About Me

 

Natalia Alexandra Retzloff is an artist, dancer, choreographer, teacher, creative director, and coach all based in the beautiful state of Michigan. She originally began her college journey at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, but because of  COVID-19, her plans changed. She is originally from Swartz Creek, Michigan where she grew up dancing since the age of two. She began her classical training at Young People’s Ballet Theatre under the direction of Denise Paavola, Jennifer Wiley, Nick and Laura Schultz, and Heather Liskiewitz for thirteen years. While there, she had the privilege of performing many lead roles in full length ballets such as: Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, The Nutcracker, Scott Free, Le Corsaire, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She also had the opportunity to perform in Grand Rapids Ballet's production of The Nutcracker under the direction of Patricia Barker.

 

She began her theatre training with Swartz Creek Center Stage where she was able to perform many lead roles in their full length productions each summer throughout grade school. Some of those productions are as follows: Seussical, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan, and Camp Rock The Musical. She served as a student choreographer for their production of Camp Rock and was able to assist with the audition process, dance rehearsals, and choreographing sections in the show.

 

She was a member of Dayton Ballet’s second company while she was studying at Wright State University and had the honor of performing with the main company of Dayton Ballet in their productions of Ron Cunningham's The Great Gatsby and Karen Russo-Burke's The Nutcracker. She also had the honor of performing in many of Wright State University's Dance performances incuding: their annual Fall Concert, Emerging Choreographer's Concert, and their annual Faculty Concert every spring. She spent her summers training at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, Charlotte Ballet, North West Dance Project, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, 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. Her love for choreography was born and since then she has had the honor to set her original works on Young People’s Ballet Theatre, Fenton Ballet Theatre, CARE Conservatory of Ballet, Swartz Creek Center Stage, Fenton High School Drama Department, and Wright State University Dance Ensemble. Natalia Alexandra Choreography was founded on June 5th 2019 and established as a LLC in January 2022!

 

While at college, she had the opportunity to work with the dance majors, musical theatre majors, acting majors, and film majors on many projects including main stage productions. She has had the opportunity to work with esteemed choreographers and teachers such as: Dwight Rhoden, Gina Walther, Ron Cunningham, Meg Paul, Jae Man Jo, Desmond Richardson, Jillian Davis, Gregory Robinson, Patricia Barker, Ashley Walton, Clifford Williams, and Glenn Edgerton just to name a few. 

 

She accepted a job at Fenton Ballet Theatre during the summer of 2018 where she taught as a guest teacher at their summer intensive. Over the years, she has had a hand in choreographing many sections of their full length ballet's: Cinderella (2021), Hansel and Gretel (2022), and The Nutcracker ((2021 & 2022). She has also had the honor of choreographing for: Michigan Ballet Festival, Dancing For A Cure, Youth America Grand Prix, and their end of the year annual school showcase.

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Natalia just closed her run as choreographer for Muskegon Civic Theatre's production of Roger and Hammerstein's Cinderella under the direction of Penelope Notter! She spent her summer teaching, choreographing, and setting work on students at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp as Modern Dance Faculty this past July. Ms. Retzloff most recently accepted a position as full-time Dance Faculty for the Flint School of Performing Arts! During her time there, she will be serving as Children's Ballet Mistress for the Flint Institute of Music's annual production of The Nutcracker, teaching many different levels of ballet, choreographing and setting original works, and working closely with The Children's Performance Workshop, Youth Dance Ensemble, Adult Ballet Ensemble, and Flint Youth Ballet! She is so excited to continue gaining professional experience, building relationships with her students, and continue inspiring the next generation of dancers! 

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