Commonwealth Ballet Company
The Dancers
Melenie Diarbekirian
Melenie lives in Maynard and began her ballet training at the age of four and has studied at the Acton School of Ballet since 1996. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet in 2004. Melenie has attended intensive summer programs at the Walnut Hill School of the Arts, Boston Ballet and Jose Mateo's Dance Theatre. She has appeared in CBC productions of The Nightingale, Beauty and the Beast, The Secret Garden and The Nutcracker where she was featured as Party Teen, in the Snow Corps, Merliton and Neapolitan soloist. In this year's production of The Nutcracker, Melenie will be featured as a Party Teen, in the Snow Corps, Merliton, Arabian soloist, and the Dew Drop Fairy. Besides her ballet training, Melenie sings with the Maynard High School chorus.
Marisa Franklin
Marisa moved to Worcester in 2003 from Syracuse, New York where she studied for seven years at the Center for Ballet and Dance Arts. She danced for one year at the Performing Arts School of Worcester, and as a member of the Worcester Youth Ballet. In 2004, Marisa joined the Acton School of Ballet and has been a member of the Commonwealth Ballet since 2005. Marisa has attended summer intensive programs at Boston Ballet and Orlando Ballet. With Commonwealth Ballet, Marisa has danced in The Secret Garden in the roles of Vine and Cholera, and in The Nutcracker soloist roles of Arabian and Neapolitan as well as Merliton, and in the Snow and Flower Corps. In the 2006 Nutcracker Marisa will dance the parts of Snow Queen, Arabian, and Merliton.
Danielle Gionet
Danielle grew up in Shirley and began her ballet training at the age of two. She studied at Maria's School of Dance for ten years and later joined the Acton School of Ballet in 2003. Danielle became a member of the Commonwealth Ballet in 2005. Danielle has attended summer intensive summer programs at Boston Ballet, American Academy of Ballet and Orlando Ballet. She has appeared in CBC productions of The Secret Garden and The Nutcracker, where she was featured as a Party Teen, in the Flower Corps, and as the Chinese soloist. She also enjoys other forms of dance, such as tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop. In this year's Nutcracker production, Danielle will dance the roles of Spanish, Merliton, and in the Snow and Flower Corps.
Emily Jacobson
Emily lives in Millbury and began dancing at the age of six at the Performing Arts School of Worcester, where she was featured as Clara in The Nutcracker. From 2001 to 2003, Emily danced with the Boston Ballet School, and attended their intensive Summer Dance Program. She has also attended summer intensive programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Briansky, and Orlando Ballet. Emily joined the Acton School of Ballet in 2004 and became a member of the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2005. In this year's performance of The Nutcracker, Emily will be featured in the roles of Chinese, Merliton, Neapolitan, as well as in the Snow and Flower Corps.
Meredith Jessee
Meredith began her ballet training at the age of four at Ballet Arts Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she moved to Concord in 2002, she began training at the Acton School of Ballet and joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2005. Meredith has attended summer intensive programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The Rock School, and Jose Mateo's Ballet Theatre. She has appeared in CBC productions of The Nightingale, The Secret Garden, and The Nutcracker where she was featured as a Party Teen, and in the Snow and Flower Corps. Meredith will dance the roles of the Russian soloist, Party Teen, and in the Snow and Flower Corps in Commonwealth Ballet's 2006 production of The Nutcracker.
Danielle Laurion
Danielle lives in Acton and has danced at the Acton School of Ballet since she was four, where she is also currently a teaching assistant. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2003. Danielle has attended summer intensive dance programs at the Walnut Hill School of the Arts, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Orlando Ballet. She has appeared in CBC productions of Beauty and The Beast, The Nightingale, The Secret Garden, and The Nutcracker where she has appeared as the Snow Queen, Arabian and Neapolitan soloists, Spanish and as a Merliton. In this year's production of The Nutcracker, Danielle will dance as the Snow Queen, Columbine Doll, Arabian, Neapolitan soloist and as a Merliton. Danielle is also a student volunteer at the Danny's Place youth center in Acton.
Malcolm Littlefield
Malcolm began dancing at age five at the Acton School of Ballet. In addition to classes at the ASB, he studies with the Boston Dance Company. Malcolm joined the Commonwealth Ballet in 2005. He has attended summer intensive programs at the Rock School in Philadelphia and the San Francisco Ballet. Malcolm's favorite role in the Commonwealth Ballet' annual Nutcracker has been as a Small Mouse. He has also performed the roles of Party Boy and Fritz in the Nutcracker, and the roles of Colin and Dickon in The Secret Garden. Malcolm has performed as a Russian in the Boston Dance Company's Nutcracker and has also performed in their repertory piece, Mayfair. Malcolm combines home schooling with coursework at the Harvard Extension School, and enjoys his work as an intern for State Representative James Eldridge.
Lindsay Moncrieff
Lindsay is from Acton and began her ballet training at the age of four. She has been dancing at the Acton School of Ballet since 1996, where she is currently a teaching assistant. Lindsay has attended summer intensive programs at the School of American Ballet in NYC, Boston Ballet, Orlando Ballet, and the Walnut Hill School of the Arts on a merit scholarship. Lindsay joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2003 and has appeared in productions of The Nutcracker in roles including the Snow Queen, the Dew Drop Fairy, Clara, Merliton, Spanish, and as the Chinese soloist. Other CBC productions in which she has appeared include Beauty and the Beast, The Nightingale, and The Secret Garden where she played the role of Lilias. Lindsay will be featured in the roles of Snow Queen, the Dew Drop Fairy, Columbine Doll, and as a Merliton in Commonwealth Ballet's 2006 production of The Nutcracker. Lindsay is also a student volunteer at the Danny's Place youth center in Acton.
Malia Moses
Malia is from Leominster and began her ballet training at the age of four. She has been dancing at the Acton School of Ballet since 2000. Malia joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2005. She has attended summer intensive programs at American Academy of Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Ballet Workshop of New England. She has performed in the CBC productions of The Nutcracker, The Secret Garden, and Three Brahms Intermezzos. Malia will dance the roles of Spanish and Neapolitan soloist, Party Teen, as well as in the Snow and Flower Corps in Commonwealth Ballet's 2006 production of The Nutcracker.
Aya Muramatsu
Aya resides in Sudbury and began her dance training at the age of three. Aya has been taking classes at the Acton School of Ballet since 2002. Aside from ballet, Aya has a passion for jazz and modern dance. Aya joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2005. She has attended summer intensive programs at the Walnut Hill School, Festival Ballet Providence, and most recently, Alonzo King's Line Ballet School in San Francisco. Aya has performed in CBC productions of The Secret Garden and The Nutcracker. In this year's production of The Nutcracker, she will be featured as Spanish, Chinese soloist, and in the Snow and Flower Corps. Aside from dance, Aya's interests lie in creative writing, as well as fashion where she has participated in several runway shows in Boston.
Alexa Ofori
Alexa is from Acton and has danced at the Acton School of Ballet since 1996. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2004. Alexa has attended summer intensive programs at the Walnut Hill School of the Arts and The Rock School of Dance Education. She has appeared in CBC productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Nightingale, The Secret Garden and The Nutcracker, where she has been featured as a Party Teen, Spanish, Merliton and in the Snow and Flower Corps. For The Nutcracker performance this season Alexa will be featured as a Spanish, Russian, Chinese soloist, and in the Snow and Flower Corps.
Kelsey O'Neill
Kelsey lives in Boxborough and began her ballet training at the age of four at The Vermont Conservatory of Ballet in Essex, Vermont. She has continued her training at the Acton School of Ballet, The School of Dance in Ottawa, Ontario and The Brindusa-Moore Ballet Academy in Pocatello, Idaho. Along with attending summer programs at The School of Dance and The Brindusa-Moore Ballet Academy, Kelsey has attended summer intensives at The Walnut Hill School of the Arts and Boston Ballet. She has appeared in Commonwealth Ballet's productions of Beauty and the Beast, The Nightingale, The Secret Garden and The Nutcracker. Kelsey joined Commonwealth Ballet in 2006. She will be dancing the roles of Party Teen, Merliton, and in the Snow and Flower Corps in this year's Nutcracker production.
Carly Patterson
Carly began her ballet training at age three with Gail McLaughlin in Cincinnati, Ohio. At age five, she moved to Acton and began studying dance at Fabulous Footsteps. She entered the Acton School of Ballet in 2001, and joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2006. Carly has participated in summer intensive ballet programs at Jose Mateo's Dance Theatre and Festival Ballet, Providence. In previous years Carly has danced in The Nutcracker, The Nightingale and The Secret Garden. In this year's Nutcracker Carly will be performing as the Governess, and in the Spanish divertissement and Flower Corps.
Meredith Stapleton
Meredith is from Harvard and began dancing at the age of eight. She attended the Sterling Academy of Dance before she started studying at Acton School of Ballet in 2004. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet Company in 2005. Meredith has attended summer intensive programs at Ballet Workshop of New England, Burklyn Ballet Theater in Vermont, and most recently Alonzo King's Line School of Ballet in San Francisco. She has performed in CBC productions of The Secret Garden, Three Brahms Intermezzos, and The Nutcracker in the roles of Party Teen, in the Flower Corps and as a Merliton. In this year's production of The Nutcracker, she will dance in the Snow and Flower Corps, and as an Arabian soloist.
Sasha White
Sasha lives in Acton and is currently a senior at the Francis W. Parker School in Devens, MA. She joined the Commonwealth Ballet in 2003. Sasha has been studying ballet with the Acton School of Ballet since age four and has attended intensive summer programs with Jose Mateo in Cambridge, Boston Ballet, Walnut Hill School of the Arts, and Festival Ballet, Providence. Sasha has been an assistant instructor at ASB for four years. This year, she has been promoted to the position of teacher for the First Steps class. Sasha has appeared in many CBC productions including The Nightingale; The Secret Garden, where she played the role of the Robin; and The Nutcracker where she has been featured as Clara, Neapolitan Couple, Russian soloist, Spanish, Merliton, Columbine Doll, and in the Snow Corps. This year in The Nutcracker, Sasha will be featured as Party Teen, Columbine Doll, Merliton, in the Flower Corps, and as the Dew Drop Fairy.
Sonia Xu
Sonia is from Acton. She began her ballet training at the age of four and has studied at the Acton School of Ballet since 1999. This is Sonia's first season with the Commonwealth Ballet Company. She has attended summer intensive programs at the School of American Ballet and Boston Ballet Young Dancer's Summer Workshop. She has appeared in CBC productions of The Nightingale; The Secret Garden, where she played the lead Snowdrop and English servant; and The Nutcracker where she played Clara in 2005. In this year's production of The Nutcracker, Sonia will be dancing the roles of Party Teen, Merliton, and in the Snow and Flower Corps.