As principal of the School of the Sacramento Ballet, Melanie Haller trains the Pre-Professional Division — the school’s three highest levels (ages 10 to 18-and-up).
As a student, Haller trained for 12 years at the internationally-recognized Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under world-renowned ballet teacher Marcia Dale Weary.
“I’m not an easy teacher and I ask for a lot, but my kids live up to my expectations not only as great dancers but as good beings that exercise exceptional manners and discipline,” Haller says.
“When your students are the last thing you think of before you go to bed and the first thing you think of as you wake up, you know you have a special group of individuals in your life. I love that.”
“Not a lot of people can say that they love what they do. I can with 100-percent certainty state that I adore my job. My kids make my life.” says Haller
Haller, who joined the company in 2000, says that she was blessed to be given coveted, soloist performance opportunities in her first year as an apprentice — including Blue Bird Pas de Deux in Sleeping Beauty and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Haller became a company member the following year, and after dancing for 6 seasons and having felt she had performed every role she wanted, she retired.
She began teaching ballet classes at various studios in the region and exploring other endeavors, performing with Music Circus and choreographing for the Sacramento Opera.
“I enrolled in college and tried to find another passion.” she says “However, I always came back to teaching.”
A Dancer’s Destiny
In the studio with Sacramento Ballet prinicpal Melanie Haller
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