Janet Strukely-Dziak began her training in Louisville, Kentucky with Cynthia Bronner and Chuck Bronson, where she was cast as a little mouse in Louisville Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” and fell in love with ballet. She continued to train with many talented instructors and institutions in Northeast Ohio. She attended Mercyhurst University and studied dance performance, choreography and pedagogy under Tauna Hunter, Michael Gleason, Mark Santillano, Christopher Tabor and Noelle Patusch. She received her first professional contact with Lake Erie Ballet under the direction of Christina Maria.
After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Mercyhurst University with a B.A. in Dance, Janet joined the Saint Louis Ballet under the direction of Gen Horiuchi where she sustained a professional performing career in the rank of First Artist, working with choreographers such as Christopher D’Amboise, Francis Patrelle and Jessica Lang. She has also performed as a guest artist with Ohio Dance Theater in Oberlin, OH and Ballet Concerto in Fort Worth, TX. Her performing career highlights include The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy), Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), title role in Cinderella, and Balanchine’s Serenade (Waltz Girl, Dark Angel).
As a teacher, Strukely-Dziak brings a strong sense of technique, anatomical knowledge, and artistic presence to the classroom. She is trained and certified in Jacques D’Amboise’s National Dance Institute, holds a teaching license in dance through the Ohio Department of Education and has taught master classes and workshops for both students and teachers throughout the region. She served as Director of Dance Education for Olmsted Performing Arts, where she has also directed and choreographed many full-length ballets and musical theater productions.
Janet founded “North Pointe Ballet,” a professional ballet company, with the passion to make classical ballet more accessible to the community. She is committed to making beautiful productions easy to understand, bringing dance into the community, and directing both professionals and students with respect and positivity. Janet lives in North Ridgeville, Ohio, with her husband, Josh, and two children; Lucas, 7 and Natalie, 4.
Melaina Kampf began her ballet training at the age of four with the School of Cleveland San Jose Ballet, under the direction of Dennis Nahat and Gladisa Guadalupe, performing in Cleveland San Jose Ballet’s performances of Toreador, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker. In addition to her classical ballet training, Ms. Kampf also studied modern and contemporary dance under the tutelage of dance luminaries such as Tom Smith, Sabatino Verlezza and Tom Evert.
At the age of sixteen she joined Dancing Wheels, America’s premier physically integrated dance company, as the youngest Trainee in their history. She quickly rose through the ranks to become their Principle Dancer, performing featured roles in company works by world-renown choreographers such as Sabatino Verlezza, May O’Donnell, Hernando Cortez, Michael Medcalf, Rosalind Newman, David Roussseve, and Pilobolous Dance Theater. In addition to dancing in over 120 performances across the country annually, Ms. Kampf served as an instructor and the School Administrator for the School of Dancing Wheels where she conducted weekly dance classes, workshops, master classes and summer camps nationally for students with and without disabilities.
During a five year hiatus from dancing she served in the administration of Mayor Frank Jackson of the City of Cleveland as Special Events Coordinator to the Mayor. In 2011 she decided her true passion was teaching and currently teaches Ballet for students of all ages extensively throughout the Greater Cleveland area and has choreographed award winning pieces for several competitive teams.
Ms. Kampf has been Assistant Director to Janet Strukely-Dziak for her Ballet Series productions of The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake since 2014 and has been lucky to have been given the chance to perform once again with roles such as Chinese Principal in the Nutcracker and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty. She is honored to be the Assistant Director of North Pointe Ballet during its inaugural season.
Elizabeth Radachi
Development Director
Sensory-Friendly Initiative Coordinator
Elizabeth Radachi is a founding member of North Pointe Ballet and also serves as the Development Director for the company. Between these positions, she is excited to be able to help NPB expand its presence in the community as it works diligently to fulfill its mission to make ballet experiences available to everyone. Her favorite projects include NPB’s A Chance to Dance program and the sensory-friendly performances, both of which allow her to utilize skill acquired from her professional work as an educator and behavior analyst.
Perhaps the most thrilling part of her dance career is the opportunity to share the stage with her family. Elizabeth has had the privilege of performing alongside both her son, Alexander, who is also in this production and her husband, Patrick, who is a member of the NPB band.
