The Eglevsky Ballet Nutcracker
December 21st to the 23rd
Tickets on Sale Now!
Guest Artists
Lia Cirio
Lia Cirio began her training at Swarthmore Ballet Theatre with Lori Ardis. She went on to train at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary and Darla Hoover, where she studied privately with Theresa Crawford and Rafael Grigorian. At the age of 16, she was awarded a Level One award from the National Foundation for Advancement of the Arts and was a Presidential Scholar in the Arts finalist. She was also awarded the top scholarship and Founders’ Award presented by Barbara Weisberger at the Regional Dance America Festival. That same year she was invited by Mikko Nissinen to join Boston Ballet II, and was Boston Ballet’s Princess Grace nominee for 2004. She was promoted to Boston Ballet’s corps de ballet in 2004, to second soloist in 2006, and to soloist in 2007.
From 2008-2009 Cirio toured with Trey McIntyre Project, performing throughout the United States and worldwide. She danced principal roles in McIntyre’s Reassuring Effects of Form and Poetry and A Day in the Life, and originated roles in various new works by McIntyre. She returned to Boston Ballet for the 2009-2010 season and was named principal dancer in 2010.
Her repertory with Boston Ballet includes featured and/or principal roles in classics such as La Bayadere, Swan Lake; The Nutcracker; The Sleeping Beauty, La Sylphide, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Paquita, and corps roles in The Taming of the Shrew, The Lady of the Camellias, and La Fille Mal Gardee. She has danced featured and/or principal roles in Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Apollo, Divertimento #15, Who Cares?, Concerto Barocco, The Four Temperaments, Ballo de la Regina, La Valse, Serenade, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and corps de ballet roles in Stars and Stripes and Rubies. She has performed contemporary works by Elo, Kylian, Forsythe, Tharp, Wheeldon, Morris, Pickett, Myers and Caniparoli. She originated roles in Elo’s Carmen (Micaela) and Brake the Eyes.
Cirio was named in Dance Magazine’s first “On the Rise” feature article, and has been featured in additional articles in Dance Magazine, Dance Spirit Magazine, and on the cover of Pointe. She is sister to Second Soloist of Boston Ballet, Jeffrey Cirio.
This is Cirio’s third production with the Eglevsky Ballet.
James Whiteside
James Whiteside began his training at age nine at the D’Valda & Sirico Dance and Music Centre, under the direction of Angela D’Valda and Steve Sirico. Guest faculty at the Dance Centre includes Franco DeVita, Raymond Lukens, and Charles Kelley. James enrolled at the Virginia School of the Arts for one year under the direction of Petrus Bosman. In 2002, he joined Boston Ballet II. James has also taught ballet and jazz at competitions and conventions internationally as well as at Boston Ballet School and Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program. He was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2003, second soloist in 2006, first soloist in 2008 and to principal dancer in 2009. .
James Whiteside’s repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations (Principal), Coppélia (Frantz), Ballo della Regina, Rubies (Principal), The Four Temperaments (Sanguinic), Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux; Who Cares?, Serenade (Elegy Man); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander), and La Valse; Maina Gielgud’s Giselle (Albrecht); Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Cavalier, Snow King) and Swan Lake (Pas de Trois, Pas de Cinq); John Cranko’s Taming of the Shrew (Gremio), Romeo and Juliet (Benvolio); Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Bluebird) and Raymonda Act III; Antony Tudor’s Dark Elegies; James Kudelka’s Cinderella (Officer); Jiří Kylián’s Sarabande, Petite Mort, and Sechs Tänze; Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room; Mark Morris’ Drink to Me…; Sabrina Matthews’ ein von viel; Val Caniparoli’s Sonato for Two Pianos and Percussion; and Avi Scher’s Utopia.
Whiteside’s repertoire also includes the world premieres of Jorma Elo’s Brake the Eyes, Plan to B, Carmen (Don Jose), and In On Blue; Helen Pickett’s Eventide and Etesian; Mark Morris’ Up & Down; Heather Myers’ Gone Again. This is Mr. Whiteside’s third production with the Eglevsky Ballet.
Aran A. Bell, Age 14
Born in Maryland, USA, Aran Bell began studying ballet at the age of 4. He received the majority of his early training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet with Laszlo Berdo and Marcia Dale Weary, before moving to Italy in 2008, where he trained with Denys Ganio of the Paris Opera and Luigi Ferrone of the San Carlo Ballet. Upon moving back to the U.S. recently, he resumed his training with Laszlo Berdo at Eglevsky Ballet School.
Aran spent several summers at the American Ballet Theatre’s summer intensive, as well as The Royal Ballet School of London, Marsielle, France with Dominique Khalfouni and Patrick Armand, and Paris, France with Andrey Klemm of the Paris Opera. He has received scholarship offers to Bolshoi Ballet Academy of Moscow, Russia, Royal Ballet School of London, Paris Opera Ballet School, Berlin State Opera School, Stuttgart’s John-Cranko School, Vienna State Opera school, ABT’s JKO school, School of American Ballet, La Scala State Opera School in Milan, Italy.
In 2009, and again in 2010, Aran won the top award for his division at the Youth America Grand Prix competition in New York. In 2011, at age 12, he was the Junior Grand Prix winner of the Youth America Grand Prix finals in NYC. He won the 7000 euro Grand Prix at the International Ballet Competition in Milan, and the gold medal and Critic’s Choice award in Florence, Italy, as well as the Grand Prix at the Rieti International Ballet competition in Rieti, Italy. He recently received the Premio Positano award, an award also received by Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Rudolf Nureyev.
Aran has performed in galas in Italy, France, Romania, Poland, Germany, England, and the United States. His repertory includes solos from Don Quixote, Paquita, Flames of Paris, Coppelia, La Bayadere, Giselle, La Chauve Souris by Roland Petit, and Petit Pan by Norbert Schmucki.
Aran is featured in the recently released documentary film, “First Postion.” He is enjoying his first performance with Eglevsky Ballet in this year’s Nutcracker production.
Dancers
Jessica Black
With the generous love and support from her parents, Jessica was able to move to NYC to further her training at several ballet studios throughout the city. Ms. Black had the opportunity to perform classical variations from Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Paquita, Don Quixote, and Balanchine’s Episodes and La Source. After attending the famous LaGuardia H.S. of the Performing Arts, Jessica was selected as the top ballet student of the year under the Jacques d’Amboise award. Jessica also received a scholarship to train in the Alvin Ailey School’s Fellowship Program and was chosen to perform with the Alvin Ailey company in “Memoria” at New York City Center. Under the tutelage of the Master of Jazz, Luigi, Jessica was the first American to perform his work “Solitude” in several NY venues. Jessica is currently a dancer with TranscendanceGroup and DeMa Dance Company.
Marissa Frey
Marissa Frey grew up in York, Pennsylvania where she began her dance training at Greater York Youth Ballet under the direction of Lori Pergament. As a former member of Regional Dance America, she has earned many scholarships. She has worked with choreographers such as Yesid Lopez, Jessica Lang and Luis Fuentes. In 2009, she graduated from SUNY Purchase achieving a BFA in Dance. She has performed works in premiere venues, including The Ailey Citigroup Theater, Solar-Powered Dance Series, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Tenth Anniversary Dumbo Dance Festival, the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts and the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. Marissa has been a company dancer with DeMa Dance Company, Yesid Lopez Contemporary Dance: The Collective, Janusphere Dance Company, Neville Dance Theatre and is currently teaching at Callina Moraytis’ School of Classical Ballet. This is Marissa’s third production with the Eglevsky Ballet.
Traci Finch
Traci Finch is a freelance dancer based in New York City and originally from Utah. She is happy to join Eglevsky for another Nutcracker! Her professional experience includes Neglia Ballet, Ballet NY, Ballet Tucson, Connecticut Ballet, Eglevsky Ballet, Willow Oak Contemporary Ballet, Ballets with a Twist, David Fernandez Dance, Ballet Neo, and Legacy Dance Theatre. She graduated from Brigham Young University with her BA in Dance and performed with their resident ballet company, Theatre Ballet dancing principal roles. She has enjoyed performing as a guest artist in New York, California, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. Traci traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark for the Bartholin International Ballet Seminar to study Bournonville Technique.
Hana Kosaki
Hana Kosaki was born on February 5, 1991. Currently, she is a freelance dancer. Her hometown is Ibaraki, Japan. She began her ballet training at 3 years old. At 11 years old she placed 6th in the All Japan Ballet Competition and offered to study at Goh Ballet Academy in Canada. At age of 15 she studied at Arts Educational School at Tring Park in England. At the age of 17 she became an America Grand Prix finalist and received a scholarship from Joffrey Ballet School. At the age of 19 she placed in the top 12 Youth America Grand Prix and joined New York Theatre Ballet. Her repertoire in the company was Clara from Nutcracker, Septet from Merce Cunningham, Fairies in Cinderella, Flamingo in Alice in Wonderland and others. She became a freelance dancer at the age of 21.Hana has appeared in various productions such as Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, Etudes, Le Corsaire, and others in Japan, England and the United States. In each of those productions she had a principal role and danced with other principals and soloist from Staatsballett Berlin, Polish National Ballet, Vienna states opera ballet.
Beth Ann Maslinoff
Beth Ann Maslinoff, a Florida native, began her training at Pofahl Studio. At the age of 14, she left home to attend The HARID Conservatory on full scholarship under the instruction of Victoria Schneider, Olivier Pardina, and Svetlana Osiyeva. Highlights of her repertoire at the school included Esmeralda, George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco and Hans Van Manen’s Songs Without Words. While at HARID, she received the Rudolf Nureyev Education Fellowship, the Rueger Family Award, and won the Silver Medal in the Junior Division of the 2004 USA National Youth Ballet Competition. From 2008 to 2012 she was with Dance Alive National Ballet. Her roles included “The Lady In Red” in Tom Pazik’s Carmina Burana, and Dewdrop, Snow Queen and Arabian in Kim Tuttle’s The Nutcracker. Ms. Maslinoff originated a principal role in Tuttle’s ballet Dream that was performed for HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco in collaboration with Art of the Olympians. She has participated in festivals in Japan and Brazil, and this past summer she finished in the top 12 of the Senior Women’s Category at the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria. She will be joining Alaska Dance Theatre in January.
Melissa Reed
Originally from Amherst, New Hampshire, Melissa began her early training at Bedford Dance Center and continued at Southern NH Youth Ballet. In 2007, she was invited to attend the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida on full-tuition scholarship, where she studied with Svetlana Osiyeva, Victoria Schneider, and Olivier Pardina. Upon graduating in 2009, Melissa received additional training and performing experience at North Carolina Dance Theatre, as well as Richmond Ballet. She has had the opportunity to perform many soloist and principal roles in classical ballets such as Paquita, Giselle, and Swan Lake, in addition to numerous Balanchine ballets including Allegro Brillante, Who Cares?, Serenade, Valse Fantaisie, and Raymonda, among others. She has spent summers at the Harid Conservatory, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Chautauqua, and Richmond Ballet. Melissa is currently a Corps de Ballet member at The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, based at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. This is her first season dancing with Eglevsky Ballet.
Adele Robbins
Adele Robbins began her career with the Los Angeles Ballet where she performed leading roles in George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son and Violin Concerto. After deciding to move back to New York City, where she is originally from, Adele joined Connecticut Ballet as a soloist. While working with them she had the opportunity to perform leading roles in Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, as well as in numerous contemporary works, including a piece choreographed for her by Brian Carey Chung. Adele has also worked as a guest artist for Ballet Neo, Baltimore Ballet and Syracuse City Ballet. This is her second time performing with the Eglevsky Ballet.
Lauren Speirs
Lauren began her classical ballet training at 16 years old with Princeton Dance and Theater studio, under the direction of Risa Kaplowitz and Susan Jaffe. She continued her studies there while attaining a Bachelor of Science from the College of New Jersey and trained privately with Ms. Jaffe until the Summer of 2012. She was fortunate enough to learn and perform variations from The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, The Nutcracker, and Raymonda in Princeton. Last year, Ms. Jaffe set an original contemporary solo on Lauren. Over the course of her training, she received scholarships to Orlando Ballet and Colorado Ballet summer intensives and also attended programs with Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, and American Ballet Theater. In 2011, she opened for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra at NJPAC with an excerpt from Swan Lake and she also performed with Staten Island Ballet for the 2011-2012 season. In the summer of 2012, Lauren was accepted to attend training programs with Dutch National Ballet and Semperoper Ballet and has since continued her ballet studies in Europe. This is her first Nutcracker with Eglevsky Ballet.
Oliver Swan-Jackson
Oliver Swan-Jackson grew up in London, England. At age14 he took his first ballet class at the West London School of Dance and then Central School of Ballet and has since participated in workshops and master classes with Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, Ballet West and Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures. In 2005, he joined Orlando Ballet where he worked with Fernando Bujones and Bruce Marks. Oliver danced with Cape Town City Ballet in South Africa in 2009-2010. He has performed as guest artist with the Florida Arts and Dance Company and toured the UK with Ballet Central. Oliver has performed in classical, neo classical and contemporary works including ballets by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Veronica Paeper, Bruce Marks and Fernando Bujones among others. Oliver choreographed Illusions for The Design For Dance project, which was performed at the Linbury Studio Theatre at The Royal Opera House in London in 2004. Oliver currently dances with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet.
Oshini Wanigasekera
Oshini Wanigasekera, born in Calgary, Alberta, trained at the School of Alberta Ballet and the International School of Ballet while pursuing her university degree. During this time she received accreditation from The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) and ISTD. She moved to New York in 2007 to attend the Ailey School as a fellowship recipient for three years and had the honor of performing in “Memoria” with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre in 2009. In 2011 she was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award in the performing arts by the province of Alberta. Currently she is a trainee at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School. Ms Wanigasekera was a member of The Francesca Harper Project and has also performed works by William Forsythe, James Atkinson, Nathan Trice, Earl Mosley, The Albano Ballet, and The Eglevsky Ballet. She has also trained at The School at Jacobs Pillow, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet BC, The LINES Ballet School, The National Ballet of Canada School, The Earl Mosley Institute for the Arts, and The Joffrey Ballet School. Her choreography has been performed at The Ailey Citigroup Theatre and as a Guest Artist for 360 Dance at Dance Theatre Workshop in 2010.