Artistic Director Edwaard Liang is thrilled to announce BalletMet’s 2015/16 dancer roster featuring 17 returning dancers, the promotion of BalletMet 2 dancer Arielle Friedman to Company member, the addition of 15 new artists and the retirement of dancers Carrie West, Jimmy Orrante, Jackson Prescott Sarver, Courtney Muscroft and Christopher Ellis at the end of the 2014/15 season.
Nine dancers from around the globe will join BalletMet’s professional Company: Kohhei Kuwana of Oregon Ballet, Alexander Hyman of the Pennsylvania Ballet and Candice Adea of Hong Kong Ballet; Grace-Anne Powers and Josh Seibel of Ballet San Jose; and Miguel Anaya, Sarah Reimold, Ao Wang and Carly Wheaton from Washington Ballet, its studio company and school.
Returning BalletMet Company dancers for 2015/16 season are Adrienne Benz, Attila Bongar, Jessica Brown, Olivia Clark, Andres Estevez, Austin Finley, Emily Gotschall, Kristie Latham, Bethany Lee, Samantha Lewis, Jarrett Reimers, Martin Roosaare, Michael Sayre, Gabriel Gaffney Smith, Caitlin Valentine-Ellis, David Ward and Karen Wing.
“We have so much returning talent from last season and the quality of our Company continues to attract fabulous dancers from around the world,” said Artistic Director Liang. “This is such an exciting time for BalletMet and it will be thrilling to watch these dancers come together and create extraordinary art here in Columbus.”
BalletMet’s Academy performing company, BalletMet 2 also boasts six new members: California natives Margot Aknin and Darian Kane; Daena Bortnick and Mark David Bloodgood from the Pacific Northwest Ballet School; Austin Moholt-Siebert from Ballet San Jose School; and Peter Kurta from Tulsa Ballet 2.
“BalletMet 2’s second year promises to be an exciting one,” said Ambre Emory-Maier, BalletMet 2 Associate Director. “We have even more school and community performances and a fabulous collaboration with Opera Columbus for their season opener, Lully’s Armide.”
BalletMet 2 dancers from the 2014/15 season will be dancing with professional Companies in the coming season – BalletMet, Colorado Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet and Sacramento Ballet – and one will be attending Loyola University New Orleans.