Commonwealth Ballet 2009-2010 Guest Artists
Anna Liceica
Ms. Liceica (Sugar Plum Fairy, Weston), who joined American Ballet Theatre's corps de
ballet in 1996, began training in her native Bucharest,
Romania at the National Ballet School. She later studied with
Yvonne Mounsey at the Westside School of Ballet in Los Angeles
and at the School of American Ballet in New York City, where
she received the Mae L. Wein Award for Outstanding Promise. A
prize winner at the Romanian National Ballet Competition, the
Third Nureyev International Ballet Competition, and Maya
Plisetskaya International Ballet Competition, Anna danced with
New York City Ballet in 1994 and 1995. She has also appeared
as a guest artist with companies in the United States, Brazil,
Japan, Russia and Hungary, and with New York City Opera. Anna
was promoted to Soloist in August 2000. Her roles with the
Company include a Shade in La Bayadère, the Winter Fairy in
Cinderella, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, a Flower Girl in
Don Quixote, the Russian Ballerina in Gala Performance, Moyna in
Giselle, the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Silver in The
Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois in Swan Lake, the fourth
movement in Symphony in C and the Venetian Carnival Pas de
Deux from Satanella. She created a leading role in Mark
Morris' Gong. Most recent, Ms Liceica has performed with the Berlin
Opera and the Rumanian National Opera.
Morris' Gong. Most recent, Ms Liceica has performed with the Berlin
Anna will perform the role of the Sugar Plum
Fairy in the Commonwealth Ballet's 2009 production of The
Nutcracker.
Vitali Krauchenka
Born in Minsk in the Republic of Belorussia, Vitali Krauchenka trained at the Belorussian Choreographic School and performed with the Belorussian Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. He danced with the Latvian National Opera before joining the Atlantic Ballet of Canada. His repertory included roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, Romeo and Juliet, and other classical and modern ballets such as Carmen, Le Sacre du Printemps and 3x. Vitali joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in April 2004. This is his fifth year as Cavalier in CBC's The Nutcracker.
Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (Snow King) grew up in Richmond,Virginia where he began studying dance at Richmond Ballet. Upon finishing high school he studied at Butler University's dance department, where he earned a degree in ballet with a concentration in arts administration, and performed many classical and contemporary roles. Michael joined the Boston Ballet, where he danced from 1996 to 2006, and performed many soloist and principal roles. Michael danced all the classics with world-renowned dancers like Carlos Acosta and Sara Lamb of the Royal Ballet, and performed pieces by choreographers such as Rudi Van Dansig, Bruce Marks, Nacho Duato, Mark Morris and Christopher Wheeldon.
Lindsay Moncrieff
Lindsay Moncrieff (Sugar Plum Fairy, Acton) grew up in Acton and trained at the Acton School of Ballet. She joined CBC in 2003, appearing as soloist in many roles, including Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy, Snow Queen, Arabian and Columbine Doll in The Nutcracker and Lilias in The Secret Garden. She was also soloist in Lost Concerto and Three Brahms Intermezzi, and danced the third variation in Trois Odalisques from Le Corsaire. Lindsay has attended intensive programs at SAB and Kaatsbaan in New York, Boston Ballet, Walnut Hill, and Orlando Ballet. She was the 2008 recipient of CBC’s Kathryn Anderson Scholarship for graduating seniors. Lindsay is now a Ballet Performance major at Butler University in Indianapolis, a member of Butler Ballet and Sigma Rho Delta the national dance honor society. Lindsay has received the Eileen Poston Dance Scholarship, given to a Butler freshman ballet major in recognition of exceptional talent.
Adé Torbert
Adé Torbert (Peter,Nutcracker, Russian) grew up in Brooklyn NY and studied ballet and modern on full scholarship at the Alvin Ailey School and the Harlem School of the Arts, and tap with Savion Glover and Gregory Hines. Adé graduated from the Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC and studied at the Boston Conservatory for two years before moving to Miami to study with The New World School of the Arts. He is currently freelancing and has worked with Compagnie Thor in the Netherlands, Complexions with Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden, Troy Powell and Nathan Trice. This is Adé’s fourth year as a guest artist in The Nutcracker.
Maleek Washington
Maleek Washington (Harlequin, Arabian, Neapolitan) was born in the Bronx, New York, and studied dance at Broadway Dance Center. He graduated from the Fiorella H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in NYC and attended The Boston Conservatory while performing with the CBC and working with Complexions. He has recently attended Jacob’s Pillow and has collaborated with the Rod Rogers Dance Company. Maleek has interacted with choreographers such as Helen Pickett, Michael Utoff, Milton Meyers, Yuriko Takata, and Tim Rushton of the Danish Dance Theater. In 2008 Maleek joined CityDance Ensemble in Washington, D.C. This is Maleek’s fourth year as a guest artist in The Nutcracker.