Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Devin Sweet

Photo by Andrea Shirey Photography

Devin Sweet

THE BASICS

Name: Devin Sweet

Age: 25

Astrological Sign: Aries

Hometown: Plymouth, New York. It’s a small village in the middle of upstate NY, surrounded by farms and State Forests.

Role in C’ville Ballet: Company Artist and all-around handyman.

 

FAVORITES…

Devin at North Carolina Dance Theatre’s summer program

Food: Any well-made soup

Color: Turquoise, but I like most blues.

Book: The Tao te-Ching by Lao Tzu

Movie: Star Wars: the original trilogy, Monty Python, Firefly, Serenity, V for Vendetta

Quotation: “Try not, do or do not, there is no try”-Yoda

Musician/Band:  Rise Against, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra.

Spot in C’ville: Any of the forested trails.

 

NERDY DANCE QUESTIONS

A young Devin auditioning for The Nutcracker

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started training when I was 4 years old at the Decker School of Ballet (later renamed the Fokine Ballet Company). I was trained very strictly in ballet while I was a student there. At 18, I attended college at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA) where I received training in ballet, modern, partnering and choreography. I left NCSA and spent a year dancing for a small company in South Carolina but returned to finish my degree. After NCSA, I started teaching to stay in the dance world while looking for professional work. Eventually I found the Charlottesville Ballet and moved to Charlottesville in 2011.

Devin with Company Artist Caitlin Lennon in “The TogetherColoured Instant” by Peter LeBreton Merz (2012)

 

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Ballet mostly, I love the classical lines. I also enjoy most ballroom dancing.

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

Rudolf Nureyev and Damian Woetzel as dancers and Bruce Lee as a role model.

 

Do you have a favorite ballet:

Balanchine’s Serenade is wonderful when done well. I also enjoy Jerome Robbins’ choreography.

Photo courtesy Steve Clarke

 

What is your favorite ballet step/movement?

I like petite allegro.

 

Tell us, why do you dance?

Because it’s hard, because it’s something beautiful, and because when you’re on the stage nothing in the world matters.

 

 

OTHER

 

What other jobs/activities/pursuits are you involved in?

I help the Charlottesville Ballet with various handy-man projects, but dance is truly my career–  I do a lot of freelance work, teaching, and guesting for other area studios in Central Virginia and North Carolina.

 

What other talents or passions do you have?

I love to cook just about anything and everything!

Devin as a guest performer at his childhood studio.

Anything else you’d like to express?

I’m really looking forward to the Mainstage Two Performance that will close the company’s season on April 20.  I’m performing in a ballet called L’après-midi d’un faune (or The Afternoon of a Faun), a pas de deux by Associate Director Keith Lee that’s inspired by the original version by Vaslav Nijinsky.

Nijinsky took inspiration from a series of Greek vases he saw at the Louvre and created the original version for the Ballet Russes back in 1912.  Check out this video clip of Nijinsky…from 100 years ago!

Keith Lee’s version of the ballet is a more modern, impressionistic dance (with less abstract choreography and more challenging partnering skills), but I’m pretty excited to play a “faun” animal on stage and bring the story to life over 100 years later.  Come see me perform L’après-midi d’un faune with Sara Jansen Clayborne in the Mainstage Two Performance: Tribute – April 20th at PVCC!

 

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

 

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2013

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Hannah Deveny

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for February 2013 features company Artist Hannah Deveny– check out her interview below and enjoy!

Hannah Deveny

THE BASICS

Name: Hannah Deveny

Age: 23

Astrological Sign: Virgo

Hometown: Akron, OH

Role in C’ville Ballet: Company Artist

FAVORITES…

Food: Chocolate, coffee, spicy food!

Color: Green, Blue

Book: Harry Potter series

Movie: Elf

Musician/Band:  The Black Keys—They are from my hometown, Akron! I also love the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Spot in C’ville: Downtown Mall, Saunders Trail, Sugar Hollow, and Humpback Rocks

Business/Store in C’ville:  Trader Joe’s

 

NERDY DANCE QUESTIONS

Photo by Andrea Shirey Photography

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started dancing around my house and fell in love with ballet at the age of 3. I started studying ballet seriously at age 10 at the University of Akron Dance Institute. I was fortunate to train with many professional dancers and perform with the University of Akron Dance Ensemble in high school.

I attended summer intensives at Washington Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Salzburg International Ballet Academy, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, and Hubbard Street.

I recently received a BFA in Ballet from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music. After graduating this past June, I joined the Charlottesville Ballet!

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Classical ballet, contemporary ballet, modern dance

 

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

Bloch Serenade MK II

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

My Parents—I am thankful for their continual support and appreciate their hard work as doctors, parents, and leaders.

Ana Lobe—My dance teacher growing up who danced with the National Ballet of Cuba.

Ka-Ron Lehman Brown—My modern teacher in college who taught me how to express emotion in my dance.

Gillian Murphy—I will always remember her performance with the American Ballet Theatre in Swan Lake.

Do you have a favorite ballet:

Giselle, especially Act II!

 

What is your favorite ballet step/movement?

Pirouettes, adagio, grand allegro!

 

Tell us, why do you dance?

I have danced for so long that I could not imagine it not being present in my life. I love performing because it is my time to share my art with an audience. I also love how the dance world is so small and connected!

 

OTHER

What other jobs/activities/pursuits are you involved in?

I teach ballet for Charlottesville Parks and Recreation as well as wait tables, cater, and babysit. 

 

What other talents or passions do you have?

I enjoy the outdoors and have had fun exploring the Shenandoah National Park! My family now lives in Colorado where I love road biking in the summer and skiing in the winter! I also love swimming, yoga, and hiking when I’m not dancing.

Anything else you’d like to express:
I am very thankful to be a member of Charlottesville Ballet! Everyone works so hard and we all work very well together, which I really appreciate.

Come see me perform as Aurora, The Sleeping Beauty, in our production of  A Fairy Tale Gathering at PVCC on February 16th!

 

Hannah with Participants from Charlottesville Ballet’s Summer Intensive 2012

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

 

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2013

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Blake Seidel

 

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for December 2012 features company Apprentice Blake Seidel– check out his interview below and enjoy!

Blake Seidel

THE BASICS

Name: Blake Seidel

Age: 22

Astrological Sign: Virgo

Hometown: Fairfax, VA

Role in C’ville Ballet: Apprentice

 

FAVORITES…

Food: Chocolate chips and salad, but not together!

Color: Green

Book: This Boy’s Life

Movie: Mean Girls

Musician/Band: Incubus

Quotation: “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.”-Martha Graham

Spot in C’ville: Whiskey Jar

Business/Store in C’ville:  Trader Joe’s

 

NERDY DANCE QUESTIONS

Blake and his family

Tell us about your dance background and training:
I started dancing at the age of 18 when I was attending Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. My mother was a dancer and I have always loved to dance, so I decided to take a beginning modern dance class my first semester. It was love at first sight. I transferred to the University of Virginia my third year of college and continued to study dance through the University. I auditioned for the Charlottesville Ballet during my final year at UVA and was hired as an Apprentice with the company, simultaneously balancing my work with the company with finishing my final year of college. After graduating, I completed summer intensives with the American Ballet Theater and the Joffrey Ballet School. I am continuing to study and grow as a dancer with the Charlottesville Ballet during the 2012/2013 season.

 

Blake performing in David Dorfman’s “Prophets of Funk: Act One” at the University of Virginia

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Contemporary, Modern, and Hip Hop dance are my favorites styles of dance. They come most naturally to my body and it feels effortless to dance within these genres.

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

One of my role models is actually a former dancer for Charlottesville Ballet, Voltaire Wade-Green. His work ethic, humility, versatility, and talent are all things that I strive to attain.

Do you have a favorite dance piece:

Rosas Danst Rosas, by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

Blake during a photo shoot with Andrea Shirey Photography

What is your favorite ballet step/movement?

Adagio! Most people hate it, but I love it!

 

Tell us, why do you dance?
For me, dance is just as necessary as oxygen is. I feel full of life with it and feel empty without it. It is a challenge for me – physically, emotionally, and and mentally. It allows me to express with my body what I cannot express in words. I simply could not live without it. Dance brings me more joy than anything that I have ever tried before, so why would I ever stop?

 

OTHER

What other jobs/activities/pursuits are you involved in?

I work at the Whiskey Jar on Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall and I teach Contemporary and Hip Hop dance classes at Charlottesville Ballet Academy.

 

What other talents or passions do you have?
I can sing, do yoga, do lots of handstands, and I am working on my breakdancing skills!
Anything else you’d like to express:

I cannot express how much I appreciate all that Sara Clayborne and Emily Mott do – for me, for the company, and for Charlottesville and its surrounding area. They have given me the opportunity to follow my dreams to become a professional dancer and are an integral part of the dancer I am today.

Blake and Resident Choreographer Audrey Fenske as Clara and the Nutcracker

Come see Blake Seidel perform as the title role in our production of The Nutcracker Suite at PVCC December 22nd and 23rd!

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

 

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2012

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Heather Hutton

 

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for November 2012 features company lighting designer Heather Hutton– check out her interview below and enjoy!

 

Photo by Andrea Shirey

 

Heather Hutton

 

THE BASICS

Name: Heather Hutton

Age: 47

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Role in C’ville Ballet: Lighting Designer

 

FAVORITES…

Heather’s husband Dirk and daughter Eliza

Food: Mexican

Color: Blue

Book: Harry Potter

Movie:  The Lord of the Rings

Musician/Band: Broken Bells, and Big Band anything!

Quotation: “Wherever you go, there you are”

Spot in C’ville: My yard

Business/Store in C’ville: Oh Susanna

 

NERDY DANCE QUESTIONS

Tell us about your dance background and training:
I have been dancing since the age of ten. Most of my training has been in Modern Dance and Contact Improvisation. I studied at the undergraduate (TCU, Ft. Worth, TX) and graduate level (Bennington College). I was in a dance company in Texas for 5 years. I attended the Bates Dance Festival for 11 years. I still dance every week.

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Ballet, modern and improvisation.

Favorite dancers or role models?

In Dance: Gene Kelly, Doug Varone, & Nancy Stark Smith.
In Lighting: Jennifer Tipton and my husband, Dirk Kuyk.

Do you have a favorite dance piece:

Jewels by George Balanchine, Rise by Doug Varone, and about a thousand more!

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step:

Anything that involves dancing with another human being.

 

LIGHTING DESIGN QUESTIONS

Tell us, why do you light dance?
I would rather light dance than anything else. Lighting is visible music. I love to create the underpinnings, the inner space, of a dance. The lighting creates another form of flow, from beginning to end.
How did you become involved in technical theater?
When I was an undergraduate dance major, I had to fulfill technical stage hours every year. I discovered I loved working backstage, with all the lighting equipment.

Heather’s Lighting for the Live Art’s “Afterglow” Party 2011

Tell us a bit about your background and training in lighting:

I studied lighting concurrent with my undergrad dance training at TCU. I began to design dance shows, and was lucky enough to light several works by Fernando Bujones while he was an artist-in-residence at TCU. I quickly realized I wanted more training. I received my MFA in lighting from Bennington College. I designed lights for professional theatre for several years before moving to

Heather’s Lighting for “Eurydice” at Live Arts (June 2009)

Charlottesville. While here, I’ve designed for Live Arts, for Wundekammer, and very happily for Charlottesville Ballet. In 2005, I had the chance to accompany Jennifer Tipton to Paris while she was designing lights for the Paris Opera Ballet’s performance of Jewels. It’s the same version that was filmed for PBS Great Performances. It was a real treat to watch a lighting master and a stellar ballet company in rehearsal for 2 weeks while sitting in the amazing Opera Garnier.

What is your favorite show you have worked on:
Eurydice, directed by Bree Luck, at Live Arts.

 

OTHER

Heather’s daughter Eliza as the black sheep in Charlottesville Ballet’s “The Nutcracker Suite”

What other jobs/activities/pursuits are you involved in?

My husband and I are raising our dancing daughter. She is my favorite pursuit!

 

What other talents or passions do you have?
I am a devoted gardener, a good cook, and a voracious reader.

 

Anything else you’d like to express:
I truly enjoy collaborating with Charlottesville Ballet as their Lighting Designer. I am so thrilled that the organization is expanding and will be moving to Charlottesville soon– I can’t wait to see what happens next!

 

 Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

 

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2012

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series — Voltaire Wade-Greene

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for March 2012.
This issue features company artist Voltaire Wade-Greene– check out his interview below and enjoy!

 

Voltaire Wade-Greene

THE BASICS

Name: Voltaire Wade-Greene

Age: 25

Astrological Sign: Leo

Hometown: Bakersfield, California

Role in C’ville Ballet: Company Artist

 

 

FAVORITES…

Young Voltaire (center) at swim practice with brother Vladimir and sister Vivonne

Food:  Sushi and pickled ginger…TONS OF PICKLED GINGER!!!

Color: Blue

Book: Ender’s Game

Movie:  Ip Man and Ip Man 2 (I’m a sucker for martial arts movies)

Musician/Band: My favorite band would be Lettuce and Musician would be Ed Sheeran…two totally different styles, but I don’t really listen just to any one genre!  It’s fun liking a lot!

Quotation: I’ve got a long one…

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

Voltaire, photographed by company member Elisa Alexander

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Marianne Williamson

Spot in C’ville: Para Coffee off the corner of UVA on Elliewood Avenue.  They have cool bands that come through to play there.  It’s a two-in-one deal where I can drink all the coffee I want and listen to great music!

Business/Store in C’ville: Urban Outfitters.  I’m a sucker for clothes and randomly will go and spend way more than I need to on cool shirts!

 

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started dancing at age 11 because my mom wouldn’t let me play tackle football until I had some coordination.  If I took one ballet class a week I could play football…and that’s exactly what I did!  The next year, I signed up for a jazz and a tap class and that’s when I really fell in love with dance!  I started going to summer programs like The Rock, San Francisco Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem.  I got accepted into The Rock School’s year round program where I finished out my junior and senior year of high school.

Voltaire with his girlfriend, Demetia Hopkins (Company Member at Alvin Ailey)

After graduation, I went on to study at University of the Arts in Philadelphia.  I danced shortly for Eleone Dance Theatre before I got a contract for Contrast Dance Theater at the end of my freshman year.  The next fall, I went on two tours with Circus Nexus performing in “Rites and Rituals” and “Sugar Plum Dreams.”  After the second tour I came down to Orange, Virginia to teach at Orange School of the Performing Arts….and that’s how I found Charlottesville Ballet!

 

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

I really love all genres of dance because it’s all a form of self-expression. But if I had to really pick one, I would have to say tap.  Tap is so fascinating and so complex, but so much fun at the same time.  It’s great because you can look up the history of tap and see the originals on YouTube and you also see where it’s going because the people out there today are just amazing and are constantly pushing the boundaries!

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

My favorite dancers are:  Carlos Acosta (Royal Ballet), Herman Cornejo (ABT), Daniel Ulbricht (New York City Ballet), Osiel Gouneo (National Ballet of Cuba).

My role models would definitely be my Mother and Father, and my Uncle Ricky.

 

In Rehearsal with Associate Director Keith Lee

Do you have a favorite ballet:

I do enjoy Swan Lake.  That was the very first ballet I saw as a kid and I fell in love with it because of the beautiful dancing and powerful music!  I went with my regional ballet company in Bakersfield (now known as Imagine Ballet Company) to see ABT perform in Los Angeles and after that performance, I knew I wanted to dance!

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step:

You can ask anyone in the company– I love to turn.  It’s one of those things I could do forever and ever and never be tired of!  I like to really push myself to do absolutely ridiculous things that I would normally never do in ballet or any other dance genre.  It’s like a game for me to hit fifth position, tendu to second and then just go for whatever comes to mind!  It’s so much fun for me and I always want to remember that even though this is my job, I’m having a lot of fun doing it!

Tell us, why do you dance?:  

Voltaire with the Company

 

In high school, the reason why I danced was that it provided an escape for me.  I was a very sensitive kid back then and high school was not fun for me, so I would head over to dance and just let it all out.  Now dance is my identity.  It’s the one thing that makes me normal and gives me purpose.  It’s a freedom for me when someone puts on music and says ‘dance!’  Whatever I’m feeling at that exact moment in time is what you are going to see because I’m always telling you a story with my dance.  I don’t think I’ve ever danced without purpose because to me dance is such a special and personal art form.  I feel that most people in America see dance as recreational because not only is it being mocked by TV shows like “Dance Moms” but a lot of people don’t see it as a legitimate job.  So naturally for me dance then becomes much more personal to me and has more meaning as well!

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in?

I teach at Orange School of Performing Arts in Orange, VA as well as West End Academy of Dance in Richmond, VA.

What other talents or passions do you have?

I love to play music!  I play bass, saxophone, harmonica and guitar!  If there were more instruments around me I’m sure I’d pick them up and learn to play them as well!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Voltaire on Guitar (left) & playing with Boston-based band Meadowlarks

 

Anything else you’d like to express:

I absolutely love Charlottesville Ballet and all of the artists involved in it!  The artistic team is full of such great people who want nothing but the best for their dancers.  Everyone in this organization works so hard and they are so amazing as well.  I’m truly blessed to be a part of this company!

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

Support Charlottesville Ballet – Sponsor A Dancer Today!

 

(c) Charlottesville Ballet 2012

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series – Audrey Fenske

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for February 2012.
This issue features guest choreographer Audrey Fenske– check out her interview below and enjoy!

 

 

Audrey Fenske

THE BASICS

Name: Audrey Katrina Fenske

Age: 25

Astrological Sign: A Sagittarius Tiger — double fire signs; youthful, generous, stubborn, and spontaneous.

Hometown: Chapel Hill/Durham, North Carolina

Role in C’ville Ballet: Guest Choreographer

 

 

FAVORITES…

Food: Born in Texas and from a family of Texans, so Tex-Mex, for sure! Thai food and sushi are a close second and third, though.

Color: Pink, yellow, and anything sparkly.

Book: Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, and anything by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I love most classic literature, though. I also love any non-fiction books about the American Revolution/Early National Period, and lots of psychology books … I’m a nerd at heart. I’ve also recently become obsessed with The Hunger Games!

Movie:  The Patriot (told you I was a nerd), Anchorman (most quotable movie ever!), Office Space, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Inglorious Basterds, Boondock Saints … I’m kind of all over the place in terms of movie taste.

Musician/Band: I love pretty much any music besides country. My favorite music depends on my mood — I can be in a Beatles mood on Tuesday, but then want to jam to Kanye West or Kid Cudi on Wednesday. I hold a very soft spot in my heart for Britney Spears, though — I won a contest and got to dance onstage with her last August!

Audrey with Britney Spears!

Quotation:   I have three …

“Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she has wings.” – Victor Hugo;
“… and those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” – Friedrich Nietzsche;
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus

Spot in C’ville:  I absolutely love the Downtown Mall! I wish I could transfer it down to North Carolina! It’s just so cute and pretty, and has so many unique stores. I’ve also loved Monticello ever since I was a kid, and I’m looking forward to visiting it again in the spring.

Business/Store in C’ville:

Cha-Cha’s and South St. Brewery

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS

Audrey with company member Veronica Hart and Co-Director Emily Mott

Tell us about your dance background and training:

I started dance when I was 7, and I trained in pretty much everything when I was young — ballet, jazz, tap, modern, even a little Irish and Flamenco. I trained at Bounds Dance Studio and danced with Triangle Youth Ballet (where I now teach!) up until high school, when I moved up to Lynchburg to dance at Virginia School of the Arts for four years. While at VSA, I had the pleasure of dancing with company artist Veronica Hart and Co-Director Emily Mott.
 

Audrey with The Duke!

After I graduated, I went to Duke University to satiate my inner nerd academically, and to continue to receive stellar dance training. They created the Dance major while I was there, and I was the first Dance major to graduate in Duke history.  I did several great summer intensives throughout the years with Houston Ballet, BalletMet, VSA, and Pilobolus.

As far as my choreography goes, I dabbled in it a bit at VSA, then honed my craft more at Duke. I’ve had lots of amazing opportunities thus far — I have had my choreography performed at the Regional High School Dance Festival, Piccolo Spoleto Festival, American College Dance Association, Regional Dance America: Southeast Regional Ballet Association (where I performed a pas de deux with current C’ville Ballet company member Devin Sweet), Duke University, and now at the Charlottesville Ballet! I’m currently on faculty at Triangle Youth Ballet in Chapel Hill. I perform and choreograph freelance, and I’m also performing with a modern company based out of North Carolina called Gaspard and Dancers.

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Ballet is always and forever my favorite!  Jazz is a close second — any class where I can shake my booty, switch leap, and fouette turn is going to make me almost too excited. I also love Latin ballroom dancing! Anything high energy that makes the audience smile is going to take me to my happy place, basically. :)

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

I usually wear Freed classics, although sometimes I buy Chacott Veronese to wear for rehearsals or classes just because they last a little longer, and I can save some money that way.

Audrey in Twyla Tharp's "8 Jelly Rolls"

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

Twyla Tharp!  We performed Eight Jelly Rolls at Duke, and I performed Twyla’s solo … I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun in a dance performance. Her choreography is brilliant, challenging, funny, and just incredible.

I also really admire Alonzo King. I’ve had a chance to do a few workshops with him, and he is such an inspirational teacher and choreographer. As far as dancers go, I’m obsessed with Natalia Osipova — she’s got such a fierce personality onstage, and I share her penchant for constantly trying to out-jump all the male dancers!  Daniil Simkin is probably my favorite male dancer — ridiculous ability, and he’s absolutely adorable to boot!

Do you have a favorite ballet:

Etudes is one of my favorites — I love the music, and the way that the progression of the entire ballet is modeled after a ballet class … so cool! I love classic pas de deuxs — Don Q, Black Swan, Le Corsaire. A well-done coda at the end of a pas is absolutely phenomenal. The Romeo and Juliet pas de deux always brings me to tears, as well as lots of parts of Giselle. Outside of the realm of traditional ballet, I love Twyla, Mark Morris, Matthew Bourne, and pretty much anything in the repertory of Nederlands Dans Theatre.

 

Audrey with company member Devin Sweet

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step: 

Two words — petite allegro! Jumping and beats have always been my forte as a dancer, and it’s always the part of class I am dying to get to, even as I’m doing plies! Grand allegro is a blast too. I love the feeling of being suspended in the air, so whenever it’s possible, I do jump combinations with male dancers (or take a full mens’ class if it’s available!) so I can try to out-jump them. ;) I’ve been trying to perfect a few typical mens’ jumps lately, such as double tours and 540’s … they are so much fun! And who says only the men can do them?

Tell us, why do you dance?:  

The relentless pursuit of mastery of an established, yet constantly evolving art form. That might seem a little cold, but it is true. I love the feeling of standing at barre in first position, prepared to embark on a series of combinations that I have done in some form or another for the past seventeen years of my life, yet knowing that I will always have room for improvement in the execution of the art form. It never becomes stale or boring to me; dance (ballet, in particular) has always been a constant in my life, and it is the place where I feel both most challenged and most comfortable.

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in?

I wear a lot of hats in North Carolina … besides being full-time faculty at Triangle Youth Ballet, I’m also the Registrar and the Director of Community Outreach for TYB. Part of my duties include organizing two successful, free community outreach shows of our Nutcracker for special needs groups in Chapel Hill and Durham. I teach for Arts in Action, the NC chapter of Jacques d’Amboise’s National Dance Institute. I’m also a Zumba instructor! Currently trying to add seamstress to my ability list — Santa brought me a sewing machine for Christmas, and I am looking forward to conquering my fear of it very soon!

What other talents or passions do you have?

Humor is something that is very important to me, so my life usually revolves around anything that makes people smile or laugh. I love to share humorous quotes or insights on Facebook, squelch bad days with good jokes, and I play some pretty fantastic practical jokes and pranks on my friends and coworkers. Having a good sense of humor has gotten me through some of life’s greatest struggles, and it has taught me to find the silver lining in any cloud.
Free time? I don’t have much of it, but what free time I do have, I love exploring Pinterest and StumbleUpon on the Internet. I’m also a bit of a video game nerd — Mario Kart, Super Smash Brothers, and Tekken are all favorites, and I love but am notoriously terrible at Call of Duty. I also love the challenges and fruitful results of cooking and baking.
Anything else you’d like to express:
I am so thankful to work with the bright, talented dancers of Charlottesville Ballet! The company’s mission and voice is a breath of fresh air in the dance world, and I consider myself truly blessed to have the opportunity to work here in Charlottesville. Please continue to support Charlottesville Ballet by attending one of their upcoming performances — I am sure I will see you there!

 

Audrey Fenske will premiere her new work “Flight or Fight” in the Mainstage One Performance on February 11 at PVCC.  Check out her choreographer interview below!

 

 

 

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

Our Monthly “Meet the Artist” Series: Moira Price

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profile for January 2012.
This issue features company apprentice Moira Price– check out her interview below and enjoy!

 

 

Moira Taylor Price

THE BASICS

Name: Moira Taylor Price

Age: 22

Astrological Sign: Pisces

Hometown: Annapolis, Maryland

Role in C’ville Ballet: Apprentice

 

 

FAVORITES…

Food: avocados, tomatoes, berries, and brownies.  Also obsessed with No Bull Burgers.

Moira with C-ville Ballet dancers Melissa & Caitlin at the Charlottesville Inside-Out Premiere

Color:  pink, particularly obnoxious Barbie-style hot pink.  I have a collection of 5 or 6 hot pink leotards in my rotation.  I’m an unabashed girly-girl!

Book: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon.  I re-read it every year or so.  All of the locales in the novel remind me of the four amazing years I spent in Pittsburgh at the same age as the protagonist.

Movie:  Woody Allen’s seminal masterpiece, Annie Hall.

Musician/Band:

What a hard question! I’m more of a song person than a band person.  Judging by my iTunes, my favorite songs are “Last Goodbye” by Jeff Buckley, “Night Moves” by Bob Seeger (this is mildly embarrassing), “Laundry Room” by The Avett Brothers, and “I’m Not Calling You a Liar,” by Florence and the Machine

 

Moira marketing for "The Nutcracker Suite" on the Downtown Mall

Quotation:   “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”-Harper Lee

Spot in C’ville:  Market Street

Business/Store in C’ville:

Revolutionary Soup, Cha-Cha’s, South St. Brewery

 

 

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS


Tell us about your dance background and training: 
I began my dance training at the age of three and studied ballet at a small studio in Annapolis until high school, when I began training seriously at the Ballet Theatre of Maryland School.  I performed as an apprentice at BTM for my last two years of high school and I made my professional debut in Swan Lake at age 16.

After high school, I attended the Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  I am so grateful for the versatility that Point Park gave me, and for the incredible performance opportunities I received.  I studied ballet, modern, and both traditional and contemporary jazz.

Moira in "Cote Jardin"

My favorite performances at Point Park include Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations, Patrick Frantz’s Cote Jardin, and Kiesha Lalama’s Patterns. 

Upon graduating with my BFA in dance performance with an emphasis in ballet, I joined Charlottesville Ballet as an apprentice for the 2011-2012 Season.

 

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Ballet, modern, contemporary ballet, jazz (particularly theatre jazz).  I enjoy watching tap very much but I’m so bad at tapping that it’s best I don’t even try.

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

Freed Classic 5XXX (yes, I have really, really wide feet.  Now you all know my secret.)

 

Favorite dancers or role models?

You will all just have to bear with me because one of my favorite things to do is collect role models.  Anyone who knows me well knows how much I talk about my family: my two big sisters and two big brothers, and my mother and father are my role models.  All six of them are great advice-givers, role models and problem-solvers.  They’re also all brilliant!  And much, much better at math than I am!

Moira with her Family

My dance professors from Point Park University are so important to me.  In particular, I am forever in debt to Peter LeBreton Merz and Cynthia Ridler for their continuing support, advice, and all-around hilarity (and the baby/housesitting gigs).

My favorite dancers (besides my C’ville Ballet colleagues) are Donna McKechnie, Jenifer Ringer, and Daniel Ulbricht.

Do you have a favorite ballet:

Among my favorites are Trey McIntire’s “Blue Until June,” Balanchine’s ‘Who Cares?’ Jerome Robbins’ “The Concert” and deMille’s “Fall River Legend”

 

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step: 

Pas valse en pointe.

Tell us, why do you dance?:  

Wow, what a loaded question!  I think a lot of people love to dance because it helps them express themselves in a way that words cannot. I talk way too much-I love communicating.  Dance just gives me one more way to communicate.

Betsy McMillan, a former teacher of mine, once said “Dance is the dynamic of generosity.”  I love that sentiment.  Generosity is my favorite quality in human beings and in dancers.  I want to give back with my dancing– I always aim to tell a story or impart an idea with my dancing.  I also love the pas de deux; I love the cooperation and camaraderie plus the vague danger and intrigue and romance of dancing with a man.

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in?

Some backstage time during "Damn Yankees"

I’m a server at Brixx Woodfired Pizza on Emmett Street, and I am a ballet teacher at Albermarle Ballet Theatre.  I’m also (pretty lackadaisically) studying for the GRE’s.

This season, I’ve been blogging about some of my experiences with Charlottesville Ballet– you can check out my Lynchburg Tour Diary from October 2011 here.

What other talents or passions do you have?

I’m a voracious reader, an erstwhile swimmer, and I love performing in musicals!  Though I don’t love running, much of my spare time is spent on the elliptical.

Anything else you’d like to express:

I am so blessed to be here in Charlottesville, a nearly perfect city, working with (and for) some of the kindest, most generous, most hardworking, most talented people I’ve ever met.

 

 

Moira’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!

“Meet the Artist” – Nutcracker Edition: Interview with CBA Student Elissabeth Barker

CBA Student Elissabeth Barker in rehearsal for "The Nutcracker Suite"

Charlottesville Ballet presents a special edition of our “Meet the Artist” Series– just in time for The Nutcracker Suite!

Meet Elissabeth (Elli) Barker, a student of Charlottesville Ballet Academy who will play the role of Clara in the 2011 production with the professional company.  See her interview below about her training, the role of Clara, and what it’s like to dance with the professional company. And don’t miss seeing Elissabeth on stage at PVCC– Saturday 12/17 and Sunday 12/18 with four performances of The Nutcracker Suite!

 

 

 

Elissabeth Barker

THE BASICS

Name: Elissabeth (Elli) Barker

Age: 13

Astrological Sign: Taurus

Hometown: Ruckersville, Va

Role with C’ville Ballet: Student at Charlottesville Ballet Academy; Elissabeth Barker will be appearing in the role of Clara in the upcoming productions of The Nutcracker Suite.

FAVORITES…

Food: Pizza                                                               

Color: Red and Black

Book: The Umbrella Academy

Movie:  The Nightmare Before Christmas

Musician/Band: My Chemical Romance

Quotation: “All your quirks, and all your problems, – even your depressions and your failures – that’s what makes you, you.” –Gerard Way

Spot in C’ville: The Downtown Mall

Business/Store in C’ville: Smoothie King

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS

Elli's First Dance Recital (3rd from Left)

Tell us about your dance training:  I started taking ballet classes at The Little Gym in Charlottesville when I was 3 years old. After a few weeks, I told my mom I wanted a more serious ballet class. She waited until I was 5 years old and then enrolled me in a ballet studio in Charlottesville.

I have been taking ballet and jazz ever since, with some tap, modern, ballroom, lyrical, and contemporary when it fits into my schedule.  I was involved with Charlottesville Ballet during my training at The Dance Barn and I am now an advanced student at Charlottesville Ballet Academy.

Elissabeth Barker in Charlottesville Ballet's "A Fairy Tale Gathering" (c) Thomas Giroir 2011

 

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

Right now my favorite is Contemporary. It is different from any style I’ve done before and I’m really enjoying it.

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

Grishko Ulanova

Favorite dancers or role models?

My favorite ballet dancer is Gillian Murphy. My life role model is Gerard Way.

Elli in "A Fairy Tale Gathering"

Do you have a favorite ballet:

Giselle

Tell us, why do you dance?

Because it is fun. And, you can express feelings and thoughts with dance that you can’t express any other way.

What’s your favorite dance step?

Turns!

 

QUESTIONS FOR CLARA

Elli in Rehearsal for "The Nutcracker Suite" with Company Dancers Caitlin Lennon and Devin Sweet

How old were you when you saw your first production of the Nutcracker?

9 years old.

Have you played the part of Clara before? For you, what is the most exciting part of the role?

Yes. This is my second year performing with Charlottesville Ballet– I was Clara last year when the company premiered the new production of The Nutcracker Suite. My favorite part of the role is being around the professional dancers at rehearsal and backstage and seeing what a real professional caliber performance is like.

Elli in Rehearsal with Company Apprentice Blake Seidel as the Nutcracker

 

How does it feel knowing that your performance could inspire the next generation of dancers?

Awesome, because I love inspiring people!  We have the “Class with Clara” children’s events before each performance of The Nutcracker Suite and I get to be onstage with all the little kids– they are so cute learning all the steps and dancing around in their tutus– it’s really inspiring to see how excited they are about ballet.

 

What is it like to rehearse and perform with Charlottesville Ballet’s professional company?

In Rehearsal for "The Nutcracker Suite"

It’s definitely cool!  The company dancers of Charlottesville Ballet are all so friendly and supportive. I really appreciate the opportunity to be in the show with such amazing dancers. I also get to do a bunch of partnering which is really fun and new for me.  I like practicing all the lifts and whip turns/pirouettes with my partner Blake Seidel [who plays The Nutcracker in the production].  I am learning so much and having a lot of fun!

 

Any other thoughts you’d like to share about The Nutcracker Suite?

It’s going to be a great show! I hope everyone enjoys it!

Thanks for enjoying our “Meet the Artist” segment– and look for a new Charlottesville Ballet artist profile next month!

Our Monthly “Meet The Artist” Series: Elisa Alexander

Charlottesville Ballet’s “Meet the Artist” profiles return for the 2011-2012 Season!
This November issue features company dancer Elisa Alexander– check out her interview below and look for her new choreography in Charlottesville Ballet’s performances at Miki Liszt’s First Fridays Dance Series.  Enjoy!

 

Elisa Alexander

THE BASICS

Name: Elisa Alexander

Age: 24

Astrological Sign: Libra… the charmer

Hometown: Kearneysville,West Virginia

Role in C’ville Ballet: Dancer, Photographer

 

 

FAVORITES…

Food: fruit, hummus, peanut butter

Color: RED

Book: Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Crime and Punishment

Movie:  Waiting for Guffman; The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly; Singin’ in the Rain; and An Affair to Remember

Musician/Band: Oh man, I love so many– but the top listened to on my iTunes are probably Iron & Wine, Amos Lee, The Avett Brothers, Damien Rice, Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, and Bob Dylan

Quotation:  “Are you going to do something? Or just stand there and bleed?”-Tombstone

Spot in C’ville: Ivy Creek and Sugar Hollow. I love the hiking around C’ville!

Business/Store in C’ville: Commonwealth Restaurant, Cha Cha’s, Splendora’s, and Bodo’s Bagels

 

NERDY BALLET QUESTIONS

Tell us about your dance background and training:

Well, I started dancing when I was three because my older sisters were dancing. I took classes at a local studio in Inwood, West Virginia until the 5th grade. I then went to a strictly ballet studio from the 5th to the 10th grade. My teacher, Joyce Morrison, was a great influence to my dancing.

I then moved away from home to spend the rest of my high school years at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. I would consider these years as the most influential in all of my training. I started taking modern classes and was introduced to new ideas of what dance is and could be.

After graduating high school I attended the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio. My teachers there were fabulous and I learned to refine my technique and was

Elisa's fabulous hairdo after the company performed in last year's Live Arts Gala 2010!

encouraged to develop my personal artistry. There was also a great support system among the dancers, and I feel that I was truly blessed to attend CCM.  I then spent my first and second professional year at Charlottesville Ballet.

What genres of dance do you enjoy?

My favorite dance genre is contemporary ballet, but I also enjoy classical ballet, modern, and jazz.

What kind of pointe shoe do you wear?

I just switched to Bloch Serenades and I also wear Sansha Recitals.

Favorite dancers or role models?

My role models have always been my parents and older siblings. I have learned everything from watching them my entire life. My boyfriend Dave is also a great influence on my life. He is the most caring, encouraging and amazing person I have ever met. As for favorite dancers, I can say that my favorite dancers usually come right from my own classes.

Elisa with her boyfriend Dave

Do you have a favorite ballet:

I love live performances because there is something so exciting and lovely about watching dance as it happens. But I also spend hours on YouTube watching dance– I find myself watching  Jiri Kylian’s Petite Mort and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room over and over. 



 

What’s your favorite ballet/dance step: 

I love pirouettes and grande allegro!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OTHER QUESTIONS

What other jobs/activities/academic pursuits are you involved in?

I currently teach dance for the Charlottesville Parks and Recreation department and I also waitress at the new Commonwealth Restaurant and Skybar– come to the Downtown Mall and check it out!

What other talents or passions do you have?

I have a great passion for photography. Whenever I have time off you can find me with my camera working on a photography project. I cannot wait to get a DSLR someday for my work with dance photography. I also make jewelry as a creative outlet.

You can see some of my recent rehearsal photos here:

Associate Director Keith Lee working with the dancers of Charlottesville Ballet in Lynchburg, VA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything else you’d like to express:

I am excited to be working on my own choreography for the Miki Liszt First Fridays show on November 4th.  You can see a preview of the new work on my Facebook page here:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elisa-D-Alexander/.  Come out to the McGuffey Arts Center to support the arts and Charlottesville Ballet!

 

Elisa’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!

© 2013 Charlottesville Ballet — Developed by Red Garrett