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presents Senior Showcase 2020 Featuring Olivia Caron Fiona DeMott Mary Joyce Michelle Labadie Caroline Meyer Grace Mitchell Emma Scanlan Directed by Frances Ortiz, Ginna Ortiz, and Ted Thomas Seniors Olivia Caron Fiona DeMott Mary Joyce Michelle Labadie Caroline Meyer Grace Mitchell Emma Scanlan Biographies Ginna Ortiz (Co-Director) received a BFA from SUNY Purchase. In recent years, she has danced professionally with the Dance Theater of Harlem and has been a guest teacher at Yale University. Ginna is a company member and rehearsal director with Thomas/Ortiz Dance. She has been a teacher at New England Academy of Dance since 1996 and become co-director in 2003. Frances Ortiz (Co-Director) obtained a BFA from SUNY Purchase and a Masters in Dance Education from NYU. She received scholarships to the Dance Theater of Harlem, the Martha Graham School and the Alvin Ailey School. She has performed works by Kevin Wynn, Elisa Monte and Tim Martins among others. Her choreography has been showcased on PBS in City Arts. In 2002 Ms. Ortiz co-founded Thomas/Ortiz Dance with Ted Thomas. She is currently a teacher at Greenwich High School and the co-director of New England Academy of Dance. Ted Thomas (Associate Director) received his BFA from SUNY Purchase and his MA in Dance Education from NYU. He has performed with Ballet Hispanico, the Elise Monte Dance Company, The Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Nikolais/ Louis Dance Company. In 2002 Mr. Thomas co-founded Thomas/Ortiz with Frances Ortiz. This year he was awarded the 2018 Connecticut Fellow for Artistic Excellence in Ballet, Modern and Choreography. Lilia Khanina (Pianist) A native born of Russia, Lilia Khanina, earned Master’s Degree in Conducting and Ph.D degree in Musicology from the Moscow Tchaikovsky State Conservatory. During her study at the Conservatory she had an advanced training as a choirmaster with the famous Bolshoi Theater Choir. In 1996 she accepted a position of the Conductor and Teacher of theoretical disciplines at the Music School Vesna. This school and its choir with which she has performed is notable for receiving numerous prestigious awards in international competitions in 12 countries. After relocating to the US in 2003 she joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School where she worked as a Head accompanist and did choral preparations for the Nutcracker. In 2007 she moved to Connecticut and started playing at the Ballet School of Stamford where she later became Music Director. She provided piano music for ballet classes at The New Haven Ballet, Connecticut Dance School, Ballet Etudes, The Conservatory of Dance in the School of the Arts at Purchase College. In 2015 she joined the artistic staff of NEAD. Her articles and essays were published in Russia, England and USA. She is the author of the book, Gian Carlo Menotti and His Operas. Gunnar Sahlin (Celloist) After 3 years of study at the Academy of Music in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Sahlin joined the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra in 1975. As a member of that orchestra Sahlin participated on tours all over Europe and in the US, playing with world famous soloists and conductors. The orchestra appears at the annual Nobel Prize Ceremonies at the Stockholm Concert Hall. In 1979-80 Sahlin studied at Juilliard School of Music in New York City during a sabbatical. In 1987 Sahlin had the opportunity to perform for and learn from Yo-Yo Ma in a Master Class at the Stockholm Concert Hall. Sahlin moved to the US in 1988 and is a freelancing musician in Fairfield County and New York. In 2002 Sahlin became Principal Cellist of Norwalk Symphony Orchestra. In 2003 Sahlin became conductor of the Fairfield County Symphony Society (www.fairfieldcountysymphonysociety.org) which is an amateur string ensemble, open to all, which meets every Tuesday night in Norwalk and which sometimes works with winds and professional soloists. Gunnar often performs with his wife Suzanne as “Duetto Viello,” playing old as well as new works written for them for viola and cello. As coaches for the Stamford Young Artists Philharmonic, Gunnar and his wife Suzanne performed with the group in Carnegie Hall in May, 2016. In the summer of 2018 they both went on tour in Japan with the Chamber Music Institute of Darien. In 2019 both played at the David Geffen Hall in New York City as part of Chinese cultural celebrations. Gunnar teaches privately in his home in Stamford, CT, and also at Darien Arts Center. Senior Biographies Olivia Caron is a senior at New Canaan High School. Olivia began dancing ballet at the New England Academy of Dance at the age of six. She has enjoyed dancing many roles in the Nutcracker and other performances. Olivia has attended summer intensives at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory and Irina and Maxim Ballet. This is Olivia’ s 11th year performing. She will be attending Connecticut College in the fall and hopes to continue dancing. Olivia would like to thank Mr. Ted, Ms. Frances and Ms. Ginna for their support and encouragement. Fiona DeMott is 18 years old and graduated from Greenwich Academy. In the fall she is going to Southern Methodist University to major in Dance and Fashion Media. Fiona began her dance training at NEAD at the age of 4 and joined NEDT Company in 8th grade. She has spent many summers with the Bolshoi Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and American Academy of Ballet. She would like to thank all of her students she has taught throughout her time at NEAD, her parents and friends, and the NEDT company. Special thanks to Ted, Frances and Ginna who always supported her and gave Fiona a home for the past 14 years. She is going to miss NEAD so much, but is ready for the next adventure and cannot wait to come back and visit! Mary Joyce is an 18 year old senior at New Canaan High School. This coming school year, Mary will be taking a gap year. If the coronavirus is not a problem, she will be doing a service oriented program in Cuba, Costa Rica, Panama, and Belize during the first semester and another service based program in Fiji during the second semester. In the Fall of 2021, Mary will enter Skidmore College as a part of the class of 2025. Mary has been dancing with NEAD for thirteen years and has attended several summer intensives at Joffrey Ballet, Gelsey Kirkland Academy, CPYB, Nutmeg Conservatory and Ellison Ballet. Mary is so sad to have ended her senior year like this, but would like to thank her family, friends, and Ted, Ginna, and Frances for their endless love through the years. Michelle Labadie is 18 years old and a recent graduate of New Canaan High School. She began her dance training at NEAD at age four and joined the NEDT Company in 8th grade. She has attended several summer intensives including AAB, Joffrey Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet and Kaatsbaan. Michelle was absolutely thrilled to have had the opportunity to dance as Sugar Plum in the 2019 Nutcracker, having dreamt of this role ever since she joined the production as an Angel in first grade. Some of her other favorite roles include dancing as a demi-soloist in “In G Minor” by Christina Fagundes Turner and “Friends, No, acquaintances” by Ted Thomas NEAD director. Michelle plans to continue her passion for dance in college at the University of Richmond and would like to thank her family, the artistic directors – Frances, Ginna and Ted – and all the teachers and staff at NEAD who have supported and encouraged her throughout the years. She would also like to thank her Company members, past and present for being an amazingly fun and supportive group of friends and colleagues. Caroline Meyer is a Senior at New Canaan High School. Caroline began dancing at the NEAD at the age of 2, and has had the pleasure of being an NEDT Company member for five years. Caroline has participated in YAGP Boston and SUNY Purchase, performing “Friends” from Coppelia. After graduation, Caroline will be attending Dickinson College this fall, and will continue to dance at CPYB(Central PA Youth Ballet) and be part of the Dickinson Dance Theater Group. Caroline would like to thank the Artistic Directors and her family for all of their love and support, and extends congratulations to the cast and crew on an outstanding performance. Grace Mitchell has trained with New England Academy of Dance since she was 6 years old. She has attended a number of summer intensives including Bolshoi, AAB, Nutmeg and University of South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory. Grace is grateful for this final opportunity to dance with NEAD. In the fall Grace will be attending the University of Cincinnati College & Conservatory of Music and majoring in Ballet. She would like to give a special thank you to her family, Samara, Ginna, Frances and Ted for all of their support and love. She would also like to thank her NEAD family for making these years so special. Emma Scanlan is 18 years old and recently graduated from St. Luke’s School. She has been dancing since she was 3 and could not be happier to be part of the NEAD family. Though this year has not gone as planned, everyone from the young dancers she teaches to the Company have made this year amazing. She is excited to continue dancing next year at the University of Michigan. Finally, Emma would like to thank Ginna, Frances, and Ted for all they have taught her over the years. To her fellow seniors, she is grateful for your friendship and the memories you’ve made, and wishes you all the best.

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