Faculty & Staff
Refining technique while nurturing
a lifelong love for the art of dance.
Our Story
Oregon Ballet Academy was founded in 2003 by John Grensback and Megan Murphy, bringing world-class expertise to Eugene from their distinguished careers with the Houston Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, and the Joffrey Ballet. For two decades, they cultivated a nurturing yet rigorous environment built on elite classical training.
Following John and Megan’s retirement, the academy proudly entered its next chapter under the leadership of new owner and director Mayim Stiller. A former standout student of the academy who went on to achieve his own successful professional dancing career with the Los Angeles Ballet, Ballet San Antonio, and Oklahoma City Ballet, Mayim has come full circle. Today, he is honored to carry the torch forward by preserving the academy’s rich legacy of technical excellence while continuing to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Meet The Team
Mayim Stiller
Director & Owner
Originally from Seattle, Mayim Stiller began his dance journey at age 8 with salsa, hip hop, and ballroom before starting formal ballet training at 11 with the Oregon Ballet Academy. He later trained on scholarship at the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the School of American Ballet, performing notable roles such as the lead in Faust at Lincoln Center.
Professionally, Stiller danced for three seasons with Los Angeles Ballet, joined Ballet San Antonio as a soloist, guested with Alberta Ballet, and performed with Oklahoma City Ballet. His extensive repertoire spans masterpieces by icons like George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, and Jerome Robbins, featuring standout roles as Romeo in Romeo & Juliet and Thor in Golden Section. Also a passionate choreographer, Stiller has returned to his home studio at Oregon Ballet Academy as Co-Director and Owner to inspire the next generation of dancers.
Ema Jensen
Studio Manager
Ema Jensen began her classical ballet training at age three in Salt Lake City, Utah, performing early on with Ballet West and the Utah Symphony | Utah Opera. Alongside her dance background, she developed a deep interest in wellness, becoming a certified yoga teacher and earning a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in nutrition from the University of Utah.
Channeling her professional experience in client relations and program development, Ema moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 2019 and now serves as the Studio Manager for Oregon Ballet Academy. In her role, she combines her background in movement and mind-body wellness to support daily operations and cultivate a mindful, joyful, and student-centered environment focused on building strong technical foundations and self-awareness.
Kristi Hill
Lower School Director
Kristi Hill, the Lower School Director at Oregon Ballet Academy, grew up in Helena, Montana, and holds a BA in Dance with a ballet emphasis from Brigham Young University, where she toured with the Theatre Ballet Company. Throughout her performance career, she danced principal roles in Swan Lake and Cinderella, and frequently appeared as a guest artist performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
With over 20 years of teaching experience across Utah, Montana, and Oregon, Kristi previously directed the ballet program at Lifehouse Performing Arts Academy for 12 years, where she choreographed and restaged numerous classical ballets. Specializing in early childhood dance education through Leap'n Learn training and having developed her own successful pre-pointe transition program, she enters her fourth year with OBA dedicated to helping dancers of all ages reach their full potential through structured, joyful, and foundational training.
Annabelle Brinkhous
Teacher
Before ballet Annabelle took part in competitive gymnastics. She began ballet training at age 10 at Oregon Ballet Academy. Annabelle enjoyed her 2025 summer in Colorado at a Joffery Ballet Summer Intensive. She is so excited to be helping out teaching the younger kids.
Featured in various roles in OBA productions:
Aurora & Lilac Fairy, Sleeping Beauty
Tinkerbell, Peter Pan
Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker
Fairy Godmother, Cinderella
Snow White, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs
Toshiko Lockwood
Office Staff
Megumi Rosier
Office Staff
Katie Torkornoo
Social Media Manager
John Grensback
Founder
John Grensback dedicated himself to training students who have gone on to dance professionally with prestigious companies like the American Ballet Theatre and San Francisco Ballet. His own distinguished dance journey began at age 7, eventually leading him to train at the School of American Ballet and perform with the New York City Ballet and Joffrey Ballet.
He later became a principal dancer with the Houston Ballet, performing leading roles in classics like Swan Lake and Giselle, and frequently appeared as a international guest artist. Before returning to the States and founding Oregon Ballet Academy, Grensback spent over a decade teaching, choreographing, and directing his own studio in Guam, bringing a lifelong dedication to classical excellence to all his students.
Megan Murphy
Founder
Ms. Murphy began ballet training in Guam and left to study at The National Ballet School of Canada when she was fifteen years old. She attended The San Francisco Ballet School, studied under Richard Gibson in Palo Alto, California, and trained at The Houston Ballet Academy on a scholarship. She danced professionally with both The Atlanta Ballet and The Houston Ballet, and danced in ballets such as Swan Lake, Ben Stevenson's Cinderella, Serenade, and more.
After retiring from performing, Ms. Murphy joined the staff at the Houston Ballet Academy where she directed the pilates studio and the adult dance program. While attending The University of Houston she also managed the large aerobics program at the Downtown YMCA in Houston.
Ms. Murphy opened Oregon Ballet Academy is 2003 with her husband John after moving to Eugene from Guam with their children.