Our Staff

Meet the members of our professional staff – trained professionals who danced with ballet and modern companies and on Broadway. Their backgrounds and years of teaching experience allows then to pass on to your child the accumulated knowledge of many generations of professional dancers, teachers and choreographers with whom their have worked.

Linda Copp, Director (Ballet, Conditioning, Pointe, Character Dance, Pas de Deux) has owned and operated the Lebanon Ballet School for over 30 years. Linda graduated from the Hartford Conservatory, CT and was a former soloist with the Connecticut Valley Regional Ballet Company. She began teaching in the Hartford, CT and Springfield, MA areas in 1971. For 20 years, she served as the rehearsal mistress for the Albany Berkshire’s production of The Nutcracker in Lebanon, which involved the selection and training of nearly 100 local dancers. She choreographed Hartford High musicals from 1998 to 2003 and worked productions for NCCT and Opera North. She is a founding director of City Center Ballet. She feels strongly that one never stops learning in the studio and as a dancer or a teacher.

Jennifer Henderson, Assistant Director (Ballet, Conditioning, Pointe & Variations, Pas de Deux) has studied at Lebanon Ballet School since its inception in 1984, and has trained with Madeline Culpo of Albany Berkshire Ballet and Andrei Bossov of Bossov Ballet Theatre in Pittsfield, Maine. She has danced the roles of Odette in Swan Lake (1997) and Swanilda in Coppélia (1998) in LBS productions. In 2002 she danced the Czardas lead in City Center Ballet’s production of Coppélia and as one of the stepsisters in Cinderella in 2005. She joined the Lebanon Ballet School teaching staff in January, 2003, and for several years was a local rehearsal mistress for Albany Berkshire Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Her signature piece of choreography, City Center Ballet’s production of Cinderella (2008), has established the creativity and talent that she has since brought to to Clara’s Dream (2010-15), Coppélia (2011), Giselle(2013), The Sleeping Beauty (2014), Alice in Wonderland (2015).

Susan Lamontagne (Ballet, Jazz/Musical Theater Dance, Conditioning, Pas de Deux, Zumba) started dancing at age 3. Her training includes Classical Ballet, Jazz (lyrical and Musical Theatre), Modern and tap. She has trained in NY and Japan, as well as many other places throughout the US. Her 20-year professional performing career included Broadway, National and International Tours including the Tony Award winning Fosse (Original B’way company), Cats (Demeter – Broadway, National Tour & Germany), Red, Hot & Blue (Papermill Playhouse), West Side Story (Gratziella – National & European tours), Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby (Original Tiger Lily), Starlight Express (Ashley – Germany & Las Vegas) and A Chorus Line (Kristine) and NY Metropolitan Opera’s The Merry Widow.

Susan is directing, choreographing and teaching theater arts in schools, dance schools and theater programs around the US. Her NH/VT Upper Valley Directorial/Choreography credits include: Pentangle and Artistree’s Cabaret, CATS & The Rocky Horror Show. NCCT’s On The Town (Dir/Choreo), Curtains, Footloose, Once On This Island, Beauty and the Beast, 42nd Street (Choreo) and Opera North’s My Fair Lady. Out of town Directorial/Choreography work include Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, Lend Me A Tenor, Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, Peter Pan and The Wizard of Oz.

Susan considers it an honor and responsibility to pass on the techniques and styles of the many amazing choreographers, directors and mentors she’s had the privilege of studying while adding her own style. She is a much sought after master class guest artist instructor as well as being a board member for the Upper Valley’s City Center Ballet. Susan considers it a huge responsibility to help dancers to reach their personal potential in a healthy balanced way allowing them to take dance in whichever direction they choose while fostering skills that will help carry them through life for years to come.