| About us |
| |
| |
| |
 Ryan Callan trained at the Academy of Dance and joined the company as an apprentice in 2004, was then promoted to company member in 2005.His fine acting skills brought new dimension to the roles of Dr. Seward, in Dracula, the Regent and Dance Master in Cinderella , and Lysander in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ryan has also appeared in Diamonds and Divas with the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Opera. He will premier his first choreography for Ballet Spokane during the 2006 season. Ryan is also a gifted pianist. |
| |
Wendy Clark began her dance training with Tessa Williams and Ballet Arts. After
High-school she danced professionally with the Eugene Ballet Company and the
City Ballet of San Diego. Later she trained rigorously with Kathryn Irey and
Elizabeth Swallow, exploring: modern technique, post-modern technique, bartineff
fundamentals, contact improvisation, and improvisation. She graduated from
Goddard College, where she studied dance education, and also became certified as
an aesthetic educator with the Lincoln Center Institute. |
| |
Darla Greene began training in her mid teens in Tacoma with Jo Emery. Her dancing caught the eye of Dale Merrill, the artistic director of Seattle ’s Spectrum Dance Theatre, where she danced for 3 years. Wanting more for her career she joined the Seattle Supersonics for the 91/92 season and later joined Greg Thompson Productions and worked many years abroad. After 3 years, she returned home to work with the Seattle Opera. After 5 years of an early retirement, she found Ballet Spokane and returned to the stage to dance and choreograph. |
|
| |
Phaedra Jarrett is the Artistic Director of Ballet Spokane as well as a member of the company. She began her professional career with Sacramento Ballet, where she danced for six years. She relocated to San Francisco in 2000 where she joined Oakland Ballet as a soloist and rose to the rank of principal. She first appeared with Ballet Spokane as a guest artist in the production of Coppelia. She joined Ballet Spokane as a principal in 2004 and was praised by critics for her portrayal of The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella. Her favorite roles include Puck in Janet Wilder’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream, the young girl in Ron Cunningham’s Incident at Blackbriar and the female solo from Francisco Martinez’s Places. |
| |
Tara Kinney, originally from Hoquiam WA, grew up dancing in a small Christian ballet school called Prayz Dance. After moving to Spokane four years ago she joined the Eagles Dance Team while attending Eastern University. Tara most recently completed a season dancing with the Spokane Shock Dance Team. She holds a degree in forensic chemistry. |
| |
Christopher Lamb is someone who likes to try his hand at different art forms. He has been dancing with various ballet schools, playing the piano & the violin for as long as he can remember. He first found an outlet for his theatrical passion in Dance Theater Northwest's The Toy Shelf in 2001. He has since played various eccentric characters in Dance Theater Northwest's Sleeping Beauty & Ballet Spokane's Dracula, in addition to participating in the Spokane Civic Theater's summer performance camp two years in a row. He is currently a first violinist with the Spokane Youth Orchestra, has added singing lessons to his schedule, & has recently put the finishing touches to a full-length film, which he wrote, directed, & acted in, "The Spider." |
|
| |
 Jaimi McGuire trained in Moses Lake and the Academy of Dance in Spokane . She lists the Don Quixote pas de deux, Annie in Artificial Flowers and a bride of Dracula as her favorite roles. Audiences and critics will also remember her favorably for her portrayal of Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a Stepsister in Cinederella and Dawn in Coppelia. Jaimi has worked in films such as Shadow of Fear and has performed with Spokane/Coeur d’Alene Opera in their productions of La Traviata, Man of La Mancha, and Hansel and Gretel. She holds a degree in journalism from Eastern Washington University . |
| |
Miranda Pierce has been dancing since the age of 4. Before coming to the Academy of Dance and Ballet Spokane in the fall of 2007 she trained with the Dance center of Spokane for 10 years as well as Spokane Ballet Ensemble for 5 years. She has enjoyed her first few months with Ballet Spokane and is excited for what is to come. Aside from ballet Miranda enjoys reading, playing saxophone, and taking care of her pet crow. |
| |
 Marcy Ray is one of the most versatile members of Ballet Spokane. She can dance it all and she choreographs too. Her works Shale and Artificial Flowers both were audience favorites. Marcy has been seen as Mina in "Dracula", a Fairy and Cinderella in "Cinderella", and Helena in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". |
| |
Emily Schmedding started training with the Academy of Dance when it opened. She performed numerous times with Dance Theater Northwest. She has performed at Disneyland and at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta Georgia . Emily has also performed with Uptown Opera, Paramount Pictures and was a Magician’s Assistant at Silverwood Theme Park . In more recent years she took a detour from ballet, taking classes in Swing, Ballroom and Latin styles. In April, she rejoined classes at the Academy of Dance and performed in Ballet Spokane’s production of Wolf Tales. Emily would like to thank Janet and the members of Ballet Spokane for giving her the opportunity to perform on stage again. She would also like to thank her parents for their never-ending love and support. |
|
| |
 Natalie Springel , a junior at Central Valley High school has danced with the Academy of Dance since her first role as a “Skunk” in Dance Theatre Northwest’s Toy Shelf in 1995. Since then , she has performed in productions such as Alberta Ballet’s Nutcracker, Ballet Spokane’s Gala Debut, Coppelia, Cinderella and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In addition to dancing, she also choreographs. Her choreography was most recently seen in the Central Valley High School ’s production of Peter Pan. She would like to wish everyone God’s Love and thank her parents fro all their love and support. |
| |
Sarah Talbot trained originally with Joann Rashford and Robyn Wenrich and then at Texas Christian University. While attending TCU she performed works by Fernando Bujones, Li-Chou Cheng, Susan Douglas Roberts and Andrea Harris. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and looks forward to dancing with Ballet Spokane. |
| |
 Vanessa Van Wormer is a native of Spokane WA . She trained under Tessa Williams before studying at Belhaven College in Jackson MS. Vanessa graduated in 2003 with a major in Theatre and minor in dance, and has since been teaching and choreographing in the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene vicinity. |
