Nutcracker Carnival of the Animals Auditions

The Peninsula Ballet Dance Company

	Vivian Oriana Aragon Vivian was born in Guatemala, but raised in Pacifica, California. She received her early training from the Susan Hayward School of Dancing in Montara, following the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus. This past May, she graduated magna cum laude from Purchase College, State University of New York, with a BFA in Dance and a BA in Art History. This is her first season with PBT.
	Carmichael Blankenship CJ was born in Stanford, California. He is a performing artist with a wide range of experience. CJ is a company member of Moving Arts Dance Company as well as performs with Danville Ballet Company, Na Hula O Moku'aina, and formerly with San Francisco Taiko Dojo. He has several theatrical credits including: CATS, Dreamgirls, A Little Night Music, Oklahoma!, and West Side Story. CJ first appeared with PBT in 2004.
	Dudley Brooks Dudley was born in Reno, Nevada. He is the Artistic Director of Run For Your Live ... it's a dance company! (www.runforyourlife.org), whose comic dances have delighted audiences in the U.S. and Europe. He performed with the Nikolais Dance Theater and Carlos Carvajal's Dance Spectrum, and has choreographed for PBT, Bay Area Youth Opera and City Summer Opera. Dudley is a composer, and performs Balinese music with Gamelan Sekar Jaya. He has played Dr. Drosselmeyer in every production of Carvajal's Nutcracker.
	Abigail Daane Abigail was born in San Francisco, California. She received her advanced certificate in the Royal Academy of Dancing technique in Portland, Oregon. Abigail furthered her training at Mount Holyoke College under Rose and Charles Flachs. While obtaining her Master's in Physics from Clemson University, she taught advanced ballet and performed for Foothills Conservatory of the Arts in Nutcracker roles such as the "Dew Drop Fairy" and "Spanish" and also performed contemporary pieces. Abigail is happily married and is the science teacher at Quarry Lane School in Dublin. This is Abigail's first appearance with PBT.
	Coreen Danaher Rehearsal Assistant Coreen was born in Vallejo, California. She studied the Royal Academy of Dance Syllabus for ten years at Vallejo Ballet conservatory, and later trained at Berkeley Ballet Theater, also performing with their youth company. Coreen has performed with Ballet Counterpointe Rep. as a corps dancer in Diablo Ballet's Paquita, and as a guest artist in Professional Ballet School's Spring Showcase. This season she was appointed company Rehearsal Assistant. Coreen joined PBT in 2003.
	Peter Hershey Guest Artist Peter was born in Van Nuys, California and began his ballet training at the Seiskaya Ballet Academy in St. James, New York at age eleven. He went on to attend both the School of American Ballet and the Julliard School. A member of Ballet San Jose since 2001, his repertoire includes principal roles in Nutcracker, Rodeo, and Blue Suede Shoes as well as soloist roles in Quicksilver, and In Studio D. Peter would like to thank everyone for their support. Peter first appeared with PBT in 2005.
	Julianna Johnson Julianna was born in Walnut Creek, California. She has trained since the age of three with Arlene Newhouse, Director, Academy of Arts and Ballet. As a member of Ballet Celeste International she has performed with the Theatre Ballet of San Francisco and the Moscow Festival Ballet. She attended summer programs with Oakland Ballet and Diablo Ballet. She is a member of Holy Rosary Theatre Group, directed by Tim Hooke. Julianna was “Clara” in PBT’s 2006 Nutcracker. This is Julianna's first season as a trainee with PBT.
	Deidre Kirk Deidre was born in San Mateo, Ca. She has danced since she was five at the San Carlos School of Ballet under the direction of her mother, Karen Kirk. She has also studied with Michael Lowe, American Academy of Ballet in New York and this past summer at American Ballet Theatre in Detroit. This is Deidre’s fourth season with PBT, her third as a company apprentice.
	Maria LaMance Maria was born in Santa Clara, Ca. She spent her early years performing with San Jose Dance Theatre. At 14 she moved to San Francisco to study at San Francisco Ballet School. Maria earned a B.A. in Dance from San Francisco State University. She has performed with numerous modern dance companies and independent choreographers and is currently a company member of Huckabay McAllister Dance and Moving Arts Dance. Maria is an assistant director of the San Jose Youth Ballet, founded by Xavier and Maggie Ferla, and a massage therapist. Maria first appeared with PBT in 2005.
	Terrin McGee-Kelly Terrin was born in Antioch, California. She danced for Ballet Magnifiat (America’s premiere Christian ballet company), Oakland Ballet, Theater Ballet of San Francisco, and is currently a principal artist for Moving Arts Dance. Terrin has been involved with the Miss America Organization, holding titles over three years. Terrin promoted arts in education to countless schools in and around the Bay Area. Terrin joined PBT in 2004.
	Amanda McGovern Amanda is from Petaluma, California. She has danced and toured nationally and internationally with various companies such as Moving Arts Dance, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Lisbon Dance Company in Portugal, Oakland Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Celtic Dance Theatre, Palm Springs Ballet and Petaluma City Ballet. Amanda currently teaches Gyrotonic at the Corner Studio in San Francisco and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Performance through LEAP at St. Mary's College. Amanda joined PBT in the spring of 2006.
	Elliot Mercer Guest Artist, Elliot was born in Belmont, California. He attended Idyllwild Arts Academy where he worked extensively with Jean-Marie Martz, Deborah Brockus, Nora Reynolds, and Stephanie Gilliland. After graduating from Idyllwild, Elliot returned to the Bay Area to work with Summer Rhatigan at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and joined Company C Contemporary Ballet in January of 2006. He has performed featured roles in pieces by Jiri Kylian, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Charles Anderson, The Foundry, Cheryl Chaddick, A. Bournonville, and M. Petipa. This is Elliot's first appearance with PBT.
	Never Navarro Never was born in Lima, Peru. He trained at the Escuela Nacional de Ballet in Lima. After graduation, he joined the Ballet Nacional del Peru, directed by Olga Shimazaki. He also trained with Enrico Labayen for five years. Never has performed with San Jose Dance Theatre, Pacific Dance Theatre and Oakland Ballet. He has also performed the works of local choreographers such as Arturo Fernandez, Krissy Kiefer, Brian Chung, Todd Courage, Alma Esperanza Cunningham and with Modern Dance companies such as Labayen Dance/SF, Robert Moses' KIN and Mary Carbonara Dances. This is Never's second appearance with PBT.
	Laura Nelson Laura was born in Fairfax, Virginia. She began her ballet training at age four with Carmela Zegarelli Peter and Zoltan Peter at the Professional Ballet School in Belmont, CA. This is her third year as an apprentice with the Peninsula Ballet Theatre and her third Nutcracker production. Laura also studies piano with Vija Norkvesta of San Mateo. She spent the summer 2006 at the Boston Ballet Dance Lab summer intensive program. Laura joined PBT as a student performer in 2003 and became an apprentice in 2005.
	Imogene Roach Imogene was born in San Francisco, California. She trained for ten years at City Ballet School in San Francisco under the direction of Damara Bennett. Imogene later trained with Berkeley Ballet Theater under the direction of Sally Streets, Corrine Jonas, and Sarah Marcus. She has danced with Bay Area Youth Ballet and Berkeley Ballet Theater’s Youth Company. She is a recent graduate of Berkeley High School and is now a freshman at San Francisco State University. This is Imogene’s first season with PBT.
	Nora Roach Nora was born in San Francisco, California. This is her first season with PBT.
	Alison Share Alison was born in San mateo, California. She trained at Western Ballet under the direction of Mark Foehringer. At Western Ballet, Alison has performed principal and soloist roles in Paquita, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and Cincerella and has danced in contemporary ballets by Mark Foehringer, Gonzala Espinoza and David Popaliski. She has also attended summer intensives with American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet and Ballet San Jose. Alison joined PBT in 2006.
	Grant Spencer Grant was born in Hanford, California. He received his training from Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair at the Yuma Ballet Academy. Grant also trained at Joffrey San Antonio, BalletMet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet where he received full scholarships. Grant's professional experience began as a Corps de Ballet dancer with Sacramento Ballet. Recently, he toured with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for four years as a soloist and performed in Japan, Australia, Europe, Thailand, China, Russia (at the Bolshoi) and the greater United States. This is Grant's second season with PBT.
	Mariko Takahashi Mariko was born in San Mateo, California. She receives her training at the Ayako School of Ballet, in Belmont, where she also teaches ballet and jazz. She has performed with the Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Youth Ballet, the Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts, and Sierra Nevada Ballet. She has had the pleasure to work with choreographers such as Donald McKayle, Michael Lowe, and Scott Rink, and has performed principal roles in full-length productions such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote. Mariko joined PBT in 2005.