Dancers

 

William Cannon William Cannon began his dance training at age 11 at BalletMet Dance Academy in Columbus, Ohio.  As a student, he performed with the company works by artistic director David Nixon.  In 2002, William was selected to participate in the National Foundation for the Advancement of Arts "ARTS week".  Following graduation from BalletMet's Professional Training Program in 2002 he became a BalletMet company member, performing works by George Balanchine and Stanton Welch among others. Cannon went on to dance with Hubbard Street 2 and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.  Dance Magazine named William one of 25 to Watch in 2005.  He spent the last three seasons with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, performing works by Jorma Elo , Nicolo Fonte, Jiri Kylian and Cayetano Soto.

Colby Damon R. Colby Damon was born and raised in Richmond, VA, and received his early training at the Richmond Ballet. At age 15 he left home to attend the Virginia School of the Arts under David Keener, Martha Faesi, and Petrus Bosman, and spent summers training at the Boston Ballet. Upon graduation, he joined the Sacramento Ballet, where for five years he danced soloist and principal roles in numerous classical and contemporary works, including pieces by George Balanchine,Dwight Rhoden, Trey McIntyre, Helen Pickett, and Ron Cunningham. In 2007, Colby relocated to Brooklyn, NY to persue a career as a freelance artist, and has since worked with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet,the Mark Morris Dance Group, and Thang Dao Dance Company amongst others, in addition to projects with Luca Veggetti and John Selya. Colby currently pursuing his B.A. in Dance through the New York LEAP program. He has danced with Ballet X since 2008.

Laura F. Otto A New York native, Laura F. Otto trained at the Seiskaya Ballet Academy and later studied with Maggie Black. Laura began her career with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of John McFall, where she spent ten years, becoming a principal dancer with the company. She has also performed as a member of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, The National Ballet of Canada, BalletX, Chautauqua Ballet, and Ballet NY. Laura has toured the US, Canada, and Japan starring in Twyla Tharp's "Movin' Out" in the role of Judy. She has danced principal roles in classics including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker,Coppelia, and Don Quixote. She has performed leading roles in works by Julia Adam, George Balanchine, Matthew Neenan, Michael Pink, Ben Stevenson, and Lila York. Ms. Otto has had many roles created for her by choreographers including Christine Cox, Christopher Hampson, Edwaard Liang, Alexei Ratmansky, Margo Sappington and Stanton Welch.

Chloe Horne Chloe Horne received her primary training from Allyson Deane and Barbara Crockett at Deane Dance Center in Sacramento and The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance directed by Summer Lee Rhatigan. Through SFCD, she performed works by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian and many San Francisco Bay Area choreographers. Chloe spent three years dancing for the San Francisco based company The Foundry directed by Alex Ketley where she was integral to the creation of works involving processes such as improvising outdoors, collaborating with poets and going to residency programs around the country. This Fall she will be returning to Sacramento Ballet for her fourth season with the company. There she has had the opportunity to dance Juliet in Ron Cunninghams Romeo and Juliet, Sugar Plum and Snow Queen in the Nutcracker as well as being featured in works by George Balanchine,Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, Brian Reeder, Twyla Tharp, Yannis Adoniou, Melissa Barak, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Viktor Kabaniaev, Amy Seiwert, Stefan Calka and others.

Adam Hundt Adam Hundt, born in Dayton, Ohio, is excited to begin his first season with BalletX. Mr. Hundt has been a member of BalletMet Columbus, Ballet Pacifica, American Repertory Ballet, Hubbard Street 2 and as a guest with Dominic Walsh Dance Theater and Infinite Movement. Most recently, he performed for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s, Freedom of the Seas; also serving as Dance Captain. He has studied with the San Francisco Ballet, BalletMet, Indiana University, and Barbara Pontecorvo in his hometown of Dayton.  In addition to teaching for the Lou Conte Dance studio, Princeton Ballet School and BalletMet, he performed and taught for the International Contemporary Dance Festival in Poland and Lithuania.  Mr. Hundt has choreographed multiple works for BalletMet, Ballet Pacifica, DanceWorks Chicago, and in 2006 was a fellowship recipient from the Greater Columbus Arts Council. In 07/08, he was Vail’s "Artist in Residence" at Dennison University and created his first piece for the Indiana University Ballet Department in 2009. He also earned a Fellowship grant from the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, to support the development of new choreography in a studio setting. Mr. Hundt also served as the Founding Artistic Director of the Dance Compassion Project, a dance performance benefiting the Ohio AIDS Coalition. Mr. Hundt has made appearances at the Joyce Theater (NYC), the Kennedy Center (Washington D.C.) and the Bolshoi Theater (Moscow, Russia).  His favorite roles include original pieces choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, Jodie Gates, Alex Ketley, Victor Quijada, Harrison McEldowney and Robert Battle.

Tara Keating Tara Keating began her training at the age of seven at the Pioneer Valley Ballet in Northampton, Massachusetts. She then attended the Juilliard School, under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy, where she received a BFA in dance. While there, she was awarded the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship and the Most Outstanding Dance Major award from the National Dance Association. She began her professional career with the American Repertory Ballet and then joined Twyla Tharp's company, "THARP!", where she performed both internationally and at City Center in New York. Ms. Keating joined the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1998, and was promoted to soloist in 2003. During her ten years there, she danced leading roles in numerous classical and contemporary works. Throughout her career she has originated roles in world premieres by such renowned choreographers as Jorma Elo, Jodie Gates, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Trey McIntyre, Matthew Neenan, Helen Pickett, Septime Webre, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2005, she became a founding member of BalletX, and has danced in virtually every performance since their inception. She has traveled to Korea, St. Louis, and Laguna, CA with the company. Ms. Keating was the Producing Director in 2006 and 2007 for Shut Up and Dance, an annual benefit for MANNA, created by the Dancers of Pennsylvania Ballet. She was also the recipient of a 2002 City Paper Choice Award. She is on faculty at various schools in the region, and has taught master classes at Broadway Dance Center in NYC and at NADAA dance conventions throughout the country. She has set numerous ballets on BalletX, and has set Neenan’s work on Pennsylvania Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and Bucknell University. Ms. Keating also serves as the Artistic Coordinator for BalletX.

Anitra N. Keegan Anitra N. Keegan began her training at the Academy of Dance Arts in New Jersey, where she received honors in both the Dance Education Syllabus and the Royal Academy of Dance examinations. She continued her training at the Royal Academy of Dance in England, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, and Pennsylvania Ballet School in Philadelphia. After graduating from highschool, she began her professional career with Pennsylvania Ballet Company, Ohio Ballet Company, and American Repertory Ballet Company. Ms. Keegan then moved to New York and continued her dancing career with DancesPatrelle, Chamber Dance Project, BalletNY, where she was featured as “Desdemona” in John Butler’s Othello. During this time in her career, she was featured in roles choreographed by Alonzo King, Donald Byrd, Laura Dean, Heinz Poll, George Balanchine, Thaddeus Davis, William Soleau, and Stanton Welch. Upon joining BalletX in Philadelphia, she has had the privilege to have worked with choreographers such as Christine Cox, Matthew Neenan, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jodie Gates, Edwaard Liang, Alex Ketley, and Meredith Rainey. Ms. Keegan is also a graduate of Mason Gross School of Arts at Rutgers University.

Barry Kerollis Barry Kerollis was born in Philadelphia, PA. He began his dance training at the Chester Valley Dance Academy in Lionville, PA. At 17, Mr. Kerollis moved to Washington, DC to train on full scholarship at the Kirov Academy of Ballet. Upon graduation, he attended the School of American Ballet on full scholarship. Barry has also trained at summer programs with Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the pilot program of the Hampton Dance Festival. Mr. Kerollis began his professional career in 2003 with the Houston Ballet. In 2004, he joined Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, WA. During his time with PNB, he danced Puck in Balanchine 's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Mercutio in Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette", and leading roles in works by Dove, Forsythe, Kylian, Morris, Quijada, Robbins, Stroman, and Tharp. Barry has created original roles in works by Caniparoli, McIntyre, and Welch. He has toured to New York City and performed in the Vail International Dance Festival. Kerollis has danced as a guest artist with American Ballet Theatre, Russian Ballet Theatre of Delaware, and in First State Ballet Theatre's "Arabesque Festival." He is featured in dance documentary, "Dancing Across Borders," and Bob Rizzo's instructional dance video, "Ballet with Style." In 2001, he was selected as a finalist in the Youth America Grand Prix competition in New York. Kerollis is also an aspiring choreographer. He was commissioned to create a work for Seattle's "Men in Dance"festival in 2010. Mr. Kerollis has created four works for Pacific Northwest Ballet and it's school in the company's annual choreographer's showcase. Barry is very excited to be returning home to Philadelphia to join BalletX.

Jaime Lennon Jaime Lennon began training at The Dance Center in West Chester, PA under the direction of Donna L. Muzio at the age of seven. Since that time she has also trained with numerous notable instructors including, Fernando Bujones, Linda Maybarduk, Cherie Noble and Christine Cox, as well as professionals at The School of American Ballet. In May 2010, Ms. Lennon graduated with a BA from West Chester University in Communication Studies, all the while performing as a principal dancer with The Brandywine Ballet. Resident choreographer, Nancy Page, has created numerous roles for her, most recently Lucy in Dracula. She has danced various roles in The Nutcracker, highlighted by the Sugar Plum Fairy, Arabian and the Snow Queen. Jaime has danced the role of the Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade, as well as parts in his Concerto Barocco and Valse Fantaisie. She has also recently performed in works by Matthew Neenan, Meredith Rainey and Christopher Fleming. Ms. Lennon is elated to be dancing with BalletX for the first time.

Jesse Sani Jesse Sani, born and raised in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, trained at the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts in Bethlehem, PA. Upon graduating, he relocated to sunny Miami, Florida where he attended New World School of the Arts. After one year at the conservatory Jesse joined Momentum Dance Company, and continued his professional training while performing classical Limon, Graham and Duncan pieces throughout Florida. In 2007 Jesse was awarded the Ailey Fellowship Scholarship and headed north to reside in New York City to continue his training at The Ailey School. There he worked with various artists and choreographers such as  Pedro Ruiz, Francisco Martinez, Kanji Segawa, Max Luna III, Francesca Harper, Denise Vale and Donald McKayle; performing their respective works. In 2009 Jesse was awarded a scholarship to The Jacobs Pillow Contemporary Traditions program where he trained with Arturo Fernandez, Banu Ogan, Pamela Pribisco, Milton Myers and Stacey Calvert and performing works by Azure Barton, Helen Pickett and Tero Saarinen. After Jacob’s Pillow, Jesse joined Philadelphia’s own PHILADANCO, performing nationally and internationally for two seasons. This is Jesse’s first season with BalletX.

Allison Walsh Originally from Bethesda, Maryland, Ms. Walsh received her training at Maryland Youth Ballet and at the School of American Ballet summer workshops on full scholarship. Allison Walsh danced with The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago for 7 years. Prior to joining The Joffrey, Ms. Walsh performed with the Washington Ballet Studio Company and American Ballet Theater.  During her tenure at Joffrey, Ms. Walsh performed leading roles in The Rite of Spring, Tharp's Waterbaby Bagatelles, Lubovitch's Othello, Possokhov's Bells, Tarentella, Dark Elegies, and Les Presages among others.  She has originated roles in the world premieres of Edwaard Liang's Age of Innocence and Jessica Lang's Crossed. She attended the Northwest Professional Dance Project in 2007 and has performed with the Avi Scher and Dancers company.  She has also been featured in Pointe Magazine, performed at the White House, and is featured in the upcoming documentary "The Joffrey Ballet: American Mavericks of Dance".  This is her first season with BalletX.