Company Members

	BRIGIT CHESHIRE, 15, began her ballet training at The Portland Ballet in 2002. Brigit has danced in all seven of The Portland Ballet’s La Boutique Fantasque productions. Brigit has attended The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensives for the past three years and has participated in the 2008 and 2009 Masters Workshops. She traveled to Connecticut in 2009 to participate in the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts’ Summer Intensive program. While there, she performed at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. Brigit also studies acting at Northwest Children’s Theater and is a student at the Arts and Communications Magnet Academy.
	PETER DEFFEBACH, 15, has been studying ballet for eight years. As a student of The Portland Ballet he has performed in La Boutique Fantasque, Don Quixote, Stravinsky’s Firebird, and works such as Winter Mute, choreographed by Alexandrous Ballard.  In addition to Summer Intensives at The Portland Ballet, Peter has participated in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Summer Intensive and most recently completed a Summer Intensive with the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy.
	EMMA DOWNEY, 14, has been dancing with The Portland Ballet since the age of six.  This year marks her sixth year performing in The Portland Ballet’s holiday classic, La Boutique Fantasque. For the past five years Emma has attended The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensives.  She has participated in The Portland Ballet’s Masters Workshops, performing Napoli and Serenade.  Emma also danced Concerto in F for The Portland Ballet’s 2009 Spring Ballet.
	JANE ESTERLINE, 14, has been dancing at The Portland Ballet since she was six years old.  She has performed in every production of La Boutique Fantasque since its inception.  Jane has participated in every Summer Ballet Intensive as well as both Masters Workshops where she danced in Napoli and Serenade.  She has also performed Flower Festival, Little Swans, Concerto in F, and Don Quixote.  When she is not dancing, she can be found on the golf course with her Grandpa.
	REILLY HOHBERG, 16, began dancing at the age of four. Her ballet training started at the Premiere Academy of Performing Arts. At age 12, Reilly began training at a variety of renowned ballet studios across the United States. This included participation in programs at American Ballet Theatre in New York, and at Boston Ballet and Houston Ballet.  Reilly has performed variations from the Nutcracker, Paquita, Coppelia, Serenade, Who Cares, Les Sylphide, Sleeping Beauty and Apollo.
	RUSNE KUZMICKAS, 17, began dancing at the age of three and has been studying ballet for nearly ten years.  Rusne’s ballet training began at Nevada Ballet where she performed, among other roles, as Clara in The Nutcracker and Flower Girl from Don Quixote. Rusne began training with The Portland Ballet when she moved to Oregon in 2008. Rusne has performed in La Boutique Fantasque, Raymonda, and Paquita.  Rusne has also attended Summer Intensives at Nevada Ballet, Pacific Northwest ballet, and Miami City Ballet. In addition to ballet, Rusne enjoys nature and the arts.
	CAROLINE MACDONALD, 16, has been dancing for eight years.  She is a Youth Company member of The Portland Ballet as well as a 3rd year member of Dance West, ACMA’s multiform pre-professional dance company.  As a Youth Company member at The Portland Ballet she has performed roles in Don Quixote and John Clifford’s Concerto in F.  Caroline participated in The Portland Ballet’s 2009 Masters Workshop where she danced in Balanchine’s Serenade and Paquita. She has attended Summer Intensives at Oregon Ballet Theater and The Portland Ballet.  Caroline enjoys all forms of dance and has attended many contemporary and tap workshops.
	MAGGIE RUPP, 15, began her early ballet training with Dana Bliss.  She trained at Oregon Ballet Theatre for one year, where she performed in The Nutcracker before joining The Portland Ballet.  Maggie has performed in The Portland Ballet’s La Boutique Fantasque as well as  Raymonda Variations and Val Caniparoli’s Street Songs in The Portland Ballet’s 2008 Masters Workshop. She also participated in The Portland Ballet’s most recent Masters Workshop as well as performing Paquita Variations for Oregon Ballet Theatre’s first annual Fall.Art.Live.Festival. Maggie has recently completed The Miami City Ballet’s Summer Intensive program.
	SKYE STOUBER, 15, has just begun his fourth year of dance with The Portland Ballet. Skye has participated in two of The Portland Ballet’s Masters Workshops, performing in Napoli, Scherzo a la Russe and Paquita.  Skye has also performed in La Boutique Fantasque, where he danced the role of Pinocchio. As a Youth Company member with The Portland Ballet, he has also performed in Winter Mute and Don Quixote. Last summer Skye attended several Summer Intensive programs at the School of American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet and Houston Ballet, among others.
	KELSEY TRIF, 17, has been dancing since the age of three. She began her training at Oregon Ballet Theater before coming to The Portland Ballet in 2001.  Kelsey has attended a variety of Summer Intensives including programs at The Portland Ballet, American Ballet Theatre New York, and The Houston Ballet.  As a Youth Company member, Kelsey participated in The Portland Ballet’s Masters Workshops for the past two summers. Recently, Kelsey spent a summer studying at The Houston Ballet.
	APPRENTICE MEMBERS
	MICHAELA ABEL began dancing at June Taylor’s School of Dance at the age of four. While there she studied ballet, tap and jazz with June Taylor and Gretta Marchuk and had the opportunity to participate in Royal Academy exams and as well as perform in productions of The Nutcracker and Alice in Wonderland.   Michaela has been dancing with The Portland Ballet for the past three years and has participated in The Portland Ballet’s 2008 and 2009 Summer Intensives as well as La Boutique Fantasque. She enjoys the positive and professional atmosphere of The Portland Ballet and is looking forward to her experiences as a Youth Company Member.
	HOPE GARCIA, 14, is one of The Portland Ballet’s newest Youth Company Members.  Hope has a variety of performance experience including participating in Vancouver Dance Theatre productions as well as Evergreen Dance Academy recitals.  She has studied with Kim Graham and Karen Cannon and has won Gold and Silver medals at American Academy of Ballet Performance Awards.  For the past two years Hope has participated in The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensives. Most recently, Hope traveled to Spain to study with renowned dancers Angel and Carmen Corella. Hope is excited to be joining The Portland Ballet’s Youth Company.
	BRENNA HUGHES, 15, has been dancing since the age of three. She began her serious ballet training at The Otto M. Budig Academy at Cincinnati Ballet. While there she performed in the Cincinnati Ballet’s Nutcracker at the age of eight.  Brenna joined The Portland Ballet in 2004. She has performed in La Boutique Fantasque for the past six years, dancing a wide variety of roles.  Brenna has participated in three of The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensives. She also recently completed a Summer Intensive at the Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. In addition to ballet, Brenna is active in the drama and choir performances at Lakeridge High School.
	EMI LEE, a sophomore at Cleveland High School, began ballet and tap lessons around age four.  She trained with Oregon Ballet Theatre for eight years and performed in Oregon Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker as well their annual school performances.  Emi has participated in Summer Intensives at both Oregon Ballet Theatre and The Portland Ballet.  This will be her second year as a curriculum student at The Portland Ballet and her first year in the Youth Company.
	SOPHIA LEVENSON, 15, has been dancing for five years. She attended The Portland Ballet for the first year of her ballet training before attending the School of Oregon Ballet Theatre for the following four years. She has participated in summer intensives at The Portland Ballet and the Royal Dance Academy in San Diego, among others.  Sophia has performed in La Boutique  Fantasque as well as Oregon Ballet Theatre's production of The  Nutcracker.  Sophia also performs in Oregon Ballet Theatre's annual school performances every year.
	DORI POLLARD, 14, started dancing when she was four.  She danced with Columbia Dance Ensemble and Evergreen Dance Academy before beginning her training with The Portland Ballet in early 2009.  Dori has performed in the Vancouver Dance Theatre’s annual production of The Nutcracker since the age of seven, dancing a variety of roles from Candy Cane to being part of the snow and flower corps. She has attended Summer Intensives at Oregon Ballet Theatre, Evergreen Dance Academy and, most recently, The Portland Ballet’s 2009 Summer Intensive.  Dori loves to dance because it is exciting, challenging and fun.
	MERRITT ROSEN, 14, has been dancing since she was two years old. Merritt began studying ballet at Portland Community Ballet, where she danced for seven years before beginning her training at The Portland Ballet. Merritt has been dancing with The Portland Ballet for the past three years.  She has performed in The Portland Ballet’s La Boutique Fantasque holiday production for the past two years. Merritt has also participated in The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensive.
	LARA VALACHOVIC, 13, has been dancing for five years at The Portland Ballet.  She has participated in two of The Portland Ballet’s Summer Intensives.  This year marks her fifth year performing in La Boutique Fantasque, most recently a Can-Can doll.
	CLAIRE VLAHAKIS, 16, began dancing when she was three. Claire has been training at the Center for Movement Arts in Portland for the past ten years. She has attended Summer Intensive programs at both The Portland Ballet and the Summer Dance Lab at the Center for Movement Arts. Claire recently participated in The Portland Ballet’s Masters Workshop. Claire has performed in the Blue Sky Festival, Festival of the Trees, and the Center for Movement Arts’ spring recitals.
	MARINA YABUKI-DICORCIA, 14, was born in Tokyo, Japan and began her ballet training at age four. She danced in seven recitals in Japan before moving to the Portland area at age 12.  Marina began her U.S. training at The Portland Ballet, where she has performed in La Boutique Fantasque as a Can-Can doll the past two years. Marina was also an apprentice in The Portland Ballet’s most recent Spring Ballet and she apprenticed in the 2008 Masters Workshop. Marina is in the dance track at Beaverton's Arts & Communications Magnet Academy.

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TPB ALUMNI NEWS!

Updates from our alumns

Olivia Ancona	The Julliard School	Student
Ellie Ewer	The University of Utah, Dance Depart.	Student
Moses Kaplan	Tisch School of the Arts	Student
Lauren Lane	St. Louis Ballet	First Artist
Michael McGonegal	Houston Ballet	Corps
Lana Muhlbach	Ballet Memphis	Member
Angela Napier	Ballet Idaho	Corps
Elliot O'Glasser	The Joffery - Pre-professional Div.	Student
Henry Philofsky	Ballet West II	Member
Sada Popick-Ogburn	Ballet Idaho	Apprentice
Rachel Stanton	SUNY Purchase, Dance Depart.	Student
Adrienne Riter	Marymount University, Dance Depart.	Student