STAFF & BOARD

Artistic/Executive Director

Nell Shipman began her training in Massachusetts and continued her studies in Indianapolis, Indiana with Marek Cholewa and Rosanna Ruffo. She holds a B.F.A. in Dance Performance with High Honors from Butler University and has performed and shown choreography throughout the United States and abroad. Ms. Shipman joined Portland Ballet as a dancer in 2004 before assuming the role of Artistic Director in 2015 and Director of Portland School of Ballet in 2016. With Portland Ballet she performed many leading roles, including the title role in Giselle and the lead in Andrei Bossov's Carmina Burana. She has also appeared as guest artist with Portland Symphony Orchestra, Good Theater, Best of Broadway and Opera Maine. Ms. Shipman's evening length choreography includes a Victorian Nutcracker, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Tales By Poe, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Firebird, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Jack the Ripper. Her contemporary works include Four Seasons, Impetus, First Principles of Hope and Enjoyment, PushMePullYou, Somebody and Spoke of the Wheel to name a few. As an innovative and educational initiative, she created the Building Ballets Series for Portland School of Ballet, which has presented versions of well known classics Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Don Quixote and La Esmeralda. Ms. Shipman is currently a Visiting Instructor at Colby College and has created works in collaboration with many local and national arts organizations.

Communications Coordinator

Erica Diesl received her early training at the Acton School of Ballet under the direction of Kathryn Anderson and Walter Morris. After high school, she continued her education at the University of Utah and the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, where she was able to learn works by Jiri Kylian and Ohad Naharin, among others.

Since graduating from the University of Utah, Erica has worked with Ballet Rox in Anthony Williams's Urban Nutcracker, and has spent two seasons dancing with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland. With Portland Ballet, Erica danced featured roles in The Armed Man, Giselle, Firebird, Tales by Poe, and a Victorian Nutcracker. 

Operations Coordinator

Clare Crane graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Drama (Theater Management), with additional focuses in Human Development & Family Science and Music Performance. Before joining Portland Ballet in 2020, Clare served as Registrar at Portland Conservatory of Music and spent several summers working at the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Brunswick, ME. Clare has worked in various roles in house management, special events, production management, and arts administration.

Ellen Weaver — President

Alison Bromski — Vice President

Kelly Johnson — Secretary

Tatyana Nossova — Treasurer

Ry MacLoughlin - Assistant Treasurer

Fairfield Bonsall

Diana Grandoni

Warren Graver

Samantha Marinko

Ryan D'Wolff Munro

Risa Oganesoff Heersche

Meghan Reedy

ADVISORY BOARD

Jim Shaffer

Butch Baxter

Eric Altholtz

Melissa Lin

Bob Leger

GRANT WRITER

Krista Woodbridge