Oklahoma City Ballet announces new dancers and promotions for 2018-19 season

Oklahoma City Ballet Artistic Director Robert Mills recently announced new dancers who are joining the company as well as promotions within the company for the 2018-19 season.

Oklahoma City Ballet features artists representing seven countries from around the world and 15 states within the U.S., according to a news release.

“I undertook a massive audition tour this past winter and saw hundreds of talented dancers,” said Mills in a statement. “We receive an enormous number of artists inquiring about auditioning for the company from all over the world. I look forward to working with these incredible dancers in our upcoming season.”

New additions to the company are Jameson Keating from California; Jace Pauly from Washington state; and Danish-born Erik Thordal-Christensen, who will all be joining the corps de ballet.

The company also has promoted seven returning dancers: Sarah Jane Crespo Stropes has advanced from the corps de ballet to soloist. Mickayla Carr, Alexandra Schooling, and Randolph Fernandez, who began as apprentices in the company, are now members of the corps de ballet.

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And Natalie Matsuura, Camille Robinson, Kara Troester, and Alejandro Gonzalez are joining the rank of apprentices, having spent last year in Oklahoma City Ballet’s Studio Company.

These additions and promotions join returning principal dancers Jonathan Batista, Courtney Connor Jones, Miki Kawamura, Ronnie Underwood, DaYoung Jung, and Alvin Tovstogray; returning soloists Amanda Herd-Popejoy, Autumn Klein, Walker Martin, and Amy Potter; and returning corps de ballet dancers Zachary Artice, Paige Brown, Daina Gingras, Sam Jones, Dave Naquin, Mayu Odaka, Carrie Ruth Trumbo, and Rayleigh Vendt. There is one returning apprentice, Aldrin Vendt.

New studio company members and trainees are to be chosen from the company’s six-week summer intensive program, which recently wrapped. They will be announced later this month.

As previously reported, OKC Ballet is planning to transport audiences to an array of exotic locales in its coming four-show season, which will range from a state premiere jaunt to Wonderland to a return trip to the beloved Kingdom of Sweets. To read complete biographies and for season information, go to www.okcballet.org.

-BAM