Ballet Fantastique

Company Dancers

 

 

 

Hannah Joy Bontrager

Photos: Woden Photography

Hannah studied the eight levels of the Vaganova Syllabus and Vaganova pedagogy with her mother, Donna Marisa Bontrager, while creating and performing works locally. In addition, she spent two summers at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. under Artistic Director Oleg Vinogradov (also Artistic Director of the Kirov Ballet in Russia), and was one of five students invited internationally to join renowned Kirov prima ballerina Mme. Alla Sizova’s advanced class. Hannah spent the 2002-2003 concert season in Denver, under St. Petersburg Vaganova Academy graduate Inessa Pakri-Plekhanova, while concurrently training and performing with the company’s apprentices. Hannah has performed professionally with the Ballet Fantastique chamber company since its inception, and has also appeared in soloist roles for a number of other companies across the country, including Manassas Ballet Theatre in the Washington, DC metro area (Sugar Plum Fairy, Nutcracker, and the lead in Vivandière/Markitenka). As a dancer with the Ballet Fantastique chamber company, Hannah has earned rave critical reviews in soloist and principal roles, including: Scheherazade in Arabian Nights; Rosie, the lead in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet; the Dancing Diva and Motorcycle Girl in Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet; “Tango Para Abel,” “Viheula,” and “Illumination” (with the LA-based band Incendio); Marguerite, the siren in Love at the Cafe Terrace; Aviary in Carnival of the Animals; the Nymph from Rusalka in “Song to the Moon”; the Lover in “La Vie en Rose”; and Peter Rabbit in Tales of Beatrix Potter.

Ashley Blake Bontrager

Photos: Woden Photography

Ashley has studied classical ballet since she was four years old, and trained at Buffalo City Ballet, the Conservatory of Classical Dance, Ballet Fantastique, and the University of Oregon. With the Ballet Fantastique chamber company, Ashley has performed many roles, including: Annie Oakley in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet; Stepsister “Stasia” (Anastasia) in Ballet Fantastique’s Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet (with Shelley and Cal James and the Agents of Unity Band); Wanda, the floozy in Love at the Cafe Terrace (a collaboration with composer Jeremy DeKyle Schropp); Leila, the priestess in “Je Crois Entendre Encore”; Fossil in Carnival of the Animals (with Eugene Symphony); the Fox in Tales of Beatrix Potter; “New York Tango,” “Argentine Tango,” and “Strauss Polka” (with the Trio Voronezh); Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany’s; A Novel Experience (with the Oregon Mozart Players); and “Tango Para Abel,” “Misterioso,” and “Viheula” (with the LA-based band Incendio). Ashley has appeared in Ballet Fantastique chamber company concerts touring in venues across the Northwest. In addition to her work with Ballet Fantastique, Ashley completed a Journalism-Broadcasting major at the University of Oregon in 2008 with specializations in both news and documentary.

Caitlin Marie Christopher

Photos: Woden Photography

Caitlin is from Atlanta, Georgia, where she first fell in love with ballet at the age of twelve. After studying pre-professionally through high school at North Atlanta Dance Academy and attending summer programs including Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Boston Ballet, she pursued a degree in Dance at the University of Georgia. While at UGA, Caitlin danced as part of the University of Georgia Ballet Ensemble, becoming president of the group by her senior year. She was also featured in guest work, including Hubbard Street Dance Theatre’s “The 40s” and as a soloist in Kennett Oberly’s “Within/Without.” Caitlin also discovered her love of creating choreography at UGA. Some of her notable achievements in creation are her solo piece “Intoxicating Misery,” which received an honorable mention at the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, the trio “Unquiet Divide” (shown at ACDFA), and “NYC-SYR: Seat 24,” a 12-dancer ensemble piece nominated to be shown at ACDFA. Caitlin is excited to be joining Ballet Fantastique for her first season.

Justin Shae Feimster

Photos: Woden Photography

Justin is from south Georgia, where he graduated with a BA in Theatre Production from Valdosta State University in 2009 while attending dance classes and performing with Dance Arts, Inc. While in Valdosta, Justin performed for several Nutcracker seasons, dancing several variations and the role of the Nutcracker Prince, and also appearing in a touring production of Gaite Parisienne. With Ballet Fantastique, Justin has performed the roles of Shah Zaman (“The Tale of Scheherazade and the King”), Zeyn Alasnam (“The Tale of Zeyn Alasnam and the Diamond Statue”), and Rashid (“The Tale of Zummurud”) in Arabian Nights; Ollie in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet; Farmer McGregor in Tales of Beatrix Potter; Frederic in Pirates of Penzance (part of Ballet Fantastique’s Pirates and Gypsies on tour to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival); “Magie Noire” with the LA-based band Incendio; and a Fairy Godmother’s Boy and Motorcycle Boy in Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet.

Alanna Kristine Fisher

Photos: Woden Photography

Alanna began her training with Nadine Cole at the Academy of Ballet Arts in Arcata, California. She then spent her last three years of high school at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, training with Bojan and Stephanie Spassoff, Mariaelena Ruiz, and Natasha Bar. Alanna has also attended a variety of summer programs, including those at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance and the School of American Ballet, and she participated in Long Beach Ballet’s China Tour. Alanna graduated in 2011 from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City with a BFA in ballet. As a two-year member of the University Ballet Department’s performing company, Utah Ballet, she studied under various choreographers including Conrad Ludlow, Eddie Toussaint, and Sharee Lane. She also participated in the University’s Character Dance Ensemble for three years and traveled to Costa Rica and Greece, as well as to Germany to train and learn choreography at the Berlin State Ballet School. Alanna joined the Ballet Fantastique Chamber Company in 2010, and has appeared in “Illumination,” “Viheula,” and “Misterioso” (with the LA-based band Incendio); as Princess Parizade in Arabian Nights; and as Cindy/Cinderella in Ballet Fantastique’s Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet.

Leanne Michelle Mizzoni

Photos: Woden Photography

Leanne started her training under Susan Blazy at the Metropolitan Ballet School. She later studied at Virginia Ballet, where she trained under former Ballets Russes dancers Oleg Tupine and Tania Rousseau. Leanne continued her training at the University of Hartford’s Hartt School, where she graduated cum laude with a BFA in Dance Pedagogy. There, Leanne trained under Peggy Lyman, Peter O’Brian, Alla Nikitina, and Hilda Morales. She performed with American Ballet Theatre in Kirk Peterson’s Nutcracker and Jean Gran-Maitre’s Romeo and Juliet. Leanne also attended summer programs at the Joffrey Ballet and Virginia School of the Arts. Leanne was a company dancer for four years with Manassas Ballet Theatre, performing soloist roles including Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Arabian and Spanish in The Nutcracker, Michaela in Carmen. Since joining Ballet Fantastique, Leanne has appeared as: the Sunnydale Fairy Godmother in Ballet Fantastique’s Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet; the Diamond Statue in Arabian Nights; Cupid in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet; Squirrel Nutkin in Tales of Beatrix Potter; “Magie Noire” (with the LA-based band Incendio); Chloe in Love at the Cafe Terrace (with composer Jeremy DeKyle Schropp); and many others.

Krislyn Ann Wessel

Photos: Woden Photography

Krislyn, a native of Idaho Falls, trained at The Ballet Society. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Dance (Ballet), performing extensively with the Ballet Showcase Company, and earning a departmental dance scholarship. Krislyn spent summers performing with Burklyn Ballet Theater in Vermont and training at Kaatsbaan under Martine Van Hamel. After BYU, Krislyn moved to New York City to perform with Ajkun Ballet Theatre. With Ajkun, she toured New York and was invited to join with the National Opera Ballet of Tirana to perform Spartacus and Raymonda in Albania. Krislyn then spent a season with Columbia City Ballet, performing original works by Artistic Director William Starrett, including Dracula, Cleopatra, Lion King, and The Little Mermaid. With Ballet Fantastique, Krislyn has performed many roles, including Stepsister “Drizz” in Cinderella: A Rock Opera Ballet; Zummurud in Arabian Nights; “Illumination” (with the LA-based band Incendio); Desperation in the “Red Violin Suite” (with violinist Matt Fuller); Phebe in As You Like It: A Wild West Ballet; and “Dime Amor” (with Jessie Marquez and her band).