Mailing List

Guests of the 2009 - 2010 Season

Choreographers:

Performing with the Lake Erie Ballet
for the 51st Annual Nutcracker
December 18, 19 & 20, 2009 at the Warner Theatre in Erie, PA

MICHELE GIFFORD
~ pictured performing in Coppelia ~

Michele grew up in Dallas, Texas. She began her training with Ann Etgen and Bill Atkinson at the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet. At the age of sixteen she moved to New York City to attend the School of American Ballet on full scholarship. Two years later, she became a member of the New York City Ballet. In her twelve year career at New York City Ballet, Michele had the opportunity to perform many soloist and principal roles including :Balanchine’s “Apollo”,” Rubies”, “Agon”, “Symphony in Three Movements”, ”A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “ Stars and Stripes” to name a few. Michele also originated many roles including Jerome Robbins’ “ West Side Story Suite”, Peter Martins’” Echo”, Christopher Wheeldons’” Slavonic Dances”, and David Parsons’ Touch”. In 2000, Michele joined Texas Ballet Theater under Ben Stevenson. While at TBT, she performed several principal roles including Ben Stevenson’s “Copellia”, “Four Last Songs”,” Dracula”, and “Peer Gynt” along with Balanchine’s “Allegro Brilliante” and “The Four Temperaments”. Michele has also made several guest artist appearances including “Tchaikovsky pas de Deux”, “Who Cares”, “Barber Violin Concerto”, ”Carmina Burana”, “Rubies” and most recently, with the Bruce Wood Dance Company. Michele is married and has two children, Ryan and Morgan.

Performing with the Lake Erie Ballet
for the 51st Annual Nutcracker
December 18, 19 & 20, 2009 at the Warner Theatre in Erie, PA

MATTHEW PRESCOTT , born and raised in Idaho, graduated high school from Interlochen Arts Academy and attended the inaugural year of the Joffrey/New School University in New York City. In 2000, he was invited to join the Joffrey Ballet. Mr. Prescott has also worked with Donald Byrd's Spectrum Dance Theater, Alonzo King's LINES Ballet, Ballet NY, The Alabama Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and is featured in Robert Altman's film The Company.

Summer Term 2008-2009 / June 8 - 26

Abigail Henninger

Abigail was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, and studied for twelve at the Lake Erie Ballet. During this time, Abigail performed with the Lake Erie Ballet Company. She has danced in original works at Regional Dance America as well as attending various summer programs, including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Ballet Magnificat, Master Works Festival of the Arts and Universal Ballet Academy. In 2004, Abigail was a guest artist with Hosanna Sacred Arts Dance Company. Abigail joined the Sarasota Ballet in 2006 where she has performed in various ballets such as, Concerto Barocco, Copellia, The Two Pigeons, Facade, Divertimento No. 15, Les Patineurs, Les Sylphides, Paquita, and Anna Karenina to name but a few. She is now headed into her fourth season with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida.

Ms. Henninger will be teaching a Repertory Class 12:30 - 1:30 M/W/F at Palmer Studio, Mercyhurst College.  Register for this class by contacting LEB offices via email: lead@lakeerieballet.org or by calling 871-4356 x101. 

Ms. Henninger will also be offering semi-privates to attending students T/TH 11:30 - 1:00 at LEB studios, 701 Holland St.  Please call or email to make your reservations today.

Kirsten Carpenter
Guest Choreographer

Ms. Carpenter began her dance training while attending high school in Orange County, CA. After several years of dividing her time between competitive gymnastics, tennis, dance and color guard teams, she dedicated her senior year solely to studying dance under the tutelage of Becky Reed. Kirsten graduated from Esperanza High School in 1991 and received a special award for Excellence in Physical Fitness.

Kirsten then moved to Erie to attend Mercyhurst College where she was a member of the Mercyhurst Dancers, under the direction of Mary Price Boday and Jay E. Kirk, performing as a soloist and corps de ballet member in numerous original works as well as classics such as Les Sylphides and Sleeping Beauty. While attending Mercyhurst, Kirsten also performed in the Lake Erie Ballet’s Nutcracker, under the direction of Jeff Satinoff. Ms. Carpenter was also a Dean’s list student, as well as a ballet and jazz instructor at the former Mercyhurst Conservatory. Along with Mercyhurst and LEB faculty, Kirsten studied with master teachers including Ismet Mouhedin, Malou Fenaroli, and the world renowned David Howard.

Ms. Carpenter then moved to San Francisco in 1993 where she majored in dance at San Francisco State University. As a member of the school’s performing company, EMBAJE, Kirsten was chosen to perform a ballet solo at the opening ceremonies of the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Discovering her talent for choreography, Kirsten was also fortunate to have her works selected to appear in the SFSU Faculty Show. During the next few years, Ms. Carpenter not only performed with several outstanding Bay Area choreographers, she also choreographed and produced several showcases of her own. Kirsten continued to study ballet with many notable instructors including Dr. Susan Sandri, Susie Whipp, Wendy Diamond, Arturo Fernandez, and Alonzo King.

Kirsten returned to Southern California and began teaching in 1997. She then spent the next ten years at Carlsbad Dance Centre, North San Diego County’s premiere dance school, as a ballet, jazz, contemporary, and musical theatre instructor, as well as choreographing and coaching for their nationally ranked competition team. Not only did many dancers under Ms. Carpenter’s tutelage receive multiple awards and rankings for technique and performance, Kirsten also received several local, state, and national awards for her choreography, costuming, and staging. Kirsten also directed and choreographed sections of several ballet productions including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, La Boutique Fantasque, Rodeo, and Seasons, an original ballet by Ms. Carpenter.

Attending several conventions every year, Kirsten has continued to keep up with the ever changing industry standards by studying all forms of dance as well as Pedagogy, Pilates, Gyrokenesis, and Dance Conditioning. Notable instructors include Mia Michaels, Brian Friedman, Tyce Diorio, Wade Robson, Shebar Williams, Marguerite Derricks, Judy Rice, and Jerry Rose.

Ms. Carpenter is thrilled to be back in Erie, where her true passion for ballet and dance began, and looks forward to many more years of sharing her passion with the students of LEB.

701 Holland St.

Erie, PA 16501