COMPANY:

Ashley Cook

Ashley Cook , a native of Long Island, NY, began her training at Starlite School of Dance Arts. She performed competitively there until the age of 16 under the instruction of Jodi Vaccaro. She then studied at Seiskaya Ballet School where she performed in Dance of the Hours as the role of Night, The Nutcracker as Dew Drop, and Paquita as a soloist. Ashley trained with ABT stars Leslie Browne and Ethan Brown at The School at Steps in NYC. She has had the opportunity to attend several summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Princeton Ballet School, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Ashley is currently a sophomore dance major at Mercyhurst College and has thus far performed in Crayola, Symphonie Italienne, Les Sylphedes, and Petit Dances. This is her first year performing with Lake Erie Ballet and she is exciting about the upcoming season.

Anna Daught

Anna Daught began taking ballet classes at the age of 5 in Brandon, Manitoba. She fell in love with ballet and continued her training in Tucson, Arizona at Arizona Ballet Theatre under Cecily Winslow Bressel, Norman Walker, and Rochelle Zide-Booth. After moving to Johnson City, Tennessee, Anna continued her studies with Pat Holden of National Ballet of Canada and Memphis Ballet and guest teachers Olena Safonova of Kiev Academy of Ballet, Marvin Askew of Buffalo City Ballet, Norbert Nirewicz, and Heather Maloy of Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance. Anna joined the City Youth Ballet where she danced the lead in the American premier of Orchestra Mice performed with the East Tennessee Regional Symphony and as Spirit of Christmas Past in CYB's adaptation of A Christmas Carol. Anna is currently a Junior dance major at Mercyhurst College where she has performed in ballets including Giselle and Les Sylphides. This past summer, Anna was thrilled with the opportunity to be a chaperone while participating in the Mercyhurst Summer Dance Intensive where she had classes with master teacher Bruce Marks. She is excited to be part of the 2010-11 Lake Erie Ballet season. She would also like to thank her parents for all their love and encouragement.

Allegra Glinsky

Allegra Glinsky is a sophomore Dance Major at Mercyhurst College. She began her ballet training at Lake Erie Ballet and danced the role of Clara in the 2007 LEB production of The Nutcracker. Allegra has also studied at Erie Dance Conservatory under the direction of Sarah Purvis and at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico with Carlotta Carrera and Paschal Guzman. Allegra has attended summer dance intensives at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and most recently, American Ballet Theatre in New York City. Her repertoire includes roles from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Stars and Stripes, Le Corsaire, Coppelia, and La Bayadère as well as new works by emerging choreographers. Allegra is excited to begin her first year as an apprentice with the LEBC.

Andrea Lankester

Andrea Lankester from Cincinnati, Ohio began her dance training at age four at the Otto M. Budig Academy of Cincinnati Ballet under the instruction of Daniel R. Simmons and Nancy Fountain. In addition, she studied diligently with Jennifer Porteous and Meridith Benson. At age sixteen she attended the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she graduated from their high school program. Andrea has attended numerous summer programs at the School of American Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Her classical ballet repertoire includes The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Balanchine's Square Dance, Swan Lake, and Firebird, among others. Andrea is currently a sophomore dance major at Mercyhurst College, and is excited to be celebrating her first season with Lake Erie Ballet.

Bethany T Myers

Bethany was born in Erie but raised in Pittsburgh and began her ballet training in Pittsburgh at the Ballet Baroque School under the direction of Elva Scapes former member of Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo, and Nicolas Petrov founder of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Bethany studied directly under Ismet Mouhedin of the Paris Opera Ballet. Bethany spent summers at ballet intensives under the direction of Mansur Kameletdinov, and through PBT, and Point Park College. Bethany went on to spend a season with Ballet Magnificat of Jackson, Mississippi, from there she furthered her studies in NYC for two years at open classes with David Howard at Broadway Dance, and classes at Steps Studio, and The Peridance studio for Limon workshops. Bethany is currently residing in Erie Pennsylvania and has had the privelege to work with Alethea Bodine, Carrie Burns-Frase, and Christina Maria Adelhart of the Lake Erie Ballet. Bethany is pleased to have danced in the 2010 production of "The Nutcracker" and the 2011 spring season performance of "The Little Mermaid" in the role of Polaris as choreographed by Carrie Burns-Frase. Bethany's primary goal as a dancer is to be a part of a corp de ballet of a performing company as a strong dancer. In her dancing she aspires to be transparent so the music and choreography can reach an audience as dancing continues to cross all boundaries.

Alexandra Orenstein

Alexandra Orenstein, from Kernesville, North Carolina began her ballet training at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in the Preparatory Program, under the direction of Susan McCullough. She continued her training at the University of North Carolina School of the arts from ages eight to eighteen, graduating from their High School program. She has attended several summer programs including Miami City Ballet, Bill T. Jones, University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Alexandra's classical ballet repertoire includes Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Raymonda, La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. Alexandra continues her training as a Sophomore at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA pursuing a BA in dance. She is excited to be spending her first season with Lake Erie Ballet.

Emily Reed

Emily is very excited to be joining Lake Erie Ballet for this coming season. She began her training with Gennadi and Susan Vostrikov at Vostrikov's Academy of Ballet in her hometown of Winchester Virginia. She also was a member of Virginia Youth Ballet where she performed many roles, including the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Emily also danced various roles in The Nutcracker with the Vostrikov's including Clara, Lead Spanish, Dew Drop Fairy, and Sugarplum Fairy. She has also spent her summers dancing at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Virginia School of the Arts, American Academy of Ballet, and most recently American Ballet Theatre's Collegiate Intensive. Emily has also been awarded the Marion Parks Lewis Grant and the Silver with Distinction Award at the Performance Awards in Purchase, NY. Currently, Emily is a sophomore at Mercyhurst College where she is pursuing a B.A. in Dance with a concentration in Performance and a minor in Arts Therapy. While at Mercyhurst, Emily has performed in Raw Edges and Cinderella.

Emma Rishel

Emma Rishel, Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Emma Rishel began her ballet training at the age of six at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, under the direction of Marcia Dale Weary. She has attended several summer programs such as the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet, American Ballet Theater New York, and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Emma has worked with Laszlo Berdo and performed several of his original works. Her classical ballet repertoire includes The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Coppelía and La Bayadere. Emma has also had the privilege of performing many of George Balanchine's works such as The Nutcracker, Raymonda Variations, Serenade, Walpurgisnaught, and La Source. While at Mercyhurst Emma has enjoyed dancing in Crayola, The Nutcracker, Symphonie Italienne, Petite Dances, and Rhapsody Sur le Pointe. She is now continuing her dance studies for the second year at Mercyhurst College, pursuing a BA in dance. Emma is looking forward to her first season as a company member at the Lake Erie Ballet and would like to thank her supportive parents and encouraging teachers.