Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble Celebrates 30 Years!

CARE has been delighting children and adults with family-friendly ballets for over a quarter of a century. Our one-hour performances make classical ballets and children’s stories come alive through dance. Plus, we always offer an opportunity for our young audience to talk with the ballet dancers at the conclusion of a performance. We want to nurture a love of ballet!

Cinderella

CARE Ballet presents Cinderella, a family-friendly, one-hour version of Prokofiev’s classic ballet. The ballet tells the familiar story of a beautiful young girl who is left behind as her stepmother and comedic stepsisters depart for a Grand Ball at the King’s palace. As a dark shadow passes over the Kingdom, Cinderella’s fairy godmother appears and with a wave of her magic wand mice become footmen, rats become beautiful horses, and Cinderella’s rags turn into a beautiful ball gown. The fairy tale unfolds complete with a carriage, a prince, and a glass slipper. 

• Saturday, October 1, 2022 @ 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM
• Sunday, October 2, 2022 @ 3:00 PM
• Performances at East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center

‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

This original ballet, based on Clement C. Moore’s familiar poem and set to traditional holiday music, has become a Thanksgiving Weekend tradition in Grand Rapids. Mischievous mice, dancing stockings, magical toys and Santa with his prancing reindeer combine to create a wonderful hour of family entertainment. Even the youngest members of your family will enjoy this show! The audience is welcome to join Santa and the cast on stage after the performance so don’t forget your camera!

• Friday, November 25, 2022 @ 7 PM
• Saturday, November 26, 2022 @ 11 AM & 3 PM
• Sunday, November 27, 2022 @ 3 PM
• Performances at East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center

Carnival of the Animals

Waltzing elephants, wrestling donkeys, comical turtles, and more spark the dreams of a young boy in the whimsical ballet inspired by children’s book, Carnival of the Animals, by John Lithgow.

• Saturday, February 4, 2023 @ 11:00 AM & 3:00 PM
• Sunday, February 5, 2024 @ 3 PM
• Performances at East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center

CARE Directors

Heather Liskiewitz

Artistic Director

Miss Heather debuted as CARE Ballet’s Artistic Director during the 2017-18 season with Cinderella. Previously Ballet Mistress and Costume Seamstress, Heather received her early training with Judy Genson and performed with the Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, she received a BFA in dance from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Heather has performed professionally with the Minnesota Ballet, Ballet San Antonio, Continental Ballet and the Illinois Ballet. She is also a freelance dancer and choreographer. Her choreography credits include works for Wright State University, Gem City Ballet, Young People’s Ballet Theatre, and the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

Judith VandenBosch

Stage Manager, Ballet Mistress, Head Costume Seamstress

Judith began stage managing during the 2017-17 performance of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. She brings an organized and direct element backstage while also emphasizing safety. During rehearsals, she assists the Artistic Director as Ballet Mistress. Additionally, she is Head Seamstress in charge of the beautiful costumes seen on stage.

Judy Genson-Wadsworth

Founder, Artistic Director Emeritus

After 25 years of inspiring young dancers on stage, Mrs. Genson-Wadsworth retired as Artistic Director of CARE during the 2017-18 season. She began her training locally with Florence Cassell, Zita Harris, and Sally Seven. She continued her studies in New York City with Vincenzo Celli, himself a student of Enrico Cecchetti. She also took instruction in the Russian technique from Richard Thomas and Barbara Fallis. Genson toured New York and New Jersey with the Young Ballet, an ensemble group which performed lecture demonstrations and classical variations from most of the white ballets. After her return to Grand Rapids, Judy joined Grand Rapids Civic Ballet in 1972 where she was principal dancer performing virtually all of the works in the Company’s repertoire. She was named the director of Grand Rapids Civic Ballet Junior Company at its inception in 1981 and assistant to the director of the main Company in 1982. After hanging up her toes shoes in 1987, Genson was the Acting Artistic Director until she became the Company’s Business Manager.

Trent Wadsworth

Technical Director

In addition to being Technical Director/Production Manager for CARE, Trent Wadsworth is the Manager and Technical Director for the East Grand Rapids Performing Arts Center and manages Pioneer Auditorium in East Grand Rapids. Trent works with Creative Mercenaries and has worked with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Circle Theatre, Grand Rapids Jewish Theatre, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids Ballet, Cornerstone College, West Michigan Jazz, and is a member of the United States Institute of Theatre Technology.

Anne King

Educational Outreach Coordinator

Anne has spent the last 44 years working with children and adults as a teacher, counselor, Principal and trainer. She has retired from the Grand Rapids Public Schools as their education and prevention specialist. She has presented to hundreds of classrooms on topics as varied as healthy highs, substance use and abuse, nutrition and wellness, harassment, bullying, self-esteem and more. She is a frequent speaker for parent nights and has conducted dozens of training for teachers and support staff. Anne is committed to the education of all children, particularly those living in poverty.

Major Granting Organizations Recognize Care Ballet’s Excellence

In the fiscal year, 2020-21 CARE received its third operational grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition, the Wege Foundation and the Meijer Family Foundation supported CARE’s community outreach efforts to underserved populations. 

“It’s wonderful knowing the training of dancers and CARE productions are recognized at national, state, and local levels,” says Heather Liskewitz, artistic director. 

History of Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble (CARE Ballet)

In 1999, in an effort to establish greater financial stability, a group of parents stepped forward and helped the fledgling organization become incorporated as a Michigan non-profit. A volunteer Board was recruited, a strategic plan was drawn up, bylaws written, policies created and a logo designed. The mission of community outreach to underserved students became woven into the fabric of CARE.

In 2006 the CARE Conservatory of Ballet was established with a permanent home with studios for students age 3 to adult to offer classes and provide rehearsal space. The Conservatory now offers all forms of dance training from classical ballet, yoga, pilates, musical theater, tap and many more. Approximately 175 students now study at the Conservatory. The performance repertoire has grown to 25 ballets all with original choreography. The Company Ensemble has grown to 32 members and CARE casts for public performances now put 60 to 70 students onto the stage in full costume, with professional sets, lighting and music. Over the last 29 years CARE has not lost sight of its core mission of creating a learning environment that fosters support and encouragement for its students while introducing young audiences to the joy of a classical ballet performance.

CCB Faculty

Judy Genson-Wadsworth

Founder, Business Manager, Instructor

Mrs. Genson-Wadsworth has been involved in the dance world for most of her life. She is a former ballerina with Grand Rapids Civic Ballet and The Young Ballet Company in New York City. A longtime teacher, she also is known for her choreography in many local productions. Mrs. Genson-Wadsworth co-founded Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble in 1992 and served as Artistic Director until 2017.

Heather Liskiewitz

Artistic Director and Instructor

Heather received her early training with Judy Genson and performed with the Creative Arts Repertoire Ensemble. Graduating Magna Cum Laude, she received a BFA in dance from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Heather has performed professionally with the Minnesota Ballet, Ballet San Antonio, Continental Ballet and the Illinois Ballet. She is also a freelance dancer and choreographer. Her choreography credits include works for Wright State University, Gem City Ballet, Young People’s Ballet Theatre, and the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre.

Sarah Marley

Ms. Marley was born on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, training in the Cecchetti Method with Sonja Dickerson-Faust and Heidi Wright. She continued her training under the direction of Peter Stark with the Orlando Ballet School and was accepted into the trainee program at age fourteen, performing in the corps de ballet alongside the professionals.  Ms. Marley was invited by the legendary Fernando Bujones to join the company in 2004 and danced with the company for the next six seasons. That same year she became part of the Orlando Ballet School faculty, teaching various levels and adult ballet classes regularly. Ms. Marley has also danced with Royal Caribbean Cruises Int, the San Diego Ballet, Company C Contemporary Ballet, the San Diego Opera, Chicago Repertory Ballet and, Smuin Ballet. She has been a faculty member with Visceral Dance Center, Northeastern Illinois University’s Community Dance Program, as well as a number of small studio’s throughout the Chicagoland area. Sarah joined the Grand Rapids ballet in 2019 and is on the faculty for many dance schools in the Grand Rapids community. Throughout the course of her career Ms. Marley has performed soloist and principal roles in classical and contemporary works by Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Michael Smuin, Maurice Causey, Helen Pickett, Bruce Marks, Amy Seiwert, Patrick Corbin, David Parsons, Kenneth von Heidecke, Trey McIntyre and Garrett Ammon among others.

Sarah is excited to be joining the faculty of the CARE Conservatory of Ballet.

Gwen Patterson

Gwen has been dancing since the age of 2 and started her ballet studies at Balletmore. She has been in many shows including The Nutcracker, A Little Mermaid, The Island Princess, and Under the Big Top. At the age of 13, Gwen started to introduce contemporary and lyrical styles into her ballet education, studying modern techniques such as Graham and Horton in addition to contemporary choreography. In 2021 Gwen came to CARE Ballet and has loved every second of it. She has loved the opportunity to choreograph for Student Cabaret and advanced contemporary. In the summer of 2022, she attended the University Of Oklahoma Summer Intensive to study ballet and modern techniques. There she learned that modern and contemporary are what she wants to pursue in college. She is very excited to teach this year.

Natalia Alexandra Retzloff

Natalia is originally from Swartz Creek, Michigan where she grew up dancing since the age of two. She trained at Young People’s Ballet Theatre under the direction of Denise Paavola, Jennifer Wiley, Nick and Laura Schultz, and Heather Liskiewitz. While there, she had the privilege of performing many lead roles in full length ballets such as: Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Beauty and the Beast, The Nutcracker, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Natalia continued her dance education to pursue her BFA in Dance from Wright State University where she had the opportunity to perform as a member of Dayton Ballet’s second company. She spent her summers training at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Charlotte Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Her first original work “Shattered Reflections” won a choreography competition in high school and many of her works have been premiered since in Michigan and Ohio. While at college, she has had the opportunity to work with esteemed choreographers and teachers such as: Dwight Rhoden, Gina Walther, Ron Cunningham, Desmond Richardson, Jillian Davis, Ray Mercer, Ashley Walton, and Clifford Williams.

Melissa Tungl

Melissa started practicing yoga after the birth of her first child in 2006 as a means to nourish and nurture her body and spirit. As her life evolved by relocating to West Michigan and adding to her family, so has her yoga practice. Melissa is committed to a lifelong study of yoga on and off the mat. Since completing certification standards up to ERYT500 she now enjoys sharing this with others. Melissa appreciates many styles of yoga from meditation and breathing exercises to the more physical practices of posture. Her goal is for students to feel empowered in their bodies, calm in the mind, and light in the soul.

Judith VandenBosch

Judith has been teaching for 24 years. In 2014, she started to educate herself in injury prevention through Perfect Form Physiotherapy, online training courses based in Australia. She is knowledgeable in fascia release techniques and proper training to help prevent injuries. She took Teacher Training Level 1 Workshop with Lisa Howell, B.Phty to perfect all her knowledge. To help dancers progress faster, Judith teaches major key aspects of improving technique and perspective. Judith is trained in the Progressive Ballet Technique, a program developed by Marie Walton-Mahon in Australia. Teaching this conditioning class for ballet dancers helps students understand the depth of training muscle memory in achieving their personal best in classical ballet. She is also licensed to teach Zumba, Yoga, balance body barre and group fitness classes.

Sue Wilson

Sue danced professionally with the Grand Rapids Civic Ballet under Sally Sevens. She graduated from University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Additionally, Sue has been an American Council of Exercise certified group fitness Instructor for 26 years. She continues to share her love of dance being a Liturgical Dance Director at Fifth Reformed Church and teaching ballet and pilates at CARE Ballet.

Mikey Winslow

Mikey Winslow grew up dancing with CARE. He graduated from East Grand Rapids High School and went on to receive a BFA from Western Michigan University. He has been performing on Broadway for over a decade. His credits include West Side Story, American Idiot, Wicked, On The Town, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Hamilton! He is so very excited to work with the young artists of West Michigan!!!

Nathan Young

Nathan Young began dancing at the age of thirteen under the direction of Rebecca-Miller Stalcup, Melinda Tobian, and Mark Bush in Little Rock, AR. Nathan attended summer intensives such as Long Beach Ballet, Joffrey Midwest, Joffrey Chicago, and Ballet West. In 2013, Nathan graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Fine arts in Ballet Performance. After graduation, Nathan began dancing professionally with Nashville Ballet, working there for four seasons. He currently dances with the Grand Rapids Ballet in Michigan. Nathan has danced in works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Jiri Kylian, Jennifer Archibald, Trey McIntyre, Paul Vasterling, and Bronislava Nijinska.