Jane Hachiya-Weiner has been a vital part of the Indianapolis dance community since 1985 when she joined Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. Jane is originally from Japan, where she graduated Valedictorian, Class of 1975 from the Earnest J. King High School – a Department of Defense School at Fleet Activities Sasebo, Japan. She continued her studies with the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Academy in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, becoming a company member in 1979, and then Principal Dancer. During her 8 years with the company, Jane studied and danced in Tokyo and abroad in England, Scotland, France and Italy. Her rich repertoire of the classics (Swan Lake -Odette/Odile, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Pas de Quatre), and her opportunities to work with the most famous partners and mentors of her time (Anton Dolin and David Wall of the Royal Ballet, Michael Birkmeyer of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Cyril Atanasoff and Patrick Dupond of the Paris Opera), give her a breadth of respected expertise in this genre. Jane was a Silver Medalist in the Japan Ballet Association National Ballet Competition in 1980. She was also the recipient of the Akiko Tachibana National Award for Emerging Artists for her 1981 Performance as Giselle in the Inoue Ballet Company production of Giselle. She danced extensively with the Japan Ballet Association both in Tokyo and on national tours, and as guest artist with the other Tokyo-based ballet companies. She danced annually in the NHK TV (National Television Broadcast Station of Japan) annual gala event, An Evening of Ballet, as a representative of the Hirofumi Inoue Ballet Company.
After coming to the United States in 1984, Jane danced with the Boston Ballet and the Boston Ballet Ensemble before moving to Indianapolis. She danced extensively with Indianapolis Ballet Theatre (later known as Ballet Internationale) under its founder, George Verdak, and subsequently Dace Dindonis and finally Eldar Aliev. From Limon, to Balanchine, to Verdak, Jane personified the artistic versatility as well as classic virtuosity of a true ballerina, and the Indianapolis public supported her warmly.
Jane’s teaching career began when she was appointed Director of the Academy of the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre during her final years as a professional dancer. After her tenure at Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, she joined the faculty of Jordan College Academy of Dance at Butler University in 1998 and was appointed Adjunct Faculty for the Dance Majors Program at the Jordan College of Fine Arts Department of Dance as their pointe technique teacher in 2002. She remained at that position until 2009 when she took on the role of Artistic Director of Ballet Theatre of Carmel at Performer’s Edge—a pre-professional ballet company and educational component of the Performer’s Edge School of the Performing Arts—in Carmel Indiana.
In the spring of 2018, Mrs. Hachiya-Wiener and her husband Frank Weiner were presented with an opportunity to establish Ballet Theatre of Carmel as an independent entity, subsequently renaming it Ballet Theatre of Carmel Academy (BTCA). Jane is BTCA’s Artistic Director and stages full length ballets, coaches and instructs level 2B and above ballet classes at the Academy.
Jane also continues to serves for Anderson University’s School of Music Theatre and Dance in staging Classical Ballets for the Dance Program and is also currently an Adjunct Faculty member of Butler University’s Jordan College of the Arts teaching Ballet Technique and Pointe Technique for the Dance Department.
Jane is educated in several of the most celebrated training techniques including RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) syllabus and the Vaganova (Russian) syllabus. Jane is an ABT® (American Ballet Theatre®) Certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teacher Training Intensive in Pre-Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. She is also designated an ABT® Affiliate Teacher in that she has successfully presented students for national examinations. Currently, she is the only teacher in the state of Indiana with the ABT® Affiliate Teacher designation.
When not at the ballet studios, Jane enjoys visits from her two sons (now adults). At home, Frank and Jane enjoy the company of their 3 canine family members, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, a Cocker Spaniel and a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog. These fine family members keep Frank and Jane quite happy, busy and covered in fluffy dog fur!