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New Dancers Announced


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From the PNB Press Release:

NEW DANCERS ANNOUNCED

Peter Boal has announced the appointment of six dancers to the Company who will join PNB throughout the summer and fall. Beginning July 1, Miranda Weese, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, joins the PNB as a Principal dancer; beginning August 20, Liora Reshef, who has trained in PNB School's Professional Division, joins as an apprentice; beginning September 4, Seth Orza, former soloist with New York City Ballet, Sarah Orza, former corps de ballet dancer with New York City Ballet, and Jerome Tisserand, former apprentice with Miami City Ballet, join PNB as members of the corps de ballet; and beginning November 19, Leah O'Connor, also a PNB School Professional Division student, joins the Company as an apprentice.

About the dancers

Miranda Weese is from San Bernardino, California. She trained at Laguna Dance Theatre and the School of American Ballet. She became an apprentice with New York City Ballet in 1991 and a member of the corps de ballet in 1993. She was promoted to soloist in 1994 and principal in 1996. In 2007, she left New York City Ballet and performed as a guest artist with Pacific Northwest Ballet. She now joins the Company as a Principal dancer.

At New York City Ballet, Ms. Weese danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Apollo, Concerto Barocco, Divertimento No. 15, Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, Rubies, Stravinsky Violin Concerto, Symphony in C, Symphony in Three Movements, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations, and La Valse; Peter Martins' The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora) and Swan Lake (Odette/Odile); Jerome Robbins' The Concert, Dances at a Gathering, and The Four Seasons; Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances; and Christopher Wheeldon's Polyphonia. Ms. Weese originated a principal role in Twyla Tharp's The Beethoven Seventh.

Ms. Weese danced the role of Odette/Odile on the nationally televised broadcast of Peter Martins' Swan Lake on PBS's Live from Lincoln Center. She also appeared in the May 2004 Live From Lincoln Center broadcast of 'Lincoln Center Celebrates Balanchine 100," dancing in Balanchine's Liebeslieder Walzer. At Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ms. Weese has performed leading roles in Balanchine's La Sonnambula, Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances, and Wheeldon's Polyphonia.

Ms. Weese was the recipient of the Princess Grace Foundation - USA Dance Fellowship for 1995-1996.

Sarah Orza is from Amherst, Massachusetts. She trained at Amherst Ballet School and on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet. In 1999 she joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice. She became a member of the corps de ballet in 2000 and danced with the company until 2006. She joins Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2007.

At New York City Ballet, Ms. Orza danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Coppélia (Dawn), Peter Martins’ The Sleeping Beauty (Emerald), and Jerome Robbins' Fanfare and Interplay. She was also featured in Balanchine's The Nutcracker, Theme and Variations, and Symphony in Three Movements; Martins's Ash, Fearful Symmetries, Hallelujah Junction, and Swan Lake; Robbins's NY Export: Opus Jazz and West Side Story Suite; and Richard Tanner's Ancient Airs and Dances. She originated roles in Eliot Feld's Organon, Miriam Mahdaviani's In the Mi(d)st, Martins' Bach Concerto V, Tanner's Soirée, Helgi Tomasson's Prism, and Christopher Wheeldon's Shambards.

Seth Orza is from San Francisco, California. He trained at San Francisco Ballet School and on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet, and in 1999 he joined New York City Ballet as an apprentice. He became a corps de ballet member in 2000, and in 2007 he was promoted to soloist. In September 2007, he joins Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet.

At New York City Ballet, Mr. Orza danced leading roles in George Balanchine's Agon, The Four Temperaments, The Nutcracker, Emeralds, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bottom, Lysander), Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, Symphony in C, and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2; Peter Martins' Reliquary and Romeo + Juliet (Romeo); Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, Fanfare, In Memory Of …, Interplay, and Piano Pieces; and Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance), Evenfall, and Polyphonia. He originated featured roles in Albert Evans' Haiku, Robbins' NY Export: Opus Jazz, Susan Stroman's Double Feature, and Richard Tanner's Soirée.

Jerome Tisserand is from Lyon, France. He trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, with Pascale Courdioux in Lyon, and the School of American Ballet. He joined Miami City Ballet as an apprentice in 2006. He joins Pacific Northwest Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet in September 2007.

At Miami City Ballet, Mr. Tisserand performed works by George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, and Twyla Tharp. He has also performed as a student with Paris Opera Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet School, at the School of American Ballet in works by Benjamin Millipied and Christopher Wheeldon, and for the New York Choreographic Institute in works by Charlotte Griffin, Paul Julius, and Miao Zong.

Mr. Tisserand won second prize at the 2003 Dance Festival of Artists in Nyon, Switzerland, and first prize in the 2004 Prix Carpeaux in Valentiennes, France.

Liora Reshef is from Paris, France. She trained with Dominique Khalfouni and Wayne Byars, and on full scholarship at Pacific Northwest Ballet School since 2005. She also participated in summer courses at the Royal Ballet School and Universal Ballet Academy, as well as a workshop at the Opera National de Bordeaux with Elisabeth Platel and Charles Jude. She joins Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in August 2007.

As a student in Pacific Northwest Ballet School's Professional Division, Ms. Reshef performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Sonia Dawkins and Lev Ivanov. She also originated a leading role in ...…for PNB's 2007 Choreographers' Showcase. Dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet she has performed corps de ballet roles in Balanchine's Symphony in Three Movements, Ronald Hynd's The Sleeping Beauty, and Kent Stowell's Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

Ms. Reshef won the gold medal in the 2001 and 2002 Concours International de Danse Classique de Grasse in France, was a semi-finalist in the 2004 and 2005 Prix de Lausanne competitions, and a finalist in the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix in New York.

Leah O'Connor is from Mobile, Alabama. She trained at North Carolina School of the Arts, the School of American Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She joins Pacific Northwest Ballet as an apprentice in November 2007.

As a student in Pacific Northwest Ballet School's Professional Division, Ms. O'Connor performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Sonia Dawkins, and Lev Ivanov. She also originated leading roles in ballets created for PNB's 2007 Choreographers' Showcase. Dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet she has performed corps de ballet roles in Balanchine's Symphony in Three Movements and Kent Stowell's Carmina Burana, Nutcracker and Swan Lake.

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I just noticed that Adrienne Diaz and Sokvannara Sar, apprentices last season, are on the roster of the PNB corps.

Miranda Weese's bio is up on the site, I think an update of her guest bio from last year.

Le Yin is no longer listed on the roster of Principals. And how odd it is not to see Barker's and Maraval's name among them. (Denial rules.)

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No word yet.

Le Yin has had knee surgeries, which both Russell and he discussed a few years ago in post-performance Q&A's, and Peter Boal described in an interview with Martha Ullman West in the Summer 2007 issue of Dance View that "we have one with a recurring knee injury" who wouldn't be back this coming season.

He is a lovely dancer -- and, in my opinion, was the most physically beautiful man in the company -- whom I will miss a lot.

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