Festival Ballet Providence Announces 2006-07 Company RosterWelcoming seven new dancers.

Providence, RI -

Festival Ballet Providence artistic director Mihailo Djuric announces the 2006/2007 company roster, with 21 dancers, including eight men and thirteen women.

Returning to the company are members Alexander Akoulov, Erica Chipp, Carolyn Dellinger, Roger Fonnegra (Venezuela), Courtney Fraga, Leticia Guerrero (Venezuela), Mark Harootian, Elizabeth Jessee (Canada), Gleb Lyamenkoff (Bellarus), Eivar Martinez (Venezuela), Lauren Menger, Heather O’Halloran, Jennifer Ricci, and Davide Vittorino (Italy).  Ms. Chipp and Ms. Fraga have been promoted from apprentice to Company members.  Milica Bijelic, former principal at the National Ballet and Opera of Belgrade will return for her fifth season as Ballet Mistress.

Durnig an extensive two-month audition season, Mr. Djuric and Ms. Bijelic auditioned more than 175 dancers from over twenty countries for positions with the company, and have hired seven new dancers.  They welcome new company members Ashley Andries, Nikki Cuozzo, Lauren Kennedy, Vilia Putrius, Vanessa Widmer, Ilya Burov, and Henry Montilla. 

Mr. Djuric noted, “I saw a tremendous group of dancers this year with a keen interest in dancing with this company.  I have been able to choose dancers who will fit well into the company, and raise the level of artistry.  I have also hired young, talented dancers with great  potential for the future.”

Ms. Andries received her early training at Eastern Connecticut Ballet, completing her last three years at Festival Ballet Providence. She has also been a member of Festival Ballet Providence’s Junior Company from 2003-2006.  Ms. Cuozzo trained for 14 years at Nutmeg Conservatory, and has been a trainee this past year at North Carolina Dance Theater.  Ms. Kennedy received her training at Longwood Performing Arts Academy, and First State Ballet Theater, and trained one year at Boston Ballet before becoming a member of Boston Ballet II 2005-2006. A native of Lithuania, Ms. Putrius danced six seasons with the Lithuanian National Ballet before coming to the US in 2001 to join Ballet Arlington (TX) as a principal dancer. She joined Boston Ballet in 2004.  Ms. Widmer trained at Nutmeg Conservatory and The School of American ballet before becoming an apprentice with Momix.  She most recently completed two seasons as a member of Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho.  Mr. Burov, a native of Moscow, received his training at the Saratov Ballet School, and toured internationally for three years with the Moscow Classical Ballet Company.  He joined Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho for the 2005-2006 season.  Mr. Montilla has performed extensively in his native Caracas, joining Tulsa Ballet for their 2005-2006 season.  He appeared in Festival Ballet Providence’s April production of Don Quixote.

Not returning from the 2005-2006 roster are Karla Kovatch who has retired from dancing and is joining the Festival Ballet Providence Center for Dance Education as a faculty member and Administrative Assistant (she and Piotr Ostaltsov are also expecting their first child, due in January 2007!); Piotr Ostaltsov who has retired from dancing but will remain as a character artist for the Company; Ryan Nye who has joined Eugene Ballet/Ballet Idaho; Emily Bromberg and Andrew Skeels who have both joined Colorado Ballet; Daniela Debrot, who has relocated to Orlando; Marissa Gomer who will be freelancing with several companies; and Ty Parmenter who plans to be dancing in Europe next year.

The dancers will begin the season officially August 28, 2006 with rehearsals for the first performance series of the season, the Rhode Island premiere of Daniel Pelzig’s The Princess and the Pea, with George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. (October 20-22).  Mr. Pelzig will set his Princess on the Company during the first ten days of their season, immediately to be followed by Elyse Bourne setting the Balanchine works on the dancers. In October the company will also be simultaneously  working ion the season’s next two productions, The Widow’s Broom (October 29-29) and the Up CLOSE, on HOPE contemporary repertory series (November 11, 12, 18, &19th).

For biographies and headshots of the dancers (available August 11), and additional information about the company and its 2006-2007 Season, visit www.festivalballet.com.

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The Festival Ballet Providence and the Festival Ballet Providence Center for Dance Education are together a not-for-profit arts organization whose EIN is 05-0377245 and whose Rhode Island Corporate ID number is ND-27-137.

2006/2007  Festival Ballet Providence Company Roster

Alexander Akoulov
*Ashley Andries, (apprentice)
*Ilya Burov
Elizabeth Chipp
*Nikki Cuozzo (apprentice)
Carolyn Dellinger
Roger Fonnegra
Courtney Fraga
Leticia Gerrero
Mark A. Harootian
Elizabeth Jessee
*Lauren Kennedy
Gleb Lyamenkoff
Eivar Martinez
Lauren Menger  (apprentice)
*Henry Montilla
Heather O’Halloran
*Vilia Putrius
Jennifer Ricci
Davide Vittorino
*Vanessa Widmer

* denotes new company members