Tasha Stramecki has 25 years of integrated experience in teaching, choreographing, and
directing Ballet for all ages and skill levels. Availing all aspects of her cumulative career,
Ms.Stramecki is excited to return home to New Hampshire after leading Southwest Ballet
Theatre as Artistic Director from 2021-2023. Ms. Stramecki redefined, strengthened, and
elevated the non-profit art organization through exceptional leadership and vision that enriched
lives and provided quality ballet training and presentations for the West Valley of metro Phoenix.
While in Phoenix Tasha was adjunct faculty for the Grand Canyon University Dance
Department, Instructed classes for Effusion Dance Center and co worked with choreographer
and former principal dancer of ballet Arizona Astrit Zejnati.
Prior to her role at Southwest, Ms. Stramecki and her husband Jorge Arrunategui, a fine artist
originally from Peru embarked on an International exchange. Having the privilege to teach
classes for the D1 Cultural Association under (Vania Masias) in Peru, lead to guest teaching
with Ballet Municipal Lima, Ballet Concierto Cancun, and finally opening the first American
Ballet School in Santa Catarina, Brazil. “Sharing what I love with others abroad proved to be the
most transformative highlight of my career and profoundly deepened my reflection,
understanding, and practice of Ballet pedagogy, approach, and redefined my purpose and
commitment as an evolving person and artist.” Her teaching career started in the New England
area in 1998 where she taught and directed several ballet programs, implementing the ABT
curriculum. Ballets she has staged and choreographed include “The Nutcracker”, “ Sleeping
Beauty”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” “The Firebird”, “Carmina Burana” “Raymonda”,
“Etudes”, “Cinderella”, “Sylvia” “Cello Reflections” and other original choreography.
Ms. Stramecki’s early training started with Ballet Austin, scholarship study with the Boston
Ballet, and scholarship awardee to University of Oklahoma where she graduated with a BFA in
ballet performance. She has performed with the Oklahoma Festival Ballet (OU dance
department) , Arkansas Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet New England, Granite State Ballet, and the
Northern Ballet Theatre. Some of her favorite roles have been: Sugar Plum pas de deux, Dew
drop Fairy, Odette in “Swan Lake”, and Lilac Fairy in “The Sleeping Beauty”, She has had the
great honor and privilege to train and work with Master Teachers in Vaganova, Bournonville,
Cechetti, Balanchine, and French systems of ballet and incorporates the traditions of excellence
and mastery in her classes which are carefully crafted with a gentle and systematic approach.
“My mission in alignment with holistic and quality training is to provide an opportunity for
children and their families to develop an appreciation for ballet and a lifelong love for dance and
the arts.”
