The Springfield Ballet Company recently held open auditions to select Company dancers and Trainees for its upcoming 2015-2016 season.

 

Auditions were held on Saturday, May 9, 2015, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.

 

We are proud to announce our 2015-2016 season Company dancers and Trainees! 

 

The Company

Emma Adam, Anna Benoit, Lizzy Benoit, Emily Boehme, Claire Bolin, Bailee Brinkman, Nicole Conway, Cecilia Donathan, Elise Fain, Jillian Hergenrother, Kendall Heuman, Jocelyn Holmes, Madison Hutmacher, Meredith Kelley, Olivia Killion, Taylor Krech, Ava Lahey, Amanda Little, Lesley McLafferty, Abby Milhiser, Caroline Mitchell, Kari Morton, Stephanie Parrott, Olivia Pennell, Allison Rainford, Linda Rainford, Payton Reichensperger, Tiffany Riech, Michaela Sapochak, Alina Sinha, Elizabeth Streb, Briley Tanner, Analysse Vance, Kayla Wheeler

 

Trainees

Grace Batterman, Cate Conlon, Caroline Dahlquist, Willa Daniels, Chloe Davlin, Sydnie Edwards, Emma Faulkner, Katriana Fuhr, Lola Gehrke, Anna Hardy, Avery Kearbey, Emma Kinion, Nancy Mi, Natalie Miller, Logan Mink, Ella Paul, Lauren Pumphrey, Hannah Riegle, Maddie Sieren, Cecilia Simpson, Abbey Suess, Lexi Yociss, Leeza Zavelsky

Last weekend, Company dancers began rehearsals for our Summer Senior Outreach Tour, as well as our fall production of Rockballet. Trainees also attended their first class of the season, following an orientation meeting. Company dancers and Trainees will take part in a series of master classes and workshops throughout the summer, including SBC's Summer Intensive Workshops, "Fuel Up for Maximum Performance" by genHkids, a master class in modern with ISU professor Darby Wilde, and a workshop in stage makeup with David Mounce -- just to name a few!

 

Help the Springfield Ballet Company provide some very special shoes to some very special . . .

Company Dancers ~

Our 30 Company dancers dedicate an average of 20 hours per week training to perform for audiences and provide dance education and performances to community groups. The delicate pointe shoes our dancers wear provide a rigid support that prevents injury. Each pair is made by hand and after only a few rehearsals, the shoes become unusable and must be replaced. Through the course of a season of three or more productions, each dancer can expect to wear through a minimum of six pairs of pointe shoes at a cost of $60 to $75 a pair. SBC would like to provide each dancer the pointe shoes necessary for our productions. Please help us continue this tradition.

 

 

Boys & Girls Clubs Dancers ~

In the fall of 2015, the SBC will again offer its Ballet Outreach Program. This program was established in 2001 as a way to provide dance education to young people from areas that are often underexposed to the fine arts. The Ballet Outreach Program is offered in collaboration with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, and teaches basic ballet to students ages six to 18. In addition to six months of weekly classes conducted by SBC volunteer ballet instructors, the Company provides ballet shoes, tights, leotards, dance skirts, bags, a t-shirt and tickets to SBC productions -- all at no cost to each student dancer. At the end of each season, parents and friends are invited to attend a free ballet recital performed by the Boys & Girls Clubs Ballet Outreach Program dancers at The Legacy Theatre.

 

To donate to the Springfield Ballet Company's annual Pointe Shoe Fund, visit our website HERE.

 

Springfield Ballet Company concluded its 40th Anniversary Season with Swan Lake, sponsored by Body Perfect, Isringhausen, and Luers.

 

Thank you to Gus Gordon for a wonderful article about our April performances of Swan Lake, complete with beautiful photographs by Patrick Russell. Cover photo features SBC dancer, Allison Rainford, as a demo-soloist in Act II of Swan Lake.

 

Copies of Springfield Scene Magazine are available at Barnes & Noble in Springfield, IL, or you can subscribe to download a digital copy HERE.    

 

Last fall, Springfield Ballet Company showed support for a ballet program Carol Matheson has in Bluefields, Nicaragua. SBC dancers, their families and Luers collectively donated dozens of leotards, skirts, shorts, t-shirts and ballet shoes to the children and adults involved in this wonderful program.

 

In January 2015, SBC alum Rachel Woerner traveled to Bluefields to teach daily classes in ballet and jazz technique. Rachel taught three classes a day, January 5-8, 2015. 

Mrs. Matheson has kept in touch with SBC throughout the year and we are thrilled to see that her program is so successful. 

 

To view a YouTube video featuring their March recital performance, click the image below.

Best wishes to our dancer friends in Bluefields, Nicaragua!