2009-2010 Company Dancers

Guest Artists    Principal Dancers  Soloists  Senior Dancers    First Year Senior Dancers    Apprentice    Auxilliary    Demi-Charactre Dancers

Guest Artists

Lavinia Reid 
Guest Choreographer.  Danced with the Rainbow Arts Co., Saga Ambegaoker and Dancers, and others.  Studied at the Boston School or Ballet with Tatiana Baboushkina, Boston Conservatory, American Ballet Cent, Ballet Center of Ithaca, and Village.  Choreographer and costume designer for companies in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas, and the District of Columbia.  Awarded scholarship to National Craft of Choreography Conference and a residency at the Carlisle Project, funded by the Ford Foundation.  Former faculty member, Ballet Center of Ithaca and the Seneca School of Ballet (Dundee, NY).  Currently artistic director of the Chambersburg Youth Ballet in Pennsylvania and teaches ballet at Willson College in Shippensburg.

Johann Studier 
Resident Guest Dancer.  Born in Naples Italy.  Ballet training from the Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School, Marin Ballet School, and Marin Ballet Company.  Danced for three seasons with the Houston Ballet under Director Ben Stevenson.  Has appeared as resident guest artist at the Ithaca Ballet since 2003, appearing as Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Tybalt in Rafael Grigorian's Romeo and Juliet, the lead role in Bonnie Valant-Spaight's Sentimental Journey, as well as Larry Brantley's Breugelscape and Wintersong. Mr. Studier also teaches the Men and Boys class at the Ballet Center of Ithaca.

 


Principal Dancers

Nadia Drake
BA Cornell 2002 Biology, Psychology, Dance
PhD Candidate in Genetics and Development
Principal since 2004

Nadia Drake grew up in Santa Cruz, California, where she received her early training with Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre and performed principal roles with the company.  She trained on scholarship at the San Francisco Ballet School , and also attended summer programs at the Pennsylvania Ballet and Washington Ballet schools.  As an undergraduate, Nadia choreoraphed and performed with the Cornell Dance Program.  Nadia danced as a guest artist with the Baltimore Ballet in 2003-2004, performing such roles as the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker) and Odette ( Swan Lake ), before returning to Cornell as a graduate student in Genetics and Development.

Nadia has danced as a principal dancer with the Ithaca Ballet since 2004. Selected roles include Sugar Plum Fairy, Dewdrop, Snow Queen, and Coffee (The Nutcracker); Juliet (Romeo and Juliet); Odette/Odile (Swan Lake);Titania (A Midsummer Nights Dream); Mara (Pied Piper); the Cat (Peter and the Wolf); Swans and Kangaroos (Carnival of the Animals); Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland); Gamzatti (La Bayadere); Autumn Fairy (Cinderella); and various repertory pieces including Boyceball, Wintersong, Tiny Bubbles, and Promenade by Larry Brantley, and Pulcinella, Bach Solo Cello #1 circa 1989, and Piano Quintet in A, Opus 81 by Byron Suber.  Nadia also danced with Byron Suber in 2005, and their work was featured as part of that year's "Light in Winter" festival.

Beth Mochizuki
B.A. Tufts University 2003
Elizabeth grew up in California where she studied ballet with Diane Mosier.  As a student, Beth performed with Ms. Mosier’s Central California Ballet where she danced many parts including the title roles in Firebird and Beauty and the Beast.  During her first year at Tufts, Beth apprenticed with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, dancing the roles of a Bird (Carnival of Animals,) Chinese Tea (Nutcracker,) and others. The following year, Beth performed with Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre in their Nutcracker.  While finishing a major in American Studies, Beth danced with Sarabande, a Tufts dance ensemble, where she also produced shows and choreographed individual pieces.
Since 2003 Beth has performed with many Boston-area dance companies including BalletRox, Boston Dance Company, Spindle City Ballet, and Anna Myer and Dancers.  Beth’s favorite roles include the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker.  Beth moved to Ithaca in August 2008 and looks forward to her first season as a Principal Dancer with Ithaca Ballet.  In addition to dancing, Beth teaches ballet at Leslie School of Dance in Watkins Glen and Ballet and Dance of Upstate New York in Syracuse.

Soloists

Julia Hellmich 
Cornell University, 2011

Julia is in her second season with the Ithaca Ballet.  A sophomore at Cornell University, Julia is majoring in Human Development with a Minor in Education.  She was trained in classical ballet among other styles at the Logrea Dance Academy with Beth Fritz Logrea and Jean Logrea in Ossining, NY.  She has danced roles such as the Snow soloist, Dew Drop Fairy, and the Spanish variation in The Nutcracker, Big Swans and the Neapolitan variation in Swan Lake, the Lilac Fairy from Sleeping Beauty, Prelude from Les Sylphides, and the Sylph in Graduation Ball.  She has performed at Westchester County Center, NYC High School of the Performing Arts, the Annenberg Center in Philadelphia, as well as Ithaca's State Theatre. She has received several dance scholarships from the Westchester Ballet Company and participated in the 2007 Youth America Grand Prix.  Summer study includes the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The Rock School, the Joffrey New York Summer Program, and the American Ballet Theatre Collegiate Intensive.

Teresa Lynn
Ithaca College, 2012
Teresa was born in Columbia, MO.  She has been dancing for 16 years.  At age five her family moved to Ithaca, where she then began taking classes at the Ballet Center of Ithaca. She is a pre-med major at Ithaca College’s Health Science and Human Performance.  This is Teresa’s 7th season with the Ithaca Ballet company.  Previous roles include Tea, Chocolate, Coffee, and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, the Countess in Cinderella, a “big swan” in Swan Lake, and Helena in a Midsummer Night's Dream.  Summer study includes the Ithaca Ballet, BalletMet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and the Rock School.

 

 

Senior Company Dancers

Catherine Branche
Homeschool, 2011
Catherine was born in San Jose, CA and had nine years of ballet, four years of jazz, and a year of both tap and moder training before moving to Ithaca, where she continued her classical ballet training at the Ballet Center.  She has been in the company for two years and has performend in seven Ithaca Ballet productions including The Nutcracker and Swan Lake, among others.  Summer study at Ballet Magnificant! for three years.

Stephanie Branche
Homeschool, 2010
Stephanie was born in San Jose, CA and studied classical ballet before moving to Ithaca.  This will be her third year as a company member.  The has performed in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Carnival of the Animals and Sleeping Beauty among others. Summer study includes Los Gatos Ballet, South Bay Dance Center, Ballet Magnificat!, and Boston Ballet.
Katarina Dvorak
Ithaca High School, 2012
Katarina was born in Ithaca, NY. She has been dancing for 11 years and she has been with the Ithaca Ballet company for the last 3. Some of her recent parts have been Teen, Ballerina Doll, Snow, Peppermint and Clara in The Nutcracker, a Lady of the Court in Cinderella, and a Little Swan in Swan Lake.  She has also danced in Romeo and Juliet, The Pied Piper, Pulcinella, La Bayadere and Snow White. Summer studies include Ithaca Ballet, and the National Ballet School of Canada.
Amanda Esposito
Cornell University, 2012
This is Amanda's second season with the Ithaca Ballet.  She is a pre-medical student with a major in Psychology and a minor in Spanish at Cornell.  Previous studies include classical ballet, contemporary, jazz, character and swing ath the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City.  Summer study includes the Joffery Ballet School.

Emma Fitzpatrick
Ithaca High School , 2010
 
Emma was born San Diego, CA. She has been dancing with the Ithaca Ballet for about ten years. Her roles in The Nutcracker include Soloist in Tea, Columbine Doll, and 1st corps snow. Other roles include Little Swan and Pas De Trois in Swan Lake.  Summer study includes the Ithaca Ballet Summer Program as well as the American Ballet School Summer Intensive and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Intensive.
Nora DeMott Grady
Homeschool, 2010
Nora was born in Ithaca, NY Nora has danced at Ballet Center of Ithaca since the age of six. She has been in the Ithaca Ballet company for 5 years. Nora has performed in A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Tilyou’s Revenge, Swan Lake and Raymonda.  Summer study at the Ithaca Ballet.
Tabea Hoffstaetter
Ithaca High School, 2011
Tabea was born in Lansing, MI but spent her childhood years in Germany.  She began her ballet education with the Barmstedt Ballet close to Hamburg, Germany. Since moving to the United States in 2002 she has studied at the Ballet Center of Ithaca.  This is her second year as a Senior company member.  Tabea’s roles include demi-soloist in Waltz in Nutcracker,  candidate bride, aristocrat and swan in Swan Lake and various roles in Romeo and Juliet, Pied Piper, Cinderella, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Besides dancing, Tabea is a devoted violin player.
Camilla Nivison
Lehman Alternative Community School, 2010
Camilla was born in Ithaca, NY.  She has been dancing since age 4, and this is her first year as a senior company member.  Camilla has apperared in The Nutcracker as a demi-soloist, Tea, Snow and the Teddy Bear.  She has also performed in Swan Lake, Cinderella, Snow White, La Bayadere and Raymonda.  Summer study at the Ithaca Ballet and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Rosie Grady Sayvetz
Rosie was born in Ithaca, NY.  Rosie has been studying with the Ballet Center of Ithaca since age six and has been dancing with the company for four years.  Past roles include the Moth Fairy in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Harlequin Doll, Candy Cane and waltz of the flowers in The Nutcracker and Spanish dance in Swan Lake.  Summer study includes the Ithaca Ballet and Ballet Academy East.
Annelise Schmidt
Dryden High School, 2011
Annelise was born in Ithaca, NY.  She has been studying with the Ballet Center of Ithaca for 12 years.  This is her second year as a Senior company dancer.  Summer study at the Ithaca Ballet.

First Year Senior Dancers

 

 

 Prisca Hofstaetter, Jeremiah Bamper & Ana Zimmerman

Apprentice Dancers

Olivia Bryce,  Keara Soloway&Sylvie  Finn

Auxilliary Company Dancers

Gabrielle Branch & Shushan Xu


Demi-Charactre Dancers

Allen MacNeill

Born in Homer, NY.  Trained in Shakespearean theater and contemporary dance.  Performed in many venues, including a one-man show Off-Broadway called An Evening with Charles Darwin.  Has also performed with the Kitchen Theater in Ithaca and danced many roles with the Ithaca Ballet inlcuing Dr. Drosselmeyer in Nutcracker.
Tom McHugh

Born in Milburn, NJ.  Studied with Golbert Reed and Kent Stowell at Indiana University.  First appeared with the Ithaca Ballet in 1998.  Roles include:  Mouse King in Nutcracker; Ugly Stepsister and Courtier in Cinderella; and Queen of Hearts and Mad Hatter in Alice and Wonderland.
Melissa Schmidt

Born in Ithaca, NY.  Ms Schmidt was a dancer with the Ithaca Ballet from 1985-1989.  From 1989-1993 she performed with dance groups at Boston College and Binghamton University.  In 1998 she began dancing again with the Ithaca Ballet.  Recent roles include:  Clara's mother in Nutcracker, Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, and the Wicked Stepmother in Cinderella.