DANCERS

2021, Sara choreographed an original piece, Embrace It or Erase It, on the Company.

Generously supported by Colleen Curran and Stephen Boane

Apprentices

Kenny Allen

Kenny Allen was born in Denver, Colorado. He asked his parents to start ballet at the age of 2 after a dancer from Colorado Ballet visited his class in preschool. Kenny trained at many studios around Denver as well as attending middle school at Denver School of the Arts. He moved to Tampa to study at Next Generation Ballet and upon graduation was offered a place in Boston Ballet’s Trainee Program. During his time at Boston Ballet he was given the opportunity to participate in the Prix de Lausanne Partner School Choreographic Project. After spending a shortened season in Boston due to the pandemic, Kenny was offered a contract with Sarasota Ballet’s Studio Company. While at Sarasota Ballet he had the chance to perform in Elite Syncopations by Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Giselle by Sir Peter Wright, and the world premiere of A Comedy of Errors by Sir David Bintley. This is Kenny’s first season with Colorado Ballet.

Generously supported by Suzan and Gary Schlatter

Alexandra Gilliom

Alexandra Gilliom was born in Denver, Colorado. After moving to Costa Rica at the age of six, she started pursuing ballet more seriously at a small studio called Happy Feet. Her training here enabled her to gain acceptance into the Denver School of the Arts, so at the age of 11, she moved back to Denver to study both there and at Colorado Ballet Academy. Throughout her time at Colorado Ballet Academy, she was able to perform in various academy productions as well as productions with the company including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland, among others. Alexandra was also able to participate in the Denver Ballet Guild during her time with Colorado Ballet Academy where she finalized twice after training under Heather Prokhnitski. In 2019, after seven years at both the Denver School of the Arts and Colorado Ballet Academy, Alexandra was offered a studio company contract with Colorado Ballet. In 2021, Alexandra was promoted to Apprentice. Since joining Colorado Ballet she has had the opportunity to perform in a variety of works including George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, and Don Quixote

Generously supported by Jean and Hugh Armstrong

Stefanee Montesantos

Stefanee Montesantos was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and began her training at local company Salt Creek Ballet at age 3. Upon graduating from the Salt Creek Ballet Company, and her local high school, at age 17 she decided to continue her studies in dance by joining Butler University’s Performing Arts Program. During this time, she performed roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in Butler Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, Melancholic Corps in George Balanchine’s Four Temperaments, and Soloist in Patrick de Bana’s Falling Sky. In the Spring of 2020, Stefanee graduated, Cum Laude, from Butler University with a BFA in Dance Performance and a Minor in Creative Writing. It was during her spring semester that she was offered to join Colorado Ballet’s Studio Company for the 2020/2021 Season. She has recently been promoted to join the company as an Apprentice for the upcoming 2022/2023 Season. Generously supported by Heather

and Conor McCallin

Sonata Ross

Sonata Ross was born in Fort Collins, Colorado and began dancing at Canyon Concert Ballet at age 13. While training in Colorado, she attended summer programs at University of North Carolina School of the Arts and Pacific Northwest Ballet. Sonata moved to Denver to train in the Pre-Professional Division at Colorado Ballet Academy in 2018. In addition to her training, Sonata has choreographed solos, INFECTIOUS on Pre-Professional dancers at Colorado Ballet Academy, and most prominently, a piece to Hoedown from Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo for the Arapahoe Philharmonic Orchestra. After dancing in the Academy for two years, Sonata was invited to join the Studio Company with Colorado Ballet where she danced in the Corps de Ballet of George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, and classical ballets including Giselle, Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker. This will be her first season as an Apprentice with Colorado Ballet.

Generously supported by Susan and

Steve Struna