Mary Heller C.V. updated Dec. 2024 – D.E.I.B. Statement HERE – Teaching Philosophy Current HERE
I grew up coming to Prescott, AZ from Chicago since I was a baby, and have visited ever since for decades. My great-grandpa, Charles Born, won the family house in a poker game upstairs at the Elks Theatre in Prescott, AZ over ninety years ago. This is when he “won”, in another poker game, to be the first manager from the Elks Lodge. Learn more about the Born family in the book “The Early Days of Prescott”. I bought into the family house, helped dad pass from cancer in 2017, and have been in Prescott since 2013. I am happy to serve people everywhere in what my decades-of-experience profession “calling” has been full-time, nationally: Choreographing, and educating in Dance. The Born family provided a lot of great things to the community, like Great Uncle Dr. Ernie Born in medical care, and now Dance education, choreography – concert, commercial, for the community, from a Born! – Mary
A Chicago native and former Principle Dancer with three Chicago Dance companies, Mary performed numerous leading classical, contemporary and modern roles, some created on her as original works, by choreographers such as Randy Duncan, Winifred Haun, Micheal Gonzalas, and Marc Nevins. At the national level performance credits include world premieres and restagings by renowned choreographers Jim Clouser, Susan Marshall, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, David Taylor, Bill T. Jones, (first female to perform the principle lead role in the classic “Continuous Replay”), Polly Motley, Leo Gallegos and Sherry Zunker. Mary has toured the United States in four states with these works, and as an independent artist. She has been featured in independent productions with artists from Urban Bush Women, Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre, River North Dance Company, the Suzanne Farrell Dance Company and the Dayton Ballet, among others.
She has taught for professional dance companies, colleges and universities including being a Full-Time Lecturer in Dance at the University of Idaho from 2006-2011, Florida State University, where she earned her 
Masters in Fine Arts in Dance, and is currently an adjunct professor of Dance at Yavapai College. Her Bachelor in Art is in Dance from then owned/run by Loretto Heights College in Denver, CO. Mary was an on call teacher 2015-2019 at SWITCH Perf. Arts, Prescott, AZ., and is currently teaching Ballet classes, level II – teen/adult and Heller Floor Barre Method® at The Movement Studio, Prescott Valley, AZ. Ms. Heller is a veteran dance educator and scholar who has taught full-time in studios, middle schools, high schools and Higher Education, nationally for 35 years. She teaches:
• Hip Hop – Roots in Break, Pop n’ Lock, and Juke
• Ballet (Vaganova, Cecchetti, R.A.D. Bournonville, French, and Balanchine eclectic based) Pointe
• Partnering
• Jazz (Duncan, Giordano, and Fosse based within the vernacular of African Diaspora)
• Modern (Limon, Cunningham, Bartenieff, and Graham based – sanctioned by Anthony Morgan to teach Martha Graham technique up to intermediate level)
• Contemporary
• Tap (Rhythm Hoofin’ Tap within the vernacular of African, Irish and English Diaspora, and Show/Musical Theatre Tap based )
• Improvisation, Contact Improvisation (Polly Motley and Steve Paxton based)
• Choreography (Laban Movement Analysis based)
• Dance Theory/Appreciation – Dance in Society using material promoting D.E.I.B
• Dance History – using material promoting D.E.I.B
• Dance Pedagogy – using material promoting D.E.I.B
• Dance Production
• Creative Movement (Anne Green Gilbert, Mary Joyce based), including training veteran k-12 Teachers, and Physical Education, Early Childhood Education, and Dance Education Pre-Service Teachers in this methodology.
In somatics her specialty is Heller Floor Barre Method®, (a Floor Barre informed by her base in Kinesiology, Pilates on the reformer, Gyrotonics® on the tower, Ashtanga Yoga in the Vinyassa Style, Anusara Yoga, Breathing techniques, Fred Alexson Floor Barre, Karen Williamson Floor Barre, and Homer Bryant Floor Barre). Many of these classes Mary has taught to numerous ages starting at two years old on up through Senior Citizen, boys, girls, men, women, amateurs and professionals.
Mary is an invited guest teacher for Prescott College, Prescott, AZ, and FALA, Flagstaff Arts and Learning Academy, Flagstaff, AZ, as needed. As a Wellness Advisor for 33 years she meets one-on-one as well as offering retreats, Moving Through Grief, and Get In To Get Out. Mary is an invited board member of the Arizona Dance Coalition, and the P.U.School District’s Ruth Street Theatre, Prescott, AZ committee.
She has trained dancers who have gone on to work full time, professionally in concert Dance companies such as Ballets Jazz Montreal, commercially such as Jr. Olympian Chad Crumley in stunt, dance work in the “Lion King” show at Disney, Orlando, and one of the dueling ghosts in the “Haunted Mansion” movie. Students have gone on to create their own professional concert Dance companies, or being accepted into M.F.A. and Ph.D Dance degrees including the Labon Institute of Dance in London. Students have successfully become effective dance teachers, running their own studios, and/or professionally choreographing. She also trains Dance Educators in Pedagogy, and k-12 teachers in the Methodology of Creative Movement in every region of the US.
Mary danced professionally as a principle dancer in Winifred Haun & Dancers, (as well being a founding member), Ballet Entre Nous, and American Danz Theatre in the late 80’s – early 90’s, all based in Chicago. She was on company scholarship for three years with the international Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theatre which was housed at 18th & Halsted, Pilsen area, southside, Chicago, and performed/understudied many established and created works of the repertory by Randy Duncan, Keith Lee and Joseph Holmes. She trained at J.H.C.D.T. for 5 years, and was invited to teach Graham technique Modern classes at the school. She was selected to be a guest artist by the Dayton Ballet performing and training classical Ballet works ’91-’92, and on summer scholarship. In July/August 2014 Mary applied and was accepted as a dancer for the Urban Bush Women’s Summer Leadership Institute. A 30 year institute in dismantling systemic racism, here she was a co-researcher and co-creator in Soul Deep. The culminating production of the 100+ participants/artists of the institute choreographed by Jawole Willow Jo Zoller & Company, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
She is the Founder, Artistic Director and principle choreographer of her own professional pick-up dance company, Sharing Ground International; an original professional dance/music work between artists in Prescott, AZ, southside of Chicago, and Baghdad, Iraq through soon-to-be-delivered live, avatar technology in world spaces, not the meteverse, as well as for the world to buy and use. Sharing Ground International will be applying artistic methodologies, with unprecedented technology, to create social change and community impact on a local, regional and international level. It is currently accepting investors.
Mary is an award-winning choreographer. Her own repertory of work has been performed in Arizona, Chicago, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Ohio, Utah, Washington, and South America. In 2010 her work, Loved & Cared For was selected by the adjudicated panel of the Northwest American College Dance Association to be performed in the Gala. She has trained for decades under dozens of amazing teachers, such as with Alonzo King, plus continues to do so. See C.V. under “Training”.
In 2005 she had the great honor to be selected by Suzanne Farrell to be her assistant, and student rehearsal director for FSU’s re-staging of George Balanchine’s Western Symphony. Mary was the Rehearsal Director for Susan Hadley’s guest work Class, as well as both Rehearsal Director and performer in Sherry Zunker’s Sing, Sing, Sing, both of which were created on Dancers at the University of Idaho in ’09, and for tour in ’10 and ’11.
For eight years Mary was the original director, co-director and instructor of the Buffalo Grove Dance Center at the Buffalo Grove Dance & Gymnastics Center in Buffalo Grove, IL. There, she trained U.S.A.G., competitive level 5-10 girl and boy gymnasts in dance technique, 3 years at Bartlett Gymnastics Center in Bartlett, IL, 3 years at American Academy Gymnastics, Wheeling, IL., 1 year at International Gold Gymnastics in Tallahassee, FL, 3 years at Palouse Empire Gymnastics, Moscow, ID, and has continued to do so each consecutive summer at BGGC since 1994 until it’s closing in 2020. Mary has been honored to be invited to choreograph for one of the regions great gymnastic clubs, Prescott, AZ YMCA Gymnastics, for the last 9 years. She has choreographed level 7-Elite/USA team, U.S.A.G. competitive girl gymnastic floor routines nationally for 29 years. Over 280 of these routines have placed first at State, Regional, National, and International competitions. They have traveled the U.S. with one routine touring South America, (Lindsey Borkan), and Kristopher Zimmerman, David Sender and Beth Kleinman being Junior Olympians.
Mary supports Dance Flash Mobs everywhere in bringing the experience of dance as an art, and as part of an active healthy lifestyle for people in their daily lives all over the world. She has choreographed flash mobs for advertising to promote businesses, products, events, the public to witness engagements, weddings, and special occasions. Mary organized, choreographed, rehearsed and performed in Moscow, Idaho’s first flash mob, Sept. 2011.
“My research focuses on the following question: How can ALL the thousands of Dance forms on the planet be accessible to train in by anyone anywhere, from expert teachers, sometimes in geographical places where they formed? With a combination of rigorous academic research and deeply personal-driven foci, I have researched all technology hologram and avatar companies globally on my free time since 2010. I knew in 2005 that flat, two-dimensional screens/programs with high latency do not give much access to learning and teaching in the movement Arts. My current work focuses on establishing the investors and tech experts to create a prototype to be used in tech-supported spaces and homes globally. This unprecedented technology allows affordable access to us as avatars that look exactly as we are now, in our own spaces, not AR. This will address society’s socially constructed “isms”: age, culture – (since we are one race), gender, religion, economics, body shaming, bullying, historic erasure, micro and macro aggressions, harassment, and the myriad of other forms of abuse that run rampant in the Dance field. This is particularly in the elitist world of Ballet.
Though the effects of these abusive environments have been studied in relationship to the individuals harmed, my technology explorations are driven by the relationship between the lack of diverse representation in leadership and the “isms” that still occur, both in and out of the studio, during an artist’s training, professional and teaching working years. This technological/pedagogical and academic inquiry seeks one solution that addresses the problem at the institutional, conservatory, and studio levels. Sharing Ground International is working with tech experts in engineering massive, globally accessible spaces to allow all populations in professional life toward a more equitable industry.” Sharing Ground International.
Mary enjoys bringing the artistic experience of dancing to non-professionals as well. She has facilitated using the art of Choreography for homebound, as well as others of all ages in assisted living communities, telling their stories through their own authentic dance vocabulary. Recently in 2017-2018 she was invited to be the Choreographic Teaching Artist for HeART on Wheels by the Meals on Wheels of Prescott, AZ. She also facilitates her own crafted Your Movement is Your Biography workshop with professional musician David Sorneson, and will be getting certified in Timeslips™ .
Mary is an Elite, Certified, Artistry, (highest level) instructor of the première national Dance Experience, BeMoved®, for ALL ages, and movement abilities, and Gentle BeMoved®, an authentic BeMoved Dance experience for individuals of diverse physical, intellectual, and emotional capacity, both designed by Sherry Zunker. Mary taught seven classes a week from Sept. 2011 – June 2012 in Moscow, ID. She is very excited about continuing to offer this practice to the world, since Sept. 2013 in Prescott, Jan. 2014 in/near Prescott Valley, and Sept. 2014-2017 Chino Valley, AZ!
Mary was an invited volunteer choreographer, and performer for the Central Arizona Boys & Girls Club’s 1st. annual Dancing With The Stars show, which aired April 2017, and won “Best Comedic” with partner Todd Geiler. In 2018 she was invited again, this time partnered with Sam Shapiro. Mary has been invited each year since, however, has had work conflicts. Mary is passionate in supporting money for the incredible kid’s programs of this organization. Watch some of the 2018 Dance HERE.
Besides Dance, Mary has been a HUGE #1 fan of her daughter, extended family, hiking in breathtaking places, ancient ruins, petroglyphs, Cubs, White Sox baseball, dark chocolate and deep sleep her whole life. She looks forward every day to dancing with, teaching and choreographing on as many humans on the planet as possible before she croaks.