Company Dancers

Ian J. 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 twelve 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. He joined Ballet Austin II in 2008. This is his first season as a company member. Ian would like to thank Jesus Christ and his family for their continual caring and support.

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Paul Michael Bloodgood

Now in his eighth season, Paul Michael Bloodgood began his training with Don Snyder at the L’Acadamie de Danse, and then continued on full scholarship with the Rock School of Pennsylvania Ballet and graduated from the Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Originally from Seattle, Washington, Mr. Bloodgood has performed with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Redlands Festival Ballet, Ballet Austin, as a guest artist with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, and has toured internationally to Europe, domestically to the Kennedy Center in D.C., the Joyce Theater in New York City, as well as Hawaii. Professionally, he has danced principal roles such as Hamlet in Hamlet, Romeo in Romeo & Juliet, Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Prince Ivan in The Firebird, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Le Chevalier in Liaisons, and as a principal in George Balanchine’s Episodes, Antony Tudor’s Sunflowers, and Choo-San Goh’s Double Contrasts. Mr. Bloodgood’s past repertoire also includes works by Twyla Tharp, Lynne Taylor-Corbet, Marius Petipa, Peter Pucci, Nicolo Fonte, Septime Weber, and over thirty-five original works created by Stephen Mills, Dwight Rhoden, Kent Stowell, Anne Marie DeAngelo, Jacques Heim, Paul Vasterling, David Allan, Gina Patterson and Thaddeus Davis, among others. A two-time Austin Critics Table Award recipient, Mr. Bloodgood is a proud union member of SAG, AFTRA and AEA, appearing in film, music videos and television; with recent work in director Michael Bay’s Transformers, Forest Whitaker’s First Daughter and over twenty independent films, some of which have toured the film festival circuit internationally. In his down time, Mr. Bloodgood is pursuing a degree from St. Edward's University and studies Tukong Moosul martial arts under Grand Master Yi (Sin City) for his upcoming lead role in Rene Hinojosa’s Templar: Honor Among Thieves, as well as Joshua Flanagan’s The Undead and Ali Brown’s Stone and Sand. He also runs a photography, graphic design and film production company, Bloodygood Pictures, with his wife and fellow company dancer, Anne. Mr. Bloodgood thanks Jesus Christ, his wife, and his family for their inspiration.

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Orlando Julius Canova
Orlando Julius Canova, originally from Laguna Niguel, California, has trained with the Anaheim Ballet, School of American Ballet and Miami City Ballet School. Orlando became an Arpino Apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet in 2001 and became a company member in 2003. He moved to Austin to dance with Ballet Austin in 2005. Since joining the company Mr. Canova has danced such roles as: Lead Russian and Chinese in The Nutcracker; Sonya Del Wades’ Savoir Vive; Paris in Romeo and Juliet; Red Roses; Five Flights Up; Desire and Three Movements; Touch; and Bow Headed Lou in Cult of Color: Call To Color. This is Mr. Canova’s fifth season with the company and he is looking forward to an exciting year of dance.

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Edward Carr

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Edward received his first 12 years of ballet instruction at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School.  After graduating from high school, he continued training for two years at Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto under the instruction of Lindsay Fischer. Edward came to Ballet Austin in 2006 as a professional division trainee, and joined Ballet Austin II a year later.  Since joining the company for the 2008/09 season, Edward has appeared in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, as Snow King and Arabian in Stephen Mills’ The Nutcracker, as Claudius in Mills’ Hamlet, and in Nicolo Fonte’s Left Unsaid.

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Matthew Cotter
Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Matthew Cotter began his early ballet training with Karen Milligan then continued as a student at the National Ballet School of Canada and Pacific Northwest Ballet School . Mr. Cotter has previously danced with Oregon Ballet Theater and BalletMet Columbus.  Since joining Ballet Austin, Mr. Cotter has enjoyed roles in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs, and Stephen Mills’ Hamlet, Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project, Touch, and Songs of Innuendo. This is his eighth season with the company.

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Ashley Lynn Gilfix

Ashley Lynn Gilfix is a native of the Chicago area, where she received her formal training from Ms. Sherry Moray.  Ms. Gilfix performed with the Alabama Ballet prior to joining Ballet Austin in 2002.  During the past seven seasons, Ashley has had the honor of performing in many world premieres by Stephen Mills, and touring with the company to Italy, Slovenia, The Joyce Theater, and The Kennedy Center, where she was featured in Balanchine’s Episodes in Ballet Austin’s recent collaboration with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.  Ms. Gilfix has also danced a variety of roles by such choreographers as Sidra Bell, Thang Dao, Thaddeus Davis, Nicolo Fonte, Gina Patterson, Dwight Rhoden, Amy Seiwart, Twyla Tharp, and Septime Webre.  Ashley has especially enjoyed dancing the roles of Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Kitri in Don Quixote, Ophelia in Hamlet, and the title role in Cinderella.  Ashley was honored to receive a 2009 Austin Critic’s Table Award for Outstanding Dancer for her performance in Episodes, Mills’ Hamlet, and Fonte’s Left Unsaid.  Ms. Gilfix is currently pursuing a degree in Dance and The Humanities from St. Edward’s University.  

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Joseph Hernandez
Joseph Hernandez grew up in Heidelberg, Germany and is pleased to be starting his first season with Ballet Austin.  He received his early training from Isabel Christie and Carolyn Carattini at the Heidelberg Youth Ballet.  Returning to the U.S., he trained at Ballet Austin Academy before heading to New York to attend The School of American Ballet, where studied with Jock Soto, Nikolaj Hubbe, Peter Boal, and Andrei Kramarevsky.  While at SAB, Joseph performed roles in Balanchine’s Square Dance and Gounod Symphony, as well as featured roles in his Four Temperaments, and Peter Martins’ Les Gentilhommes.  Following his 2007 workshop performance, Joseph was offered an apprenticeship with the New York City Ballet where he performed for two seasons, before returning to Texas.

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Rebecca Johnson
Rebecca Johnson is originally from Ann Arbor, MI where she received her early training from Marjorie Randazzo. From there she attended Virginia School of the Arts as well as summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theater, and Ballet Austin. Ms. Johnson joined Ballet Austin II in 2004 and has enjoyed performing roles in Peter Pan, George Balanchine’s Serenade, The Taming of the Shrew, Touch, and Amy Seiwert’s Danger of Speaking. This is Ms. Johnson’s fourth season with the company.

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Aara Krumpe
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Aara Krumpe received her early training from Nancy Sulik and studied for three years at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre  School under David Holladay.  She was an apprentice with Ballet Austin II before joining the main company in 2001. Since then, Ms. Krumpe has enjoyed dancing many featured roles including Dark Angel in Balanchine’s Serenade, Kate in Mills’ The Taming of the Shrew, the principal couple in Mills’ Touch, the Sugar Plum Fairy in Mills’ The Nutcracker and in Gina Patterson’s Red Line.  Aara was honored to receive a 2007 Austin Critic’s Table Award for Outstanding Dancer for her performance in Serenade and Tharp’s The Golden Section.

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Anne Marie Melendez
Anne Marie Melendez, returning to Ballet Austin for her seventh season, began her ballet training in Torrance, California with Diane Lauridsen at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre. Ms. Melendez has previously performed with the South Bay Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, and Nevada Ballet Theatre.  She has appeared in works by Twyla Tharp, Marius Petipa, Alun Jones, Nicolo Fonte, David Parsons, Ron Cunningham, Val Caniparoli, Choo-San Goh, George Balanchine and has had more than twenty original works created for her by Stephen Mills, Charles Maple, Thaddeus Davis, William Whitener, Susan Hadley, Jacques Heim, Robert Sund, Ann Marie DeAngelo, Thang Dao and Gina Patterson.  Professionally, her favorite roles include Ophelia in Hamlet, the White Cat in The Sleeping Beauty, Cupid in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, an evil Stepsister in Cinderella, one of Kitri’s Friends and Cupid in Don Quixote. Ms. Melendez has been proud to represent Ballet Austin on tour to the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at the Joyce Theatre (New York City.)  Ms Melendez is a contributing blogger at theWinger.com as well as an avid dance photographer. Together with her husband and fellow company dancer, Paul, Ms. Melendez runs a photography and graphic design company, Bloodygood Pictures, and has recently had her work featured in Pointe Magazine.  She would like to thank Jesus Christ, her husband, and her family for their endless love and support.

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Jordan Moser
Originally from Santa Ana, California, Jordan Moser received his training at Academy of Dance under Merle Sepel and Rebeca Tsvkin.  He has danced with Los Angeles Dance Theater and performed in Beijing, China.  He has also been a guest artist in Japan.  Since joining Ballet Austin in 2007 he has danced: Master of Ceremonies in Cinderella, Nicolo Fonte's Left Unsaid, and in Stephen Mills' Hamlet.  Mr. Moser is proud to have had the role of Mound created on him for the premiere of Cult of Color: Call to Color. He is currently studying Humanities at St. Edward's University.  Jordan is also an active Austin musician and songwriter and is currently recording his second record. He would like to thank his parents for their love and support and Mignon Furman for her generosity, support and inspiration over the years.

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Oren Porterfield
Oren hails from Dallas, TX, where she began training with Tanju and Patricia Tuzer. She also spent summers at The American Ballet Theater Workshop where she was awarded a national training scholarship. Oren continued study under Truman Finney as a member of Ballet Austin's Professional Division Trainee Program before spending a season as an apprentice with Ballet Austin II. She has had the pleasure of dancing professionally for Ohio Ballet and most recently, three seasons with Dayton Ballet. In Dayton, she performed such roles as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire and Lucy Westenra in Dracula. Oren is especially thrilled to be back in Austin for her first season as a member of the company that inspired her as a student.

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Chelsea Renner

Chelsea Renner, originally from Bozeman, Montana, received her early training from Ann Bates of Montana Ballet and Campbell Midgley of Queen City Ballet.  She attended summer programs at Ballet West, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Ballet Austin.  Chelsea was a Ballet Austin Academy professional division trainee and an apprentice with Ballet Austin II before joining the main company. Ms. Renner has enjoyed performing in Stephen Mills' Hamlet, Argelina, and Touch, George Balanchine's Episodes, and Serenade, and Dwight Rhoden's Salsa Pit, along with other works by Gina Patterson, Thaddeus Davis, Michelle Thompson, and Kimmary Williams.  She felt privileged to tour with the company to The Kennedy Center in D.C.  Chelsea was honored to receive the Sarah and Ernest Butler Scholarship in 2006.  She would like to thank her parents and grandparents for their endless love, support, and generosity over the years.  Ms. Renner is excited for her second season with the Company.

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Frank Shott
A native of Vestal, NY, Frank is currently in his tenth season with Ballet Austin. His training included time at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School / Schenley Program, Houston Ballet Academy, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Mr. Shott spent the first four years of his professional career with Kansas City Ballet. During his time with Ballet Austin Frank has danced a variety of roles including Prince Charming in Cinderella, Peter in Peter Pan, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, and Basilio in Don Quixote.  Most recently, Mr. Shott could be seen on PBS performing the title role in Hamlet.  In addition to performing fight scenes in Hamlet, he has had the joy of choreographing the duels in Romeo & Juliet.  Frank is proud to have had his technical and dramatic efforts acknowledged by The Austin Critic’s Table multiple times.  When not dancing, Frank is generally studying for his classes at St. Edwards University or working as a Massage Therapist.

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Christopher Swaim
Christopher Swaim is originally from Bryant, Arkansas where he began his training with Kirt and Linda Hathaway at the Academy of Ballet Arkansas. After graduating with distinction from the University of Oklahoma with a B.F.A. in Ballet Pedagogy, he joined Ballet Austin II in 2004 before joining Ballet Austin in 2006. Mr. Swaim has danced principal roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, and Valse Fantasie, as well as featured in works by George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Stephen Mills, Thaddeus Davis, Amy Seiwert, James Clouser, Sidra Bell, Miguel Terekhov, Septime Webre, Gina Patterson, Nicolo Fonte, and Ben Stevenson. He was also chosen to travel with Ballet Austin to The Kennedy Center to perform with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet in 2008. When he is not dancing Mr. Swaim teaches in the Butler Community School and has guest taught in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

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Beth Terwilleger
Beth Terwilleger, originally from Santa Cruz, California, joined Ballet Austin II in the fall of 2003 and joined the Company in 2005. Prior to joining Ballet Austin II, Ms.Terwilleger studied ballet with The Studio School of Classical Ballet, Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, Richmond Ballet, The Rock School, and Miami City Ballet. She has enjoyed dancing roles in Concerto Barocco, Episodes, and Serenade by George Balanchine, Touch, Silence Within Silence, Songs of Innuendo, and Red Roses by Stephen Mills along with other works by Gina Patterson, Thaddeus Davis, Viktor Kabaniaev and Thang Dao. This is Ms. Terwilleger’s fourth year with the Company.

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Michelle Thompson
Michelle Thompson, originally from San Francisco, trained at San Francisco Ballet for nine years. During her two years with Ballet Austin II, she studied with Truman Finney and was privileged to perform in Ulysses Dove's Vespers. Now in her seventh season with Ballet Austin, Ms. Thompson has loved dancing in works by Mills (Silence within Silence, Kai, Red Roses, Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project), Patterson (Free to Fly, Red Line, Liquid Eyes), Twyla Tharp, and Balanchine. She was thrilled to perform the role of Kitri in Don Quixote. She has also enjoyed touring with the company to New York, Washington D.C., and Europe.

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David Van Ligon

A Dallas native, David joins Ballet Austin this season. Raised in South Carolina, he began his training with William Starrett at the Columbia City Ballet, and later with Serge Lavoie, Stacey Calvert, Stanislav Issaaev and Shamil Yagudin. At 16, he went to the San Francisco Ballet School on full scholarship, and the following season joined the professional division of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. For the past four seasons he danced with the Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas, NV as a soloist where he performed leading roles in George Balanchine’s Rubies, Serenade (Waltz), Who Cares?, and Allegro Brilliante, as well as Val Caniporili’s Lambarena. He performed with the company at The Kennedy Center, as well as the National Theatre of Korea in Seoul.   He would like to thank his supportive family and would like to dedicate his performances to his loving and fabulous late Aunt, Genie Weitzman.

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Kirby Wallis

Originally from Huntington Beach, CA, Kirby Wallis trained with Salwa Rizkalla for ten years, later graduating cum laude with a BFA in Dance Performance from Southern Methodist University. While at SMU, she danced principal roles in Balanchine's Serenade, Valse Fantaisie, and Raymonda Variations. Ms. Wallis then joined Ballet Austin II in the fall of 2006, and became a company member in the fall of 2008. Recently, she has enjoyed dancing in Stephen Mills' Songs of Innuendo, Nicolo Fonte's Left Unsaid, and Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs. Ms. Wallis looks forward to her second season with the company and feels very blessed by her husband, family, and friends who provide endless support.

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Jaime Lynn Witts
Jaime Lynn Witts, originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, received most of her training from Maxim Ponomaranko at Dance Elite. She attended summer programs at CPYB, Boston Ballet, and Ballet Austin, where she continued to study with Truman Finney and then joined Ballet Austin II in 2003. She is excited to start her sixth season with the Company. Ms. Witts has enjoyed performing in Mills’ Light/The Holocaust & Humanity Project andViktor Kabaniaev's Weather.  When she is not dancing Ms. Witts teaches at Ballet Austin Academy.

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