Company Announces New Additions and Promotions 

ATLANTA – (Oct. 16, 2012) - Many familiar faces will return to the stage for Atlanta Ballet’s 83rd season. Of the 21-member professional company, 19 are returning from last season, including veteran company dancers John Welker (18th season), Tara Lee (17th season), Jonah Hooper (14th season), and Christian Clark (11th season).

For the first time in 18 seasons, ballet goers will not get a chance to see dancer Christine Winkler. Winkler, who’s also married to fellow company artist John Welker, will be on hiatus thieason as she and Welker are expecting their first child this spring.

Dancers Alexandre Barros and Benjamin Stone will join the professional ranks after being promoted from fellowship and apprentice status respectively.

In addition to the 21 company dancers, four apprentices will perform this season, including newcomer Kiara Felder. Felder began her ballet training in Cary, North Carolina at Cary Ballet Conservatory.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Kiara was awarded a full scholarship to continue her training as a Professional Division student at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  During her time there, she performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet in the corps of George Balanchine’s Le Baiser de la Fée and Copellia, and in Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker. 

Since taking over in 1994, Artistic Director John McFall has consistently recruited a diverse group of dancers in style, technique and physicality. Beyond cultivating talent from within the Atlanta Ballet’s Centre for Dance Education (Atlanta Ballet currently has nine former students in the company), his scouting efforts have yielded national and international recruits. This year more than 10 countries will be represented, including Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Uruguay, the Philippines, Vietnam, Canada, China, and Taiwan.

This season, three dancers from China – Li Xiwen, Su Yujing, and Fanlin Meng– will join the Centre for Dance Education pre-professional division as fellowship dancers courtesy of the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University.  As a part of their curriculum, the dancers will have an opportunity to rehearse and perform with the professional company.

Atlanta Ballet’s 12-13 season begins in December with the 53rd production of Belk Presents Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker. Season programming will also include the return of Michael Pink’s Dracula (Feb. 2013), the debut of world renowned Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin’s Minus 16 (March 2013), and the North American premiere of British choreographer David Bintley’s Carmina Burana (April 2013).

To learn more about Atlanta Ballet and the company, please visit www.atlantaballet.com or visit the official Atlanta Ballet blog at www.atlantaballet.com/blog. 
 

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For media inquiries, contact: Sigele Winbush – 404.862.2081, publicrelations@atlantaballet.com

Atlanta Ballet Promotions:

Alexandre Barros
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Alexandre received his training from Escola de Dancas Alice Arja, Escola Estadual de Dancas Maria Olenewa. At the age of 15, he came to the United States on a full scholarship to study with The Harid Conservatory. After graduating from Harid, he joined Atlanta Ballet in 2011 as a fellowship where he has performed works by choreographers such as James Kudelka, Juel Lane, Christopher Wheeldon, Bruce Wells and fellow company member Tara Lee.

Benjamin Stone
Benjamin began dancing in his homeland of Melbourne, Australia, under the guidance of Tim Podesta. In 2008, at the age of 16, Ben advanced into the Australian Ballet School, where he attended on scholarship after winning the Sydney Eisteddfod McDonald Ballet Scholarship. There, Ben studied under Mark Annear, Dale Baker, Simon Dowe and Jia Hong Wang and graduated in 2011 with an Advanced Diploma of Dance.  Ben had the opportunity to dance and tour with the Australian Ballet, appearing as Lead Gypsy in their production of Don Quixote. Ben made his Atlanta Ballet debut last winter as Prince Charming in Bruce Wells’ Snow White and was last seen in Christopher Wheeldon’s Rush.

 

New Company Apprentice:
Kiara Felder
Kiara Felder began her ballet training at age 6 in Cary, North Carolina at Cary Ballet Conservatory.  She spent summers training at Boston Ballet, Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive and Pacific Northwest Ballet.  After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Kiara was awarded a full scholarship to continue her training as a Professional Division student at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School.  She performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet in the corps of George Balanchine’s Le Baiser de la Fée and Copellia, and in Kent Stowell’s Nutcracker.  Outside of ballet, she enjoys music and arts and crafts. 
 

For full list of Atlanta Ballet company artists, with bios, please visit: http://www.atlantaballet.com/about-us/dancers/company