Dancers
- Gauen Rhys Alexander
- Lindsey Sara Barber
- Brett Bauman
- David Bauser
- Alana Czernobil
- Jennifer Ferrigno
- Michael Fothergill
- Samantha Galler
- Elizabeth Gamble
- Catherine Garratt
- Noah Hart
- Tatiana Ledovskikh
- Benjamin Linn
- Nukri Mamistvalov
- Jordan Mercer
- Kelli Murdock
- David Odenwelder
- Chinatsu Owada
- Frederick Rocas
- Justin Segura
- Kathryn Gebler Spitzer
- Kelly Walsh Alexander
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Gauen Rhys Alexander has been a member of the Alabama Ballet since 2007. Notable roles include “Fade Away” in Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, an ugly stepsister in Cinderella, and “Something Stupid” in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. Mr. Alexander also performs with local modern company Southern Danceworks, co-owns jewelry company KG accessories, attends school at UAB and teaches at the Alabama Ballet Royal Academy of Dance. Mr. Alexander began his training at the age of four in Marin County, CA. He continued his training at Ballet Pacifica, the Washington Academy of Performing Arts and Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School. Gauen Rhys Alexander would like to thank his beautiful wife Kelly Walsh for her constant love and support. |
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Lindsey Sara Barber, a native of Buffalo, New York, received her early training from Maris Battaglia and continued her training at the Miami City Ballet School. While at MCBS, Lindsey performed principal and soloist roles in the school’s Ballet for Young People series. With the Alabama Ballet, Lindsey’s performances include Kitri, Flower Girl and Amour in Don Quixote, principal Marzipan, Dewdrop and Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Russian Girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, Spring Waters Pas de Deux, Flames of Paris Pas de Deux and the Fouette Girl in Graduation Ball. She has also performed soloist roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Paquita, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs and Alan Hineline’s Twist. She has performed in Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden, Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations and Stars and Stripes and has worked extensively with resident choreographer Roger Van Fleteren. Lindsey has performed as part of the Gorham’s Bluff residency, is a full time faculty member at the Alabama Ballet School, and is currently attending the University of Alabama at Birmingham. |
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Brett Bauman began his ballet education with the Washington Academy of Performing Arts and the International Ballet Academy in Kirkland, Washington. After graduating high school, Brett moved to New Jersey to train in Princeton Ballet School's Professional Training Program and had the opportunity to perform with American Repertory Ballet in Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty. Most recently Brett was a member of Nashville Ballet 2. While there he performed in numerous outreach ballets for the community and several company productions. Some of these include Paul Vasterling’s production of The Nutcracker and Carmina Burana. This will be Brett’s third season with the Alabama Ballet |
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David Bauser, joined the Alabama Ballet in 2004. He trained at North Caroline School of the Arts and at Harid Conservatory. David has been seen as Little Red Rooster in Christopher Bruce's Rooster, Blue Bird Pas de Deux in Sleeping Beauty, the Devil in Agnes de Mille's Three Virgins and a Devil, Something Stupid in Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Songs, Peasant Pas de Quatre in Giselle and more. David also performs under Terry Weksler with Southern Dance Works where he works with such choreographers as Reggie Willson and Germaul Burns. In 2009 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and in the summer of 2011, he rode his bicycle cross-country raising money to fight MS with Bike the UA for MS. David was the first rider with MS to complete that ride. |
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Alana Czernobil, a Chicago native, has trained with the San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Hungarian National Ballet of Budapest, Hungary, American Ballet Theatre and Suzanne Farrell. Alana is a graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts where she studied under the tutelage of the legendary Balanchine Ballerina, Melissa Hayden. While attending NCSA, she performed roles in Giselle, Coppelia, George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, Symphonie Concertante and Symphony in C. Before joining the Alabama Ballet in 2006, she danced professionally with the contemporary ballet company Cedar Lake Ensemble II. Since joining the Alabama Ballet, Alana’s featured roles include Queen Myrta in Giselle, “That’s Life” in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Dew Drop and Lead Hot Chocolate in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Flower Girl in Don Quixote and Russian Corps in Balanchine’s Serenade. She has performed soloist roles in Graduation Ball, and Van Fleteren’s Coppelia and Cinderella. Repertoire also includes Carnival in Venice, Raymonda, George Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes, Anthony Tudor’s Lilac Garden and Van Fleteren’s Death and the Maiden, Messin’ with Mozart, Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, Dracula, and Jekyll and Hyde. Alana is a member of the Alabama Ballet's Gorham's Bluff Residency and currently attends the University of Alabama at Birmingham as a psychology major with an exercise science minor. She also is on the faculty at Encore Performance Company. |
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Jennifer Ferrigno, is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She received her training from First State Ballet Theatre under the direction of Pasha Kambalov and Lev Assaouliak. Since joining the Alabama Ballet in 2006, Jennifer's feature roles include Kitri in Don Quixote, Waltz Girl in George Balanchine's Serenade, Good Girl in Graduation Ball, the Sugar Plum Fairy in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Ivee in Roger Van Fleteran's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Jennifer has also been seen in Christopher Bruce's Rooster, Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs, George Balanchine’s Stars & Stripes, Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are, Anne Muller's Hotcakes & Heartaches and Van Fleteren's Messin' with Mozart. Ms. Ferrigno performed two original works choreographed by Kyle Seguin in the Panolply Choreography Competition in 2008, winning the ballet category and best overall award. Jennifer has also been seen as a guest artist with Arova Contemporary Ballet as well as a member of the Gorham’s Bluff Residency. Jennifer is currently on staff at Samford University and most recently spent her summer in Japan teaching at The Hiroko Masuya Ballet and The Takako Classical Ballet. Jennifer is one of only three women in the world to perform the lead role of The Maiden in Agnes de Mille's final work, The Other. |
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Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Michael Fothergill began his ballet training in Ames, Iowa under the direction of Robert Thomas and Miyoko Kato of the Robert Thomas Dancenter. Michael continued his studies with the Milwaukee Ballet School, Boston Ballet School, the School of American Ballet and within American Ballet Theatre. From 2002, Michael has performed with the New Jersey Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Nuevo de Mexico, Ballet Contemporaneo de Mexico, City Ballet of San Diego, Charleston Ballet Theatre, and across the U.S.A and Japan as a Guest Artist. He has danced the male leads in classical repertoire such as Raymonda, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, Don Quixote, as well as works by contemporary visionaries such as Balanchine. Mihcael is one of only three men in the world to perform the role of The Hero in Agnes de Mille's final work, The Other. His favorite role to date remains "Romeo" in Romeo and Juliet. A choreographer, Michael's works have been performed in Japan, Iceland, Australia and in the USA. Michael is in his second year on the faculty of Samford University, and is thrilled to begin his second season with the Alabama Ballet. |
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Samantha Hope Galler is a native of Bedford, Massachusetts. She received her training from The Ballet Academy Inc. under the direction of Frances Cavicchio Kotelly. She continued her studies with The Boston Ballet School and was the recipient of the PAO Merit Scholarship in 2007. In 2006, she received an Honorable Mention Award from the Nation Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. Samantha spent 6 summers attending The Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program and 3 summers with Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She went on to dance with The Cincinnati Ballet during the 2008-2009 season, and received the Anthony Albano and K. Ann Choe–Albano Fellowship. Samantha became an Apprentice with The Alabama Ballet in 2009 and was promoted to Company Artist in 2010. Since joining Alabama Ballet, Samantha has appeared in Van Fleteren’s Shostakovich and has performed roles such as Mercedes and Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Arabian in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, and Myrta, the Queen of the Willis, in Giselle. She is truly thankful to Frances Cavicchio Kotelly and her family for all their support and love. |
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Elizabeth Gamble is thrilled to return for her second season as company member. A native of Birmingham, she began her early training with Angela Tower Walker and graduated fromthe Alabama Ballet School where she is a Royal Academy of Dance accredited teacher of ballet and tap. Elizabeth has appeared as Spring Fairy in Cinderella, Amore in Don Quixote, and Lead Marzipan in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. She has also performed in Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes, Serenade and Van Fleteren’s Messin’ With Mozart and Giselle Peasant Pas de Quatre. Recently, she added Play with Fire in Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, Lust in Agnes De Mille's Three Virgins and a Devil and Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden to her repertoire. Elizabeth is thankful to do what she loves every day. |
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Catherine Garratt, a Birmingham native, began her training at the Alabama Dance Academy under Pamela Merkel. She continued her studies with the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance before moving to the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet to study under Marcia Dale Weary and Leslie Hench. She danced for a season with the Louisville Ballet before joining the Alabama Ballet in 2007. Catherine’s feature roles with the Alabama Ballet include Myrtha in Giselle, the title role in Snow White, Dew Drop, Lead Marzipan, and Lead Hot Chocolate in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Mercedes and Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, a principal role in Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, Lusty in Agnes De Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil, and All the Way in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. Other repertoire includes Roger Van Fleteren’s Be Major, Dracula, Messin’ with Mozart, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, Cinderella, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as well as George Balanchine’s Serenade, Who Cares, and Divertissement No. 5. Catherine is on faculty at the Alabama Ballet Royal Academy of Dance and has been a member of the Gorham’s Bluff Residency. She is a senior at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. |
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Noah Hart, a Georgia native, began his training with Atlanta Ballet, and Houston Ballet. Noah graduated from the Houston Ballet Academy and joined the company for three season performing works from Ben Stevenson, Paul Taylor and Trey Mcintyre. With the Alabama Ballet, Noah has performed principal roles in Paquita, Cinderella, Le Corsaire , Coppelia, Dracula, Don Quixote, Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are, as well as title roles in Van Fleteren’s Romeo & Juliet and Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. He has also been seen in The Sleeping Beauty, Concert Fantasy, Giselle, Swan Lake, Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Messin’ with Mozart, Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, Twyla Tharps's Nine Sinatra Songs, AntonyTudor's Lilac Garden and Agnes de Mille's The Other. He would like to thank his wonderful wife for all her support. |
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Tatiana Ledovskikh returns to the company for her 16th season. A native of Vornez, Russia, she trained at the Vornez Ballet School. Tatiana came to the company from the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia where she performed principal roles in the major classical ballets, as well as performed as a guest artist throughout Europe. In 1986 she was awarded the Glinki State Award for outstanding achievement in the fine arts. Since joining the Alabama Ballet in 1995, Tatiana has performed as The Firebird, Giselle, Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty. She has also performed the Principal roles in Bolero, The Nutcracker, Raymonda, Swan Lake, Oh, Sweet Sebastian, Be Major, Coppelia, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Romeo & Juliet, Dracula, Balanchine's Serenade and Divertimento No. 15. , Leslie Browne's Brahm's Trio and was seen in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs. Ms. Ledovskikh has also staged Marius Petipa's Carnival in Venice and Yuri Grigorvich's Raymonda, Gluck Pas de Deux and Tango for the Alabama Ballet. She is a faculty member at the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance. |
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Benjamin Linn, an Ohio native, began his ballet training with Richard Early of Cincinnati Ballet and later continued his training at the University of Cincinnati with Robert Cole and Jade Adams. He has performed with Nashville Ballet, Santa Barbara Ballet, Hosanna Sacred Arts, Alabama Dance Theatre, & Red Mountain Theatre Company. Ben began working as a guest artist with the Alabama Ballet in 2001 and joined the Company in 2003. Since then, Ben has appeared with the Company in Christopher Bruce's Rooster, Don Quixote, Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Messin’ With Mozart, An American in Paris, Carousel, The Firebird, Song & Dance, Van Fleteren’s unRAVELed, Shostakovich Opus 102, Death and the Maiden, Concert Fantasy, Alan Hineline’s Twist, Teri Weksler’s Quixotic, Leslie Browne's Brahm's Trio, and George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations & Stars and Stripes. Some of his featured roles include Tybalt & Lord Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, Espada in Don Quixote, Van Helsing in Dracula, the villainous Mr. Hyde in Van Fleteren’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Bossy Stepsister in Cinderella, Waltz Boy in Balanchine's Serenade, Lilac Cavalier in The Sleeping Beauty, & Sea Creature in Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are. Last season Benjamin appeared as both Drosselmier and Cavalier in George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, as Hilarion in Giselle, and performed principal roles in Van Fleteren's Be Major, Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden, and Agnes DeMille's The Other. Ben is celebrating his 10th year of performing with the Alabama Ballet. |
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Nukri Mamistvalov, a native of the Republic of Georgia, begin his training at age of 13 at Olga Kresin’s ballet school in Philadelphia, and continued at the First State Ballet Theater. Nukri has attended Haried Conservatory, Milwaukee Ballet and Richmond Ballet summer intensives. Nukri has danced with the Richmond Ballet as an apprentice and as a company member with the First State Ballet. Nukri danced Basilio in Don Quixote, Don Jose in Carmen, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty and Van Rothburg in Swan Lake. Last season, Nukri was honored to dance one of his dream roles: Albrecht in Giselle. This is Nukri’s second season with the Alabama Ballet. |
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Jordan Mercer, a native of Pittsburgh, PA, is happy to be returning for her third season with the Alabama Ballet. She received her training with Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, Ballet Austin, and Point Park University. Roles with the Alabama Ballet include Flower Girl in Don Quixote, Not Fade Away Girl in Christopher Bruce's Rooster, and the Greedy Virgin in Agnes De Mille's Three Virgins and a Devil. Jordan also dances and teaches Ballet, Modern, and Jazz at several studios around Birmingham, including the Alabama Ballet School. |
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Kelli Murdock r eturns the Alabama Ballet for her seventh season. A Birmingham, Alabama native, Kelli began her dance training with Angele Tower Walker, and the graduated from the Alabama Ballet School. She also trained at the American Ballet Theatre in New York and Austin, and with the Orlando Ballet. Her featured roles with the Alabama Ballet include, Principal Dancer in Roger Van Fleteran’s Be Major, Zulna in Giselle, Juanita in Don Quixote, Winter Fairy in Cinderella, Turing Girl in Roger Van Fleteran’s Messin’ With Mozart, as well as Marzipan, Demi-soloist in Waltz of the Flowers, Tea, and Harlequin Doll in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. Other performances include, Snow White, Dracula, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are, Graduation Ball, Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Serenade, and Stars and Stripes, Paquita, and Sleeping Beauty. In 2007, Kelli was a guest artist with the New Orleans Ballet Theatre, performing roles in Les Syphide, and Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. Kelli is on faculty with the Alabama Ballet School and Corky Bell Dance. Kelli gives thanks to god for giving her the talent to dance and to her family for supporting her. |
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David Odenwelder, from Haverhill, Massachusetts, began studying ballet, tap, and jazz at The Dance Works and supplemented his training with New England Civic Ballet and numerous summer programs. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in June 2011 from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with a B.F.A in Ballet Performance. At Alabama Ballet he has had the opportunity to perform in Agnes de Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil as theYouth, Anthony Tudor’s Lilac Garden, and George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker. David has also performed with Cincinnati Ballet, Neos Dance Theater, and Ballet Theatre Midwest. Other repertoire David has performed, include George Balanchine’s Pas de Dix set by Fredrick Franklin, Beatrix Potter as Mr. Jeremy Fisher, Heinz Poll’s Schubert Waltzes and Eight by Benny Goodman, and Lickety-Split by Alejandra Cerrudo. |
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Chinatsu Owada was born in Tokyo and raised in Sapporo, Japan where she studied under Noriko Koizumi, and is a graduate of the Houston Ballet Academy. Chinatsu joined the Alabama Ballet in 2002. With the company, she has danced soloist and principal roles in company's classical repertoire such as Swan Lake, Coppelia, Don Quixote, and The Sleeping Beauty, as well as Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet and the title role in Giselle. Chinatsu has also been seen in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker as Arabian and Sugar Plum Fairy, as Waltz Principal in Serenade, Donizetti Variations and Stars & Stripes, Teri Weksler’s Quixotic, Alan Hineline’s Twist, Roger Van Fleteren’s Be Major, Messin' with Mozart, as a Vampiress in Dracula, as Jena Ferguson in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, as Sea Creature in Septime Webre’s Where the Wild Things Are, “Softly as I leave you” in Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs, as Ruby Tuesday in Christpher Bruce’s Rooster, as Caroline in Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden, and as the Maiden in Agnes de Mill's The Other. In Sapporo, she has choreographed for students, and danced the principal roles in The Nutcracker, Cinderella, La Sylphide, The Sleeping Beauty, and Raymonda, as well as Le Corsaire pas de deux. She is a faculty member at the Alabama Ballet Center for Dance. She also performs as a member of Birmingham-based modern dance company Southern Dance Works directed by Teri Weksler. |
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Frederick Lee Rocas was born and raised in Manila, Philippines and learned his basics in ballet during his formative years at Ballet Manila. Deciding to concentrate in artistic gymnastics instead, he became a member of the Philippine National Team and represented the country in various competitions abroad. He holds a bronze medal from the 2005 South East Asian Games held in Manila. He then continued his ballet training, accepting a scholarship offered by Academy One School of ballet and Arts. In a span of 2 years he won the award as the Most Outstanding Male Performer in the 2008 Association of Ballet Academies Phils.Dance Cup. He got a scholarship offer in Australia in 2008, and again in 2009 for a summer workshop in Hong Kong, China, where he was featured in Esmeralda Pas de Deux. In 2009, he completed the first round of the New York International Ballet Competition. To date, he has performed classical pieces like Bluebird, Ali in Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, Diane et Acteon, Don Quixote, and Esmeralda. He has also danced various pieces of Filipino, modern, and contemporary choreography. This is Frederick’s second season with the company. |
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Justin Matthew Segura, a Southern California native, returns to Alabama for his 7th season with the company. His training began at Riverside Ballet Arts where he was awarded scholarships to attend Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the Joffrey Ballet School of New York, having concluded his training with Prima Ballerina Maniya Barredo's Metropolitan Ballet Theatre. Since his arrival at the Alabama Ballet, Justin has most recently been noted for his “strength and stamina” in his portrayal of Albrecht in Giselle, as well as his “cockiness and drama” in Christopher Bruce’s Rooster. Justin is very appreciative to have been asked to perform “All the Way” in Twyla Tharps’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Dr. Van Helsing in Dracula, the haughty noble Gameche in Don Quixote, Paris in Romeo and Juliet, the Colonel in Graduation Ball, Herr Drosselmeyer and Hot Chocolate principal in Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Stars and Stripes and Serenade. He danced lead roles in Brahm's Trio and An American in Paris. Other favorites of his include, Carnival in Venice, Where the Wild Things Are, and Van Fleteren's Shostakovich, & UnRAVELed. Justin is a member of the Gorham’s Bluff Residency.top of page |
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Kathryn Gebler Spitzer , originally from Vestal, New York, returns to the company for her 12th season. A graduate of the Boston Ballet School, she received her early training from Tina Christina-Price in Binghamton, New York as well as Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Kathryn has performed the principal roles of Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanhilda in Coppelia, as well as Le Corsaire, Spring Waters, Flames of Paris, Graduation Ball, Carnival in Venice, Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs and George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Donizetti Variations, Serenade, Stars & Stripes and Tarantella. She has also performed soloist roles in the major classical ballets, Alan Hineline's Twist & Sleepy Hollow and has worked extensively with resident choreographer Roger Van Fleteren. Kathryn has also been seen as a guest artist with The Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, is a member of the Gorham's Bluff Residency and is on faculty with the Alabama Ballet School. Kathryn and her husband Mikey welcomed a baby girl last February. |
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Kelly Walsh Alexander joined the Alabama Ballet in 2007. Since then, she has enjoyed performing roles such as Spring Fairy in Cinderella, Peasant Pas de Quatre in Giselle, and Amour in Don Quixote. She has also had the privilege to perform in ballets such as Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, Roger Van Fleteren's Messin' with Mozart, Agnes de Mille's The Other, and Antony Tudor's Lilac Garden. Kelly received her dance training at the Cantarella School of Dance in Massachusetts and later at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School in their Graduate Program. In 2010 Kelly received her BLA in psychology and legal studies from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She also enjoys teaching all of her motivated and talented students at the Alabama Ballet Royal Academy of Dance. Kelly would like to thank her family and husband, Gauen Rhys Alexander, for all their years of continuous love and support. |
