International Ballet, Pilates, P.B.T. teacher, choreographer, coach, ballet judge from the U.S.A. Artistic Director of San Jose Dance Theatre (2013-2021) and launched professional company 2020. Founder and director of the Linda Hurkmans Open Class Program (2012-present), Founding Mentor of Leap of Dance Academy in Nigeria.

Ballet Education

The Ballet School, Artistic Director Connie Schwarze, who studied at the Leningrad Vaganova Choreographic School in Russia (now known as the Vaganova Academy). Mountain View, California.

Pacific Northwest Ballet School, scholarship. Seattle, Washington.

Royal Danish Ballet School, scholarship. Copenhagen, Denmark.

Scholarship recipient of The Juilliard School, New York City, New York.

At the age of 16, Linda was the 1st recipient of the Toni Landers Full Scholarship to study Ballet at the University of Utah, founded by Lew and Willam Christiansen.

Mentors: Connie Schwarze, Martha Neal, Larissa Sklyanskaya (soloist Bolshoi Ballet), Benjamin Harkarvy (founder of Nederland’s Dans Theater), Paul Curtis (founder of San Jose Dance Theatre), Conrad Ludlow (principal New York City Ballet, Artistic Director Utah Ballet), Janek Schergen (Artistic Director Singapore Ballet), Li Chou Cheng, Natasha Papina (soloist Bolshoi Ballet and 1st ballet partner of Mikhael Baryshnikov), Shannon Bresnahan (with the work of Maggie Black), Nora St. John (owner of Turning Point Studios and now Pilates Education Content Creator at Balanced Body, Inc. worldwide).

University Education

Bachelors in Fine Arts, Cum Laude with emphasis in Ballet Performance. University of Utah. Full Scholarship. 1989.

Masters of Arts in Psychology with emphasis in Chemical Dependency. Notre Dame de Namur University. Full honors. Dean’s list for excellence. 1997.

Certifications

Fully Certified in Pilates Mat and all Apparatus from Turning Point Studios. Nora St. John. 2001.

Fully Certified in Pilates Mat from MindBody Institute. 2000.

Fully Certified in Progressing Ballet Technique through Marie Walton-Mahon’s PBT Program. 2018.

Professional Performing Experience 1986-1997.

Ballet Companies: Utah Ballet, Principal Dancer, Ballet West, Norwegian National Ballet, Zahkraz Dance, Royal Danish Ballet, Andanse Ballet, Western Ballet.

Honored to have danced the choreography of Petipa, Bournonville, Balanchine, Conrad Ludlow, Li Chou Cheng, Raymond Van Mason, Alessandra di Pierro, Robert Sund, Oyvind Joergensen, Jane Hveding.

Competed in the ITI International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland. 1991

Teaching Experience 1994-present.

San Jose Dance Theatre (Artistic Director, main teacher and choreographer).

California: Stanford University, Santa Clara University, De Anza College, Mission College, Bayer Ballet, Jun Ju Performing Arts Academy, Academy of Classical Ballet, Evergreen Dance Academy.

Nevada: Core Connection Dance Co., The Club at Rancharrah, Ascend Martial Arts.

International: Leap of Dance Academy, Lagos, Nigeria.

Ballettwerkstatt, Heidelberg, Germany.

Ballet America, Rome, Italy.

Spinoff Ballettskole, Oslo, Norway.

Den Norske Ballettskole & Akademie, Oslo, Norway.

Trained dancers who went on to professional careers with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Menlowe Ballet, San Jose Dance Theatre professional company, Orlando Ballet 2, English National Ballet professional program and Grand Rapids Ballet.

Original Choreography credits

Full length ballets: “Firebird”, “A Midsummer Nights Dream”, “Sleeping Beauty”, “The Nutcracker”.

Shorter works: “Kom til Meg”, “Chopin’s Etudes”, “Rodrigo’s Adagio”,

“Rachmaninov’s Taunt”, “Intensity”, “Moving Beyond”, “Festival”

Staging of Classical Ballets:

“La Bayadere Kingdom of the Shades”, “Paquita Grand Pas Classique”, excerpts of “Swan Lake”, excerpts of “Coppelia”, excerpts of “Don Quixote”, excerpts of “Raymonda”.

Linda’s Choreography has been performed at Norwegian Hogskole, Santa Clara University, Western Ballet, San Jose Dance Theatre, San Francisco Movement Arts Festival, San Jose Movement Arts Festival Montalvo Arts Center, San Jose Center for Performing Arts, Hammer Theatre, California Theatre, World Wide Women’s Festival, Montgomery Theatre, Santana Row, Sj Dance Co Festival and the Hammer Theater.

Coaching / Judging

Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) San Diego 2024, 2026, Seattle 2026, Dallas 2026.

Korea International Ballet Competition, Seoul, Korea. 2022.

World Ballet Grand Prix Norway, 2024, 2025, 2026

World Ballet Grand Prix Korea, 2026

Television credits

CBS Mini-series “At Mother’s Request” starring Stefanie Powers. 1988.

ABC Midday LIVE. ABC 7 News Bay Area. Live interview and performance. 2019.

NBC Bay Area News. Reporter Gavin Thomas. Live interview and rehearsal of my ballet. 2021.

Radio interviews

“Raising the Standards” with Michael Jacobi on Santa Cruz Voice. 2019, 2025

Director Positions

The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center 1997-98.

San Jose Dance Theatre 2013-2021.

Linda Hurkmans Open Class Program 2012-present. Private coaching and group classes Online and In Person in Pilates, Ballet, Pointe, Repertory, and Ballet Competition preparation.