Summer Plans: Company Women

The Company's on summer break from their rehearsals and performances here at Richmond Ballet, but it doesn't mean they've slowed down! Here's what the Company Women and Apprentices are up to this summer:

Cody Beaton hopped on the plane with some of her fellow Richmond Ballet dancers to Humboldt County, California, to perform as a guest artist in New World Ballet’s Cinderella. She also traveled to New York to throw a baby shower for her sister before coming back to RVA where she will take ballet classes with the School of Richmond Ballet until company rehearsals start up again on August 8^th!

Elena Bello spent the first part of her summer relaxing, spending time with her family in New Jersey, and attending Broadway plays in New York City. Now, she’s back in Richmond dancing in the School of Richmond Ballet’s 5-week Summer Intensive Program, along with her fellow SRB students, trainees, and apprentices.

Lauren Elizabeth’s summer started out with a trip home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where many of her family and friends live. Soon after she returned to Richmond and moved into a new apartment! Now, Lauren is teaching ballet classes and taking class herself at Richmond Ballet while excitedly awaiting the start of her first season in the company!

Lauren Fagone is filling her days away from the rehearsal studio working on her condo, planting in her garden, hanging out around Richmond, drinking wine, and sewing new leotards to add to her high-quality collection of “Fagone-wear” (from which all the company ladies love to borrow). She is also taking trips to visit her niece, and she traveled to Humboldt County with several other Richmond Ballet dancers to take part in New World Ballet’s Cinderella.

Shira Lanyi had some minor toe surgery immediately following the end of the season, so the first item on her summer agenda was recovery and physical therapy so that she was ready to strap the pointe shoes back on as quickly as possible! Shira also traveled to California to serve as rehearsal assistant to Victor Temple, artistic director of Arcata’s New World Ballet, for the production of Cinderella. Shira got to visit family while she was in California as well. Following her time on the West Coast, Shira came back to Richmond where she was honored with the Alumni of the Year award from the Jewish Federation at the Chesed Award Dinner, before she headed to Israel to study Hebrew and take ballet class with Israel Ballet. Now, Shira is home in Richmond, where she is choreographing on students in the School of Richmond Ballet’s Summer Intensive workshop.

Maggie Small has a summer chock full of trips! First, she performed in San Angelo, Texas, with Thomas Garrett in Swan Lake. Continuing west, she joined the group performing Cinderella in the city of Arcata, and she also spent some time visiting her friend Lauren Breen (former Richmond Ballet company dancer) in Sacramento. Maggie is also spending more time in California, dancing for the second time as a part of the National Choreographer’s Initiative. On top of all that, Maggie is teaching ballet to students in Austin, Baltimore, and Harrisonburg. Whew!

Julie Smith has stayed mostly in the RVA area to intern in the development department at Richmond Ballet, while also taking a few courses with Regent University’s distance learning program and taking ballet classes in the School of Richmond Ballet. Julie has taken a few trips to Norris Lake in Tennessee to visit family and got to have some quality boating and swimming time!

Valerie Tellman started off her summer dancing the Blue Bird pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty in Williamsburg with fellow dancer David Neal before she joined the group in Humboldt County, California, for Cinderella. While out west, she spent some time visiting former Richmond Ballet dancers Lauren Breen and Christopher Nachtrab, who are both continuing their dancing careers in Sacramento. Valerie also traveled to Texas for her brother’s “honky-tonk wedding,” and made a trip to visit her sister and friends for a girls’ weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada. The rest of her time is spent here in Richmond babysitting, teaching ballet classes, and taking ballet classes.

Cecile Tuzii is using all of her free time this summer working on designing and constructing tutus, as well as developing a new website for her budding tutu business. At the end of May, she and Igor went on vacation to Aruba for a week, and then they traveled to France (bon voyage!) for a few weeks in June to visit her family. Since their return, Cecile has been working some odd jobs, taking ballet class in addition to teaching in the School of Richmond Ballet Summer Intensive Program, and finally teaching for the last two last weeks of the summer in Harrisonburg and Norfolk before company rehearsals commence again in August!

Summer Plans: Company Men

The Company's on summer break from their rehearsals and performances here at Richmond Ballet, but it doesn't mean they've slowed down! Here's what the Company Men and Apprentices are up to this summer:

Igor Antonov traveled with Cecile to Aruba and France during the beginning of the summer for vacation and to visit family. After his travels, he returned to Richmond and is teaching for the School of Richmond Ballet Summer Intensive Program, working on renovating his home, fishing with his father and friends, keeping up with the yard work, and finding some time to relax as well!

Thomas Garrett started off his summer with Maggie Small dancing the role of Siegfried in Act II of Swan Lake in San Angelo, Texas. He also traveled to Humboldt County, California, to participate in Cinderella along with some of the other Richmond Ballet dancers. Now he has headed up to New York City to dance with one of Richmond’s favorite choreographers, Jessica Lang! After working with her for six weeks, Tommy will return to Richmond just in time for the start of the season.

Trevor Davis, having finished his first season as a company dancer, Trevor took a few opportunities to dance as a guest artist around Virginia, but is spending most of his summer here in Richmond. Along with his visiting brother, Marty, Trevor is enjoying time relaxing and is taking ballet classes as well.

Dylan Keane spent some time home in South Carolina working, golfing, swimming and enjoying some summer time off. He and the other apprentices are now back in the studio focusing on training in the School of Richmond Ballet’s Summer Intensive.

Samuel Lariviere is dancing with his fellow apprentices in the Summer Intensive Program at Richmond Ballet, after having had some time to visit home. While home, Sam took classes at the Nutmeg Conservatory (his alma mater), worked for his dad, hiked, camped, and spent time with his brother and sister.

Thomas Ragland’s summer includes excursions far outside his hometown of Richmond. Thomas performed the ballet Sleeping Beauty in Williamsburg, Virginia, and joined some of his fellow Richmond Ballet dancers in California for New World Ballet’s Cinderella. Next, he will participate in the National Choreographer’s Initiative as a dancer on which four up-and-coming choreographers will set entirely new works.

Ariel Rose returned to the Ballet Municipal de Lima, Peru's national ballet company, to perform with them as a guest soloist in their productions of Snow White and Romeo and Juliet, as well as to visit family there. This summer Ariel is also taking three more college courses online from the University of Massachusetts, where he has begun his Junior year.

Fernando Sabino went to Harrisonburg to work with Rockingham Ballet Theater before traveling out to California to perform in Cinderella. He then spent two and half weeks dancing in Puerto Rico! After all that dancing and traveling, he is now enjoying some well-deserved down time here in Richmond before starting back up with rehearsals for the 2011-2012 season.

Phillip Skaggs, orchestrator of the California trip that included so many of the RB dancers, performed as a guest artists in the New World Ballet’s production of Cinderella in Humboldt County. Phil then performed Sleeping Beauty in Burlington, Vermont. Now, Phil is passing his days teaching ballet and working on his recently purchased and self-renovated house…all while waiting for the arrival of his first-born son at the end of July! He and his wife, Katie (former Richmond Ballet dancer, Katherine Lynch, who has just received her nursing degree from Virginia Commonwealth University), are looking forward to this very exciting time!