Audrey Archer
Audrey received her early ballet training at LanDance Conservatory in Amarillo, TX. Throughout high school,
she attended various summer ballet intensives including Interlochen, Jillana, and Boston Ballet. She is pursuing her environmental
science degree at Southern Methodist University, while continuing to pursue her passion for dance. During her college career,
she has performed with Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, attended the Washington Ballet School summer program, and performed as
a guest artist for LanDance Conservatory. Audrey graduates from SMU in May and plans to continue dancing professionally.
This is Audrey's first season working with Contemporary Ballet Dallas.
k Brynt Beitman
Brynt Beitman hails from Dallas, Texas. He started dancing when he was eight years old at Kitty Carter's Dance
Factory. Later he received training at Krassovska Ballet Juenesse and Booker T. Washington High School for the Visual
and Performing Arts. Mr. Beitman spent summers studying on full scholarship at The Edge, Boston Ballet, Southern Ballet
Theater, and The Professional Project in Montreal. He was nominated for Presidential Scholar by Arts Recognition Talent
Search, earning the highest level 1 score. Mr. Beitman studied at The Juilliard School in New York where he received
a Bachelor of Fine Arts. He has danced in works by such choreographers as Jiri Kylian, Robert Battle, Mark Morris, and
Lar Lubovitch. An accomplished choreographer, Mr. Beitman has set his works in Dallas, New York, as well as Montreal.
He has recently returned to New York and is in his fourth season with CBD.
Brittany Bollinger
Brittany earned a BFA from the OU with a degree in Ballet Performance, as well as Pre-Occupational
Therapy. While at school she had the privilege to work with esteemed dancers and choreographers such as Violette Verdy, Paul
Sutherland, Ginger Thatcher, Freddie Franklin, Steve Brule, Donn Edwards, and Mary Margaret Holt. She performed leading or
soloist roles in Le Corsaire, Reflections, Glazunov Variations, and Les Patineurs. Brittany also performed in such well known
works as Rodeo, La Bayadare, Pas de Quatre, and Serenade. She was fortunate enough to be the original Laurie in Steve Brule’s
“People Will Say We’re in Love” from the Broadway musical Oklahoma. While at OU, Brittany received the Dance
Partner’s Scholarship, the Euval R. Charles Scholarship, the Helene C. Lottinville Prize in the Fine Arts, and the Donald
F. Clark Outstanding Senior in the College of Fine Arts award. Before attending college she trained with the Metropolitan
Classical Ballet Academy, the Stanova Semikov Ballet Academy and the Schaffenburg Ballet Academy. In 2008, she toured with
Oklahoma Festival Ballet in Shanghai and Ningbo, China. She has danced with Metropolitan Classical Ballet since 2009 and has
performed soloist roles in Paul Mejia’s Brahms Waltzes, Café Victoria, Walpurgis Night, and the Nutcracker.
She is happy to be in her first season with CBD!
Michelle Brown
Ms. Brown was raised in Dallas and began her training under the direction of Pat and Tanju Tuzer of the Harkness Ballet.
She has been accepted to and attended several prestigious dance training programs and workshops, including The School of American
Ballet in New York. She has undergone vigorous training in classical ballet, pointe, contemporary dance, partnering
and character. She has gained professional experience with The Tuzer Ballet, Kiriv Academy, Raleigh School of Ballet,
Carolina Ballet Theatre, Broadway Dance Project, The North Carolina School for the Arts and Ecole do Cirque de Verdun in Montreal,
Quebec, CA. She currently teaches for the dance and recreation program at the City of Richardson and is in her second
season with CBD.
k Rachael Lynee Burns
Rachael Lynée Burns was born in Dallas and has lived in Texas all her life. She
has danced for 17 years, and is a former competitive gymnast, as well. Rachael has danced professionally
with The Festival Ballet of North Central Texas, Muscle Memory Dance Theatre, North Texas Dancers, the Tyra Banks Show, Beginnings
Workshop Off-Broadway Showcase in New York, and many other performances. She teaches throughout DFW and
choreographs music videos for local artists. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance from the University of North Texas
and is looking forward to pursuing her M.F.A. next. She is very excited to be dancing with CBD for her
first season!
Victoria Dolph
Victoria began dancing at the age of two. She started her classical
ballet training at five with Mme. Nathalie Krassovska. She later studied at Ballet Dallas and was taught by Thom Clower and
Anna Donovan. Under the direction of Mme. Krassovska, she learned the art of romantic classical style. Ms. Dolph
received the Nadine Nicolaeva-Legat scholarship to the Russian Ballet Society in Scotland. Other awarded scholarships
include; The Ballet Magnificat summer intensive, Austin Ballet summer intensive, Ballet Concerto and also the Natalie Skelton Scholarship
for the Glenda Brown Choreographers Conference in Austin. This past summer Ms. Dolph attended the Rockette Summer intensive
in NYC and danced at Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Victoria has danced professionally with Krassovska’s
Ballet Jeunesse, Irving Ballet Company, Fort Worth/Dallas Ballet, and Ballet Foundation of the XXI Century. Ms. Dolph
has enjoyed performing many ballets such as Paquita, Les Sylphides, Chopiniana, La Bayadere, Giselle, Raymonda, Nutcracker,
Mid- Summer Nights Dream, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Carmen, and Pas de Quatre. Ms. Dolph continues with
CBD season in her third season and is teaching classical ballet to students in the DFW metroplex.
Lea Essmyer
Lea
Essmyer is from northern New Jersey. She received most of her ballet training from the renowned Master Gabriella Darvash,
as well as the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. Most recently, she danced with the Dayton Ballet under the direction
of Dermot Burke. She has also danced with the Roxey Ballet and Repertory Dance Theatre in New Jersey. She teaches dance in
Arlington and is also a company member of Metropolitan Classical Ballet. Lea is pleased to be dancing her third
season with Contemporary Ballet Dallas.
Danielle Georgiou
Danielle
Georgiou is a Dallas native and earned her B.B.A. in International Business and French and M.A. in Political Science from
the University of Texas at Arlington, where she studied dance and performed with the UTA Dance Ensemble. Since 2007, she has
been teaching modern and jazz at UTA, while directing the Dance Ensemble. In 2008, she began work on her
Ph.D. in Humanities at the University of Texas at Dallas, where she has had the opportunity to work with Micki Saba of SabaDancers
and Michele Hanlon of Elledanceworks. In 2011, Danielle formed a performance art group, DGDG - Danielle Georgiou Dance Group
- that works in collaboration with videographers, sound designers, and the art collective group, 14+1, to produce her work.
She has danced with Muscle Memory Dance Theatre, and currently teaches dance at Eastfield College. She is happy to
be in her first season with CBD.
Lisa Lagravinese
Lisa is originally from Massapequa, NY on Long Island. She trained at the Marianne Anderson School of Dance and
attended Long Island High School of Arts. After graduating high school she journeyed to Dallas, TX on an artistic scholarship
to attend SMU as a dance major. There, she received her BFA in Dance Performance. Lisa enjoyed performing the
works by choreographers such as Martha Graham, Balanchine, Sabrina Madison-Cannon and Max Stone, as well, working with such
renowned instructors as Karen Kriete, Jeremy Blanton, Myra Woodruff and Nathan Montoya. She ventured back to NY where
she continued training at the Graham School and Broadway Dance Center. She is thrilled to have returned to Dallas.
She currently teaches at the School of CBD, and dances with DekaDance and is in her fourth season with CBD.
Brandon Chase McGee
Brandon Chase McGee began dancing in Wichita, KS at Wichita Children's Theater and Dance Center and Ballet Wichita
under Jill Landrith. He attended the University of North Texas in Denton. Mr. McGee continued his local dance training
with Kirt Hathaway, Kathy Chamberlain, Dallas Black Dance Theater II, and the Alvin Ailey School. He has
performed the work of Sandra Organ, Beth Brown, Allyne Gartrell, Christopher Huggins, Troy Powell, Chet Walker and Alvin
Ailey. He is a former member of Dallas Black Dance Theater II, Uptown Dance Company, and the Sandra Organ Dance Company. He
has been blessed with the opportunity to perform extensively nationwide and abroad. Mr. McGee is pleased to be
working with CBD for his second season.
Jeana Mosher
Jeana
Mosher has an extensive background in dance. Originally from the Midwest, she moved to Dallas at
age eighteen to further her training. She graduated with a BFA in Dance from the SMU, where
she studied on an artistic scholarship and trained intensively in ballet, modern and jazz dance. During
her tenure, she performed the female role in Lester Horton's duet The
Beloved. She received additional training from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the Princeton Ballet
School, the Minnesota Ballet School, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance and the Radio City Rockettes. Ms.
Mosher’s performance experience has taken her across the country and overseas. Locally, she has appeared
on the runway in various fashion and charity events including the Crystal Charity Ball and DIFFA Dallas. Jeana
also is an adjudicator for International Dance Challenge, including
a recent invitation to judge the 2010 National Finals. We are very pleased to have Jeana with CBD for her seventh
season!
Jennifer Obeney
Jennifer Obeney started
dancing at the age of 4. She is a graduate of Otterbein College with a BA in Music Business and a Minor
in Dance. She has studied Ballet, Jazz, and Modern with John Adamson, Stella Hiatt Kane, Heather White-Cotterman
and Alice Bassler Sullivan. She has previously danced with Alaska Dance Theater and Commedia Ballet Theater. In
addition to dancing with CBD, Jennifer performs in plays and musicals around DFW. She most recently appeared as
Jellylorum in the Garland Summer Musicals production of ‘Cats’. She has also performed
with WaterTower Theater, Level Ground Arts, Teatro Delle Muse, The Hub ‘Fringe Fest’, Runway Theater and Artisan
Center Theater. Jennifer is thrilled to be entering her fourth season with CBD. She is also the resident
videographer and editor of CBD's videos and YouTube presence.
Sandra Plunkett
Sandra Plunkett started her life as a dancer with the Ballet Memphis School on her tenth birthday. While dancing with
Ballet Memphis, she worked with resident choreographers Karl Condon and Trey McIntyre. During high school, she spent her summers
working with Kansas City Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet and Ballet Chicago. After graduating from high school, she attended Texas
Christian University where she had the joy of dancing in works Susan Jaffe and Loretta Livingston. Throughout college, she
has also created a number of original works. This past May, she graduated with a BFAs in both Ballet and Modern Dance.
She is very excited to call Dallas her home and to be working in her first season with Contemporary Ballet Dallas.
Stephen Raikes
Stephen is happy to be in his first production with Contemporary Ballet Dallas. He is currently
earning his dance management degree at Oklahoma City University. In addition to his dancing talents, he
is an accomplished musical theatre actor. Most recently, he was featured as Tommy in The Music Man and Mungojerrie in Cats. He has worked locally with Garland Summer Musicals and recently closed Gypsy with Irving’s
Lyric Stage.
Addison Reed
Addison
studied 12 years at the Dallas Dance Academy under Joyce S. Bader and Lyndette Bader-Galen. She earned her B.A. in dance at
SMU, and also studied dance at the Joffrey Ballet School, New School University, Broadway Dance Center, and the Royal Academy
of Dancing in New York City. She is a student member of R.A.D. the method of the Royal Ballet in London,
England. Addison has received many scholarships while studying dance and has been featured in the DANCE Magazine as Grand
prize winner of American Academy of Ballet’s Performance Awards in New York City. Addison has worked
professionally in both LA and NY, dancing in various shows, industrials, commercials, film, TV and music videos. Some of her
credits include: Muse, My Chemical Romance, Eminem, Natasha Bedingfield, McDonald's, Toshiba, JcPenney, Law and Order, Prison
Break, American Heart Association, Ed Hardy, DIFFA, Radio City Music Hall, Joffrey Ballet, Texas Ballet Theatre Corps de ballet,
2011 European Life Ball, and L.A. Choreographer's Carnival. Addison has taught and choreographed at Dallas
Dance Academy, the Dance Fusion Studio and St. Alcuin Montessori School. She is thrilled to be in her first season with CBD.
Carolyn Robbins
Carolyn hails from Dallas and received her early training at the Allen Conservatory of Dance under the direction
of Stefanie Best and, later, at the Hathaway Academy of Dance under the direction of Linda and Kirt Hathaway.
She attended Collin County College and earned Associates Arts degrees in both dance and music. Carolyn
is currently a B.F.A. candidate at SMU, and will be graduating this December. While at SMU, she has performed with and under the direction
of the Martha Graham Company at the Winspear Opera House and in works by Danny Burascecki, Bill Soleau, Tawanda Chabikwa and
Leslie Hale. She attended the Paul Taylor Dance Intensive in NY this past summer. In
addition to numerous awards and scholarships in she has received in dance, she is also an accomplished classical pianist.
She is happy to be working with CBD in her first season.
Jill S. Rucci
Jill
S Rucci relocated here from NYC, where she was principal dancer and guest choreographer for Vissi Dance Theater for over 10
years. Jill has trained, taught, performed and presented her choreography in many cities including Boston, Los Angeles and
New York. Jill earned a B.F.A. in dance from Dean College in Franklin, MA, where she studied all forms of dance, musical theater
and voice. While in NY, Jill also performed with JSR Dance Co., Bare Bones Dance Co. and was a principal West African-stylized
dancer with Magna BA Drum and Dance Co. Ms
Rucci enjoys producing and directing shows, and continues to concentrate on her works in progress, her new endeavor the
dance drama, "Exchange Street". Jill also studied at Alvin Ailey and, while
attending two of their intensive certificate programs, earned certifications in modern and contemporary. Jill was a guest
choreographer for CBD’s Wild & Free & Sidewalk Stories concerts, and is premiering a new work for CBD's Danse
Macabre in 2011-2012. She is dancing with CBD in her second season.
Emilie Rupp
Emilie Rupp began her training in classical ballet
at age 6 with Gilbert Rome and Victoria Vittum in Houston, Texas. She performed with their company, Houston Repertoire Ballet,
for seven years. She has been cast in various roles in the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Pas de Trois and other several
other ballets. Growing up she also studied at intensive summer workshops with Joffrey Ballet, Austin Ballet and Central Pennsylvania
Youth Ballet. While the primary focus of her training was on classical ballet, she also has experience in modern, jazz and
contemporary dance. In 2007, Emilie attained her BA in French from the University of North Texas, while remaining highly active
with the local dance community. She began teaching ballet in early 2006 and has since then strived to make teaching the prominent
focus in her life. Emilie recently completed a summer intensive in Austria with the Salzburg Ballet. Currently, she is working
with Contemporary Ballet Dallas in her fourth season and is co-founder of Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet.
Shelby Stanley
Shelby began her dance training at Toby’s School of
Dance under the direction of JoAnn Robertson and Ericka Dove. She graduated from Southern Methodist University with a B.F.A.
in Dance Performance and a B.A. in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude.
At SMU, she performed masterworks by George Balanchine, Robert Battle, Alvin Ailey, Maurice Bejart, and Danny Buraczeski.
She also choreographed and performed a number of original works in student-led performances. In 2009, Shelby had the
unique opportunity to live in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she trained at Dansens Hus and Sceneindgangen: Dance Studio of Copenhagen.
Choreographers Jenny Major and Martin Svaneborg invited Shelby to participate in their spring showcase, setting original works
on her. Other companies with whom Shelby has had the pleasure to study include Thodos Dance Chicago, Toronto Dance Theatre,
Texas Christian University, the Joffrey Workshop, American Ballet Theatre, and Jillana. Shelby is an active member of
the Dallas dance community. She is in her second season with Contemporary Ballet Dallas.
