Catching up:

RONNIE UNDERWOOD 
RETURNS TO 
OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET

Ronnie Underwood. Photo provided

 BREAKING POINTE STAR RONNIE UNDERWOOD RETURNS TO OKLAHOMA CITY BALLET

Ronnie Underwood returns to Oklahoma City Ballet as a principal dancer after starring on the hit CW network television series, Breaking Pointe.  Underwood performs in the remaining two shows of OKC Ballet’s 2013-2014 season as Don Jose in Carmen (February 7-9) and will perform as the Beast in Beauty and the Beast The Ballet (April 18-20) at the Civic Center Music Hall.  The return of Underwood comes on the heels of a record-breaking season for the 50^th anniversary production of The Nutcracker, making this new addition even more exciting for a company that is poised to jump higher and farther than ever before in its more than 40 year history. 

"Our company is already very strong but Ronnie will only strengthen it further,” says Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director, Robert Mills.  “He has great technique, is a good partner, and was an all-around audience favorite when he danced with us in seasons past.  I am happy to welcome him back to Oklahoma City Ballet."  Ronnie is equally excited to be with OKC Ballet again, saying, “It’s so great to be back at home in Oklahoma City.  I’m looking forward to my upcoming roles as Don Jose in Carmen (danced in February, 2014) and the Beast in Beauty and the Beast.  The work environment here is really fun and I’m happy to be joining a growing company that shows so much promise.”  Underwood will share the leading male roles in OKC Ballet’s remaining 2013-2014 season performances with Yui Sato, who became a company dancer in 2011 and was named principal dancer in 2013. He joins the two other principal dancers, Miki Kawamura and Yui Sato  Dates for specific casting are available on the OKC Ballet website at www.okcballet.com.

Ronnie Underwood joins Oklahoma City Ballet as a principal dancer after having danced most recently with Ballet West in Salt Lake City and as a featured dancer on the hit WB television series Breaking Pointe. Originally from California, Ronnie grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma and received his training from Tulsa School of Ballet, Ballet Hispanico in New York City, and American Ballet Theatre. He began his professional career as an apprentice with Tulsa Ballet before joining Texas Ballet Theater at the age of 19 under the direction of Ben Stevenson. He later danced as a principal dancer with Oregon Ballet Theatre under the direction of Christopher Stowell. Ronnie has performed the leading male role in much of classical and neo-classical ballet's standard repertoire including Giselle, Coppelia, Swan Lake, and Apollo. His contemporary repertoire includes works by Trey McIntyre, Nicolo Fonte, James Kudelka, Val Caniparoli and Jiri Kylian among others. He has enjoyed numerous opportunities as a guest artist, most notably with the critically acclaimed South African Ballet Theatre dancing the role of Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty. With Oklahoma City Ballet, he has danced Cavalier in The Nutcracker and Peasant Pas de deux in Giselle, in addition to principal roles in Balanchines' Valse Fantaisie, Gerald Arpino's Light Rain, Paquita, and new works from Jessica Lang, Helen Pickett and Artistic Director Robert Mills.

From the press release