Lauren Frere, a native of Houston, Texas, studied ballet at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, where her principal teachers were Miroslav Bart and Milena Leben. Lauren’s professional credits include Tulsa Ballet, Sarasota Ballet, and Columbia Classical Ballet. In her two seasons in Sarasota she performed in Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Ashton’s The Two Pigeons, and Robert de Warren’s Coppelia, Firebird, Don Quixote, Giselle, Othello and The Nutcracker. Lauren joined Columbia Classical Ballet in 2008, where she has performed in Radenko Pavlovich’s Hunchback of Notre Dame (Fleur de-Lis), The Nutcracker (Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy), Rick McCullough’s Le Sacre du Printemps (The Chosen One) and Essence (Principal Girl), and Simone Cuttino’s The Wizard of Oz (The Wicked Witch), Robin Hood (Maid Miriam) and Aladdin (Jasmine). Lauren was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2010.

Ivan Popov is a graduate from Vaganova Ballet Academy, Russia, from the Class of Professor Bregvadze. He danced in the position of a Soloist with the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg, the Vienna State Opera.He was Principal dancer with the San Francisco Ballet and the Hungarian National Ballet. Mr. Popov was also awarded the silver medal at the Premio Roma International Ballet Competition (Rome Italy).He has performed many leading roles, including Swan Lake as Prince Siegfried, Giselle as Albrecht, Manon Des Grieux, Onegin, La Bayadere Solor, all over the world. Mr. Popov joined Columbia Classical Ballet in 2010.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Zoltan studied ballet at The Hungarian Dance Academy. In 1998, he was accepted in the Hungarian National Ballet where he performed in many classical and neoclassical ballets such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Spartacus, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Onegin , Five Tangos, and Meyerling. He has toured through Austria, China, Holland, Mexico, Portugal, and Turkey with the Hungarian National Ballet. In 2005, Zoltan joined the Bay Area Houston Ballet and Theater in Houston, Texas, where he was an Artist in Residence, dancing solos in such ballets as Nutcracker, Cinderella, Edward Scissorhands, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Symphony in C, Prince Igor, and Eternal. In the 2006 RDA/SW Festival, Zoltan was selected to perform in Jimmy Gamonet`s Prokofiev`s Piano Concerto and at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Zoltan joined Columbia Classical Ballet in 2008.

Nancy Blythe Broadwell began dancing at the age of 4. Ballet has always been her favorite form of dance. She danced the role of Clara in the Columbia Youth Ballet Company's production of the Nutcracker at the age of 10. Nancy Blythe began high school as a dance student at the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, SC. After attending the 2010 summer intensive with Radenko Pavlovich, she fell in love with his teaching and school. In December, she moved back home to Chapin to pursue dance seriously as an apprentice with Columbia Classical Ballet. This past summer she attended the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive in New York City. Nancy Blythe is thrilled to begin her first full season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

A native of Blythewood, South Carolina, Jordan began training in classical ballet with Radenko Pavolvich at the age of 8. Jordan attended Kirov Academy of Balet and was accepted into the year-round program. Jordan trained under Lyubov Fomonich, Marianna Lobanova, Ludmila Morkovina, Anatoly Kucheruk and Angelina Armeiskaya. Jordan performed various pieces from La Bayadere, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Coppelia and Walpurgis Night. Jordan studied at the Bolshoi Academy in New York, training with Tatyana Petrova, Valery Anisimov, Irina Syrova and Vera Potashkina. Jordan is excited to join Columbia Classical Ballet as an apprentice company dancer.

David Greenberg, a native of Savannah, began dancing at the age of three and studied ballet under the with Shannon Kelly at Kelly/Creek Studios. David has been recognized on many occasions both regionally and nationally at intensives where he received multiple awards and scholarships. David’s stage experience includes leading roles in “Don Quixote,” “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake.” This is David's first season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

A native of New Jersey, Maggie began studying ballet at New Jersey School of Ballet, which included student performances with the New Jersey Ballet Company. She continued training at North Carolina School of the Arts under Kee Juan Han; Ballet Adriatico directed by Anna-Marie Holmes in Ascoli Piceno, Italy; The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia; and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. Some of her repertoire has included La Bayadere, Paquita, Don Quixote, Nutcracker, and Chopinana. Prior to joining Columbia Classical Ballet, Maggie was a trainee with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago.

Katharine began her ballet training with Randeko Pavlovich at five years old. In 2004 she attended the Youth American Grand Prix winning a silver medal. She trained at SC Governors School for the Arts and is a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Katharine was most recentley with Columbia City Ballet. This is her first season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

A native of New Mexico, studied ballet since the age of four. She began her training in Washington at Tacoma City Ballet under the direction of Erin Ceragioli for nine years. She continued her training in Savannah, Georgia under the direction of Shannon Kelly and Jennifer Creek for four years. This is Skylier's first season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

Brooklyn Mack of Elgin, South Carolina, is in his second season with The Washington Ballet. He began his dance training at the age of 12 with the Pavlovich Dance School under Radenko Pavlovich and Milena Leben. After two years at PDS, Mr. Mack was awarded full scholarship to attend the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet by Madame Vinogradova, where he studied primarily with Anatoli Kucheruk and Vladimir Djouloukhadze. Mr. Mack spent three years at the Kirov Academy, and, after graduating, he signed a contract as an apprentice with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Mr. Mack spent one year with the Joffrey Ballet, and subsequently joined American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company. Mr. Mack danced many roles with ABT’s Studio Company in such ballets as, The Night Before and Tea in Temptation, choreographed by Brian Reeder, Don Quixote, Capriccio by Benjamin Millipied, and Aria in which a solo was choreographed on him by Sean Curran. Mr. Mack received the Kirsti Paakenen Encouragement Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki, Finland in 2005, the Silver Medal at the 2006 Jackson International Ballet Competition in Mississippi and a Princess Grace Fellowship Award in 2007. Mr. Mack then joined the Orlando Ballet. There, Mr. Mack was featured as Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Lead in Allegro Brillante, The Cavalier in The Nutcracker, The Lead in Who Cares?, The Lead in Serenade, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet, Crassus in Spartacus, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty, Basilio/Espada in Don Quixote and many other roles. Mr. Mack has performed internationally as a guest artist and in galas at Ballet Clasico de Camara with Nina Novak in Venezuela, Latvian National Ballet, NBA Ballet Company in Japan and many others. In 2009, Mr. Mack won the silver prize at the 2009 Helsinki International Ballet competition. Brooklyn is dancing his first season with The Washington Ballet. Columbia Classical Ballet is thrilled to welcome him frequently during the 2010-2011 season as Company Member, Emeritus.

Tamako Miyazaki, of Tokyo, Japan, is in first season with Columbia Classical Ballet. She trained at the Kaneta Kono Ballet Academy under Kazuhiro Kaneta and Kyoko Kono. In 2006, she won the 1st place at the Youth America Grand Prix competition in New York City and Japan. She was awarded a scholarship to the La Scala Ballet Academy in Milan,Italy. In 2009, after she graduated La Scala Ballet Academy she joined The Washington Ballet Studio Company. She performed in galas as a guest artist at the Japan Ballet Association, International Ballet Festival in Miami 08' USA, Associazione Culturale Artedanza Rossana in Italy in 2009, All Stars of Dance gala in Orlando in 2011 and International Ballet Gala in South Africa in 2011. Awards: Silver Medal as a Professional Category and Pas de deux Category at the World Ballet Competition in Orlando in 2011,1st Place at Youth America Grand Prix NY Final Ensemble Division in 2009, 2nd place at All Japan Ballet Union Competition in 2006, 2nd place at the Japan Grand Prix in 2005.

Christopher began his training at 10, attending the National Ballet School of Cuba in Havana. In 2006 and 2008 he attended the International Ballet Competition of Havana winning bronze and then gold. He was later selected to join The National Ballet of Cuba under the direction of Alicia Alonso. Since moving to the United States, he has danced with North Carolina Dance Theatre and Columbia City Ballet. This is his first season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

Willie Moore, Jr. of Columbia, S. C., has taken part in summer intensive programs with the S.C. Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities and Washington Ballet. Willie has won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Youth American Grand Prix and two bronze medals at the American Ballet Competition and competed in the renowned International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Miss.

Hiroyuki Nagasawa was born in Tokyo, Japan and is in first season with Columbia Classical Ballet. He received his training at the Australian Ballet School and graduated in 2008.He danced at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre from 2009-2011 prior to joinning CCB.

A native of Brazil, Jose began training at Studio Carla Petroni in Ribeirao Preto SP, Brazil. Jose has been awarded various achievements at Ballet Competitions in Brazil, such as Danca Ribeirao, Passo de Arte, Rv Promocoes, and Alex dos Anjos Promocoes. In 2007 Mr. Pereira participated in the Youth America Grand Prix and won a Scholarship to Harid Conservatory. In 2008 he was awarded the Rudolf Nureyev Education Fellowship Scholarship. He graduated from Harid in May of 2009. He then joined the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Graduate Program. His Repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, Themes and Variations, Etudes, Raymonda, Suite from Don Quixote, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, Terrance Orr’s Nutcracker, Radenko Pavlovich's Spanish and Russian in Nutcracker and Esmeralda Pas de Deux. This is Jose's second season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

A native of East Lansing, MI, Natalie Robison began her Vaganova technique training with Barbara Banasikowski Smith and continued her studies when she moved to boarding school in Pittsfield,ME to study under Andrei Bossov and Natalya Getman with Bossov Ballet Theatre. Throughout her training, Natalie performed corps and soloist roles in the full- length classical ballets of Coppelia, Don Quixote, Chopinana, Firebird, Giselle, principal role of Marie in the Nutcracker, the Dying Swan variation including a performance for Dance Open Festival in St.Petersburg,Russia. Having danced with Columbia Classical ballet as a trainee she left columbia to extend her studies when she was invited to attend the first year of Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Academy in Manhattan. Her performance opportunities with Gelsey Kirkland included corps and soloist roles in the Nutcracker and a gala performance where she was featured in Don Quixote Gypsy Soloist, coached by Larisa Calero. After her school year commenced she was invited to guest for the Katsbaan summer intensive with a original piece of Baroque dance and mime, set and choreographed on her by Thomas Baird as the character of Medea. She is now very excited to be back dancing as a member of Columbia Classical Ballet and looks forward to another exciting season!

Shelby Ratchford is from Lake Monroe, Florida. At age thirteen she attended the Orlando Ballet School. 2004 through 2007 she competed in the Youth American Grand Prix Ballet Competition and won medals in the regionals and finals in New York. In 2005 she won gold at the American Ballet Competition and a scholarship to La Scala Ballet School. Shelby attended many summer ballet intensives including, Joffrey ballet, North Carolina School of the Arts, School of American Ballet, Kaatsbaan, American Ballet Theatre in New York, and the Houston Ballet. In 2006 she competed in the International Ballet Competition. At age sixteen she was accepted as an apprentice with Orlando Ballet. She performed many ballets including, Swan Lake, Don Quiote, Sleeping Beauty, La Fille Mal Gardee, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, Nutcracker, George Balanchine "Who Cares" and "Serenade", and Twla Tharp "Waterbaby". This is Shelby's second season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

Mercedes studied ballet with the Vienna State Opera Ballet school, and the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung Ballet Academy of Munich coached by Kirill Melnikov. Mercedes graduated in Classical Ballet and Modern Dance in Vienna under Simona Noja. She has danced with the Zurich Ballet Company directed by Heinz Spoerli, and the Hungarian National Ballet. Mercedes won the silver medal in the Premio Roma International Ballet Competition and a gold medal in Solothurn, France and the Dance World Cup. She has been a member of the Columbia Classical Ballet since last season.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Caroline has been studying classical ballet since the age of five. She has had the priviledge of training under Paula Fichtenkort, Sylvia Smith, Serge Lavoie, Galina Panova, and James Atkinson. In 2007 she began studying under Shannon Kelly and Jennifer Creek and also began high school as a dance major at Savannah Arts Academy. She attended the Regional and National High School Dance Festival where she was offered many scholarships as a dance major to colleges all over the nation. Caroline's repertoire includes the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Cinderella, a Midsummer Night's Dream, and Giselle. She performed the role of Clara in the Nutcracker at the age of 13 with Ballet Savannah. Her summer intensives include Orlando Ballet School and North Carolina School of the Arts where she was taught by Kirsten Simone. Caroline was first introduced to Radenko Pavlovich when she danced the role of Arabian in his Nutcracker. She trained under him at intensives for the next four summers and loved every minute of his teaching. She now attends the University of South Carolina and this is her first season as an apprentice with Columbia Classical Ballet.

originally from the Ukraine, studied classical ballet and graduated from the Ballet Academy of Ukraine in 2001. His was in the class of Vladimir Denisenko, under the direction of Tatiana Taiakina. From 2001 through 2002 he was a soloist dancer with Classical Ballet of Kiev under the direction of Valeriy Koftun where he danced principal roles from La Bayadere, Giselle, Swan Lake, and Romeo and Juliet. In 2002 he joined Donetsk Ballet Company under the direction of Vadim Pisarev. While with the Donetsk Ballet Company he toured in Japan, United States, China, Greece, Bulgaria, and Levon. His principal roles include The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Chipolina, Per Gunt, Don Quixote and Spartacus. Oleksandr joined Sarasota Ballet of Florida in January of 2005 until 2008 as a Soloist. He has danced Soloist roles in Robert de Warren’s Mid Summer Night’s Dream, Carmina Burana, Catasan, La Buetic Fantastic, Diana and Acton, Firebird, Othello, The Nutcracker and Coppelia. In 2008 Mr. Vykhrest joined Columbia Classical Ballet. His repertoire includes: Prince in The Nutcracker, The Captain in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Chief in Rick McCullough Rite of Spring, Aladdin and Jafar in Aladdin and The Wizard in Oz. Mr. Vykhrest is currently in his third season with Columbia Classical Ballet.

(2nd year Corps de Ballet), Katherine has studied ballet since the age of five. She has studied under Radenko Pavlovich since 2005. In 2008, Katherine danced the role of Clara in Columbia Classical Ballet’s Nutcracker. Her summer intensive training includes Kirov Ballet Academy in Washington, DC and Pavlovich Dance School, Columbia, SC.

(2nd year Corps de Ballet) has performed with the Columbia Classical Ballet in productions of Aladdin, The Nutcracker, Hunchback of Notre Dame and Oz. A student of Radenko Pavlovich since the age of five, Ms. Stratton has attended Summer Intensives at The Harid Conservatory and The Kirov Academy of Ballet. In 2006, she danced the role of Marie (Clara) in the Columbia Classical production of The Nutcracker.

(2nd year Corps de Ballet) was born in Colorado and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He began his ballet training under Tamalyn Blackman of Tamalyn’s Dance Centre. During his time there, he also studied under Virginia Hunt-McElveen and Cammie Bunch Reed, and attending master classes under Marcus Alford, Anne Richardson, Natalie Hunt, and Rudolph Steven Ferguson. Matthew performed with the Orangeburg Civic Ballet for seven years, in venues such as Amazing Feets and Piccolo Spoleto. He attended the University of South Carolina Summer Dance Conservatory in 2008. It was at the Conservatory that he first studied under Radenko Pavlovich, and began attending the Pavlovich Dance School in the spring of 2009.

(2nd year Corps de Ballet), originally from New Jersey, began her ballet training in Germany with Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) instructor Lisa Bradley. She continued her training with Shannon Greenberg and Dagoberto Nieves in Savannah, GA. Her summer training includes RAD in London and California, Virginia School of the Arts, Joffrey in NYC, Joffrey South, Steps on Broadway, and North Carolina Dance Theatre.