ABOUt us
Photo Credit: Chaiyasith Junjuerdee
Rising Star Dance Studio was founded by Fay & Vithaya Pansringarm in 1996. It is a place where people of all ages and nationalities can enjoy studying dance. Fay and several carefully chosen instructors teach in a way that encourages students to develop both technique and artistic expression. We believe that the study of dance can be both strenuous and relaxing, hard work yet joyous.
Specializing in classical ballet, we teach in the American style, based on an international blend of methods that stresses movement, expressiveness, and theatricality while being true to one's own anatomy. Under the direction of Fay Pansringarm, teaching is based on kinesiology, making use of one's natural movement and allowing the body to work in a healthy, relaxed way. Dance as an art form develops expression and theatricality. As a sport, it is a wonderful way to exercise.
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Since 1996, Rising Star has been teaching students ages 3 to adult from more than 25 nationalities. Instructors speak English, Thai, and Japanese. In addition to ballet and pointe for children and adults, there are classes in jazz and rhythmic gymnastics. Rising Star also runs dance programs for several international schools in Bangkok. We teach in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and believe that all arts should grow within the soul of the artist.
our team
FAY PANSRINGARM
DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR
Fay began full-time training as a ballet dancer in New York City at age 15. She trained for 5 years on full scholarship with the Harkness Ballet Company and with the New York School of Ballet. After performing as a soloist with the US Terpsichore, she cofounded and directed the RockVille Dance Company in New York for 6 years. She has trained with some of the world's most renowned teachers of ballet, jazz, modern, and flamenco including David Howard, Elisabeth Carroll, Hilary Cartwright, Robert Denves, Maria Vegh, Bo Spassoff, and Robert Blankshine.
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Fay has been living and teaching in Bangkok since 1987. She has choreographed and directed dance for television, film, fashion shows, and pageants. She and her husband, Vithaya, trained the contestants of the Miss Thailand World Pageant from 1992 - 2002, along with numerous other pageants.
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She had a leading role in Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol's film, Sie Die 2, winner of 12 Thailand Film Association Awards. The film also featured students of the Rising Star Dance Studio. In addition, Vithaya and Fay assisted the producer of the APEC CEO Summit Meeting in October 2003, and Fay was the ballet coach for Thailand National Gymnastic Team for many years.
Photo Credit: Chaiyasith Junjuerdee
VITHAYA PANSRINGARM (PU)
CO-STUDIO DIRECTOR
"Pu" and Fay met in NYC in 1984, when Pu graduated N.Y. Institute of Technology with a degree in graphic design. Pu made his international debut as an actor in 2009 in the Hollywood production film "Prince and Me, Part 4". He won Best Actor Award at the Thrill Spy Film Festival (Washington DC) in 2010 and in 2012 was nominated for Best Actor and Best screenwriter by the Thai Film Association for his leading role of Father Ananda in the film "Mindfulness and Murder". Pu co-starred with Ryan Gosling in "Only God Forgives" which premiered in competition at the Cannes International Film Festival 2013. He won the Best Actor at Shanghai International Film Festival 2014 and Dhaka International Film Festival 2015 for his leading role in the award-winning Thai film "The Last Executioner".
Pu holds a fifth degree black belt in Kendo and is the president and former member of the Thailand National Kendo Team. He walked the red carpet in Cannes for the second time with the world premiere of "A Prayer Before Dawn" in June 2017.
YUKO NAKAMURA
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR
Yuko began studying ballet at the age of seven in Kyushu, Japan. In 1987, she joined Yokose Saburo Ballet Company. In 1989, she went to the United States to continue her studies on full scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School. She spent seven years in the U.S. performing with San Francisco Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and Pacific Dance Theater.
Yuko starred “Principle Roles” for Rising Star Dance Studio from 2001 through 2011 with many productions such as Coppelia, La Fille Mal Gardée, The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
She also performed many leading roles with Bangkok City Ballet Company, and now, having been appointed as ballet mistress since 2017. She continues to contribute her profession by teaching and coaching adults and young dancers at Rising Star Dance Studio.
LYNN D. QUERUBIN
JAZZ DANCE INSTRUCTOR
Lynn started dancing at age 3 in her native Scotland and trained with the Scottish Ballet Company's school. She has danced her way through more than 10 different countries in musicals and cabaret shows, and even a Mediterranean cruise. She was featured as the Spider in "A Midsummer Nights's Dream" 2003, Carabosse in "Sleeping Beauty" 2005, and Mother in "The Nutcracker" 2004 and 2014. She has choreographed for jazz dancers in every Rising Star's annual show since 2003.
SISIRA LILASCHAROEN (ONN)
BALLET INSTRUCTOR
Onn began her ballet training at the age of 3 with Fay Stombler Parnsringarm and Yuko Nakamura at Rising Star Dance Studio, where she performed with for over 20 years. She also studied the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) method with Viphavee Benjathanasombat and Kanchana Jalavicharn. In 2008, Onn attended the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Summer Intensive in the United States, where she first received her international dance training.
After graduated with the BA in Communication Management from the faculty of Communication Arts Chulalongkorn University in 2016, she decided to continue her studies at New York University, where she completed a MA in Teaching Dance in the Professions with a concentration in ABT's Ballet Pedagogy. She is the winner of the Samuel Eshborn Service Award, presented to graduating graduate students in recognition of superlative and extraordinary service, exhibiting the value of strong leadership in school activities at NYU Steinhardt. She worked as a teaching assistant at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York, USA from 2018 - 2019.
Onn is an ABT® Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through level 7 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.
Photo Credit: Bernd Thierolf
MANATSANAN CHAITEERAPATTARAPONG (MARKKY)
RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS INSTRUCTOR
Markky graduated from the Faculty of Sport Science Chulalongkorn University. She began her gymnastics training at the age of 4 and became a member of the Thai National Gymnastics Team in 2013. She competed in the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea and made it to the finals. She won a silver medal at the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia, a bronze medal at the 2018 Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Cup in Mongolia, and one silver and two bronze medals from the 2018 Formosa Cup in Taiwan.
Markky is currently teaching rhythmic gymnastics class at Rising Star Dance Studio and also helps choreograph the dances for the studio's annual performances.
STUDIO MANAGER
Kae graduated her BA degree from King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). She has been working as our studio manager since 2012.
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NUNTIDA MANOONPORN (KAE)