Meet our Faculty Jaune Buisson Hebert is celebrating her sixth year as the director of  Metropolitan Dance Theatre. She works professionally throughout the Greater New Orleans area as a dancer, choreographer and performer for conventions, theatre and industrials.       Most recently, she choreographed  "Some Enchanted Evening" at Southern Repertory Theatre and "Seussical the Musical" at Six Flags New Orleans. She received her second Big Easy Entertainment Award for her choreography of "Smokey Joe's Cafe" for the Jefferson Performing Arts Society and "Little Shop of Horrors" at Rivertown Repertory Theatre.   She has served as the resident choreographer for Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre 's Corner Theatre where she staged the award-winning "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown", "Schoolhouse Rock Live!", "Cinderella",  "HONK!" , "Free to Be...You and Me", "Bye, Bye Birdie" and "Snoopy!" For the Le Petit Mainstage, she choreographed the local hits “Grease” and “Five Guys Named Moe” which received a Big Easy Entertainment  Award for best choreography.       Coming from a family of dancers, Jaune grew up dancing in her mother’s dance studio and began her teaching there.  She went on to receive top awards in competition being named the American Dance Team School solo winner and the Overture to the Cultural Season dance scholarship.  She moved to Metropolitan Dance Theatre as a student to advance her training and was invited to join the faculty.  She served as the lowerschool instructor for several years for before changing duties as director of the school.       One of  her teaching highlights was working as the dance clinician with Tony Award winner Chita Rivera and Emmy Award winning choreographer Dee Dee Wood for the Jefferson Parish Gifted and Talented Theatre Workshops. Additionally, She has taught throughout Florida, Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi as a dance instructor and adjunctor for the National Dance Association.       Her performance credits include the Superbowl XXXI Halftime Show, "Hello Dolly!", "Anything Goes", "Cinderella", "Chicago", "Leader of the Pack", "George M!", “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” all at Le Petit , "The Will Rogers Follies" with Tulane Summer Lyric and performances with the Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Rivertown Repertory and UNO.  She has a B.A. in Drama and Communications from the University of New Orleans and teaches dance at Metairie Park Country Day School.

Emily Berner Oertling has had many theatrical experiences over the past few years. She performed in Showboat with Tulane Summer Lyric this summer.She has served as the assistant director of Tulane's Little Lyric Theatre for the past three years.  In addition to performing with Tulane Summer Lyric, she has also been in other theatrical productions  including  performances with Le Petit Theatre as well as the University of Southern Mississippi.  While in college, Emily was the conductor for the Children's choir  for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". She holds a B.A. from the University of Southern Mississippi where she minored in Music. Emily is currently teaching drama and music at Trinity Episcopal School.  She has been singing for "Dennis & Co." since 1986 and is the sales director for Music for Children by Dennis. She is looking forward to teaching music and drama to MDT students! www.musicbydennis.com    Linda Rigamer  A senior at Loyola University, Linda studies English writing and music. She received a certificate of artistry from New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts and continues to be active in her discipline: musical theatre. Linda’s favorite roles include Sandy in Grease, Sheila in Hair, Sally in Die Fledermaus, and Rose Hoffman in Working. Other favorites appearances: The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Floyd Collins, and Side Show. She has assisted with choreography and music on shows such as Singin' in the Rain and Little Shop of Horrors, and she has worked as a production assistant’s assistant for A&E’s The Brook Ellison Story with Christopher Reeve. Occasionally, she dances for conventions, Mardi Gras balls, and other events. She has also sung with Loyola University’s Chorus, Chorale, and Women’s Chorale and when she was living in Paris last fall, with La Sorbonne’s French language choir for international students. During the summer, Linda heads a traveling workshop for children ages 3-13 through her company, Enriching Arts. Linda has also interned with the Secretary of State’s Press Office for the Louisiana Center for Women and Government and with NOCCA. In her spare time, Linda teaches group exercise at Loyola’s Recreation Complex, tutors students through the Academic Resource Center and New Orleans Reading and Learning Clinic, volunteers with LU Community Action Program, writes poetry, and plans her wedding. She is so excited to be teaching again at Metropolitan and looks forward to a very fun year! Dress Code Students are required to wear appropriate leotards and tights to every class.  We recommend leotards with attached skirts for our creative movement and preschool level classes. Separate skirts become a distraction.  Upperschool students may wear dance pants for jazz, lyrical and tap classes.  Any color dancewear is acceptable.  All students taking ballet or pointe must wear leotards and tights. Students may elect to wear a ballet skirt . Gym shorts are not appropriate in any class. All students must wear cover-ups when entering and exiting the building.   Hair must be secured off the face with any instrument that will not fly off or distract the dancer.

Dance Shoes Girls - pink ballet slippers, tan taps, tan jazz shoes Boys - black ballet slippers, black taps, black jazz shoes Tap shoes must be secured with a buckle or "tap ties". No ribbons.