Tonight’s performance was made possible though the generosity of Pamela & Richard Hanlon

GALA PERFORMANCE

FEATURING STARS OF 
BALLET WEST, BOSTON BALLET, HOUSTON BALLET, JOFFREY BALLET, ROYAL BALLET

JULY 13 & 14, 2024 
LENSIC PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

ARTISTS 
Emily Adams, Edson Barbosa, Evan Boersma, Adelaide Clauss, Hadriel Diniz, Derek Drilon,
Jonathan Dole, Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy, Dylan Guttierrez, Meaghan Grace Hinkis, Lasha Khozashvili, Jeraldine Mendoza, Davide Oldano, Gian Carlo Perez, Rylee Ann Rogers,
Francisco Serrano, Jordan Veit 

Le Corsaire Pas de Deux
Choreography: Joseph Mazilier 
Music: Adolf Adam 
Dancers appear courtesy of Houston Ballet 
Adelaide Claus & Gian Carlo Perez 

Excerpt from Blake Works 
Choreography: William Forsythe 
Music: James Blake 
Dancers appear courtesy of Boston Ballet 
Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy & Lasha Khozashvili 

Red Angels 
Choreography: Ulysses Dove 
Music: Richard Einhorn 
Staged by Peter Boal 
Dancers appear courtesy of Ballet West 
Emily Adams, Hadriel Diniz, Rylee Ann Rogers, Jordan Veit 

Lolita, exerpt from Swimmer
Choreographer: Yuri Possokhov 
Music: John Waits
Dancers appear courtesy of Joffrey Ballet 
Jeraldine Mendoza & Dylan Gutierrez 

Rhapsody Pas de Deux
Choreography: Sir Frederick Ashton 
Music: Sergey Rachmaninoff
(Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 43
Original Costume Designer: William Chappell
Costume Designs re-created by Natalia Stewart
Dancers appear courtesy of Royal Ballet 
Meaghan Hinkis & Francisco Serrano 

The world premiere of Rhapsody was given by The Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House on 4 August 1980. By gracious permission, the choreographer dedicated this work to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. The cast was led by Lesley Collier and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

INTERMISSION 

Light Rain Pas de Deux 
Choreography: Gerald Arpino 
Music: Doug Adams and Russ Gautier 
Dancers appear courtesy of Ballet West  
Emily Adams & Hadriel Diniz 

White Swan Pas de Deux 
Choreography: Marius Petipa & Lew Ivanov  
Music: Pjotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Dancers appear courtesy of Boston Ballet 
Chyrstyn Marian Fentroy & Lasha Khozashvili  

Reverence 
Choreography: Jessica Lange 
Music: Robert Schumann 
Dancers appear courtesy of Houston Ballet 
Adelaide Claus & Gian Carlo Perez 

Diana & Acteon Pas de Deux
Choreography: Agrippina Vagonova 
Music: Césare Pugni 
Dancers appear courtesy of Royal Ballet 
Meaghan Hinkis & Francisco Serrano 

Round of Angels 
Choreography: Gerald Arpino 
Music: Gustav Mahler 
Dancers appear courtesy of Joffrey Ballet 
Jeraldine Mendoza & Dylan Gutierrez 
Edson Barbosa, Evan Boersma, Derek Drilon, Jonathan Dole, Davide Oldano 

The performances of Light Rain and Round of Angels, Arpino Ballets, are presented with the permission of  The Gerald Arpino Foundation and have been produced in accordance with the Foundation  service standards established and provided by the Foundation

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

Emily Adams is from Newtown, Pennsylvania. She joined Ballet West in 2007 and was promoted to Principal in 2015.  Emily trained at Studio Maestro with Deborah Wingert and Francois Perron; Ballet Technique with Julie Caprio; with Nancy Bielski and David Howard at Steps on Broadway; and privately with Christina Fagundes.  At 15, she was awarded an honorary scholarship to train full-time at the School of American Ballet. She participated in summer programs at San Francisco Ballet School, School of America Ballet, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell, and the Royal Ballet School.  In 2007 she performed with Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center. With Ballet West, Emily has danced leading roles of Juliet in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, Odette/Odile in Sklute’s Swan Lake, Diamonds Pas de Deux in Balanchine’s Jewels, and Cinderella in Ashton’s Cinderella, to name just a few. Emily began choreographing as a student and was invited by Peter Martins to participate in the New York Choreographic Institute’s Spring Session 2004.  Emily has created six ballets for Ballet West.  Her most recent work, The Thing with Feathers, featured an original score by Sundance Institute Fellow, Katy Jarzebowski.  She was awarded the Utah Arts Festival’s Choreographic Commission in 2017.  Her creation, Laden, is now included in Ballet West II’s repertoire.  In August 2019, Emily collaborated with The Way of the Rain, Sibylle Szaggers Redford, and composer Tim Janis to create Earth Movements: A Symphony for Ballet.  The ballet was presented at the UN 68th International NGO Conference, and featured dancers of Ballet West alongside the Utah Symphony.  In July 2022, Emily was one of four choreographers chosen to participate in National Choreographers Initiative under the direction of Molly Lynch.  Emily worked with dancers from companies across the country and created Mass Hysterical with an original score by Katy Jarzebowski. Emily has performed as a guest artist and in galas across the country, including for YAGP and the 50^th Re-Opening Anniversary Gala of the Chicago Auditorium Theater.  She collaborated with artists from the Utah Symphony and Pioneer Theater Company in Intermezzo Chamber Music’s performance of Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale Suite, both as a dancer and choreographer.  Emily has been featured in Pointe Magazine and other publications multiple times for her work as a dancer, choreographer, and her artistic projects outside the studio. 

Edson Barbosa was raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began his training in ballet, jazz, and tap at age 10 at Grupo Cultural de Dança, Ilha, with Patricia Marques. He was voted Best Male Dancer at the Festival de Danca de Joinville in 2012 — the largest dance competition by number of dancers, as documented by Guinness World Records. He received a full scholarship to study at the Miami City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Washington Ballet, The Harid Conservatory, and Princess Grace Academy. He was also a Top 12 finalist at the Youth American Grand Prix in New York in 2010 and 2012, Top 6 finalist at the Beijing International Ballet Invitational for Dance Schools in China, and performed at the Opening Ceremony as a guest artist at the Danzamerica in Argentina. Barbosa was a prize winner at the prestigious Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, where he was voted the best male dancer of the 40th edition in 2012, receiving a scholarship to be a trainee at the San Francisco Ballet School under the direction of Patrick Armand. While in the school he worked in contemporary workshops with Antoine Vereecken and Wayne McGregor, performed lead roles in ballets choreographed by renowned artists in the dance world, such as Christopher Wheeldon, Val Caniparoli, Myles Thatcher, Parrish Maynard, and the main company’s director, Helgi Tomasson. Barbosa has had the opportunity to work in the main company’s productions of Ramyonda, Giselle, The Nutcracker, and Romeo & Juliet, as well as Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc, John Cranko’s Onegin, Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, and Yuri Possokhov’s Firebird.  With The Joffrey Ballet, Barbosa has performed Balanchine’s Prodigal Son; Possokhov’s RaKu and The Miraculous Mandarin; Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Fool’s Paradise, and The Nutcracker; Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker; Ekman’s Tulle, Episode 31, and Joy; Caniparoli’s Incantations; Welch’s Son of Chamber Symphony; Peck’s In Creases and Year of the Rabbit; Lopez Ochoa’s Mammatus; Neumeier’s Sylvia; Thatcher’s Body of your Dreams; Ashton’s Cinderella; Arpino’s Round of Angels; as well as The Red Boy in Welch’s Maninyas, Young Couple in Blanc’s Evenfall, The Dude in Kudelka’s The Man in Black, Spanish Solo in Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi, the White Pas de Deux in Kylián’s Forgotten Land, Tybalt in Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet, and Solo in McGregor’s Infra. He also originated the Man Duet role in Page’s Tipping Point. 

Evan Boersma was born in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in Dyer, Indiana. He began dancing at a local dance studio at age five and continued until age 14. In 2013, Boersma was accepted to the dance department at the Chicago Academy for the Arts under the direction of Randy Duncan. At the Academy, he received his classical training from Natalie Rast, Guillermo Leyva, and Patrick Simoniello while also receiving training in jazz and modern dance. He graduated from the Academy in May, 2017. Boersma competed in the Youth American Grand Prix in 2017 where he was awarded first place in Chicago, and invited to compete in the YAGP Finals competition in New York City. Boersma attended The Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive in 2014 and 2017, where he was invited to join the Joffrey Studio Company for the 2017-2018 season. In the fall of 2017, Boersma was promoted to the main company. During his time with the Studio Company, he danced roles in ballets including Viva Vivaldi, Napoli, and Episode 31.  

Adelaide Clauss is a dancer with The Houston Ballet. She started her training at Neglia Ballet with Sergio Neglia and Heidi Halt in Buffalo, NY and continued her training with Franco De Vita at American Ballet Theatre’s JKO School, before joining ABT Studio Company. She went on to join The Washington Ballet  in 2016 where she danced for seven years. Clauss’s repertoire has included the roles of Myrtha in Julie Kent and Victor Barbee’s Giselle and Odette/Odile in Kent and Barbee’s Swan Lake, as well as roles in pieces such as Ashton’s Birthday Offering and Paul Taylor’s Company B, among others. In 2019, Clauss was listed in Pointe Magazine’s “Stars of the Corps” and was part of Dance Magazine’s “25 To Watch” in 2023

Hadriel Diniz is from Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil.  He joined Ballet West in 2015 and was promoted to Principal in 2021.  He began training at the age of twelve with Guiomar Boaventura at the Vórtice Escola de Danças.  Soon after, he started competing in international competitions and has won numerous awards.  He qualified for the Youth America Grand Prix NYC finals in 2010, 2011, and 2012, where he placed in the top 6.  He was offered a full-year scholarship from San Francisco Ballet School, and Hadriel left Brazil to study there at age seventeen. After two years of training on full scholarship, he joined the Trainee Program under the direction of Patrick Armand.  With Ballet West, Hadriel has danced the leading roles of Benno in Sklute’s Swan Lake, Hilarion in Sklute’s Giselle, Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, and Romeo in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, to name a few. 

Derek Drilon grew up in Vancouver, Washington. He began his training at Northwest Classical Ballet (NCB) under the direction of his mother, Maricar Drilon in 2009. During his years at NCB, he performed numerous principal roles in several full-length ballets and contemporary works including international performances in countries such as China, Canada, France, and the Philippines. Drilon joined the Studio Company of The Joffrey Ballet in 2015, where he danced in The Nutcracker Suite (Cavalier) and in Coppelia (Franz). He also performed with the main company in Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker (Snow Wind) and Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Court Couple). In 2016, he joined Boston Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen and associate direction of Peter Stark. With Boston Ballet II, he performed in La Bayadere (Solor), George Balanchine’s Haieff Divertimento, Christopher Wheeldon’s The American (Principal Couple), and Flames of Paris pas de deux, as well as in the main company such as Ivan Liska’s Le Corsaire, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, Jorma Eli’s Pièce d’ occasion, Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, and August Bournonville’s La Sylphide. In 2016, he was the Grand Prix winner of the Youth America Grand Prix semi-final in Chicago, IL. After moving on to the final round in New York, he was the only male candidate representing the U.S. to place among the top six Senior Men. Drilon was also a competitor in the 2018 XI USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. Since joining the Joffrey, he has performed in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina, Liam Scarlet’s Vespertine, Yoshihisa Arai’s Afternoon Watch, Andrea Walker’s HOME, Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond The Shore, Stephanie Martinez’s Bliss!, Justin Peck’s The Times Are Racing, and the world premiere of Nicolas Blanc’s Under The Trees’ Voices. In 2019, Drilon was invited to join Ballet Philippines as a Guest Artist for their 50th anniversary season where he performed the role of Albrecht in Giselle. After a year and a half hiatus from the stage, he danced his first live performance in May of 2021 as Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake with Barlow Ballet Theatre. Soon after, he appeared as a Guest Artist with Long Beach Ballet also performing the role of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake. 

Jonathan Dole was born in Bellingham, WA, and grew up in Sacramento, CA. He began dancing at a small studio doing one tap class a week. By age 15 he had been convinced to try a ballet summer intensive and found a new love, ballet. He then moved to the biggest dance school in the Sacramento area and began training in ballet and contemporary. In 2016, Dole joined the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, as a Trainee. In 2017, he attended the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) where he was awarded first place in Chicago and was invited to compete in the YAGP International Finals in New York City. Dole was awarded top 12 senior men in the New York International Finals. He continued his training at the Joffrey Academy for two more years as a Studio Company member, taking summer programs with The Bolshoi Ballet, Houston Ballet, and The Royal Ballet. In 2019, Dole was promoted to the main company at The Joffrey Ballet. During his time with the Academy, Dole performed in Swan Lake as Von Rothbart, Nicolas Blanc’s Ferdinand the Bull, Don Quixote, Gerald Arpino’s Viva Vivaldi and Suite Saint-Saens, Alexander Ekman’s Episode 31, and Bournonville’s Napoli.    

Chyrstyn Mariah Fentroy, a Los Angeles native, began her dance training with her mother, Ruth Fentroy. As a scholarship student at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City, she gained early touring experience with the Joffrey Concert Group. She performed as a leading dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) under Virginia Johnson, and during her five-year tenure with the company, she had the opportunity to perform in Austria, Honduras, Italy, Israel, and Turkey. Fentroy joined Boston Ballet as an artist of the Company in 2017. She was promoted to principal dancer in 2022. Her Boston Ballet repertoire includes Paulo Arrais’ ELA Rhapsody in Blue; George Balanchine’s Agon (Pas de Deux), Coppelia (War and Discord, Dawn), The Prodigal Son (Siren); Jorma Elo’s Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius; William Forsythe’s Blake Works I, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Pas/Parts 2018, and Playlist (EP);  Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop, Arabian, Snow Queen); Justin Peck’s In Creases; Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Pas de Trois); and Jerome Robbins’ Interplay and Glass Pieces. At Dance Theatre of Harlem she performed Alvin Ailey’s The Lark Ascending; George Balanchine’s Agon (2nd Pas De Trois), and Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux; Ulysses Dove’s Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven; Nacho Duato’s Coming Together (Pas de Deux); Helen Pickett’s When Love; and Glen Tetley’s Dialogues. Fentroy was featured on the January 2015 cover of Dance Magazine as one of the “25 to Watch,” and she received the Princess Grace Honoraria Award in dance in 2016. In 2018, she was recognized as one of WBUR’s “Artery 25,” which recognizes influential artists of color in the Boston area. Her creative collaborations include the development of the Color Our Future Mentorship Program at Boston Ballet, a choreographic film created for Boston Ballet with Bearwalk Cinema at the Liberty Hotel, and a limited edition shoe design with Rothy’s. 

Dylan Gutierrez grew up in Van Nuys, California, and received his training at the Los Angeles Ballet Academy under the direction of his mother Andrea-Paris Gutierrez. In 2006, he was awarded a full scholarship to train at The Royal Ballet School in London. With the guidance of Gailene Stock, Gary Norman, and Meelis Pakri, he was offered a job as an apprentice with the San Francisco Ballet where he danced ballets such as The Four Temperaments and West Side Story Suite. Since joining The Joffrey Ballet, Gutierrez has danced many roles in the Joffrey’s extensive repertory. Favorite roles danced include Death in The Green Table, Basilio in Don Quixote, Prince Siegfried in Christopher Wheeldon’s Swan Lake, Prince Albrecht in Giselle, Main Pas de Deux couple from Wayne McGregor’s INFRA, Sanguinic in George Balanchine’s The Four Temperaments, and Justin Peck’s Year of the Rabbit and the Pas de Deux in The Times Are Racing. Gutierrez has also been a part of several Joffrey world premiere roles including Buffalo Bill, and The Great Impresario in Christopher Wheeldon’s The Nutcracker, Vronsky in Yuri Possokhov’s Anna Karenina, Stone Furies in John Neumeier’s Orpheus and Eurydice, and most recently the role of Lennie in Cathy Marston’s Of Mice and Men, set to premiere in 2022.Gutierrez is 1/3 part of the production company Action Lines, alongside fellow dancer Xavier Núñez and friend/writer Eric Grant. Action Lines has created several original dance films for The Joffrey Ballet, including their inaugural project, an original installation for the 150 Media Stream titled Interim Avoidance.  

Meaghan Grace Hinkis is a First Soloist of The Royal Ballet. She joined the Company in 2011 as an Artist and was promoted to First Artist in 2012, Soloist in 2015, and First Soloist in 2021.  Hinkis grew up in Connecticut and trained in ballet, jazz and tap locally with her sister before focussing on ballet from the age of 11. She trained locally with the Hartt School and privately with Fabrice Herrault in New York. At the age of 13, she won a scholarship at the Youth America Grand Prix to study at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of American Ballet Theatre. Hinkis entered the ABT Studio Company (now ABT II) in 2007 and graduated into ABT in 2010, where her repertory included a leading role in Alexei Ratmansky’s Dumbarton and a role creation in his The Nutcracker. Hinkis’s repertory with The Royal Ballet includes Princess Stephanie (Mayerling), Lescaut’s Mistress (Manon), Olga (Onegin), Elizabeth Lavenza (Frankenstein), Clara (The Nutcracker), Sweetheart Couple (Elite Syncopations), Emily Dimmock (Sweet Violets), Dorabella (Enigma Variations), Vera (A Month In The Country), Marie (Anastasia), Florestan’s Sister and Princess Florine (The Sleeping Beauty), Zulme and pas de six (Giselle), Aurora (Coppélia), Amour and Kitri’s friend (Don Quixote), Gertrudis (Like Water for Chocolate), The Fairy Autumn (Cinderella) and Principal roles in Dances at a Gathering, Within The Golden Hour, Voices of Spring, Tarantella, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Tetractys, Concerto, Asphodel Meadows, Viscera, Gloria, Infra, Corybantic Games, The Concert, ‘Emeralds’ (Jewels), and DGV: Danse à grande vitesse. Her role creations include Justine (Frankenstein), Aeternum, Woolf Works, The Illustrated ‘Farewell’, Void and Fire and The Dante Project. In addition to her awards at the Youth America Grand Prix she was a medal winner at the 2009 Helsinki International Ballet Competition. 

Lasha Khozashvili joined Boston Ballet as a principal dancer in 2010. He trained at the Vakhtang Chabukiani Tbilisi Ballet Art State School from 1994 to 2002. He then joined the Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre, where he was a leading soloist, and also appeared with the State Ballet of Georgia. From 2009 to 2010, he was a principal dancer with Samsun Opera and Ballet Theater in Turkey.His repertoire includes Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (Colas) and The Two Pigeons (The Young Painter); George Balanchine’s Serenade, Apollon Musagète, Western Symphony, Mozartiana, Duo Concertant, Chaconne, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream;  Mehmet Balkan’s Mevlana’dan Çağrı (Shems), August Bournonville’s The Flower Festival in Genzano, Alexei Fadeyechev’s Giselle (Albrecht), Philip Kohen’s Bizet Variations), Nugzar Magalashvili’s Laurencia (Mengo, Frondoso), and 1001 Nights (Shahriar); Trey McIntyre’s Second Before the Ground, Helen Pickett’s Layli o Majnun, Yuri Possokhov’s Sagalobeli, Sergei Ratmansky’s Dreams About Japan and Leah; Stanton Welch’s Green, and Petr Zuska’s D.M.J. 1953-1977. Khozashvili has danced an array of principal roles, including Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Prince), George Balanchine’s Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Kammermusik No. 2, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three Movements, Episodes, Theme and Variations, Serenade, Jewels, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream,  Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias (Armand), Florence Clerc’s La Bayadère (Solor), John Cranko’s Onegin (Onegin) and Romeo & Juliet (Romeo), Vakhtang Chabukiani’s Othello, Jorma Elo’s Bach Cello Suites and Elo Experience, William Forsythe’s Artifact 2017, Jiří Kylián’s Wings of Wax, Bella Figura, and Symphony of Psalms, Ivan Liska’s Le Corsaire (Conrad), José Martinez’s Resonance, Wayne McGregor’s Chroma, John Neumeier’s Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker and Swan Lake (Prince Siegfried and Von Rothbart), Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote (Basilio), Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Prince Desire), Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, and Lila York’s Celts. Khozashvili’s dancing has been described by the Los Angeles Times as “gorgeous” with “youth, charm and spontaneity gilding the choreography and making it seem inspired improvisation.” Ballet Dance Magazine called him “the most sophisticated male in the [State Ballet of Georgia] company.” He was awarded the Gilbert Albert and Nina Ananiashvili International Prize “Star” in 2008. Khozashvili also took part in the State Ballet of Georgia’s American tour in 2007 and 2008, and Japan tour in 2007. He also performed at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, dancing in leading roles in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and George Balanchine’s Mozartiana and Duo Concertant. 

Jeraldine Mendoza was born in San Francisco, California, and trained at City Ballet School of San Francisco since the age of five, under the artistic direction of Galina Alexandrova. At age 17, Mendoza was invited to graduate in the Russian course at the prestigious Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow. She later won First Place at the YAGP San Francisco Regional Semi-Finals in 2011. Within her first year with the Joffrey, Mendoza danced lead roles in Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Robert Joffrey’s The Nutcracker, Wayne McGregor’s INFRA, Edwaard Liang’s Age of Innocence, and Jerome Robbins’s In the Night. In 2012, she won the prestigious young artists’ scholarship from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund, under the nomination of Artistic Director Ashley Wheater, making her the first Chicago artist to win since the award’s inception. Mendoza later graced the cover of Dance Magazine in May 2015, the magazine’s first-ever international issue. Since joining the Joffrey, Mendoza has danced principal roles in Stanton Welch’s La Bayadére (Nikiya), Son of Chamber Symphony, and Maninyas; Jiři Kylián’s Forgotten Land; Gerald Arpino’s Sea Shadow, Light Rain, and Round of Angels; Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs; George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and The Four Temperaments; Christopher Wheeldon’s Continuum, Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), Liturgy, Fool’s Paradise, The Nutcracker, and Commedia; Jerome Robbins’s Interplay and Glass Pieces; Krzysztof Pastor’s Romeo & Juliet (Juliet); Yuri Possokhov’s RAkU, Miraculous Mandarin, and Anna Karenina (Kitty); Anthony Tudor’s Lilac Garden; Alexander Ekman’s Tulle and Midsummer Night’s Dream; Justin Peck’s In Creases, Year of the Rabbit, and The Times Are Racing; Val Caniparoli’s Incantations; Myles Thatcher’s Passengers; John Neumeier’s Sylvia (Sylvia); Ashley Page’s Tipping Point; Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella (Cinderella); Lola de Avila’s Giselle (Giselle, Myrta); Nicolas Blanc’s Beyond the Shore, Lorelei, and Under the Trees’ Voices; Andrew McNicol’s Yonder Blue; Liam Scarlett’s Vespertine; and Cathy Marston’s Jane Eyre (Blanche). 

Davide Oldano is from Turin, Italy which is where he began dancing at the age of five. After moving to Nice, France, Davide performed in the ballet Coppelia choreographed by Eric Vu-An with Les Ballets Nice Méditerranée at the Opera de Nice Côte d’Azur. He then moved to London, England where he joined La Sylvaine School of Dance for two years. During this time he performed in the ballets Romeo and Juliet and Sleeping Beauty with the Royal Ballet Company as a Junior Associate with The Royal Ballet School. Following, Davide was accepted into The Royal Ballet School year round Program at White Lodge for five consecutive years. In May 2015 He worked and performed in the world premiere and following performances of Wayne McGregor’s ballet Woolf Works with the Royal Ballet company on the Royal Opera House main stage. Davide also performed in The Nutcracker by Sir Peter Wright with the Royal Ballet Company. As a student Davide worked and performed the works of choreographers such as Robert Binet, Petal Miller Ashmole and Didy Veldman with the school. In 2019, Davide was accepted into the Joffrey Academy of Dance Chicago with full scholarship in the Conservatory program. A year later he got into their Trainee Program. In 2021, Davide joined their Studio Company. During his time in the Joffrey Academy of Dance, Davide performed with The Joffrey Ballet in their production of The Nutcracker by Christopher Wheeldon and Don Quixote by Yuri Possokhov. In the Academy Davide took part and performed in Winning Works for two years. He performed as the lead dancer in Viva Vivaldi, Raymonda and Sleeping Beauty Jewel Suite. In 2021, Davide attended The Youth American Grand Prix semi finals in Chicago and received first place in the senior contemporary category and second place in the senior classical category as well as a place at the finals. The same year, Davide was invited to attend and perform in a Gala with the Youth American Grand Prix in Italy alongside Company artists from all around the world. Davide joined The Joffrey Ballet Company for the 2022-2023 Season 

Gian Carlo Perez, from Havana, Cuba, danced with the prestigious Ballet Nacional de Cuba, directed by Alicia Alonso, and the Washington Ballet prior to his current position of First Soloist at Houston Ballet. His dancing has brought him to Spain, Panama, Italy, the United States, and France. Perez participated in the Teaching Award, won by Cuba in Rome, Italy. While in Rome, Perez formed part of other repertoire performances such as Celestial by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa and Lumino by choreographer Peter Quans. He also worked with Viensay Valdes. In 2013, Perez toured to Spain to celebrate the Ballet Nacional de Cuba’s 70th anniversary, and in 2014, was awarded under the first solo category after having played the role of Othello in prologue. He participated in a ballet series in Panama along with the country’s first solo dancer Manuela Navarro. In June of 2014, Navarro and Perez performed together in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Perez participated in the Gala of the Stars of the 21st Century in France in September 2014. In 2017, Perez was awarded a Princess Grace Fellowship in Dance.   

Rylee Ann Rogers is from Orem, Utah.  She joined Ballet West in 2022.  Her ballet training began in Utah County at the age of 3 with the Barlow Arts Conservatory and The Dance Club.  As a pre-teen, Rylee Ann spent her summers in New York City training with The School of American Ballet on full merit scholarship.  At 14, she was invited to join SAB’s year-round program.  She graduated with honors in 2020 from The School of American Ballet and the Professional Performing Arts High School.  Rylee Ann thrived in the competitive dance world for several years where she was awarded top honors and scholarships from the most renowned dance and ballet organizations in the world.  Most notably, she was a two-time recipient of the Grand Prix Award at the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition.  Rylee Ann has performed on some of the world’s most celebrated stages, including Radio City Music Hall, where she danced the role of Clara in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and the David Koch Theater at the Lincoln Center in various roles with the New York City Ballet and SAB.  With Ballet West, Rylee has danced roles in Robbins’ Glass Pieces, Christensen’s The Nutcracker, Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, and Stevenson’s Dracula, to name a few. Rylee Ann’s passion for dance and ballet have only deepened during her opportunity to teach the upcoming generation and explore her artistry and creativity through her original choreography. Faith, family and beauty are Rylee Anne’s inspirations and hard work, devotion, and determination are making her dream of being a professional ballet dancer come true. 

Francisco Serrano is a First Artist of The Royal Ballet. He joined The Royal Ballet’s Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme from the start of the 2016/17 Season and entered the Company as an Artist from the start of the 2017/18 Season, promoted to First Artist in the 2022/23 Season. He trained at The Royal Ballet Upper School.  Serrano was born in the USA and has a Cuban background. He began his ballet training aged 14 at the Sarasota Cuban Ballet School. He won a scholarship at the 2014 Youth America Grand Prix to train at The Royal Ballet School. Performances while at the School include Solor (Waltz and Pas d’action from La Bayadère) and in Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody pas de deux and Kenneth MacMillan’s Soirées musicales at the annual matinees, and with The Royal Ballet in The Nutcracker and Frankenstein. Serrano’s awards include second prize in the 2015 Lynn Seymour Award for Expressive Dance. His repertory with the Company includes Spanish (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet) and roles in Light of Passage, Infra, Medusa, Symphonic Dances, Solo Echo, Anemoi and Flight Pattern. He has created roles in Secret Things and Untitled, 2023. 

Jordan Veit is from Seattle, Washington.  He joined Ballet West in 2013 and was promoted to Principal in 2022.  He began his dance training at Pacific Northwest Ballet. With Ballet West, Jordan has danced the leading roles of Romeo in Smuin’s Romeo + Juliet, Lensky in Cranko’s Onegin, the Sugar Plum Cavalier in Christensen’s The Nutcracker, Frederick in Stevenson’s Dracula, and Prince Desire in Sklute’s The Sleeping Beauty, among others. He has originated roles in works by Juliano Nunes, Sophie LaPlane, Nicolo Fonte, Val Caniparoli, Edwaard Liang, Matthew Neenan, and Africa Guzman. In addition, he has guested with Royal Danish Ballet, Houston Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Los Angeles Ballet, and Utah Metropolitan Ballet.