Ballet Austin II
Established in 1999, Ballet Austin II is Ballet Austin's apprentice program and second company. The 10 apprentices, ranging in age from 18-23, are employed for 34 weeks. They perform with the main company in larger productions as well as presenting their own roster of repertoire and educational programming throughout Texas. Choreographers represented in the Ballet Austin II repertoire include Stephen Mills, Gina Patterson and New American Talent/Dance finalists Thang Dao, Thaddeus Davis and Viktor Kabaniaev. Ballet Austin II projects include an annual repertory program, That Spring Thing, presented each April in the AustinVentures StudioTheater, as well as The Monologue Project, a dance theater work addressing bullying and intolerance on secondary school campuses, presented in conjunction with the actors of Pollyanna Theater Company.
Apprentices are contracted with Ballet Austin II for up to 2 years during which time they receive artistic guidance, career management counseling and job placement assistance. Each spring Ballet Austin brings artistic directors from across the nation to observe and audition Ballet Austin II dancers in class and rehearsal. Ballet Austin II members take company class, augmented by their own classes and rehearsals conducted by Ballet Austin's artistic staff. Apprentices are paid a weekly salary and Ballet Austin provides rehearsal/performance shoes. A network of healthcare providers offers free care to Ballet Austin II members.
Ballet Austin II apprentices are recruited through Ballet Austin's Summer Intensive Program and the year-round Professional Division (Trainee Program). Nearly 50% of the main company’s current roster includes graduates of Ballet Austin II. Additionally, former Ballet Austin II dancers have joined the ranks of both ballet and modern dance companies, including Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Smuin Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Washington Ballet, Nai-Ni Chen, The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, Ballet Met, Kansas City Ballet, Kim Robards Dance Company, Dominic Walsh Dance Theater, Wideman/Davis Dance and Thang Dao Dance.
Ballet Austin II puts on an biennial performance of Not Afraid of the Dark with music by Joe Scruggs and choreography by Stephen Mills. For more information on this show click here.
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Ian Bethany
Ian J. Bethany is from Long Island, New York. He began his dance training as a tap and jazz student at Robert Mann Dance Centre. He started ballet at the age of 12 at Tap to Pointe Dance Center. Ian then went on to train at the Frank Ohman School of Ballet, at the School of Ballet Chicago with Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair, at Ballet Academy East with Darla Hoover and Francis Patrelle, and then as a full scholarship student in the Professional Division of Pacific Northwest Ballet School with Peter Boal, Elaine Bauer, Marjorie Thompson, Bruce Wells and Nicholas Ade. This is Ian’s first year with Ballet Austin II. Ian would like to thank Jesus Christ and his family for their continual caring and support.
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Holly Curran
Originally from Lambertville, NJ, Holly began her training in the Princeton area including study with Susan Jaffe at PBT. She attended North Carolina School of the Arts and graduated from The Rock School in 2006. At The Rock she studied with Richard Rein, Natasha Barr, Servy Gallardo and danced in their outreach program performing contemporary works by resident choreographer Christopher Fleming. She’s attended summer intensives at Kirov, Boston Ballet, ABT, and Miami City Ballet. Since graduation, she’s performed with Terra Firma Dance Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, studied with Marcus Schulkind in Boston and maintained her ties to the Rock School performing with the ensemble at the 2008 YAGP gala in New York City. This summer at Jacob’s Pillow she worked with choreographers Helen Pickett, Edgar Zandejas and Tim Rushton, performing their works on the Inside/Out stage. She’d like to give a special thanks to Bo and Stephanie Spasoff and everyone at The Rock School.
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Ana Harmon
Born and raised in Boston, Ana Harmon began her ballet training in 1994 at Boston Ballet and has studied in its intensive program under Tatyana Legat, Laura Young, Tamara King, Deirdre Miles and Kathleen Mitchell, among others. Following her graduation in 2006 from Boston Latin School, Ana entered Boston Ballet’s trainee program as a recipient of the Laura Young scholarship. She simultaneously took courses at Northeastern and Boston Universities. Ana’s participated in summer intensives at Harid Conservatory, National Ballet School of Canada, Houston and San Francisco Ballets, as well as Kaatsbaan Extreme Ballet and Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell. Performance experience includes many roles in Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as numerous studio performances of classical, contemporary, and character pieces including Balanchine’s 1st Theme of Four Temperaments and Who Cares. Ana is looking forward to warmer climates and learning new choreography during her first season at Ballet Austin II.
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Donald Hicks
Originally from Moreno Valley, CA, Donald started his ballet training at South Bay Ballet. He has also attended the summer intensive programs of Ballet Austin, Boston Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Donald was in the professional division trainee program of Ballet Austin for two years. This is his first year with Ballet Austin II. When Donald is not dancing he enjoys shopping!
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Ryan Lutu
Ryan is from Honolulu, HI. He started dancing at the age of 19. He has studied with Vivian Little and Mary Reardon at Dance Fremont, and with Damara Bennett at Oregon Ballet Theater. This is Ryan’s second season with Ballet Austin II.
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Felicia McBride
Originally from San Antonio, TX, Felicia began her training with Julie Simpson. Five years later she trained with Patricia McBride as a trainee with North Carolina Dance Theater. This is Felicia’s first year as an apprentice with Ballet Austin II.
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Preston Patterson
Preston Andrew Patterson is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Patterson began his training at the age of eight at Pioneer Valley Ballet, which was then located in Northampton, Massuchusetts. Mr. Patterson continued his training at Ballethnic Academy of Dance under the instruction of Waverly T. Lucas, Nena Gilreath, Jose Rivera, and Ramazon Bapov. Mr. Patterson then went on to study at the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA) with Melissa Hayden, Nina Danilova, and Christin Spizzo. He then left NCSA to study at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (RWBS) under the instruction of David Moroni, Bruce Monk, and Jorden Morris. He then left RWBS to attend the School of American Ballet (SAB) on full scholarship. After leaving SAB, Mr. Patterson took a year to study in the Post-Secondary Programme at the National Ballet of Canada. This is Preston’s first season with Ballet Austin II.
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Nicole Stout
Originally from Chicago, IL, Nicole trained for six years with Daniel Duell and Patricia Blair at The School of Ballet Chicago. Later she became a professional division student with Pacific Northwest Ballet. This is Nicole’s second season with Ballet Austin II.
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Brittany Strickland
Originally from Winston-Salem, NC, Brittany received her early training from Michelle Nicholson and Carol Ravich. She attended the North Carolina School of the Arts for five years where she performed lead roles in The Nutcracker and La Fille Mal Gardee. Also with the North Carolina School of the Arts she was privileged to perform Serenade at the Hollywood Bowl. She was a professional division trainee with Ballet Austin for one year. This is her first year with Ballet Austin II.
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Sara Tull
Originally from Troy, Michigan, Sara was a trainee for two years at Ballet Austin and is now on her second year as an apprentice. Her early training included dancing with Michigan Ballet Theatre under the direction of Cornelia Sampson, and training with Iacob Lascu and the Lascu School of Ballet. Sara has been fortunate with receiving roles in Stephen Mills, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Argelina, and The Nutcracker. She has also danced in Gina Patterson's Madan, and O Menino, Thang Dao's Printemps Perdu, and Thaddeus Davis' Monologue Project. Sara has attended many professional summer intensives which include Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre (NYC), and Dayton Ballet. Sara is excited to be dancing another season and is grateful for the support from the Ballet Austin family!
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