Time to Take Your Training to the Next Level

Bio for Jeffrey M. Rockland

Jeffrey Rockland’s performance career spans four decades.  At the age of 4 Mr. Rockland was chosen by MGM to play the part of Sasha in MGM’s classic Dr. Zhivago.  As a dancer, Mr. Rockland studied Israeli and International Folk Dance as a youth and was later recruited to study Jazz and then Classical Ballet.  Dancing first with Princeton Ballet Theatre in New Jersey, Rockland was invited on scholarship to attend Virginia Intermont College where he received their Teacher Certification and Bachelor Degree.  In Virginia, Rockland soon rose to the level of Principal dancer with Bristol Ballet and spent his summers on scholarship at Joffrey Ballet.  In 1982, Rockland joined The Atlanta Ballet where he danced for 4 years before being hired as demi-soloist for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.  A back injury at the age of 29 led Rockland to a full time position with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal as their company teacher and ballet master.  Mr. Rockland toured Asia and Europe with this company before being invited on a Chancellor’s Teaching Fellowship and scholarship to complete an MFA in dance at the University of California Irvine.  It was during Mr. Rockland’s tenure at this institution that he taught advanced levels of Ballet and Jazz for UC Irvine as well as the Saddleback Dance Center, Irvine Ballet Academy and Jimmie Defore Dance Center.  Upon graduation with an MFA in Dance, Rockland was hired by the University of Northern Colorado to develop their performance program.  During his 7 years at the University of Northern Colorado, Mr. Rockland developed the Colorado Dance Theatre (a public non-profit organization), the Greeley Conservatory of Dance (a Dance Conservatory), The Conservatory Building, and UNC Dance Theatre (the University of Northern Colorado’s Dance Company).  Mr. Rockland has performed, taught and choreographed for schools, companies and theatres through out the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe.  In 2003, Mr. Rockland moved with his wife and their children to Tucson.  Since then, he has been teaching ballet part time while running an import business and mortgage company with his wife Suwatana.  Join Jeffrey for an exceptional learning experience.