OKC BALLET'S NEW
DANCERS AND
COMPANY
PROMOTIONS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                   

Amy Haley

Marketing and PR Director

Oklahoma City Ballet

405.843.9898

ahaley@okcballet.com

www.okcballet.com

OKC Ballet Announces New Dancers, Promotions within Company

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, July 21, 2015- Oklahoma City Ballet has announced the addition of 4 new company artists, 10 new apprentices and 2 promotions within the company for the 2015-2016 season, making up the largest company the organization has known to date.  This illustrious collaboration of artists represents 13 states and 13 Countries. 

“I am excited to begin a new season with these beautiful artists. I've assembled what I believe to be our strongest company to date.  I look forward to working with them all year,” said Artistic Director Robert Mills.

New dancers include Principal dancer Julio Concepcion from Matanzas, Cuba.  Concepcion comes to Oklahoma City with a resume that includes National Ballet of Cuba, National Ballet of Ecuador, and most recently, the Cincinnati Ballet.  He has also been invited to dance at Galas and Festivals around the world including the Miami International Ballet Festival and the Carreno Festival.

Dancing since the age of 9, Soloist Milena Garcia from Matanzas, Cuba, has had experience dancing in the National Ballet of Cuba, National Ballet of Ecuador and the Cincinnati Ballet. She has also been a frequent guest artist with companies across the nation including Rochester City Ballet, Salt Creek Ballet, and the Florida Classical Ballet.  New Corps de Ballet member Rayleigh Vendt of Dallas, Texas began training at the Ballet Academy of Texas before continuing on at American Ballet Theatre, the School of American Ballet the San Francisco Ballet and the Orlando Ballet summer intensives. 

Corps de Ballet member Joe Seaton of London, England started dancing through the Royal Ballet School of London’s Junior Associate program.  He was offered a full scholarship to study at the San Francisco Ballet School and subsequently performed with the San Francisco Ballet.

To round out the company, there are also 10 new apprenticed dancers:  Petra Biro, Claire Glavin, Michael Campo, Hannah Jew, Paola McCormick-Quintero, Mayu Odaka, Erikka Reenstierna-Cates, Hayley Tavonatti, Emily Thompson, and Felipe Vasques.

“We have also promoted 2 of our current dancers”, says Mills.  Amy Potter has been promoted from Corps de Ballet member to Soloist, and Paige Brown, who started as an apprentice in the company will now be a member of the Corps de Ballet. 

These additions and promotions join returning principal dancers Miki Kawamura, Yui Sato, Ronnie Underwood and Alvin Tovstogray, returning soloists Ezlimar Dorotolina, and DaYoung Jung, and Corps de Ballet artists Seth Bradley, Carissa Churchill, Sarah Jane Crespo, Daina Gingras, Daniel Hardman, Amanda Herd-Popejoy, Jeppe Jakobsen , Leonid Khrapunksy, Autumn Klein Sicking, Ariana Lawson, Walker Martin,  Gerald Pines and Richard Walters.  There are also 2 returning apprentices, Devin Larsen and Laura Pratt.

To read complete biographies and for season information, visit www.okcballet.com/company.