Ballet Austin II
Funded in part by the generosity of Sarah & Ernest Butler through a Ballet Austin Foundation Endowment
Established in 1999, Ballet Austin II is Ballet Austin's apprentice program and second company. The 8 apprentices, ranging in age from 18-23, are employed for 34 weeks. They perform with the main company in larger productions and present a minimum of two independent projects per year. Choreographers represented in the Ballet Austin II repertoire include Stephen Mills, Jennifer Hart, Thang Dao, Thaddeus Davis, Nick Kepley and Viktor Kabaniaev, and Nelly van Bommel.
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 Trainee Program. More than 60% of the main company’s current roster are 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, and Oklahoma City Ballet.
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 Ballet Austin II shows click here.
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Sarah Britton
Originally from Columbia, MD, Sarah began her pre-professional studies with the Maryland Youth Ballet in Silver Spring. During her time at MYB she was awarded the prestigious Darcy Smith Scholarship and was presented with the opportunity to both perform and choreograph. Sarah has also studied extensively under Susan Jaffe and Risa Kaplowitz, spending several summers at the Princeton Dance Theater. She has also attended summer programs at the Boston Ballet on scholarship and Ballet Austin. Directly out of high school Sarah spent the first season of her professional career as a member of Cincinnati Ballet II for the program's 2009-2010 season. Sarah has also set and performed her own original choreography with the company at the Cincinnati Ballet. Sarah spent the past season as a member of Ballet Austin II and is thrilled to be staying on for the 2011-2012 season.
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Sara Hays
Sara Hays is from Buffalo, NY where she received her training from Cynthia Whiteway and Maris Battaglia. She furthered her training at SUNY Purchase College where Sara graduated with a BFA in dance with a minor in Arts Management. Last year Sara was a member of Cincinnati Ballet II and looks forward to her first season with Ballet Austin II.
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Kody Jauron
Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Kody began his classical ballet training under the direction of Andrew Needhammer and later continued his pre-professional studies at the Miami City Ballet School on full scholarship. Upon graduation of high school, Kody joined Ballet Austin's Trainee Program where he was honored to become a recipient of The Sarah and Ernest Butler Scholarship. He has supplemented his training at summer intensives including Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, and Ballet Austin. Last season, Kody was privileged to dance alongside Ballet Austin II in Stephen Mills' Red Roses and Thang Dao's Quiet Imprint, among others. He is very excited to be joining Ballet Austin II for his first season!
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Whitley Saffron
Whitley Saffron of Morgantown, WV received her early training from the Morgantown Dance Studio. She later went on to study with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and the School of Richmond Ballet. As an apprentice with the Richmond Ballet she had the honor of performing numerous classical and contemporary works with the professional company. During her first season with Ballet Austin II, she enjoyed performing in Thang Dao's Quiet Imprint, Mills' The Nutcracker, August Bournonville's La Sylphide, and Jen Hart's Strange Shadows. Whitley is thrilled be back for a second season with Ballet Austin II.
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Nicole Voris
Originally from Albuquerque, NM, Nicole started her training with Renee Antoinette's School of Dance, Dance Theater of the Southwest and New Mexico Ballet Company. She attended summer programs of San Francisco Ballet School, National Ballet School of Canada, Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell, Taos Workshops with Jillana, and Ballet Austin. In 2007, she was offered a place in the San Francisco Ballet School year round program where she trained for three years on merit scholarship under Lola DeAvila's direction. She had many opportunities to perform with the main company including Helgi Tomasson's The Nutcracker and the 2009 new Swan Lake. She also performed on the company's 2009 tour of China as a part of the Swan Lake corps de ballet. For the 2010-2011 season Nicole was a part of the Cincinnati Ballet II program. This will be Nicole's first season with Ballet Austin II.
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Mandy Wenk
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mandy trained under the direction of Karen Alwin, Deanna Encinias and Patricia Dickinson. At the age of 15, she moved to Philadelphia to continue her education on scholarship at the Rock School for Dance Education. Mandy was awarded the bronze medal at the Youth American Grand Prix in 2006 and spent the following two years training at Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy. As a trainee with Ballet Austin for the 2010-11 season, Mandy was awarded The Sarah and Ernest Butler Scholarship. She would like to thank her family and the Butlers for their continued support. She is honored to be a part of Ballet Austin II's 2011-12 season.
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Benjamin Wetzel
A recent graduate of Point Park University (PPU), Benjamin hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. This is his first season with Ballet Austin II. Benjamin became enamored with concert dance while studying Theater Arts at PPU and subsequently found any and every way to "sneak" into more dance classes. At school, he studied ballet and Horton technique. He is very grateful for the opportunity to work with this company.
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Daniella Zlatarev
Originally from Northern California, Daniella is in her second season with Ballet Austin II. She received her primary training from Contra Costa Ballet Centre under Richard Cammack and Zola Dishong, and Boston Ballet School with Kathleen Mitchell, Bonnie Mathis, and Christopher Anderson. In addition, she has attended summer intensives at Houston Ballet, School of American Ballet, and Kirov Academy of Ballet. She has danced with Company C Contemporary Ballet for a season, as a trainee with BalletMet, and most recently with Nashville Ballet II. Daniella is also a certified Pilates Instructor through Balanced Body University.
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