WE LOOK FORWARD TO GREETING YOU ALL AT THIS YEARS EVENT

DARREN CHRISTIAN McINTYRE (2002 - 2008) - Event Organizer

Originally from Port Macquarie, NSW-Australia, Darren McIntyre is a graduate of The Australian Ballet School. Before joining The Milwaukee Ballet, Mr. McIntyre toured extensively throughout the United States, Australia, Asia & Europe, performing a wide range of both classical and contemporary works as a freelance artist & with such companies as The Australian Ballets Dancers Company, The Landestheater Detmold in Germany, The National Ballet of Ireland and Les Ballet Grandiva, among others. Some of his favorite roles include the principal roles in Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, George Balanchine's Valse Fantasie, Stanton Welch's Orange, and James Sutherland's Die Bakchen. Mr. McIntyre was the recipient of several scholarships including The Dame Peggy Van Praagh Award for Choreography, The Sir Robert Helpmann Bursary and The Young Australian of The Year Arts Award. Mr. McIntyre is a columnist with DANCEtrain Magazine as well as the founder and artistic director of The Marianne McIntyre Memorial International Ballet Scholarship Festival, held annually in memory of his mother in Australia. Mr. McIntyre presently travels the globe as a guest performer, teacher, choreographer and adjudicator. To visit Mr. McIntyre's website please visit http://www.darrenmcintyre.webs.com/

JENNIFER WHITNEY GRAPES (2008)

Ms. Grapes was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, where she received her early training from Melissa Morris, Yvonne Craig, and the Kansas City Ballet School. In 2000 she received a scholarship to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where she trained extensively under the tutelage of Paula Weber and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. Before joining Milwaukee Ballet, Ms. Grapes toured extensively throughout the U.S. and parts of Europe performing a wide range of both classical and contemporary works with various national and international companies. Last season, Jennifer enjoyed being featured in the pas de trois from La Bayadere, the Feather Trio from Antony Tudor's Offenbach in the Underworld, and Michael Pink's world premiere of Aubade. Last summer she was honored to represent Milwaukee Ballet at the Crossroads Ballet Festival (Kansas City, MO) to perform the Black Swan Pas de Deux, and she also completed her first tour to Australia. There she performed the leading roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Paquita as well as teaching master classes throughout her tour. Jennifer has been hailed by international critics for her intense versatility, pure artistry, and crystal clear technique and presently travels the world as a guest performer, teacher and adjudicator. Ms. Grapes is very excited to begin her second season with Milwaukee Ballet and wishes to thank her family especially her son, Jeremiah, for all of the continued love and support.

NADIA THOMPSON (2008)

Nadia Thompson was born in Southport, Australia and trained with her mother's school, Frances Davis Thompson School of Dancing. At the age of 16, she traveled to the Royal Ballet School in London and under her mother's school, won a bronze medal in the world-renowned Adeline Genee Awards. Ms. Thompson toured with the Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet (now Birmingham Royal Ballet) during her graduate year of the Royal Ballet School and then joined the Northern Ballet Theatre where she quickly became a senior soloist. In her three and a half years with NBT, she performed principal roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle and Myrtha in Giselle, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, and Kitri in Don Quixote. Ms. Thompson also performed for Her Majesty the Queen in the Royal Variety Performance. In 1990 Ms. Thompson moved on to London City Ballet and continued her international touring career as principal dancer performing works by Ashton, MacMillan, Patrice Bart and Jack Carter. During this time, Ms. Thompson had the opportunity to perform in Europe and Asia for royalty including Princess Diana, HRH Princess Margaret, Duchess of York and the Crown Prince and Princess of Singapore. Ms. Thompson was invited to join Boston Ballet by Director Bruce Marks, in 1993 where she created and danced many varied roles including, Snow Queen and Sugar Plum in Nutcracker, Myrtha in Giselle, Lilac Fairy and Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Crossover Girl in Upper Room, Palmyra in Abdallah, I Can Dream Lady in Company B, as well as a vast Balanchine repertoire including, Russian and Elegy Girl in Serenade, principal lady in Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto #2 (Ballet Imperial), Divertimento #15, Tschaikovsky Pas de deux, Mozartiana, Rubys, and Choleric in Four Temperaments. Ms. Thompson also created many principal roles including, Twyla Tharp's Waterbaby Bagatelles, Summer Dreams and Lila York's Celts and Ode to Joy. During her time in the Boston Ballet, Ms. Thompson taught and coached the Company and school, which led to her chosen career change. In 2003, she joined DTS where she acted as Ballet Mistress and also shared the stage with Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Elie Weisel. Ms. Thompson first worked with Michael Pink when he created Don Quixote for her in 1988 and she is delighted to be working with him again and with Milwaukee Ballet.

JUAN CARLOS PENUELA

A native of Cali, Colombia, Juan Carlos Peñuela began dancing at the age of 12 with Incolballet, a ballet-centered secondary school. His teachers included artistic staff from the National Ballet of Cuba and several Russian ballet academies. After Graduating in 1986, Mr. Peñuela was invited to join Colombia's National Company as a soloist , Ballet de Cali, by Artistic Director, Gloria Castro. During the seven years he was with Ballet de Cali, he danced throughout South America, Europe, and the Caribbean Islands. His repertoire consisted of leading roles in contemporary works as well as classical pieces, including the principal male in Les Sylphides, Colin in La Fille Mal Gardée, and Franz in Coppélia. In 1993, Mr. Peñuela moved to the United States to join Ballet Arizona in Phoenix, where he danced several pieces by artistic director and choreographer Michael Uthoff, and also created roles in new ballets by Violette Verdy and Helgi Tomasson. In 1996, he joined Dance Theater of Harlem, where he performed in many of George Balanchine’s works, including The Four Temperaments, Agon, Allegro Brillante, and Bugaku, as well as a variety of contemporary pieces. Mr. Peñuela then joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 1998-2004. He was featured in several roles in The Nutcracker, and in Lynne Taylor-Corbett’s Great Galloping Gottschalk. Most notably, he received critical praise for dancing the role of The Moor in Josè Limon’s The Moor’s Pavane. He also performed in new works such as Jeffrey Gribler’s Cricket Dances, Meredith Rainey’s Slight Shifts, and Matthew Neenan’s Sfrenato. In September 2001 and 2002, Mr. Peñuela was selected to represent his native Colombia by performing in the Festival Internacional de Ballet de Miami, which featured dancers from more than a dozen countries worldwide. Juan Carlos then worked as a freelance dancer, based in New York City, guest performing with various companies and schools all over the US and abroad. During April and May 2005, Mr. Peñuela worked with Jimmy Gamonet’s new company, Maximum Dance Ballet Gamonet.  For much of the rest of 2004-2005, Mr. Peñuela worked in Cali, Colombia, with the school and company Incolballet. In addition to acting as Ballet Master and conducting classes six days a week, he set works such as Don Quixote and Meredith Rainey’s Slight Shifts (Miniaturas Moviles). He also danced featured roles in various contemporary and classical works. Mr. Peñuela took on several professional engagements as guest Ballet Master and Repetitur with Compania Colombiana de Ballet - Incolballet in Colombia and The Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City. He also recently was a guest ballet teacher at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, an International summer intensive held in Kent, CT. Mr. Peñuela holds a Romana’s Pilates Certification and has been teaching at True Pilates East for the past 2 years on the side of his Ballet Master engagements. Juan Carlos is currently working as a dancer & ballet master/repetitur with Chamber Dance Project in New York City.

MARK REDDISH (2008)

Mark Reddish began ballet lessons in 1975 in Sale, Victoria, with his mother's ballet school (Eve Reddish School of Dance) before continuing his training with Strelsa Heckleman (ex-Borovansky ) and the National Theatre in Melbourne. After moving to Tasmania Mark performed with the Tasmanian Ballet Foundation with Ken Gillespie from 1986 to 1989. Mark was a full time Ballet Teacher for 15 years and holds Licentiate Diploma with the Society Of Australian Teachers Of Dancing (French Method). Students of his have been accepted into a number of finishing school throughout Australia. In 2002 Mark became the director of the Tasmanian Classical Ballet Company and has produced a number of Ballets and short works since its formation. These include "Indulge Your Senses", "The Nutcracker", "The Sleeping Beauty" and "Coppelia" which toured Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie. "Qi Kong" an innovative new work produced for the Company, proved very popular amongst Tasmanian audiences, especially with the guest appearance of the Tasmanian Taiko Drummers, who accompanied the dancers. For regional Tasmania, Mark produced for the Company a short variation from the favourite Ballet "Paquita", along with "Songs of the Auvergne" and "Ode to V" - also new works commissioned for this Company. More recently Mark has directed the full length Ballets of "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker" and "Giselle" all of which have tour statewide. For the 2008 season Mark will direct "Les Sylphides" as part of the triple bill that will tour statewide in October.

HEIDI ZOLKER (2008)

Heidi trained at The National Theatre in Melbourne, Australia under Beverly Jane Fry, earning her diploma in classical ballet. Previously she has enjoyed dancing in George Balanchine’s Stars and Stripes (Liberty Bell), Tarantella (Pas de Deux), Rubies and Donizetti Variations as well as creating the role of Costanza in Chiara Ajkun’s Mozart: Epilogue of a Genius and the Pas de Deux from Diana and Acteon. Since joining the Sacramento Ballet, Heidi has performed in Balanchine’s Western Symphony, Scotch Symphony, Serenade and Concerto Barocco.  She has also appeared in Septime Webre’s Where The Wild Things Are, Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs (Forget Domani), and in Ron Cunningham’ s Etosha, The Sleeping Beauty (Bluebird Pas de Deux), and The Nutcracker.  Heidi enjoys arts and crafts, wildlife, summer days, and chocolate.

TIMOTHY COLEMAN (2008)

Timothy began his training at Ann Roberts School of Dance before moving to the Marie Walton-Mahon Dance Academy and later training at The National Theatre Ballet in Melbourne, Australia under Beverly Jane Fry. He has enjoyed performing several of George Balanchine’s ballets including Tarantella, Stars and Stripes (El Capitan), and Apollo (Apollo) as well as dancing the principal role in Valse Fantasie. Since joining The Sacramento Ballet last year he has appeared in Twyla Tharp’s Nine Sinatra Songs (Softly As I Leave You), George Balanchine’s Western Symphony, and Scotch Symphony, Septime Webre’s D-Construction and Where The Wild Things Are (Max’s Toy) as well as Ron Cunningham’s Etosha and The Nutcracker. The highlight of last season for Timothy was dancing the role of The Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty.  In his spare time, he enjoys origami, designing dancewear, and spending time with his girlfriend Heidi Zolker.

SOPHIE NORTHAM (2005 - 2006)

Originally from Casino NSW Australia, Sophie Northam trained at The Australian Dance Performance Institute in Brisbane, QLD Australia before graduating from The National Theatre Ballet School in Melbourne, VIC Australia. Ms. Northam has performed with The National Theatre Ballet - VIC-Australia, The Queensland Ballet - QLD-Australia & The Landestheater Detmold in Germany. Some of her favorite repertory to date includes; The principal roles of The Murderess & The Temptress in Michael Mao’s “Murder in Buenos Aries”, Medora in Le Corsaire, Paquita, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Les Sylphide, Karien The Amazon, The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty & Giselle. Sophie is also a certified Pilate’s instructor and teachers as a guest ballet mistress around the globe including at The International Trainee Program “Performing in New York”.

REBECCA MARTIN (2005)

Ms. Martin trained at Danceworld 301 before graduating from The Australian Ballet School. Rebecca has performed with The Australian Ballet's Dancers Company and later joined The Australian Ballet Company, performing in several productions, such as: The Red Shoes, Coppelia, The Sleeping Beauty, Manon, Swan Lake, etc. Some of Rebecca’s favorite featured roles performed to date are The White Cat in “The Sleeping Beauty”, Gulnare in "Le Corsaire" and the Pas de Trois from “Paquita”. Ms. Martin is also a columnist with DANCEtrain Magazine and teachers as a guest ballet teacher around the globe including at The International Trainee Program “Performing in New York”.

COLIN PEASLEY (2004)

Colin Peasley studied dance in Sydney, his home-town, with Valrene Tweedie and Gertrud Bodenwieser and at the Rudas School of Acrobatic Dancing. His early professional engagements were in musicals and on television and he joined the Australian Ballet for its inaugural season in 1962. He was given a position on the ballet staff of the Australian Ballet during the time Robert Helpmann was artistic director and became ballet master and then regisseur general. He was also a principal dancer with the Australian Ballet from 1987 until 1997 and throughout his performing career with the company scored major successes in significant character roles in works such as Coppelia, Nutcracker, La Fille mal gardee, The Merry Widow and Don Quixote. In the mid 1990s Peasley was offered the position of director of the company's education program, a position he continues to hold. Peasley has worked under all of the Australian Ballet's artistic directors to date. He was inducted into the Australian Dance Awards Hall of Fame in 2005.

DANI BROWN (2004)

 - Biography coming soon -