The Company

 

AMY GRANT WOLFE – ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Mrs. Wolfe has a B.A. degree in Theatre (Summa cum Laude) from Baldwin-WallaceCollege in Cleveland and a M.F.A. in Dance from Southern Methodist University where she twice received the Meadows Award as an outstanding dance student and won the Betty Ferguson Award as Outstanding Graduate student. As a professional dancer she has been a soloist with Ballet Dallas, Ballet Midland, Irving Ballet, Richardson Ballet, Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, Southwest Dance Collective, Ohio Opera Company and Berea Summer Theatre. After moving to Manassas in 1990 Mrs. Wolfe became a teacher at the Manassas School of Dance and a principal dancer with Manassas Dance Company. In 1997 she became Associate Director of Manassas Dance Company and helped lead the expansion of the Company into a professional ballet company. In 1999 Mrs. Wolfe became the Artistic Director of Manassas Dance Company (now MBT). In 2008, Mrs. Wolfe was presented with a Seefeldt Pioneer Award for Arts Excellence by the Prince William County Park Authority Arts Council for stellar achievement over time.

 

IGOR SAPATKO - BALLET MASTER

A native of Minsk, Belarus,Igor trained at the BelarusNational Choreographic Academy. Among his teachers was Alexander Kolidenko, who was a student of the great ballet master Pushkin. His dancing experience includes the National Theatre of Belarus, the Moscow Festival Ballet and the Bolshoi Theatre- Grigorovich Ballet. Since coming to the United States in 1995, Igor has danced with the Sacramento Ballet, the Washington Ballet and the Milwaukee Ballet. Igor joined Manassas Ballet Theatre in September 2000. After leaving to go back to Belarus, we are pleased to welcome Igor back to Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

MARLEN ALIMANOV

Marlen Alimanov graduated, in 2008, from the A.V Selezneva choreographic school.  He then went to work in the Almaty State Opera and Ballet.  In 2009 Marlen was admitted to the Novosibirsk Theatre under the direction of Igor Zelensky.  Mr. Alimanov has also worked professionally with the Moscow Ballet.  Throughout his career, Marlen has had the opportunity to dance soloist and principle roles such as “Peasant Pas De Deux” from Giselle, “Dance Master” in Cinderella,  “Pas de Trois” from Swan Lake, “Romeo” in Romeo and Juliet, and “Prince Dezire” in The Sleeping Beauty.   This is Marlen’s first season with the Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

SARA GAYDASH

Originally from Ohio, Ms. Gaydash has been recognized by the state as “Gifted in the Arts” and graduated high school valedictorian. She performed in many “Theatre 8:15″ productions under the late Richard Moore before furthering her studies with Inna Stabrova and Dmitriy Tuboltsev at the Ohio Conservatory of Ballet. She was the Junior Youth Grand Prix winner in Chicago in 2003, and has attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre on full scholarship. Ms. Gaydash has also studied at Harid Conservatory of Dance, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, Ballet Met, Canton Ballet, and Manchester Ballet. She was featured in the “Demonstration of Complete Vaganova Level Four Syllabus presented by Dmitriy Tuboltsev.” Ms. Gaydash teaches for the Manassas Ballet Academy and is a coach for Youth America Grand Prix.  She was selected to participate in the 2010 USA International Ballet Competition, and in 2011 she was a finalist at the World Ballet Competition.

 

 

MARGARET HANNAH

Margaret Hannah is originally from Atlanta, Georgia where she trained with the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre under the direction of Lisa Sheppard. There she had the opportunity to perform in Austria with Tanzomer Festival. Margaret also has received scholarships to Orlando Ballet, Boston Ballet, Burklyn Ballet Theatre and Ballet Austin summer programs. She was asked to perform in Scotland at the Fringe Festival, where she danced the lead in both Alice in Wonderland and The Little Mermaid. Margaret danced with the Ballet Theatre of Maryland for the last five years. Her roles there included Cinderella in Cinderella, Dew Drop and Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, and Odette in Second Act Swan Lake.

 

 

ALEKSEY KUDRIN

Aleksey was born in Perm, Russia and trained at the Perm State Choreographic College from 1985 to 1993.  He danced with the Siktivkar Academic Theatre Opera and Ballet and the Grigorovich Ballet of Russia, under the legendary Yuri Grigorovich, before coming to the United States in 2002.  Once here, Mr. Kudrin danced with the Sarasota Ballet of Florida and the Columbia Classical Ballet in South Carolina, appearing in many original works as well as all the classics.  From 2006 through 2008, Aleksey danced with Manassas Ballet Theatre.  For the past five years, Aleksey has been teaching in area ballet schools.  We are happy to welcome Aleksey back to MBT this season.

 

 

CHARIS KULLOS

Charis was born in 1991 in San Diego, California. She began her professional Russian training in Florida at the Space Coast Ballet Academy. From 2006-2009 she attended and graduated from the Kirov Academy of Ballet, receiving a diploma for completing their Artistic Program. In 2009 she was accepted into the apprenticeship program at Tulsa Ballet where she danced roles in both Company and second Company productions. This is Charis’ second season with Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

JORDEN KULLOS

Jorden was born in Flagstaff, Arizona in 1989.  In 2001, Jorden began his dance training in Houston, Texas.  At age 13 he started training in ballet at the Lake Conroe Dance and Performing Arts Center in Conroe, Texas. In 2008, Jorden was accepted into the apprenticeship program at Tulsa Ballet, where he trained in the Russian Vaganova method for two years.   This is Mr. Kullos’ second season with the Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

JENNIFER LOBER

Mrs. Lober is in her fifth season with the Manassas Ballet Theatre. Jennifer is a native of Pennsylvania and trained with the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company. Upon graduation, she was asked to join the Nashville Ballet from 2003-2005. While in Nashville, she performed in the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and Scheherazade. Following that, from 2005-2007, she was a company member with the Ohio Dance Theater. With ODT, she performed lead roles such as the Evil Queen in Snow White, Marzipan Pas de Deux and Columbine Doll in the Nutcracker, and Spindrift Pas de Deux. Jennifer also performed in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Valse Fantasie, and Carmen, as well as the children’s ballets of Alice and the Wonderland Circus, as Tweedle Dee, and The Fairy Forest, as the head fairy Pixie. 

 

ELAINA MORGAN

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Elaina began her training in 2006 at the age of 12 with Ballet Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee.  She quickly advanced in the school and was accepted into the Junior Company.  Elaina moved too Berryville, VA in the summer of 2010, and there she attended the Blue Ridge Studio where she had many performance opportunities.  Elaina graduated from the Blue Ridge Studio for the Performing Arts in June 2011.  This is her first season with Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

SCALI RIGGS

Scali Riggs began dancing at the age of 15 with the Schrader Youth Ballet Company.  While studying at Schrader’s, Ms. Riggs had the opportunity to work closely with Duncan Noble and Nina Danilova.  Scali holds a B.A. degree in dance performance and pedagogy, from Mercyhurst College.  While attending Mercyhurst, Scali was able to dance professionally with the Lake Erie Ballet.  After graduation Scali worked with the Atlanta Festival Ballet, as well as the Ballet Theatre of Maryland.  Ms. Riggs is excited to be dancing her 2nd season with Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

VADIM SLATVITSKIY

After graduating in 1989 from the Novocibirsk Ballet Academy in Russia, Mr. Slatvitskiy became the principal dancer with the Novocibirsk Theatre from 1989 until 2000, where he danced in many productions such as Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle. Mr. Slatvitskiy also danced as the Prince in The Nutcracker. In 2000, he became a principal dancer with the Grigorovich Ballet Company in Russia. In 2003, he won the coveted Grand Prix award in the Philip Morris International Competition. This is Mr. Slatvitskiy’s sixth year with Manassas Ballet Theatre.

 

 

HEATHER HEBDA STARK - EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

A native of Pittsburgh, Mrs. Stark studied at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a minor in Arts Administration. She also trained at Point Park College in Pittsburgh, LaRoche College, Ballet Met, Ballet Austin, and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet. Mrs. Stark has worked as a dance and ballet instructor and choreographer at Spacecoast Ballet, The Dancezone, and King Street Dance in Florida. In addition, she has danced with various dance teams and including appearances at Cleveland Cavaliers NBA games. This is her fifth season with Manassas Ballet Theatre.