KANSAS CITY BALLET Devon Carney, Artistic Director
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SPRING TODANCE® EMERSON Presented by WHITAKER FOUNDATION FESTIVAL 13 - SATURDAY, JUNE 26 - KANSAS CITY BALLET Devon Carney, Artistic Director SLEEPING BEAUTY GRAND PAS DE DEUX Choreography by Marius Petipa Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ALEA IACTA EST Choreography by James Kirby Rogers Music by Oliver Glynn Costumes by Jennifer Carroll Lighting by Trad Burns (2021) KALEENA BURKS JAMES KIRBY ROGERS Kaleena Burks joined Kansas City Ballet in 2010. She was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where she received training from Magda Auñon and Magaly Suarez. In 2005, she was awarded first place in the pre-professional division of the American Ballet Competition and has since been invited to perform in many galas, including International Ballet Festival of Miami as well as Moving Arts Dance Festival. Ms. Burks has danced with Cincinnati Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, and the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami. She has been honored to dance the role of Sugar Plum Fairy at the Kennedy Center with Kansas City Ballet’s tour of The Nutcracker. In Kansas City, she has been featured as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, Marguerite Gautier in Lady of the Camellias, The Chosen One in Rite of Spring, Myrtha in Giselle, Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Glinda in The Wizard of Oz, along with principal roles in Diamonds, Diving into the Lilacs, In the Upper Room, Interplay, Mercury, Petal, Serenade, and Tulips and Lobster. This is Ms. Burks’ 11th season with Kansas City Ballet. SPRING TODANCE® EMERSON Presented by WHITAKER FOUNDATION FESTIVAL 13 KANSAS CITY BALLET CONTINUED James Kirby Rogers joined Kansas City Ballet in 2016. He is a native of San Francisco, California where he began his training at the age of 9. Mr. Rogers then went on to study at UNCSA before competing in the 2015 Youth America Grand Prix where he was a finalist. From YAGP, he was offered to join Houston Ballet II under the directorship of Claudio Munoz and Sabrina Lenzi where he danced numerous roles including The Father in John Neumeier’s Yondering and the principal role in George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante. After completing his training with Houston Ballet II, he joined Kansas City Ballet in 2016. There, Mr. Rogers has danced many leading roles including Armand in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Pas de Trois in The Sleeping Beauty, Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet, Scarecrow in Septime Webre’s The Wizard of Oz, and the 6th pas in Petite Mort. .