Raigan Welters began her study of classical ballet under Dorris Jones from ages 4 to 12. From age 14 - 18 Raigan continued her ballet training with Lynn Welters at Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Under Ms. Welters' guidance, Raigan completed a high school senior semester in Moscow studying Russian Character Dance technique, with daily Vaganova technique based ballet classes and performed with the Kalinka Russian Folk dance troupe. Raigan trained exclusively with Jurgen Schneider and Janina Chanova at Western Michigan University Russian Ballet Seminar for four summer intensives receiving honors certificate in ballet performance and theory.
For her high school Senior year graduation performance, Raigan was coached and partnered by world renowned danseur and ballet master Sylvester Cambell, in an original ballet choreographed by Mr. Cambell, exclusively for her. Upon graduating from high-school Raigan received a full academic and artistic scholarship to Sarah Lawrence College where she majored in political science. During her years at Sarah Lawrence, Raigan received educational grants to work and study for one summer in Johannesburg, South Africa and one summer semester in Moscow, Russia.
In 2006-2007, Raigan Performed as a guest artist with Ballet Plauen-Zwickau, in Zwikau Saxony, Germany and attended a teaching training seminar at the Palucca University for Dance in Dresden, Germany. In 2010 Raigan completed Her formal teachers training for Russian Character Dance technique under former Boishoi Ballet master Mansur Kamaletdinov, in Pittsburg PA. More recently, Raigan has performed with danseur and ballet master Troy Brown in an original contemporary pointe choreography for NSD&A. Raigan has also studied aerial silks acrobatic technique and combined the art form with classical ballet in choreographic workshops.
As a founding member of an affordable housing corporation, Raigan brings 9 years of experience in corporate governance to NSD&A's Board. She will provide cooperate governance training to the NSD&A Board with an emphasis on "fiduciary duty" coaching and how to apply Robert's Rules of Parliamentary Procedure to enforce corporate bylaws. Raigan is currently working with Ms. Welters on a character dance syllabus for NSD&A students.