Isabelle Askelin

Teaching Assistant

Isabelle was born and raised in Rochester, MN. She first started dancing ballet at 3 years old at Allegro School of Dance and Music. Outside of the studio, Isabelle loved to put on shows for her family, lip synching and dancing her heart out. Quickly falling in love with movement and the ability to express oneself without speaking, Isabelle expanded her dance world at 10 years old to jazz, modern, and lyrical dance. While dancing with Allegro, Isabelle performed in yearly recitals, The Nutcracker, and RED showcases. RED showcases allowed for the studio teachers to choreograph on advanced students after Nutcracker and prior to the end of the year recital. During her sophomore year of high school, she performed with Children’s Dance Theatre’s performance of Alice in Wonderland, directed and choreographed by Allen Fields. This is when Isabelle focused strictly on classical ballet training while under the wing of Fields. She began with private lessons with Fields and at the start of her junior year she moved to his school in Rochester. Fields Ballet collaborated with Minnesota Ballet to allow Isabelle and other students to tour with the company during Nutcracker. It was her first glimpse of professional ballet. Isabelle traveled with Field’s school to New York City, where she was able to train with Wilhelm “Willy” Burnmann, Victoria Simon (Ballet Mistress for George Balanchine), and Julie Voshell at Steps on Broadway and Ballet Academy East.

The day of Isabelle’s high school graduation, she moved to Duluth with the help of her mother to start preparing for the 2015-2016 Minnesota Ballet company as an Apprentice. Isabelle performed in the company's 50th Gala celebration and Nutcracker.

Isabelle took a break from the ballet world and received her Bachelor of Applied Science in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Being out of the dance community for 5 years now, she is excited to step back in and teach the next generation of the great joy and value ballet gives to oneself.