Artistic Directors -
Company Dancers -
Guest Artists -
Character Artists
Artistic Directors
Ana Claire is the Director of the Boulder Ballet School, which has more than tripled in size under her direction. Although born in Boulder, Ana grew up on a ranch near Fairplay, Colorado. At the age of 8 she saw American Ballet Theater perform Swan Lake and fell in love with the art of ballet. In an extraordinary gift of support, Ana's mother then drove her to ballet classes in Denver throughout her childhood. Ana has studied ballet with Maxine Williamson, Fernando Schaffenberg, Milenko Banovich, Barbara Demaree and Larry Boyette. She has performed with Fort Worth Ballet, Fort Worth Opera, David Taylor Dance Theater, Aladdin Theater, Boulder's Dinner Theater, Jan Justis Dance Company, and 3rd Law Dance/Theater, among others. Ana was a principal ballerina with Boulder Ballet for many years, and was twice voted "Boulder's Best" by the Daily Camera. She has produced, directed, and choreographed fifteen Storybook Ballets, all with original music, scenery and costumes created in collaboration with local artists, and co-choreographed the 1998, '99, and all productions since 2001 of Boulder Ballet's Nutcracker. Ana is also the Director of Boulder Ballet's acclaimed outreach program Steps in Time which has been performed at numerous schools throughout the Boulder/Denver area. Ana studied dance pedagogy at Texas Christian University, attended the teacher training workshop with former New York City Ballet principal Jillana, and has over twenty-five years of teaching experience. She is a passionate teacher, dedicated to helping students achieve technical excellence while nurturing their individual artistry, and many of her students have gone on to professional careers in dance. Ana lives in Boulder with her husband Peter Davison, and children Alexander and Claire.
Peter Davison brings 35-years of diverse performing experience to the Boulder Ballet. His childhood idols were Alexander Calder and Batman, influences that led to training in visual art, juggling, and dance. While a teenager, Peter began his professional career street performing in Los Angeles, and as a variety artist for Hollywood films. He moved to Boulder in 1980. Peter studied ballet with Larry Boyette, Ana Claire, Barbara Demaree, Finis Jhung and Donald Mahler; modern dance with Danelle Helander, and tap with Susan Hadley and Lynn Dally, among others. In 1982 Peter became a founding member of the trio Airjazz with whom he appeared at venues such as the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, BAM, and the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Peter has also been a member of David Taylor Dance Theater, Jan Justis Dance Company, Kim Robards Dance, 3rd Law Dance/Theater, and has performed principal roles with Boulder Ballet since 1987. He has performed solo shows at the Carmel/California Performing Arts Festival, Cincinnati Playhouse, and Utah State Arts Tour, and has appeared as a featured soloist on the CBS, BBC and Fox television networks. Peter has received numerous awards and grants including the Arts Innovation Award from the Colorado Federation of the Arts, and the Performance Fellowship from the Colorado Council on the Arts. Peter has choreographed works for several Colorado-based companies, and he is a recipient of the 2009 Ballet Builders Award for Choreography, from New Choreographers on Pointe in New York City.
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Company Dancers
Kayla Berg began her professional training with German Zamuel and Mark Carlson at the International Ballet School in Colorado Springs. She has attended summer programs with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Pittsburg Ballet Theatre, and placed in the Denver Ballet Guild regional competitions. Kayla graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009 with a BA in Germanic Studies, and International Affairs, with a specific emphasis on Arctic Politics, and honorary certificates in Business Management and Peace and Conflict Studies. Kayla has appeared in the Boulder Ballet productions of The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. This is Kayla’s first season as a Boulder Ballet company member.
Photo by Nick Altiere
Renée Ford began her training in Northwest Ohio at The Toledo Ballet School and attended summer programs with BalletMet, Fort Wayne Ballet, and Charleston Ballet Theatre. She earned her BFA in ballet from the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. She danced professionally with Channel Islands Ballet under Yves de Bouteiller; performing roles in Balanchine's Valse Fantastie, Bouteiller's Firebird and Saint- Leon's Pas de Six de Vivandiere. Internationally, Renée danced with Cisne Negro, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In addition, she danced with Columbia City Ballet in South Carolina, Contemporary Ballet Theatre, South Carolina, and Epiphany Dance, a modern company located in Nashville Tennessee. This is Renée's third season with Boulder Ballet.
Matthew Helms began his training in Colorado on full scholarship at the
Academy of Classical Ballet, where he performed as the Prince in the
Nutcracker and danced principal roles in Giselle and Le Corsaire. He then
received a full scholarship to study with Mark and Sandra Carlson, and
German Zamuel at the International Ballet School where he performed
soloist roles in The Nutcracker and Peter Pan. Matthew competed in the
2008 Youth America Grand Prix and the 2008 Denver Ballet Guild Competition
where he received a full Scholarship to The Ballet West Academy in Salt
Lake City, Utah. Matthew has been a guest artist and a Ballet West
representative when dancing for regional ballet companies in Utah,
California and Idaho, and for the last three years has performed leading
roles in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty, Don
Quixote, and Le Corsaire. He also choreographed a contemporary ballet that
was premiered in the Ballet West Academy Spring show in 2009. Matthew was
promoted to the Ballet West Pre-Professional Trainee Program in 2010 and
has trained with artists from American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West,
Joffrey Ballet, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance,
Kirov Ballet and David Taylor Dance Theater. Matthew has studied martial
arts since age three, has been acting since age four, and has appeared in
movies, commercials and TV shows as an actor or a fight choreographer.
This is Matthew's first season with Boulder Ballet.
Melissa Heslep received her training at the School of Orlando City Ballet for thirteen years under the direction of Beatrix Aldana, and spent her summers training with teachers including Luba Gulyaeva, Mark Spivak, Valeria Sinyavakaya and Veronica Aldana. She performed with the student company until 2001, and upon graduation was accepted into the 2002 Youth America Grand Prix finals in NYC. In Orlando, she has performed with Russian Ballet under the direction of Vadim Fedotov and has spent the last five seasons with Central Florida Ballet under the direction of Vasile Petrutiu. She has also had the opportunity to travel as a guest artist for many venues in the United States. Her repertoire includes classics such as The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and The Nutcracker, as well as contemporary works. This is Melissa’s first season with Boulder Ballet.
Ryan Seate received his training from International Youth Ballet in Littleton, CO, under the tutelage of artistic directors Mark and Sandra Carlson. He has also trained with Mr. H. Christopher Fairbank, and performed professionally with Ballet Ariel. Ryan has danced in Giselle and Peter and the Wolf, and performed leading roles in Le Corsaire, Les Sylphides, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Nutcracker, Peter Pan and La Vivandiere, in addition to contemporary works. This is Ryan’s first season with Boulder Ballet.
Leticia Taguchi, a native of Brazil, began studying dance at age 4, at the Escola Marcela Campos in Sao Paulo. After graduating, she extended her training on full-scholarship at the Centro de Artes Lilian Gumieiro, Ballet Ilara-Lopes, and Centro de Danças Mavi Chiachietto, Sao Paulo. In 2001 Leticia joined the Cia Estável Promodança, Sao Paulo, where she performed soloist roles in Giselle, Graduation Ball, Paquita, The Nutcracker and others, and in 2004 performed as a guest dancer with the Company Cisne Negro, Sao Paulo. In 2007 Leticia moved to Japan to join the Hamamatsu City Ballet and then the Austrian Ballet Company, Tokyo, under the direction of Rio Mitani and Christian Martinu. Touring to many cities in Japan, she performed in classical productions such Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, as well as contemporary works. In 2008 Leticia choreographed a modern ballet for the company, "Welcome to Brazil," which had a great success with the Japanese audience. In Tokyo, Leticia also joined summer programs with Lyne Charles and Herald Uwe and worked as a ballet teacher at the Austrian Ballet School. In 2009, Leticia returned to Brazil to join the Cia Brasileira de Danças Classicas, Sao Paulo, and in 2010 the Cia Wagner Alvarenga, where she danced the title role in Carmen. Her awards include the Gold Medal at 2004 Grand Prix Brazil, Silver Medal at the 2006 Interdanças, and 2nd place at the 2009 Festival de Danças de Joinville. This is Leticia’s first season with Boulder Ballet.
Kathryn Wagner, a native of Colorado, has trained at the Arvada Center with Christina Noel-Adcock, Eve Paris, and Lisi Elsey. Kathryn has performed in numerous productions with the Arvada Center Dance Theater, including the title role in the 1999 production of Peter Pan, as well as on outreach to such places as the Children’s Museum, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and local elementary schools. In collaboration with Christina Noel-Adcock, Kathryn performed the title role in Peter and the Wolf on outreach to Lone Tree elementary schools in 2007. Kathryn is a co-artistic director and choreographer for the Arvada Center Dance Theater, and an instructor for the Arvada Center's Dance Department and summer integrated arts camps. In addition to teaching at the Arvada Center, Kathryn is an instructor for Boulder Ballet School. A graduate of Regis University with an elementary education license, Kathryn is a third grade teacher at Eisenhower Elementary in Boulder. This is Kathryn's fifth season with Boulder Ballet.
Adrienne Zetterberg, a native of New York, studied at the School of American Ballet and the Ballet Arts Studio under the direction of Valerie Feit of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. She has also studied with Nina Danilova, Maria Calegari, Bart Cook and the late Melissa Hayden. Upon graduating from the North Carolina School of the Arts she danced with North Carolina Dance Theater directed by Jean –Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. She has also danced professionally with Albany Berkshire Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet and Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet. This is Adrienne's second season with Boulder Ballet.
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Guest Artists
Stephen Straub was born in Syracuse, NY and began his training at the Center
of Ballet and Dance Arts and with Marianne Gray. In the fall of 1999 he went
on to study at the School of American Ballet in New York, NY with Peter
Boal, Andre Kramarevsky, Peter Martins and Jock Soto. Stephen was a member
of the corps de ballet of The Suzanne Farrell ballet for four years dancing
more than a dozen ballets by George Balanchine. He later moved to Colorado
and toured extensively with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performing in works by
Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Jiri Kylian and Helen Pickett over the next four
years. Stephen is now studying at CU Boulder and is thrilled to be working
as a guest artist at Boulder Ballet.
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Principal Character Artists
Kit Kyle is from Winnetka, Illinois. He played many sports as a youth, including hockey and speed skating, were he won a national championship. He was a US National Cycling Team member for 5 years, living and training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He participated in several world championships, winning 2 silver medals. He began studying ballet with Boulder Ballet in 2004. Kit has appeared in Boulder Ballet productions of The Nutcracker, L' Histoire du Soldat, Premieres, and An American in Paris, as well as Storybook Ballet's Wizard of Oz. He has also danced for Blue Moon Dance Company, appearing in several productions including Torque and Moving On.
Peter Davison has performed as a principal and character dancer with Boulder Ballet since 1987. His classical roles have included Franz in Coppelia, Albrecht in Giselle, Don Jose in Carmen, Prince Igor in Firebird, Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Catalabutte in Sleeping Beauty, and Drosselmeyer in Nutcracker. As a multi-disciplinary performer Peter has had the opportunity to study and perform with a wide variety of artists over the years including mimes, magicians, jugglers, actors, and physical comedians of all kinds. Peter teaches Boyz Dance, ballet and physical theater at the Boulder Ballet School.
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