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Second Company Alumni Updates

Photography: Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios

When Devon Carney arrived in Kansas City to become Kansas City Ballet’s Artistic Director he brought with him a desire to add a second company. In his first season (2013-14) he added five members to KCB II. In his second season (2014-15) he brought KCB II to six dancers and added eight? Trainees. Since then members of these groups have not only gone on to join other dance programs as well as other companies, but some of them have climbed the ranks right here at KCB to become company members. Growing and developing talent has been the goal and it is being achieved.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Looking back over the second company rosters since 2013-14, the majority of the dancers have continued to dance and work in this field. Below is what we’ve found:

  • Kate Anderson: Kate was a member of Kansas City Ballet School (KCBS) and Kansas City Youth Ballet (KCYB) before becoming a Trainee for the 2016-17 season. She is now a Trainee at Richmond Ballet.
  • Ivan Braatz: Ivan joined KCB II for the 2015-16 season and was promoted to a KCB Apprentice for the 2016-17 season. He is currently a dancer with Dayton Ballet in Ohio.
  • Rochelle Chang: Rochelle was a charter member of KCB II in the 2013-14 season and is now dancing her 4th season with American Contemporary Ballet in Los Angeles.
  • Lark Commanday: Lark , also a charter member of KCB II in the 2013-14 season stayed on for 2014-15 as well. After dancing as a member of St. Louis Ballet for their 2015-16 season, he went on to teach at Peoria Ballet.
  • Aimee Cover: Amy was a KCBS Summer Intensive student who was invited to become a Trainee for the 2014-15 season. She then danced with St. Louis Ballet.
  • Elizabeth Dennen: Elizabeth danced as a KCB Trainee for the 2015-16 season before becoming a dancer with NWA Ballet Theatre in Northwest Arkansas.
  • Katya Duncan: Katya was a charter member of KCB II in the 2013-14 season. She went on to dance with Bay Pointe Ballet.
  • Nikolas Gaifullin: Nikolas was a member of KCB II for two seasons, 2015-16 and 2016-17, before joining Atlanta Ballet as a company member this season.
  • Shane Horan: Shane attended KCBS’s Summer Intensive and was invited to become a KCB Trainee for the 2014-15 season. He then joined Ballet Idaho as a company dancer.
  • Scout Inghilterra: Scout was a KCB Trainee during the 2016-17 season.  She is currently a Trainee at Richmond Ballet.
  • Kelly Korfhage: Kelly was a member of KCB II for two seasons (2014-15 and 2015-16) before joining Verb Ballets as a Company member in 2016.
  • Lukas Pringle: Lukas attended KCBS and was a member of KCYB before being invited to become a KCB Trainee for the 2016-17 season. He is now dancing with Richmond Ballet II.
  • Emily Ryall: Emily was a KCB Trainee for both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. In 2016 she was dancing with Quixotic and teaching dance at Trilogy Cultural Arts Centre in Olathe.
  • Morgan Sicklick: Morgan was a charter member of KCB II, dancing both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons. In 2015 she joined wonderbound in Denver as a dancer.
  • Kristin Smith: Kristin attended KCBS and was a member of KCYB before being invited to become a KCB Trainee for both the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. She continued as a Cincinnati Ballet Trainee.
  • Aaron Steinberg: Aaron danced with KCB II during the 2015-16 season. He now dances with Nashville Ballet as an apprentice.
  • Kara Troester: Kara attended the KCBS Summer Intensive and danced as a KCB Trainee for both the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. She is now dancing with Oklahoma City Ballet’s Studio Company.

SEND UPDATES

If you are a former member of Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company, please let us know where you are now. Email info@kcballet.org. We’d love to keep up with your career.

 

Photo Credits:

Top–KCB II members Katya Duncan, Morgan Sicklick and Rochelle Chang from 2013-14. Photgraphy by Brett Pruitt & East Market Studios. Middle–Second Company rehearsal from 2015-16. Photography by Elizabeth Stehling. Bottom–Kansas City Ballet Second Company Dancers Miranda Dafoe and Nikolas Gaifullin during a performance at the Leedy Volkos Art Center in 2016-17 season. Photography by Larry F. Levenson.

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