What’s your favorite ballet/dance step:

Pirouettes– gotta love those turns!

Tell us, why do you dance?

Well, I started because my parents put me in dance classes when I was about 4 years old. But I think I stuck with it because it was fun, especially in the early days where I took a lot of jazz (I couldn’t stay interested in ballet when I was younger). It really just became a part of me. I’m always dancing around everywhere, and without it I’m just lost. I also feel as though I’m not very good at expressing my emotions, so I can really show them through dance.

OTHER

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in? I am a full-time student at Piedmont Virginia Community College and plan to transfer later to pursue my teaching degree (I’d like to become an elementary school teacher). I’m a bit of a work-a-holic and hold a couple of different jobs outside of dancing. I am a jazz and creative dance teacher at The Dance Barn in Stanardsville, VA. I also teach jazz classes at the Boars Head Inn in the fitness center, where I also work a floor position (I fold towels and clean some of the machines). As if that weren’t enough, I’m a waitress at an Italian restaurant called Ragazzi’s….I also sleep occasionally =)

What other talents or passions do you have? I really enjoy choreographing. I’m working on some choreography for the dance program at PVCC, and hopefully will get to show my work on Charlottesville Ballet one day. Through out high school, I really enjoyed acting and if I had anymore time I would like to get into it again. I also enjoy singing at the top of my lungs in the privacy of my car!

Anything else you’d like to express: I can’t wait to see what Charlottesville Ballet has in store for us this year!

Heather’s full professional bio can be found online at www.CharlottesvilleBallet.org.

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment–

and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step:

I love pirouettes of any kind! Turning always provides a challenge and even though it’s not the easiest step to master, the feeling you get once you nail a turn perfectly is amazing.

Tell us, why do you dance?

I dance because I love it. Dance allows me to express myself no matter what I need to express. Whether it’s happiness, anger or frustration dancing is my way of getting it all out. Dancing allows me to constantly focus on improving my technique and artistry and I love that I will always be able to keep working and strive for perfection.

OTHER

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in? I just started working as a server at Brixx Wood Fired Pizza on Barracks Road. I would love to further my education by going back to school when my schedule and budget allow it, but right now I’m focused on dancing. For the moment, I’m just enjoying living in Charlottesville and meeting new people in town and of course dancing with Charlottesville Ballet.

What other talents or passions do you have? I love reading and am glad to have a little more free time this year to knock out some of the books on my “want to read” list. I really enjoy Pilates and would love to work towards getting certified in both mat and reformer work.

Anything else you’d like to express: I’m so excited to be in the company this year. The whole company has such great energy and attitude– it’s so refreshing and creates such a nice work enviroment. I think this young company can do great things if we continue to work for it!

Megan’s full professional bio can be found online at www.CharlottesvilleBallet.org.

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment–

and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

Book: I am a huge fan of Dan Brown novels (The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, and The Lost Symbol), the Harry Potter series, and Stieg Larsson’s books The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played with Fire. I can’t wait to read the third book. I am currently reading Andre Agassi’s book, Open, and absolutely love it.

Movie: I love so many movies for so many different reasons, but my favorite classics are Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Singing in the Rain, and Easter Parade. Then I really enjoy watching Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants I and II, Pretty Woman, Moulin Rouge, and James Bond movies. I can’t leave out the chick flicks either– I love them all.

Quotation: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.” I also enjoy “Life beats down and crushes the soul; art reminds you that you have one.”

Spot in C’ville: I just moved here, but so far have really enjoyed walking on the Downtown Mall, especially when there are live bands playing.

Business/Store in C’ville: I haven’t been all around C-ville yet, but can tell I am really going to enjoy trying all of the different places to eat in the area. So far I have had brunch (my favorite meal) at The Nook and thought it was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed getting to sit outside too.

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started dancing when I was 6 and didn’t like dance at first, because I wanted to play outside. When I saw my older sister performing in the show I would have been in, I had my mom enroll me for classes the next day and haven’t stopped since. I was trained at the Washington School of Ballet, which was extremely classical with tastes of contemporary, jazz, and modern. I was a part of musicals too and loved getting to combine acting with dancing, but was not so talented in the singing area. I attended Marymount of Manhattan in NYC for a year, but their Dance Department was very focused on modern. While the emphasis on modern techniques helped me expand my knowledge, I found my true passion was ballet. I then moved to Pennsylvania to transfer toMercyhurst College, which was more classically concentrated. Even though the dance program was based in ballet, I still got to dance all genres and had the opportunity to perform a huge range of choreography. I think coming from a ballet background has enabled me to learn many different styles of dance and I am always excited to learn new, challenging types of choreography. I also studied abroad in Amsterdam in the summers of 2006 and 2007. It was an intensive that was run by Valerie Valentine from the Dutch National Ballet, which included many of her friends from the company and many leading dancers and teachers from Europe. In the final performance, I got to perform with dancers from the Dutch National Ballet. This YouTube video is from a piece called “Ghanwa Bossanova” I performed in Amsterdam, choreographed on us by Maurice Causey from Nederlands Dans Theater.

Amsterdam stands as my most exciting dance experience and I hope to get the opportunity to dance in Europe again someday.

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

My favorite genre is ballet, but I am really interested in contemporary styles as well. Generally, I have found that I enjoy all genres of dance when the choreographer inspires me and teaches me new ways of approaching dance and performing.

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

I wear Capezio Glisse Es Pro 8M.

Do you have a favorite ballet:

There are so many amazing ballets; it’s challenging to have to pick just one! I love George Balanchine’s work and one of my favorite pieces is Jewels. I think the dynamics of music, grace, speed,and coloring is the perfect combination. Check out segments of the work performed by Pacific Northwest Ballet:

My favorite Balanchine piece that I was was fortunate enough to perform was Valse Fantaisie. It is exquisite from beginning to end with the music and the intensity. It was definitely the most challenging and rewarding piece I have been a part of.

Kelly’s full professional bio can be found online at www.CharlottesvilleBallet.org.

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment–

and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!