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Richmond Ballet Welcomes New Dancers for the 2009-10 Season

8/27/2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2009

Media Contact:
Aaron Sutten
(804) 344-0906 ext. 244
asutten@richmondballet.com

RICHMOND - Richmond Ballet is pleased to announce that it has added one new full company member and three new apprentices to the professional dancer line-up for the 2009-10 Season. Alison Dubsky, Laurie Lou Garside, Sam Lariviere and Benjamin Tucker will join the 20 returning company members for what promises to be an exciting season for The State Ballet of Virginia.

Alison Dubsky is a native of Geneva, Ohio, and joins the company directly from four seasons at Sarasota Ballet, where she had risen to the level of soloist. Ms. Dubsky received her early training at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and was then accepted on full scholarship to the renowned Joffrey Ballet School, where she was chosen to perform in the Joffrey Ensemble.

Laurie Lou Garside, of Oakdale, Pennsylvania, has been promoted to apprentice after two years as a trainee with the School of Richmond Ballet Trainee program. Previously, Ms. Garside studied with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School for 11 years. In addition to performing with Richmond Ballet in The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Cinderella, she also performed with the Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center in the autumn of 2008.

Originally from Harwinton, Connecticut, new apprentice Sam Lariviere attended Nutmeg Conservatory for eight years. Prior to auditioning for Richmond Ballet, he spent a year as a trainee with Boston Ballet, during which he performed in a number of full-length ballets, including La Fille Mal Gardee, Don Quixote and Coppelia.

Apprentice Benjamin Tucker grew up in Michigan and is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre training program, where he performed in The Nutcracker, The Great Gatsby, Cinderella and other ballets. In addition to his dance studies, Ben has also been working towards a degree in elementary education and history.

We are excited to have these new dancers join the company,” says Artistic Director Stoner Winslett, “They have a very busy season to look forward to -- the re-opening of the newly-renovated Carpenter Theatre, the second New Works Festival at Richmond Ballet, our return to The Joyce Theater in April 2010 and the MINDS WIDE OPEN : Virginia Celebrates Women in the Arts events next spring.”

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Richmond Ballet, The State Ballet of Virginia, is dedicated to the education, promotion, preservation and continuing evolution of the art form of ballet. Richmond Ballet strives to keep meaningful works of dance alive and to produce and foster new works that remain true to these values. Entering the 26th professional season, Richmond Ballet's mission is to “awaken and uplift the human spirit, both for audiences and artists.”

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For further press information contact:
Aaron Sutten, Director of Marketing and Communications
EMAIL: asutten@richmondballet.com; CALL: (804) 344-0906 x244