 New
Jersey native
Adrienne Benz returns to BalletMet for her fifth season. Ms. Benz began her dance training at Allegro Dance Arts Academy and continued on full scholarship at Theatre Arts Dance Academy where she performed with Theatre Dance America training with Elaine Kudo and Buddy Balou. She has also studied three summers in New York City with American Ballet Theatre. She recently performed at the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Poland. Some of Ms. Benz's favorite roles with the company include: Clara and The Sugar Plum Fairy in Gerard Charles' The
Nutcracker, Habit in
Harrison McEldowney's
Group Therapy, and
The Chosen One in Doug
Varone's Rite Of
Spring. Ms. Benz is
honored to be a 2006
recipient of The
Princess Grace Award for
Dance.
 Columbus
native
Christian Broomhall returns to BalletMet for his third consecutive season. Previously, he danced for four seasons with Northern Ballet Theatre in Leeds, England, where he was a Junior Principal Dancer. A graduate of BalletMet Dance Academy, Mr. Broomhall danced with BalletMet during its 1999-2000 and 2000-01 seasons and returned as a guest in 2004 to dance the role of the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.
 Originally
from Kansas City,
Jessica Brown received her training at Kansas Regional Ballet under Kathy and Dennis Landsman as well as Paula Weber of UMKC. Ms. Brown performed in the RDA Honors Choreography Project at the 2002 International Ballet Competition and presented two pieces at the RDA Festival as an emerging choreographer. This is Ms. Brown's third season with BalletMet after dancing with the Company for one year as a trainee. Her favorite roles include Grown Up Clara in Gerard Charles' The Nutcracker, Fairy of Beauty in The Sleeping Beauty and Stanton Welch's Play and Blue. She also participated in the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project.
 Olivia
Clark was born in Bellville, Ohio, and trained in the Pre-Professional Training Program of BalletMet Dance Academy, where she received the Lucy Porter Scholarship. Now in her tenth season with BalletMet, Ms. Clark has danced professionally with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island and Nashville Ballet. She was a guest artist with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in 2004 and performed last summer in Bytom, Poland, as part of the International Contemporary Dance Festival. Her favorite roles include Mina in David Nixon's Dracula,
the Solo Girl in George
Balanchine's Rubies,
and performing Stanton
Welch's Play. Ms. Clark is married to dancer Hisham Omardien.
 Jamie
Brianne Dee, a California native, returns to BalletMet for her sixth season. She received her training at the West Coast Conservatory of Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Cleveland San Jose Ballet. Ms. Dee began her career with the American Repertory Ballet in New Jersey and has also danced with Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company and L.A. Chamber Dance. She has enjoyed dancing the title roles in Gerard Charles' Cinderella as well as The Sleeping Beauty. Other favorites include Odette in David Nixon's Swan Lake,
Walking Girl in George
Balanchine's Emeralds
and Dulcinea in Stanton
Welch's Don Quixote.
 Ellie
Escosa, originally from Fort Wayne, Ind., received her dance training at the Fort Wayne Ballet and studied on scholarship at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. She graduated summa cum laude with a BFA from Southern Methodist University in 2005. Ms. Escosa began her career with American Repertory Ballet where she danced in works by Graham Lustig, Twyla Tharp and Lauri Stallings and has also appeared as a guest artist with Las Cruces Chamber Ballet and the Fort Wayne Ballet. This is her second season with BalletMet.
 Lynorris
Evans began his
training at Tri-Cities
High School and Total
Dance/Dancical
Productions. He has been
awarded scholarships to
study at Jacob's Pillow,
Ballet Divertimento,
Lines Ballet, Dance
Theater of Harlem and
National Ballet School
of Canada. In 2006, Mr.
Evans graduated with
honors from the Ailey/Fordham
BFA Program in Dance
where he was a recipient
of the Liberace
Scholarship. To date, he
has performed works by
world-renowned artists
such as Merce
Cunningham, Dwight
Rhoden, Paul Taylor,
Milton Myers and Ronald
K. Brown. He has also
performed as a member of
Connecticut Ballet, Opus
Dance Theater, Nilas
Martins Dance Company
and the Francesca Harper
Project.
 Justin "Judd" Gibbs is happy to be returning for his seventh season with BalletMet. Mr. Gibbs has previously danced for Grand Rapids Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Dayton Ballet, Chatauqua Ballet and Contrast Dance Theatre. He has choreographed for Grand Rapids Ballet, Dayton Ballet II, Young People's Ballet Theatre, New Albany Ballet, Columbus Symphony Orchestra's Holiday Pops, The Lancaster Festival and parts of BalletMet's smash hit
Alice in Wonderland. Mr. Gibbs' favorite roles include the title character in Hamlet,
Renfield in Dracula,
and Call It Off
by Harrison McEldowney.
His most rewarding
moment of his career has
been dancing the pas de
deux in Jimmy Orrante's
Touch with his
wife, fellow dancer
Christine Mangia.
 Emily
Gotschall is happy to be returning for her third season with BalletMet. A Columbus native, she received her training at the BalletMet Dance Academy where she was a member of the Professional Training Program and recipient of the Nancy Strause Scholarship. Ms. Gotschall has also performed with Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in Asheville, N.C., and for seven seasons with Dayton Ballet prior to joining BalletMet. There, she performed many principal roles and was awarded the 2005 Josie Award for outstanding Concert Dancer. Some of Ms. Gotschall's favorite roles include Clara in The Nutcracker, Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, Stanton Welch's Blue, KT Nelson's They've Lost Their Footing and Ophelia in Stephen Mills' Hamlet.
 Adam
Hundt, now in his fourth season with BalletMet, has danced as a member of Ballet Pacifica, American Repertory Ballet, and Hubbard Street 2, and as a guest with the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater. Mr. Hundt studied with San Francisco Ballet, BalletMet, Indiana University Ballet Department and Barbara Pontecorvo in his hometown of Dayton. In addition to teaching for the Lou Conte Dance Studio, Princeton Ballet School and BalletMet, he performed and taught for the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Poland and in Lithuania. Mr. Hundt interests also extend into choreography. He has choreographed for Ballet Pacifica and in 2006 was a fellowship recipient from the Greater Columbus Arts Council's Columbus Choreography Project. His favorite roles include original pieces choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, Jodie Gates, Harrison McEldowney and Robert Battle.
 A
Florida native,
Bryan Jenkins
studied with Dance with
Distinction, an after
school program at The
Jacksonville University
under the directorship
of Jonathan Guise and
Christina Teauge from
2001 to 2003. In 2003,
Mr. Jenkins attended The
Harid Conservatory where
he received training
from Olivier Pardina,
Victoria Schneider and
Svetlana Osiyeva. Upon
graduating from Harid in
2004, Mr. Jenkins joined
Houston Ballet 2 where
he was trained and
coached by Claudio
Munoz, Lazaro Carreno
and Phillip Broomhead.
Mr. Jenkins received The
Most Improved Award
given to him by the
Houston Ballet's
artistic staff. In 2006
Mr. Jenkins was chosen
to set Stanton Welch's
Fingerprints on
the Cincinnati Ballet.
Mr. Jenkins has
performed numerous roles
in ballets such as
Birbanto in The Harid
Conservatory's Le
Corsaire, Stanton
Welch's Bruiser,
Martin Fredmann's A
Little Love pas de
deux, Paquita pas
de trois, Gopak and
Chinese in The Harid
Conservatory's The
Nutcracker, Stanton
Welch's Fingerprints
and Bluebird pas de deux.
 David Tai Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Southern California where he discovered dance while attending Long Beach City College. He pursued a degree in Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California Irvine. Mr. Kim continued his dance training on full scholarship with the Southern California Dance Academy, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Boston Ballet. He has danced professionally with Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Metropolitan Opera, Ballet New York and Ballet West. This is his first season with BalletMet.
 Jaime Kotrba grew up in Manton, Mich., and started her training with Betsy Carr at Dance Arts Academy in Traverse City. She continued her training at Interlochen Arts Academy under the direction of Sharon Randolph. After graduation she moved to New York to study with Dance Theatre of Harlem and joined the Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble. In 2004, she joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem company and toured nationally and internationally dancing works by George Balanchine, John Taras, Michael Smuin and Geoffrey Holder among others. She has also worked with Collage Dance Collective under the direction of Kevin Thomas and Viewpointe Dance with Helen Heinman. This is her first season with Balletmet.
 Annie
Mallonee, from Placerville, Calif., is in her fourth season with BalletMet after dancing with the company for one year as a trainee. Prior to joining the company, she trained on scholarship with BalletMet and was a recipient of the Lucy Porter Scholarship. She has also studied on scholarship with the Sacramento Ballet, Lines Ballet, and Idyllwild Arts Academy, where she graduated and was named Outstanding Dancer in 2003. Ms. Mallonee participated in the 2004 and 2006 Columbus Choreography Projects, and has appeared as a guest artist with Opera Columbus in 2003 and with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra in 2004.
 Christine
Mangia is happy to return to BalletMet for her seventh season. A native of Columbus, Ms. Mangia trained at Columbus Youth Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet School and Wright State University. She is a recipient of an Arts Achievement Award from WSU and the Josephine and Hermene Schwartz Award from Dayton Ballet where she began her professional career. She has been a guest teacher for New American Youth Ballet, New Albany Ballet Company, the Columbus Academy and Young People's Ballet Theatre. Ms. Mangia's most fulfilling roles with BalletMet have been Giselle in Giselle,
Liberty Bell in Stars
and Stripes, Lucy in Dracula, the pas de deux in Jimmy Orrante's Touch
and Harrison
McEldowney's Call It
Off, performed with
fellow dancer and
husband Justin Gibbs.
 Originally
from Charlotte, N.C.,
Bethany Manley returns to BalletMet for her third season after studying at Houston Ballet. She graduated from Houston Ballet in spring 2005 where she was a part of Houston Ballet II on full scholarship. While in Houston, she enjoyed working with such choreographers as Stanton Welch and Claudio Munoz. Last season, Ms. Manley enjoyed performing the role of Bonnie of the duo Bonnie and Clyde in Harrison McEldowney's Group Therapy Part Deux, as well as Puss in Boots and the Fairy of Beauty in Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty.
 Originally
from New York City,
Morgan McEwen came to BalletMet two seasons ago as a trainee. She spent the previous season with the Richmond Ballet and four years prior to that studied under Maria Calegari. Ms. McEwen has attended the Joffrey Midwest Workshop and the Jillana School, where she received a full merit scholarship. Ms. McEwen also studied with Nancy Bielski. The Dark Angel and Russian Girl in Balanchine's Serenade,
as well as Swanhilda in
Coppelia are
among Ms. McEwen's
favorite roles.
 Emma
Misner returns to BalletMet for her second season after studying with the company as a trainee for one season. Originally from Northern Virginia, Ms. Misner trained with the Center Dance Company in Arlington under the direction of Nancie Woods. She also studied at the Rock School and the Richmond Ballet on scholarship. In 2004, Ms. Misner won the Washington Post Music and Dance Scholarship Award for both artistic and academic excellence.
 Jimmy
Orrante is a recent recipient of a 2005 Princess Grace Choreographic Award, one of the world's highest arts honors. Now in his thirteenth season with BalletMet, the Los Angeles native choreographed Ad Infinitum for 2007's Rendezvous at the Riffe, Touch as part of 2005's Rendezvous at
the Riffe and later
premiered Revelry
during the Dance
Metro program. Mr. Orrante attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Performing Arts under Don Hewitt as well as North Carolina School of the Arts. He has attended the International Summer Workshop in Budapest, Hungary; studied modern dance in London; danced with Memphis Ballet, Nevada Dance Theatre and Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, and taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan's Manistee National Forest, where he is now on faculty. A past recipient of the Violetta Boft Memorial Award, Mr. Orrante has performed as a guest artist with Dance Kaleidoscope in Los Angeles and Northern Ballet Theatre in England. He and his wife, former dancer Sonia Welker, have a young son, Isaac, and a daughter, Aiyana.
 Amanda
Phillips-Bosshart, a Connecticut native, began dancing at age three. She has studied at the School of the Hartford Ballet and has attended the American Ballet Theatre and the Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell summer intensives. Ms. Phillips-Bosshart spent her senior year of high school as a trainee with the Hartford Ballet and, upon graduation, joined the Sarasota Ballet of Florida. As a member of the Company for four years, she danced numerous roles including the Black Swan in Swan Lake an the title role in Alberto Alonso's Carmen. She then went to study on scholarship at the Lou Conte Dance Studio, home of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago. Ms. Phillips-Bosshart has also taken part in the Northwest Professional Dance Project where she worked with Sarah Slipper, James Canfield, Luca Veggetti, Donald McKayle and Thaddeus Davis. As a member of BalletMet, she has danced as the Fairy of Grace in The Sleeping Beauty and one of the brides in Dracula. Ms. Phillips-Bosshart is thrilled to be returning to BalletMet for her second season and wishes to thank her family and friends for their endless love and support.
 James Pierce, III began his classical training at the Wissahickon Dance Academy and graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts as a vocal music major. Mr. Pierce recieved his BFA from Fordham University/Alvin Ailey where he was the recipient of the Jerome Robbins Scholarship and graduated with honors. While at the Ailey school, he performed works by artists including Sean Curran, Jennifer Muller, Ronald K. Brown, Merce Cunningham, Jose Limon and William Forsythe. He also trained at Philadanco and danced with its apprentice company. Mr. Pierce has danced with companies including Buglisi Dance Theater, New Jersey Dance Theatre Ensemble, Von Ussar Danceworks, Ailey II, Ballet Hispanico and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He also danced in the Santa Fe Opera's Premieres of Madame Mao and La Belle Helene. Mr. Pierce appeared in the film The Music of Regret, which was showcased at the New York City Museum of Modern Art. He recently returned from Barcelona where he taught Horton technique in the 27th International De Danza and taught at the Ailey School. This is his first season with BalletMet.
 Emily
Ramirez is thrilled to be in her fourth season with BalletMet after dancing with Houston Ballet II and the Sandra Organ Dance Company. Ms. Ramirez, who was born in Pasadena, Texas, studied at Houston's High School for the Performing Arts. She also received a full scholarship both to Adamson Ballet School and to Houston Ballet, where she choreographed a work on fellow students.
 Akron
native
Jackson Prescott Sarver, now in his fourth season with BalletMet, began his training at Nan Klinger's Excellence in Dance. He graduated as valedictorian from Tallmadge High School in 2002. Mr. Sarver then attended college at North Carolina School of the Arts while studying with Warren Conover and Melissa Hayden. Mr. Sarver spent his summers at the School of American Ballet, Chautauqua Dance Festival and Houston Ballet Academy. His favorite roles include Carabosse in Gerard Charles' The Sleeping Beauty, duets Number 3 and Number 5 in James Kudelka's There, below, Fred Astaire in Harrison McEldowney's Group Therapy Part Deux, Jack Seward in David Nixon's Dracula and Rat King in Charles' The Nutcracker. He thanks his family for their endless love and support.
Dmitri Suslov, born in Moscow, Russia, is a graduate of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and has been a member of the Bolshoi Ballet, Renaissance Ballet, and the Sacramento Ballet before joining BalletMet in 1998. In addition to having toured internationally with the Bolshoi Ballet and The Stars of Russian Ballet, Mr. Suslov was a special guest artist and award-winner at the First and Fourth National Nureyev Festivals. Mr. Suslov is honored to be included in the new edition of the Bolshoi Ballet Moscow Government Institution's Encyclopedia of Ballet and Choreography. He was invited to return to Moscow in 2006 as the Guest Adjudicator for the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. During his career as a principal dancer, Mr. Suslov has performed the leading role in all the major classics including The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet and many contemporary works as well. Mr. Suslov has also taught for many years and has been a guest artist and teacher for numerous schools and companies here in the United States and overseas.
 David
Tlaiye was born in Puebla, Mexico, and began dancing at Myra Mier School of Ballet in New Orleans at age 11. He also studied at South Carolina Dance Conservatory's summer session and on scholarship at Houston Ballet Academy, where he won the Most Improved award in 2002. Now in his fourth season with BalletMet, Mr. Tlaiye danced previously with Bruce Wood Dance Company in Forth Worth, Texas, and Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in Asheville, N.C.
Carrie West, born in California, received her training with the Sacramento Ballet as well as the San Francisco Ballet School, the School of American Ballet and the Houston Ballet Academy. Prior to joining BalletMet in 1998, she danced exclusively with the Sacramento Ballet. Ms. West's career as a principal dancer consists of many major classical ballets including Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote and many more. She has also performed in numerous Balanchine and contemporary works and was the recipient of the Violetta Boft Memorial Award for Artistic Excellence in 2004. Ms. West has been teaching for several years while continuing to perform. She is married to dancer Dmitri Suslov.
 Jeff
Wolfe, from Clearwater, Fla., attended Houston Ballet Academy for two years on scholarship and was accepted into Houston Ballet's second company. In addition to studying dance at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts, a performing arts high school, he trained at the Academy of Ballet Arts in Florida. Mr. Wolfe, now in his third season with BalletMet, has worked with renowned choreographers including Stanton Welch and Randy Duncan. He also attended the 2002 Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York.
 Hitomi
Yamada returns to BalletMet for her fourth season having danced as a member of Ballet Pacifica, James Sewell Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Ballet El Paso and Connecticut Ballet Theatre, and as a guest of the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Minnetonka Dance Theater and Chicago Festival Ballet. Born in Osaka, Japan, Ms. Yamada studied at Beijing Dance Academy and School of American Ballet, and was a participant in Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance in 2006 and the National Choreographers Initiatives in 2004 and 2005. Among her favorite roles are original parts choreographed on her in works such as Dominic Walsh's Lover Inter-fere
and Bello, Jodie
Gates'
Somewhere/In-Between,
Anne Marie DeAngelo's
Man in White Shirt
and Unknown Territory
by Choo-San Goh.
Trainees
Samantha Finley, Emily Kerr, Samantha Lewis, Leah Martin, Emilia Ungemach, Daniella Zlatarev |
