Meet The RIB Staff

Mr. Wise was born in Charleston and studied at the North Carolina School of the Arts. In 1988 Mr. Wise was asked to train in Budapest as the Hungarian representative in international ballet competitions. He then joined the Moscow Classical Ballet, and was then promoted to Principal Dancer - the only American to have held this position in a major Soviet ballet company. In 1990, the Russian government awarded him the Tchaikovsky Diploma for continuous high levels of Technique and Artistry. After Russia, Mr. Wise continued to perform internationally as a Principal Dancer. Mr. Wise has taught ballet for over 20 years, prepared many students for international ballet competitions and professional careers.

Olga Tchoub Wise is a native of Moscow, Russia. Mrs. Wise graduated from the Bolshoi Choreographic Institute with a Masters Degree in the Fine Arts. In 1990 she accepted an offer to join the Moscow Classical Ballet as a soloist. She went on to work as a Principal Dancer with internationally known dancers and companies. She is a highly sought-after Master Teacher and Choreographer, and has frequently judged classical ballet competitions. Mrs. Olga is also a professor at the College of Charleston as a part of their dance faculty. 

Megan was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. She began her dance career at nine years old. She trained in classical ballet for twelve years and also has training in a wide variety of other dance styles. In 2017, she passed the American Ballet Theater National Training Curriculum Examination for level 5B with high honors and level 6 with honors in 2019. She has had the privilege to attend summer programs with scholarships at Carolina Ballet, Chautauqua Institution, and Charlotte Ballet. She was invited to be a guest performer with the Carolina Ballet Theatre in two performances where she took on lead roles. She received her certificate as a Fitness Specialist in 2021 from Trident Technical College.

Maria Stewart is a native of Seneca, South Carolina and currently a sophomore at the College Of Charleston majoring in Dance with a concentration in Performance and Choreography. Maria started her training at Foothills Dance Conservatory for 15 years learning both Balanchine and Vaganova Method of ballet under the direction of Ginny Siano-Eck. She has also trained with Joffrey Ballet, South Carolina Governor’s School for Arts and Humanities, and Next Generation Ballet for summer sessions. Maria has also been trained in jazz, contemporary, tap, and modern under Allie Larson and Vaughn Newman. She has continued her education with Robert Ivey Ballet under Olga and Michael Wise since 2020 and is entering her third year teaching with Robert Ivey Ballet. 

Christina moved to Charleston, SC in 2011 where she began her training.  She has experience as a guest artist, company dancer, and performer in renowned productions across the United States and Europe. She became a company member with Roanoke Ballet Theatre in 2020 and performed principal and soloist roles in classical and contemporary ballets, including Dracula, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She joined the  Arles Youth Ballet Company in 2022, where she danced in original works by celebrated choreographers such as Kin Sun Chan and Patrick Delcroix,  Craig Davidson, and Young Soon Hue. 

She has trained under renowned teachers such as Norton Fantinel, Rolando Sarabia, Michael and Olga Wise, and danced with companies such as BalletMet, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet. She earned top placements in YAGP 2019,  was the USA representative in the International Ballet Competition Slavenska Prix and Ballet Grand Prix Vienna in 2024, as well as passed the American Ballet Theater Technique with merit.