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

Staff Bios

Anne Marie Abderholden, Founder, Artistic Director, and Instructor (see bio above)
 
Katharina Abderholden, Instructor and Rehearsal Director, began dancing at a young age, primarily focusing on ballet technique.  Abderholden graduated with a BFA in contemporary dance technique and choreography.  She has performed works choreographed by Mark Morris and Arnie Zane, as well as Danceworks Milwaukee (WI), Le Marchepied (CH), Lake Arts Project (MN), Stephen Kowplowitz (USA), and Cie Utilité Publique(CH).  Katharina’s recent work is focused on improvisation with collaborative artists and teaching at Renaissance School for the Arts.  She looks forward to engaging young artists in the disciplines of creative practice and the lifelong benefits of the arts in our lives.
 
Lauri Lumby, Office Manager, has been with Valley Academy for the Arts since 2017.  She comes with a wide range of business management experience, including running her own business since 2003. Lauri has an undergrad in Business Administration with a major in Marketing, certificates in Adult Education and Human Development, and a Master’s Degree in Transpersonal Psychology.
 
Allison Lauber de Garza, Instructor is a full-time Spanish teacher at Kaleidoscope Academy and Appleton West High School.  She moved with her husband, Genaro, and their four children to Appleton from the Milwaukee area in August of 2022. Allison grew up taking gymnastics and ballet and then began learning a variety of Latin dance genres (Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Cumbia, Chachachá) when she lived in Mexico in her twenties.  She has extensive performance experience with different Salsa groups at international festivals in Milwaukee, Chicago and New York.  She is passionate about Latin social dancing and enjoys introducing these genres in addition to teaching the beauty of traditional Ballet.  Her favorite aspect of teaching in general is increasing confidence within each of her students and building connections across different communities.

Katy Littrell, Instructor, began attending classes with Madison Ballet School at an early age.  In middle school she began training with Anne Marie Abderholden at Turning Pointe in Madison, as well as competing nationally in ballet, jazz, and tap with Spotlight Dance. Covid provided an opportunity for Katy to rediscover her love of dance and begin teaching. Katy has degrees from University of Wisconsin – Madison and the University of Edinburgh. She is an archaeologist for UW-Milwaukee and is the proud mother of three children and a lab.

Veronica Plamann, Instructor, has danced at VAA for 12 years. She is also in VAA’s Vision Dance Theater company. Some of her favorite performances with VAA have been Twelve Dancing Princesses, Peter Rabbit, The Nutcracker, and Alice in Wonderland. Some of her hobbies include cross country running, theater and singing, and occasionally baking. This is her first year teaching at VAA.

Courtney Rowley, Instructor, began studying dance when she was twelve years old through a competition dance school in Waupaca, Wisconsin.  While attending that school, Courtney studied ballet, lyrical and jazz and competed in groups, solos and duets.  In her senior year in high school, Courtney transferred to Valley Academy for the Arts where she continued her studies in classical ballet and lyrical dance.  In recognition of her achievement in lyrical dance, Courtney was given a solo piece to perform which was created by Elizabeth Roskopf.  Upon graduation, Courtney remained with Valley Academy for the Arts as a teaching apprentice and recently completed Level’s One and Two of Kinesio Dance™ Ballet Teacher Training with Anne Marie Abderholden. 
 
Olivia Wise, Instructor, has been dancing for 8 years and competing for 6, starting and finishing her time as a competitive dancer at NEW Fusion Dance & Performing Arts. While attending dance at NEW Fusion, she studied ballet and competed in jazz, hip hop, contemporary, and lyrical. Recently graduating from Appleton North High School and Renaissance School for the Arts, Renaissance gave her the amazing opportunity to explore choreography more in depth, helping her find her love in teaching dance to others. She may be newer to teaching, but she’s super excited to teach and share her love for dance here at Valley Academy for the Arts!