TDPC_Performers2

TACOMA PERFORMING DANCE COMPANY MEMBERS
	Kristina Barsalona danced with Jo Emery Ballet School in the middle to late 90's. In addition to dance, she spent many years performing in musical theatre productions with Tacoma Musical Playhouse and Tacoma Little Theatre. She returned to dancing with Jo Emery in 2007 and became a company member in 2008. Her daughter, Charlie, also takes ballet with Jo. Kristina is a mother of two, and she currently works for Regence. She is a first year TPDC Board of Trustee and serves as the Dancer Representative.
	Lesley Barrett has been dancing with Jo Emery since the age of six. Lesley has danced in numerous performances choreographed by Jo Emery. Her last role was Sugar Plum Fairy in the 2005 Nutcracker season. She has taken various master classes over the years including those led by David Howard, Amanda McKerrow, Kabby Mitchell, and Deanna Ford. She has also attended numerous ballet programs such as the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre School, and the Burklyn Ballet Theatre School. During her time with the Burklyn Ballet she traveled to Scotland to perform the Little Mermaid in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Lesley is currently an Environmental Studies Major at the University of Washington and will continue to dance while pursuing her Bachelor's Degree.
	Gabrielle Beardemphl is fifteen years old and is a sophomore at Stadium High School. She has been dancing ballet since she was four and has been attending Jo Emery's ballet school for six years. Gabrielle has been accepted to Rock School of Ballet summer program. Outside of ballet, she enjoys playing the harp.
	Mireya Beltran has been dancing with Jo Emery for six-teen years. She is a seventh year company member. Mireya has been accepted to Cornish school of the Arts. In 2008, Mireya Attended PLU and now in 2009 she is attending Tacoma Community College. She plans to transfer to Pacific University of Oregon next fall. Mireya is currently employed at the Harmon Brewery Company.
	Tess Bentley is seventeen. She has been dancing with Jo Emery Ballet School for fourteen years. Tess studies ballet along with jazz and modern. She is a junior at Tacoma School of the Arts where she is studying dance and photography. Her other interests include reading, writing, and beading. In this year's Nutcracker, Tess will perform as a Ballerina Doll, soloist and in Snow, and in Marzipan.
	Brooke Call has been dancing with Jo Emery since she was four years old.
	Lauren Call has been dancing with Jo Emery for eight years and is a first year company member with TPDC. She is currently attending Goodman Middle School as an eighth grader. In this years TPDC 2009 Nutcracker Ballet, Lauren will appear in Dolls, Kingdom of Sweets, and Waltz of the Flowers.
	Carrie Condon started dancing at age four with Jan Collum. At age seven she came to Jo Emery and in 1994 joined TPDC when she was fourteen. After dancing in the company for three years, Carrie joined the WHS Dance Team and cheered at TCC from 2000 to 2002. Carrie returned to Jo Emery in November of 2006 after a ten year absence and rejoined TPDC. In this seasons Nut-cracker Ballet, she will dance in Spanish, Waltz of the Flowers, and Snow.
	Megan Downing has been dancing with Jo Emery for six years since the age of nine. This is her second year as a company member after a year away. Megan also enjoys playing volleyball and spending time with her friends. She is currently attending Bellarmine Preparatory and is in her sophomore year. In the 2011 TPDC Nutcracker Ballet, Megan will perform in Waltz of the Flowers and Russian.
	Sydney Freutel is a first year company member with theTacoma Performing Dance Company. She will perform in Waltz of the Flowers in TPDC's 2011 production of the Nutcracker Ballet.
	Nadia Glaude has danced at Jo Emery for 10 years. She is fifteen years old and attends Wilson Highschool as a freshman In the summer of 2010 Nadia attended a four week summer intensive at American Ballet Theater in Detroit. In her spare time Nadia plays the violin and enjoys hanging out with friends. In this year's Nutcracker, she will be a Ballerina Doll, Snow Angel and also appear in Marzipan and Chinese.
	Jasmine Gruenstein is a senior at Tacoma School of the Arts. She has danced with Jo Emery Ballet School for ten years. To strengthen her dance experience she teaches ballet, jazz and hip hop for MetroParks. Her other passion is volunteering at the Pierce County AIDS Foundation; she has gotten her varsity letter in community service two years in a row. This year she can be seen as a Rat and as Mother Ginger in the Nutcracker.
	Dara Hanson has been dancing for six years, three of which have been with Jo Emery. This is her first year in the company and enjoys the challenge. She has a passion for music and loves to make up dances at home. Dara attends Federal Way Public Academy, a college-prep school. Dara has lived in Singapore where she received intensive training in ballet. In this year's production of the Nutcracker, she dances the roll of Young Clara.
	Anna Herron has studied classical ballet for twenty years beginning at the age of six at Suburban Dance Studio in Puyallup where she studied tap, jazz, and ballet. Anna also enjoyed studying acting and musical thea during her college years at the University of Puget Sound. Performing as a company dancer with TPDC since 2001, Anna has danced in numerous pieces and has had many roles in the Nutcracker. In 2005 Anna choreographed Another Small Adventure for TPDC. She also helped to choreograph High School's 2010 musical performance of Anything Goes. Anna will be choreographing in TPDC's Spring 2011 Performance. Recently she has been taking time to focus on her family and her job as a Wapato Cooperative Preschool teacher.
	Diane Holmstrom started dancing when she was three and has been with Jo Emery since age eleven. She has performed in ballets ranging from the traditional Nutcracker and Cinderella to clowning around in Circus, Colors, and playing Rudolph at the Boeing Christmas Show. A gymnast through high school and college, she also coached gymnastics and choreographed dance for gymnasts for many years. She has been delightedto perform in many of Jo's jazz numbers such as Nine, Moulin Rouge, and to have been among the tumbling Rats and Russians in the Nutcracker.
	Amity Howell-Sloboda began studying ballet and jazz with Jo Emery at the age of six. She joined TPDC in 1989. Amity attended the University of Washington in Seattle where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Dance. While at UW, she studied dance techniques from various innovative instructors and choreographers. In 1998, Amity choreographed Night. Night. for the UW Dance Majors Concert. Amity returned to TPDC in 2000 and danced in Chicago, Americana, Moulin Rouge, and Matt Nelson's Fosse. Since 2003, she has choreographed Souffrir en Silence, Move, The Beatles, and Committed. Her piece entitled Committed was featured in the 2010 TPDC Dance for the Cure Spring Concert. In November 2009 she choreographed 7 Deadly Sins–The Musical at Pierce College. Amity is currently the resident Modern dance teacher at Jo Emery Ballet School. Her choreography will be featured in Snow Angels in the 2011 Nutcracker and the 2012 TPDC Spring Concert.
	Kathy Kimpel has danced ballet for thirteen years; eleven of which with Jo Emery. This is her third year as a TPDC company member and she is a sophomore at Annie Wright School. In the summer of 08’ she attended American Ballet Theater’s summer intensive in Detroit Michigan, and in the summer of 06’ she attended the Rock School for Dance Education’s summer intensive in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. In addition to ballet, Kathy also studies advanced jazz dancing with Jo Emery. Outside of the dance studio, she acts, sings, plays the guitar. Her other passions include reading and writing short stories (possibly a novel someday). In the 2009 Nutcracker she will perform in Snow, Snow Angels, Waltz of the Flowers and Dance of the Flutes.
	Ellie Lehman is seventeen years old, and a senior at the Tacoma School of the Arts. Ellie has been dancing since she was eight years old and a member of the Ta-coma Performing Dance Company since 2007. Ellie has attended summer intensive programs at the Rock School, Milwaukee Ballet, Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive, Miami City Ballet, and Los Angeles Ballet. This will be Ellie's last Nutcracker with the Tacoma Performing Dance Com-pany and she performs as the Sugar Plum Fairy in this 2011 production.
	Savannah McGowen is fifteen years old and a ninth grader at Wilson High School. She has been dancing for twelve years, six of which have been with Jo Emery. Savannah has attended the Rock School in Philadelphia and Northwest Dance Intensive in Olympia. She was also accepted to Detroit's American Ballet Theatre. She will perform in Dolls, Snow Angels, Marzipan, and Chinese in this year's Nutcracker.
	Molly McVicker is in ninth grade at Bellarmine Pre-paratory School where she is an ASB officer. Molly enjoys dancing, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and living out her Catholic faith. She started dancing with Jo Emery when she was six. In the 2011 TPDC Nutcracker Ballet, Molly will perform in Dolls, Snow, and Marzipan.
	Zoë Meade is seventeen years old and a third year company member. Zoë has enjoyed being a student of ballet, jazz and modern throughout her twelve years with Jo Emery. Zoë is a junior at Stadium High School where she is captain of the Knowledge Bowl Team. She also enjoys participating in school theater productions, photography and is a member of the Stadium Arts Society. In this year's Nutcracker Ballet, Zoë performs as the Rat Queen, Russian Soloist and appears in Snow, Marzipan, and Waltz of the Flowers.
	Carrie Micallef has danced with Jo Emery Ballet School for over five years. Carrie has many style of dance ex-perience in jazz, ballet, pointe, lyrical, modern, hip hop, ballroom and tap. Carrie attends many dance conventions where she has received gold and judge's choice awards. She performed in the Sounds of the Season Talent Show for two years in a row. Carrie was accept and attended American Academy of Ballet in New York and Summer Dance Lab in Walla Walla. Carrie performed as Sugar Plum, Spanish, Doll, Russian, Chinese, and Arabian in previous studios. In TPDC's 2009 Nutcracker Ballet she will dance as Snow Princess and Arabian.
	Jasmine Miller has danced with Jo Emery for nine years. This is her fourth year as a company mem-ber. She attends SAMI, where she is in the tenth grade. She was accepted to be in the first ninth grade class at the Science and Math Institute set to graduate in 2013. She has set her goal to become a Veterinarian. In this year's Nutcracker she will appear in Snow Angels and Arabian.
	Anna Needham attends Stadium High School where she is a sophomore. This will be Anna's eleventh year dancing with Jo Emery. Aside from dancing, Anna enjoys playing the flute in the Stadium High School Concert band and plays lacrosse for the Lady Tigers Lacrosse team. Anna is currently the Wardrobe assistant for Tacoma Performing Dance Company.
	Meriel Peterson is a junior at Stadium High School. She has been dancing for thirteen years, eleven with Jo Emery. Meriel plays the violin, is involved with pho-tograpy, and also swims and plays tennis for Stadium. In this years' Nutcracker, Meriel will be performing in Marzipan, Snow, Dolls, and as the Dew Drop Fairy in Waltz of the Flowers.
	Maddie Porter is a third year company member and has been dancing for nine years. She has been dancing the last six years with Jo Emery. She is a sophomore at Stadium High School where she plays flute in the symphonic band and is also on the Stadium Cheer Squad. She is also a volunteer at the Children's Museum of Tacoma. Maddie has attended the Rock School of Ballet Summer Intensive in Philadelphia and the Northwest summer Intensive in Olympia.
	Riley Ranch has danced with Jo Emery for fourteen years and is a fifth year company member. She at-tended the 2010 Northwest Dance Intensive, 2009 ABT Summer Intensive in Detroit, and the 2008 ABT Summer Intensive in Alabama. She has attended pro-grams at the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Evergreen City Ballet. She was accepted to programs at Joffrey Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, Ballet Austin, Walnut Hill, Milwaukee Ballet, The Jillana School, and Burklyn Ballet. She is a junior at Stadium High School where she is a varsity cheerleader. In this season's production of the Nut-cracker, Riley will be appearing as Clara, a Ballerina Doll, and in Snow and Marzipan.
	Janis Robinson has been dancing and a member of the Tacoma Performing Dance Company for thirteen years. In 2005, she choreographed a ballet A Day Together in memory of her son, Lloyd A. Robinson (1972-2004). In 2006 she choreographed a Country-Western Couples and Line Dance, The Country Club and in spring 2009, a jazz work entitled Halo. In this year's Nut-cracker, Janis will dance the role of Clara's Mother in the Party Scene.
	Shoshana Schrenk is thirteen years old and attends Lighthouse Christian School as an eighth grader. She has danced with Jo Emery since the age of three. In the 2011 Nutcracker she will perform in Russian, Snow, Dolls, and Waltz of the Flowers.
	Andrew Storvick is twelve years old and a seventh grader at Jason Lee Middle School. He has danced with Jo Emery for nine years. His first Nutcracker role was as a Ginger Baby. He will return to the Nut-cracker this year as Fritz in the Party Scene. In his spare time Andrew enjoys reading he also plays the F-Horn in band and sings during special service at church.
	Roy Stevens received a scholarship from Jo Emery in 1979 and has danced with the company in many of Jo's productions such as Waltz Dances, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Piano Rags, and many more. His favorite roles are that of the Rat King and Kermit the Frog which was his first real dancing experience. He has danced several Nutcracker roles including Clara's Father, Waltz of the Flowers, Rat King, Russian, Spanish, Arabian, Drosselmeyer, and as the Doll in the Party Scene, Rats, and this year, The Prince.
	Mari Thiersch has been dancing ballet for thirteen years and has been with Jo Emery for the past three. She is sixteen and a junior at the science and math institute. She enjoys studying math and science as well as modern dance. She has attended the summer dance lab in Walla Walla and has been accepted into the Northwest and Cornish dance intensive. In this year's nut-cracker she will be performing in Snow, Marzipan, Russian and Waltz of the flowers.
	Isabella Turco has studied ballet and jazz with Jo Emery since she was five. She is in the sixth grade at St. Patrick School where she is an honor roll student. Other activi-ties she enjoys are the school Christmas Pageant, mod-ern dance, basketball, and volleyball. This year as a first-year company apprentice, she will perform in the Nut-cracker Ballet in Dolls, Kingdom of Sweets, and Waltz of the Flowers.
	Kayleigh Van Guilder has danced with Jo Emery since the age of three. She joined TPDC in 2004 at age twelve. After dancing with the company for two years, Kayleigh pursued cheerleading and lacrosse. She cheered from 2006-2010 at Lakes HS and at Graham Kapowsin HS. Kayleigh also played offensive forward and center for the GKHS lacrosse team for two years. After gradu-ating high school, Kayleigh returned to the Jo Emery Ballet School and rejoined TPDC in the summer of 2010. Kayleigh has been accepted to The Rock School of Dance Education as well as Summer Dance Lab. In this year's Nutcracker Kayleigh will appear in Snow and Russian.
	Kathryn Vecchiato, a fourth year company member, has danced with Jo Emery for nine years. She has attended Summer Dance Lab in Walla Walla, The Rock School in Philadelphia, PA, and Johansen Ballet School's Summer Intensive in Olympia. She is a junior at Bellarmine Pre-paratory School. In this years Nutcracker, she will per-form in Snow and as an Arabian dancer.
	Julia White is dancing her second year with TPDC. She is a sopho-more at Tacoma School of the Arts and has been dancing most of her life. In the 2009 TPDC Nutcracker Ballet she performs in Dolls, Kingdom of the Sweets, and Waltz of the Flowers.
APPRENTICES
	Faith Anderson is a first year apprentice with the Ta-coma Performing Dance Company. She will perform as a Rat as well as in Kingdom of Sweets and Waltz of the Flowers in the 2011 production of the TPDC Nutcracker Ballet.
	Maggie Boardman started dancing with Jo Emery at the age of five in 2004.She is a seventh grader at St. Patrick's Elementary School in Tacoma. In addition to ballet, Maggie plays basketball on her school team, she is an avid reader, and loves to draw and work on art projects. Maggie has a great love of animals and plans to be a Veterinarian when she grows up.
	Elisabeth Davies Elisabeth Davies is thirteen years old and has danced for eight years, seven of them with Jo Emery. A seventh grader at St. Charles Borromeo School, she also enjoys soccer, volleyball, and art. This year she is excited to perform in Rats, Kingdom of Sweets, and The Waltz of the Flowers.
	Kelsie Jeffries is a first year apprentice with the Ta-coma Performing Dance Company. She will perform as a Russian Dancer and Snow Angel in the 2011 produc-tion of the TPDC Nutcracker Ballet.
	Gabbie McIntire is a first year apprentice with the Ta-coma Performing Dance Company. She will perform as a Rat as well as in Kingdom of Sweets and Waltz of the Flowers in the 2011 production of the Nutcracker Bal-let.
	Grace Quigley is a seventh grader at Mason Middle School. She is a first year apprentice and has been dancing with Jo Emery since 2004. Outside of dancing, Grace enjoys playing select soccer and skiing. She also studies piano and violin. This year in the Nutcracker Grace is excited to be Young Clara, again, and to dance in Kingdom of Sweets and Waltz of the flowers.
	Julie Ronning is a first year apprentice with TPDC. She has been dancing for eight of her eleven years, seven of them with Jo Emery. Julie loves dancing for Jo and is excited to dance in the rolls of Kingdom of Sweets and Waltz of the Flowers in the 2011 TPDC Nutcracker Ballet.
	Paige Noel Suttich is a first year company apprentice. She has been dancing with Jo Emery for eight years. Paige is passionate about dance and watches every video of all the performances and then practices them at home. She gave up soccer to study dance exclu-sively. She also loves riding horses when she can. Paige is in the 6th grade at Harbor Ridge Middle School in Gig Harbor. She hopes to be a Veterinarian - good thing since she has so many animals.

TACOMA PERFORMING DANCE COMPANY MEMBERS

APPRENTICES