Ventura County Ballet’s Artistic Staff & Board of Directors

Artistic Staff

Kathleen Noblin, Executive Director & FounderFounder Kathleen Noblin has been the primary force in the organization and in the development of professional ballet in Ventura County since the early 1990s. Since that time, she has produced over thirty full-length ballets for VCB and its predecessor Channel Islands Ballet Company.Active in the arts in Ventura, she served on the City’s Cultural Plan Steering Committee to define objectives for the arts in the city. She has also directed VCB performances for City of Ventura sponsored events, including several Art Walks, the Earle Stanley Gardner Mystery Festival, the “Arts Explosion” series, and many others.Kathleen’s brainchild, the Therapeutic Dance program for children in foster care, allowed dozens of underserved children the opportunity for creative expression through dance at no cost. Her goal, if proper funding can be obtained, is to be able to continue the program and offer the same opportunity to physically challenged or disabled students in our area.As a lifelong dancer, Ms. Noblin had the expertise to recruit and hire an outstanding staff of professional instructors and performers from around the world. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles as a dance minor with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She studied ballet with Doris Niles, Stanley Zampakus, Olga Fricker, Mara Lysova, and Peter Schetters, and danced with the Channel Islands Ballet Company from 1975-1988.In 2008, Kathleen received the City of Ventura’s Mayor’s Arts Award for Arts Educator.

Kathleen Noblin, Executive Director & Founder

Founder Kathleen Noblin has been the primary force in the organization and in the development of professional ballet in Ventura County since the early 1990s. Since that time, she has produced over thirty full-length ballets for VCB and its predecessor Channel Islands Ballet Company.

Active in the arts in Ventura, she served on the City’s Cultural Plan Steering Committee to define objectives for the arts in the city. She has also directed VCB performances for City of Ventura sponsored events, including several Art Walks, the Earle Stanley Gardner Mystery Festival, the “Arts Explosion” series, and many others.

Kathleen’s brainchild, the Therapeutic Dance program for children in foster care, allowed dozens of underserved children the opportunity for creative expression through dance at no cost. Her goal, if proper funding can be obtained, is to be able to continue the program and offer the same opportunity to physically challenged or disabled students in our area.

As a lifelong dancer, Ms. Noblin had the expertise to recruit and hire an outstanding staff of professional instructors and performers from around the world. She graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles as a dance minor with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. She studied ballet with Doris Niles, Stanley Zampakus, Olga Fricker, Mara Lysova, and Peter Schetters, and danced with the Channel Islands Ballet Company from 1975-1988.

In 2008, Kathleen received the City of Ventura’s Mayor’s Arts Award for Arts Educator.

Marina Fliagina, Associate Artistic Director and ChoreographerBorn in Russia, Marina Fliagina graduated with distinction from the Perm State College of choreography in Russia. She was admitted to the Moscow State Theatre Kremlin Ballet where she worked with renowned Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova and has performed roles in every famous classical ballet, touring internationally with the Russian Imperial Ballet, Moscow Classical Ballet, and the Moscow Festival Ballet.In 1998, Marina joined State Street Ballet as a dancer and became Ballet Mistress in 2000. She continues to dance character roles in ballets. Currently, she is an instructor at Ballet Academy Ventura, and has served as Associate Artistic Director and Choreographer since 2005.

Marina Fliagina, Artistic Director and Choreographer

Born in Russia, Marina Fliagina graduated with distinction from the Perm State College of choreography in Russia. She was admitted to the Moscow State Theatre Kremlin Ballet where she worked with renowned Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova and has performed roles in every famous classical ballet, touring internationally with the Russian Imperial Ballet, Moscow Classical Ballet, and the Moscow Festival Ballet.

In 1998, Marina joined State Street Ballet as a dancer and became Ballet Mistress in 2000. She continues to dance character roles in ballets. Currently, she is an instructor at Ballet Academy Ventura, and has served as Associate Artistic Director and Choreographer since 2005.

Board of Directors

Kathleen Noblin, Executive Director & Founder

Wendy Ullrich, President

Cheryl Sills, Secretary

Yesania Anderson, Treasurer

Amy Aguilar

Linda Amaral

Denise Grimm

Melinda Hoyt

Cynthia Loughman

Alyssa Poelstra

Pam Reinig

Claudia Santana

Contact Ventura County Ballet Board of Directors at board@venturacountyballet.com

2023 Annual Report