Anne Marie Abderholden

Founder/Artistic Director

Anne Marie Brunner-Abderholden

Anne Marie was born in Holland and spent most of her childhood in Switzerland. At age seven, she joined the Opera Ballet School in Zurich. After a nine-year professional ballet career, Anne Marie completed an advanced degree in classical ballet (extended Vaganova) pedagogy from the Music College in Cologne, Germany. She taught at the Opera Ballet School in Zurich, at the Swiss School for Professional Dancers, and at the Theater Ballet School in Krefeld and Monchengladbach, Germany. In 1991 she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she taught for the Monona Academy of Dance. She was a choreographer for the Wisconsin Dance Ensemble and the Performing Arts for Children. In 2002 Anne Marie founded Valley Academy for the Arts in Neenah, WI. Anne Marie currently holds positions on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Dance Council and the Neenah Arts Council. Many of Anne Marie's students have been accepted into prestigious programs such as Kirov Academy Washington DC, The Nutmeg Conservatory, Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, Bolshoi Academy, and the Milwaukee Ballet summer program. In addition, many have gone on to acclaimed college dance programs and professional dance careers. ​

Faculty and Staff