’s Deli (Pavillion’s Deli)
Jason Cotrell
Kristin Dean
Valerie Duffy
AnaLisa Duran
Lisa and Kevin Dunne
Desmond Michael Eckhart
Sheila Edmund
Dr. Kristin E. Eisenhauer and Mr. Adam M. Eisenhauer
Kimberly Engquist
Sara Fackler
Erica and Duane Fisher
Ashley Foshee
Friend of CBSA
Ayano and Masaki Funamoto
Alice Garza
Gabriela Garza
Lula Elizabeth and John Garrett
Sarah and John Gillis
Kris Gottfredson
Jeska and Scott Harris
and Mary Lea Ryon
Virginia and Jim Hartz
Norma Hassmann
Brandi Howell
Ingram Hills Dental
Patricia Kauhaahaa
Emily and Geoffrey King
Mackenzie Kirsch
Fernanda Kuri
Carmen and Carlos Kuri
Caitlin Loomis
Teresita Lozano
Felix Martinez
Genie Martinez
Yulanee McKnight
Brooke and Jared Meabon
Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
Debra and Mikel Merritt
Jennifer Mitchell
Delina Montgomery
Daria and Anthony Outhwaite
Orderup. (Lincoln Heights)
Suzanne and Brad Poynter
Zoe Reilly
Anita Remerowski, In memory of Margarita E Valdez
Maria Rivas
Mariko Rubio
Kendra Scott
Francoise and Allan Sell
Patricia Smith
Betty and Daniel Serna
Miriam Swegle Fan Club
Drs. Carla and Benjamin Vela
Heather Webb
Debraun and Adam West
Diane Woods
Lauren Zuniga
Nicole and Jose Zuniga