Ballet announces its 2008-09 professional company

RICHMOND – Kara Brosky and David Neal made their way to Richmond in 2006, quickly garnering attention as first-year apprentice dancers for Richmond Ballet.  In September, they’ll take the stage as full company members for Richmond Ballet when Studio 1 opens the 2008-09 season.

The addition of Brosky and Neal to the company roster brings the tally to 19 full company members and five apprentices – a total of 24 dancers for the professional company’s 25th Anniversary Season.

Originally from , Brosky studied at the American Ballet Theatre in their summer intensive and professional training school.  In February, Dance Magazine featured Brosky in a story about auditions, which described the determination and perseverance that earned her an audition with Richmond Ballet Artistic Director Stoner Winslett and, ultimately, an apprenticeship with the company.  This past season, Brosky perfectly augmented the company casts of Terra, part of the Studio 1 production, and Mozartiana, the Balanchine acquisition featured in Studio 3. 

Neal, born and raised in , and earned a BFA in dance from New York In 2007-08, Neal added flair to the all-male piece presented in the Ballet’s inaugural New Works Festival, Chance Favors the Prepared Mind, and rounded out the rest of the To Familiar Spaces in Dream cast for Studio 2. 

Both dancers appeared in A Rose for Miss Emily, the Agnes de Mille reconstruction the Ballet brought to the stage for Studio 2, as well as The Nutcracker and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  In addition to notable performances with the , the ease of their integration into the organization made their promotion to the company the logical next step.           

Apprentices for the 2008-09 Season are Cody Beaton, Alex Buckner, Trevor Davis, Whitley Saffron and Julie Smith.  Buckner returns for his second year as an apprentice; he came to Richmond Ballet from the Virginia School of the Arts in Lynchburg and spent one year as a trainee before moving up to apprentice last year.  Both Beaton, who previously studied at the Austin Conservatory of the Arts, and Saffron, who was in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre graduate program before coming to Richmond, were promoted to apprentice status after one year as trainees in the School of Richmond Ballet. Smith, formerly a trainee with Cincinnati Ballet, and Davis, formerly a trainee with Boston Ballet, are newcomers to  

The new talent joining Richmond Ballet this upcoming season will further strengthen The State Ballet of Virginia’s growing company and reputation as one of the top mid-sized ballet companies in

More about new company members:

Kara Brosky of Simi Valley, California, began training at The Performing Arts Center in Van Nuys, California, at the age of 12. She studied at the American Ballet Theater NYC Summer Intensive for three years before entering their professional training school in 2004.  In 2006, she accepted an apprenticeship with Richmond Ballet and joined the professional company in 2008.

David Neal, born and raised in Casper, Wyoming, began his training with Shirley Lewis and Heather Marsh and continued at Walnut Hill School with Samuel Kirkjian. After studying with Gus Solomons jr, James Sutton and Cherylyn Lavagnino, David graduated from with a BFA in dance. He joined Richmond Ballet after graduation for two apprentice seasons. This is his first season as a company member.

Complete company roster:

Richmond Ballet Company

Igor Antonov               

Jesse Bechard             

Lauren Breen

Kara Brosky               

Danaë Carter               

Lauren Fagone

Thomas Garrett

Kirk Henning               

Angela Hutto               

Shira Lanyi                  

Justin McMillan

Christopher Nachtrab

David Neal

Thomas Ragland

Fernando Sabino

Phillip Skaggs              

Maggie Small               

Valerie Tellmann

Cecile Tuzii

Richmond Ballet Apprentices

Cody Beaton

Alex Buckner

Trevor Davis

Whitley Saffron

Julie Smith