By Jade Butler

As our 2018-2019 season draws closer, we’d like to introduce you to the newest additions to this growing company. We are so excited to expand our ranks, and continue to bring excellent dance to West Michigan as the stat’es only professional ballet company.

First up we have company member, Alexandra Meister-Upleger from Aurora, Ohio. Most recently she was a company member with Nashville Ballet. A native of Ohio, Alexandra began training at Sharron’s School of Dance. She continued her ballet training under Ana Lobe and various teachers throughout northeast Ohio as well as summer programs at Nutmeg and Houston Ballet. In 2008, she was invited to join Nashville Ballet’s second company, NB2. In September of 2010 she was offered an apprentice contract, and in the same season was promoted to company member. In the summer of 2016, Mrs. Meister-Upleger represented the USA at the 27th International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria Alexandra. She enjoys traveling and golfing with her husband and family. She loves working with young artists and sharing her passion for art. Fun fact: She owned a small business weeding gardens in Nashville called the Wacky Weeders.

Next up we have company member Emily Reed from Monee, Illinois joining us. Emily began dancing when she was three at Faubourg School of Ballet followed by the Ruth Page Center of the Arts, where she trained under beloved ballet master Larry Long. Emily attended various summer intensives across the country on scholarship and was one of the first trainees for Joffrey Ballet in Chicago. Emily spent 2010-12 in the Milwaukee Ballet II program where she performed a wide range of repertoire with MBII and in the main company productions. She spent six seasons with Minnesota Ballet and danced such roles as Lucy in Dracula, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, in Salvatore Aiello’s Clowns and Others, and in George Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Tarantella. Emily has also performed in the Lake Arts Project in Milwaukee, WI, as well as guested for the St. Lucie Ballet in The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Josue Justiz from Cuba is also joining us as a company member. He was born in Cuba where he started studying ballet at the age of nine in his hometown of Santiago de Cuba. When he was 14, he entered the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana under the guidance of masters Fernando Alonso and Ramona de Saa. During his time there, he was a successful competitor in the International Ballet Competitions of Havana winning one silver and two gold medals. After graduation, he entered the National Ballet of Cuba under the direction of Prima Ballerina Assoluta Alicia Alonso. After only two years with the company, he earned the title of soloist. He came to the United States permanently soon after where he joined the Studio Company of the Washington Ballet. In 2014, he joined the former Ballet San Jose under the direction of ballet legend Jose Manuel Carreño. Jose is a founding member of Dimensions Dance Theatre where he collaborated with well-known choreographers such as Septime Webre, Tara Reid, Vicente Nebrada, and Yanis Pikieris.

Our 4th company member to join us this season is Nathan Young from Little Rock, Arkansas. Nathan began his training at the age of 13 at the Arkansas Academy of Dance under Mark Bush, Melinda Tobian, and Rebecca Miller-Stalcup. In 2013, Nathan graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where he received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance.  After college, Nathan moved to Nashville, Tennessee, dancing for the Dance Theatre of Tennessee for one season and Nashville Ballet for four seasons.

 

 

Next to join us is apprentice Israel Garcia Chenge from Mexico. Israel began his ballet training when he was 17 years old at Fomento Artístico cordobés – PROVER with Adria Luz Velázquez and Martha Sahagún in Córdoba, Veracruz. In 2010 Israel joined the trainee program at Orlando Ballet School. Israel joined the Milwaukee Ballet II in 2012 where he performed soloist roles and did works by George Balanchine, Michael Pink, Tim O’Donnell, and Petr Zahradnicek. In 2013, Israel had the honor of being invited to perform as a guest artist at the Youth America Grand Prix Gala in Mexico. The following year, he joined the Joffrey Ballet studio company in Chicago, IL, performing a variety of classical roles and was featured in works by Jennifer Archibald, Stephanie Martinez, Christian Denice and Mariana Oliveira.

Nicholas Gray is joining us this season as an apprentice. He is a recent graduate of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Ballet and an Outside Field in Theatre and Drama. Nicholas grew up in Milwaukee, WI, studying at the First Stage Theatre Academy from 2006-2013 and beginning his classical ballet training at the Milwaukee Ballet School in 2010. Nicholas then moved to Torrington, CT in 2013 to continue his classical training with the Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory. In his three years at IU Nicholas performed in works by world-renowned choreographers including Martha Graham, Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, and Paul Taylor, and studied under ballet legends such as Violette Verdy, Kyra Nichols, Carla Korbes, and Michael Vernon. He had the privilege of performing in featured roles with the IU Opera Theatre and the IU Department of Theatre and Drama. 

Finally, William Shearstone from Atlanta, Georgia will be joining Grand Rapids Ballet as a trainee. William began his dance training at 14 years old at the Cobb County Center for Excellence in Performing Arts at Pebblebrook High School where he trained in ballet, jazz, modern, music, acting, and musical theater. He joined Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education Academy’s pre-pro division his senior year. After graduating high school, he earned a Trainee position at BalletMet and spent two seasons dancing there.

 

Welcome, everyone! We’re all very excited to see how your talents continue to elevate the art of Grand Rapids Ballet. You can learn more about all of your favorite dancers here.