About the Author

Author of the internationally successful book Fundamentals of Alignment and Classical Movement for Figure Skaters, Annette T. Thomas has been a dance teacher and choreographer since 1970. Trained at Carnegie Hall by the late Maria Nevelska of the Bolshoi Ballet, she continued her studies with Ana Garcia of the San Juan Ballet Company, Marguerite De Anguera of the Connecticut Regional Ballet Company and Mme Alexandra Danilova. As her mother, Mika Mingo, was an international professional dancer, singer and teacher, Annette traveled the world gaining extensive training in various forms of dance such as Flamenco, Modern, Folkloric and Character Dance, Bharata Natyam, and Mime. Annette, who is also a classically trained professional singer, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1975 and performed with The Florentine Opera Company, The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, Music Under the Stars and Skylight Comic Opera. She began working with figure skaters in 1998 and has conducted numerous off- and on-ice workshops, group and private lessons for figure skaters in the areas of conditioning and artistry.

Annette has lectured and published several freelance articles on dance, exercise, imagery and creative movement, and has worked extensively with both handicapped and gifted children in the areas of creativity, art and movement.

She received her Certificate of Completion of the First Class Pedagogical Course for the Study of Classical Ballet in 2005 from Dr. Peggy Willis-Aarnio, is a member of the Professional Skaters Association, the United States Figure Skating Association, the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science and the Wisconsin Dance Council.

Annette, who is now semi-retired and lives with her family in Wisconsin, teaches occasional workshops in Russian Method Classical ballet, Folk and Character Dance, and works with skaters at the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club, Kettle Moraine Figure Skating Club and at the Pettit National Ice Center.