Musicians
David Shepard, Music Director
David Shepard is well known in the Bay Area as a pianist, cellist, organist, composer, and conductor. As a pianist, he is active as a recitalist working mainly with vocalists and instrumentalists. As a composer, David has many compositions to his credit and is a recipient of a Marin Arts Council grant for his setting of Sylvia Plath's poems for choir and small ensemble. He recently completed a score for the award-winning movie Shelf Life (produced by 5 Corner Films and Arthur's Realm productions of Los Angeles). As an arranger, he created and performed music for several dance films including America Dances! 1897-1948, produced by Dancetime Publications. A student of Denis De Coteau, he is active as a musical director and conductor throughout the Bay Area. David has twice been nominated Best Musical Director by the Bay Area Critics Circle. A few of the productions that he has directed are The History of the American Film , Oh Coward !, and Tintypes. David was musical director/conductor for the acclaimed production of Pal Joey starring Kathryn Crosby at the Marin Theater Company, directed by Albert Takazauckas. In February 2006, he produced a recital devoted to the vocal and instrumental music of Francis Poulenc at St. Hilary Church of Tiburon and was Music Director for The Classical Christmas Special produced by Chamber Music San Francisco at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Formerly with the San Francisco Ballet Association, Mr. Shepard is now Music Director of the Marin Ballet.
Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis has been accompanying for ballet and modern dance for nearly thirty years. He has worked with a plethora of well-known dance companies and directors including Pacific Northwest Ballet with Kent Stowell and Francis Russell; Colorado Ballet Center with Friedan Parker; Tampa Bay Dance Company with Martin Friedman; Bill Evans Modern Dance in Seattle; University of Washington School of Dance; Cleo Robinson Modern Dance in Denver; and Academy of Ballet/San Francisco with Richard Gibson and Janet Sassoon.
Mr. Ellis studied music throughout elementary school, high school, and at the University of Washington in Seattle. Although an excellent sight reader, he is a composer at heart, and readily improvises and creates new music on the spot for classes.
He has composed nine symphonies, numerous songs, as well as jazz and classical compositions, producing 11 CD albums of his own. He also played for many years on cruise ships as an entertainer, jazz trio leader, and solo pianist/vocalist for Norwegian Cruise Lines and Princess Cruises.
He has played for Great Chefs in Great Homes benefits for Marin Ballet, at the Ledson Hotel Harmony Club Restaurant in Sonoma, and at Zare's Bistro in Napa. He is also the accompanist for the Tamalpais High School Choir and was the music director for the school's production of The Wizard of Oz . Mr. Ellis plays corporate and private parties when he is not too busy with the ballet, and occasionally accompanies for Santa Rosa Dance Theater and for the Royal Dance Academy in Napa. Highlights of his career include appearances on the TV shows "Boston Today," "Seattle Morning Show," and at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Cine Bar and Grill.
Janeen Jones
Janeen Jones, while still in high school, studied with Edelgard Hainke at the University of Utah. She went on to work as a ballet accompanist while in high school and while attending college as well. For 18-20 years, she was a volunteer organist and piano accompanist. In 1990, she took the position of Organist at Grace North Parish, and, in 2003, became Organist at Second Church of Christ Scientist in Berkeley. That same year, Ms. Jones also re-entered the ballet world, working throughout the Bay Area. Ms. Jones holds degrees in Education and Russian Literature, and has always entertained thoughts of becoming a professor of Russian Literature. Ms. Jones joined the Marin Ballet artistic staff in January 2006.
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