2008-2009 Company Dancers

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.  Danced with the Ithaca Ballet since 2003 in a variety of roles including the Cavalier in The Nutcracker.  Mr. Studier also teaches the Men and Boys class at the Ballet Center of Ithaca.

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.

Stephanie Branche

Homeschool, 2010

Stephanie was born in San Jose, California, and started her early ballet training with Soaring Spirit Dance Studio, under Jamie Parnum. While dancing there, she began her classical training at Los Gatos Ballet in 2003. In 2006, she switched to South Bay Dance Center. Stephanie moved to Ithaca last year and this will be her second year as a company member. In 2005, she performed in La Bayadere and other assorted roles as a soloist with South Bay Ballet Arts. She has performed in The Nutcracker as Snow, Chinese, Waltz, and various other roles in San Jose and Ithaca. In the recent production of Swan Lake, Stephanie performed as a Little Swan. Stephanie has appeared in other ballets such as Paquita, Raymonda, Carnival of the Animals, Peter and the Wolf, Sleeping Beauty, and Pied Piper. Summer study includes Los Gatos Ballet, South Bay Dance Center, Ballet Magnificat!, and Boston Ballet.

Laura Carstensen

Trumansburg High School, 2010

Laura was born in Ithaca and has studied at the Ballet Center of Ithaca since age 5.  She became an apprentice dancer with the company in 2006 and is currently a senior dancer.    Laura has danced numerous roles in the Nutcracker including Mouse, Angel, Party Girl, Rosebud, Gingerette, Coffee Bearer,  'Clara', Ballerina Doll, and 2nd Corp Snow.   She has also been in Swan Lake, Pied Piper, Romeo and Juliet,  Paquita, and Cinderella. Summer studies include the Ithaca Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive.

Katarina Dvorak

Ithaca High School, 2012

Katarina was born in Ithaca, NY. She has been dancing for 10 years and she has been with the Ithaca Ballet company for the last 2. Some of her recent parts have been Clara in The Nutcracker, and a Little Swan in Swan Lake.  She has also danced in Romeo and Juliet, The Pied Piper, Pulcinella, and Cinderella.  Summer studies include Ithaca Ballet, and the National Ballet School of Canada.

Emma Fitzpatrick

Ithaca High School , 2010

Emma was born San Diego, CA. She has been dancing with the Ithaca Ballet for about nine 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 4 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 first 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.

Jocelyn Sawyer

Lehman Alternative Community School, 2010

Jocelyn was born in Ithaca, NY.  She has been studying at the Ballet Center of Ithaca for eight years.  This is her third year as a member of the company.  Jocelyn has performed in Swan Lake, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Pied Piper, and Tilyou’s Revenge.  She has also danced numerous roles in The Nutcracker, including Tea and Snow corps.  Summer study at the Ithaca Ballet.

Rosie Grady Sayvetz

Homeschool, 2009

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 three 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 11 years.  This is her first year as a Senior company dancer.  Summer study at the Ithaca Ballet.

Lucie Sorel

Ithaca High School, 2010

Lucie was born in Ithaca, New York.  When not doing ballet, she enjoys spending time with her friends, reading Harry Potter, eating, and dancing freestyle in her kitchen.  Her favorite roles inclue Rag Doll and Snow in The Nutcracker, and Nains and Swans in Swan Lake.  Summer study includes the Ithaca Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Binghamton Dance Institute.

Ana Steen

Ithaca High School, 2009

Ana was born in Karlsruhe , Germany where she lived for one year.  She is an honor student at Ithaca High School .  Ana began dancing at Ballet Center of Ithaca when she was six.  At the Ithaca Ballet she has performed in Cinderella, Bolero, Swan Lake , Romeo and Juliet, Raymonda, Paquita, Tilyou's Revenge, and Jewels from Sleeping Beauty.  In The Nutcracker she has been seen as A demi-soloist in Waltz and Snow, and soloist in Candy Canes.  Summer studies include Ithaca Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Saratoga Springs Summer Intensive.  

Katie Taylor

Ithaca High School, 2011

Katie was born in Philadelphia, PA where she lived for 5 years before moving to Ithaca, NY. She danced at the Ballet Center of Ithaca for 6 years before becoming a member of the company, where she has danced for 3 years, this being her 4th. She appeared as Clara in The Nutcracker, as well as various roles in  Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Pied Piper, Peter and The Wolf, La Bayadere, Paquita, and Raymonda. Summer study includes the Ithaca Ballet, American Ballet Theater Detroit, Chautauqua Ballet Institution and Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive.