Artistic Directors
Jean Michelle Sayeg & Eric Shah
Jean Michelle Sayeg
Artistic Director
Jean Michelle Sayeg is an alum of Pasadena Dance Theatre. Her formal training began here under the direction of Cynthia Young, Philip and Charles Fuller, & founder Evelyn Le Mone as a young girl performing roles in The Nutcracker from Buffoon to Clara. She then went on to San Francisco Ballet School where she performed lead roles in Stars and Stripes, Divertimento #15 as well as with the company in The Nutcracker. Sayeg’s professional ballet companies include several seasons as a soloist with State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara which took her to perform throughout Taiwan and for notable legends such as Cyd Charisse. She joined Smuin Ballet SF where she performed principal roles touring nationally in Petit Mort, Carmen and Medea and originated her role in Trey McIntyre’s Oh Inverted World!Sayeg went on to perform as Victoria, the White Cat in the National Tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS, choreographed by Gillian Lynn, as well as The National Tour of Lerner and Loewe’s Camelot with Lou Diamond Philips. She has performed in several productions of LA Opera, the Lincoln Center, and Hollywood Bowl.At sixteen, Sayeg choreographed her first piece, CUSCO, which was selected as an emerging choreographer piece at Regional Dance America. She later went on to choreograph on the dancers of Smuin Ballet and her piece TIE UP & COVER was selected as a finalist at the McCallum Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert. Over the years she has served as resident choreographer for the mainstage musical productions at Arcadia Stage, as well as productions at Ensemble Theater Company, Antaeus Theatre Company and Interplayer’s Theatre.Her love for teaching blossomed considerably when she was invited to South Africa to teach and choreograph at the Cape Academy of Performing Arts as well as in the townships of Philippi and Gugulethu.Sayeg is a graduate of St. Mary’s College of CA, and is Pilates Certified with BASI. Awards include the Music Center Spotlight Award, Lester Horton Award, Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival and the Jerry Herman Award. She is a proud member of Actors Equity, SAG-AFTRA & AGMA. Sayeg is happy to return to her alma mater of PDT to continue the education and artistry of young dancers into the future.
Eric Shah
Artistic Director
Eric Shah, native of Southern California, has been a lifelong athlete playing such sports as baseball, soccer, football, tennis, volleyball, surfing, and skateboarding. He began his classical ballet training under the tutelage of Victoria Koenig, Rebecca Wright, and Stanley Holden. He then studied extensively under mentor and ballet master, Arturo Fernandez. Eric has worked with Inland Pacific Ballet for the past 30 years. He was a principal dancer for 20 of those years, dancing many of the classics and in contemporary repertoire, including the works of Balanchine and Choo San Goh. While at IPB, he instructed all Academy levels and the company, directed rehearsals, coached dancers, and taught in the areas of injury prevention, Pilates, and Gyrotonic. Eric has also instructed for numerous other dance schools including Los Angeles High School of the Arts. For years, he was a freelance guest artist and has performed for several US opera companies such as Seattle Opera, Arizona Opera, Opera Carolina, New Jersey Opera, and LA Opera. Eric had the incredible opportunity to live and work in Florence, Italy where he instructed Gyrotonic, yoga, and ballet to dancers from European companies such as La Scala Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Gothenburg Ballet and Nederlands Dance Theater. While in Europe, he also conducted bio-mechanical workshops throughout Italy and Germany. Eric founded and directed a contemporary ballet company, Los Angeles Ballet Theatre, where he choreographed and commissioned original ballets. After years of tearing, ripping, twisting, pulling, and breaking down much of his body, he discovered a wide range of healing modalities which led to extensive study and accreditations. Some of which include Pilates, Gyrotonic, Rolfing Structural Integration, Craniosacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation, and Somatic Experiencing. Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech Communication / Rhetorical Studies from California State University Long Beach. While at CSULB, he danced in many dance department productions, including Kurt Joos’ renowned ballet “The Green Table”. He also spent four years of intense study at the Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Hollywood. Through all of his years of experience, his most meaningful work has been in the teaching and mentoring of young and pre-professional dancers. Eric is inspired to be co-directing with his uber talented colleague, Jean Michelle Sayeg, where they will strive to revitalize the legacy of Pasadena Dance Theatre.