Ballet Uncovered ~ Balancing Pointe Podcast

Sixteen year old Miko was born in London in 1997 and moved to the US when she was two years old. Currently she trains with Tatiana Pali and Alyona Yakovleva-Randall at the Indiana Ballet Conservatory, and Kaoru Jinushi in Japan. Between 2008-2010 she returned to London three times to train at the Royal Ballet School's International Summer Program where she danced solo in the final performances and received the Commendation Award each year she attended.

Miko was listed as one of The Most Influential People of 2011 in the Dance Spirit Magazine and has received worldwide recognition for her dancing. She was Gold Medalist twice at the World Ballet Competition in Florida (2009 and 2011), and won Bronze the New York Finals of the Youth America Grand Prix (2010). As a selected participant in the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria (2012), she was awarded the Distinction Diploma and won the Bronze Medal.

Miko was invited to perform on the YAGP's 2011 Ballet Grand Prix Tour and danced with accomplished artists: Igor Kolb, Oksana Skorik, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera and Mikhail Kaniskin.

Miko is known the world over among aspiring ballerinas as she was one of just six dancers featured in "First Position", the award-winning documentary film about preparing for the Youth American Grand Prix ballet competition.

In 2013 Miko won Best Swiss Dancer in the 41st Prix de Lausanne, and was offered full-year scholarships from 5 European ballet schools as well as two schools from the US. To crown the year, she won the Gold Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition.

Miko is currently training for another busy year filled with competitions and gala guest appearances.

Jessica Wallis is the founding director and and inspiration behind Ballet in Cleveland, a non-profit classical ballet presentation company specifically committed to the presentation and promotion of classical ballet. Ballet in Cleveland hosts professional ballerinas and dancers to discuss classical ballet and its unique attributes as an art form, offering master classes to dancers from far and wide, thereby promoting and fostering appreciation for the art. By keeping its focus on classical ballet, Ballet in Cleveland can direct efforts solely to the presentation of professional classical ballet artists and ballet advocates of the highest quality and level of professionalism. Ballet in Cleveland highlights the unique, elegant and powerful qualities of ballet, thus cultivating its culture in the city, the results of which carry nationwide. Through the presentation of performances by professional ballet companies, ballet master classes and programming with nationally recognized dancers, Ballet in Cleveland is revolutionizing ballet. Since its inception, Ballet in Cleveland has hosted names such as Ashley Bouder (principal dancer with the NYCB), Allison DeBona (Breaking Pointe star and soloist with Ballet West), Matthew Dibble (formerly of the Royal Ballet) and many others. They are constantly working to bring in the greatest of talent from all over the world.

Jessica Wallis has enjoyed life in the arts. An original company member of Children's Ballet Theatre and a scholarship recipient of The Dance Institute of The University of Akron Jessica went on to teach dance and elementary education. Jessica's passion for the arts and for promoting classical ballet is evident in all she does. Her energy, business acumen not to mention her innovative approach to the arts will ensure Ballet in Cleveland will make its mark not only in Cleveland but throughout the country.

The Barre Story

In 2010, professional ballet dancers Julia Erickson and Aaron Ingley set out to create Barre Food, a health-minded snack bar that provides exceptional nutritional fortification specifically for the elite athleticism  and precision artistry of a dancer. As all professional dancers do, they experienced physically demanding rehearsals coupled with little time to eat. Dissatisfied with the energy bars on the market, Julia retreated to her own kitchen and developed an easy-to-consume, highly nutritious and great tasting bar. Marketing her creations to colleagues in the studio and students at the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, they quickly developed a following. Julia knew she could fulfill a need in the market and enlisted the talent of her friend and business partner Aaron. Today, Barre produces and distributes health-minded snacks and performance products specially formulated to live up to the rigors of such a demanding artist-athlete lifestyle.

Barre is proud to donate a portion of its proceeds to arts education programs, to help increase access to art across all levels of society and give back to that which has been such an important part of their lives.

We think there are many parallels. Don't people say that ballet is the best training for, well, almost anything?! Hard work, faith in oneself, dedication, a hunger to fulfill one’s potential…these are all things required for success in both careers.

Julia Erickson

Julia Erickson, originally from Seattle, is a Principal Dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She is also the creator and co-owner of Barre-Real Food Bars, alongside Aaron Ingley. You may also recognize Julia from Gaynor Minden pointe shoe ads.

Julia began her training at age seven in Level 1 at Pacific Northwest Ballet School. She continued training on scholarship at PNBS and later at San Francisco Ballet School. She toured to Europe and Asia with PNB and danced with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet for two seasons, prior to joining Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in 2001.

As creator of Barre, Julia has a second career with partner and co-owner Aaron Ingley. Stemming from a rigorous rehearsal schedule for Swan Lake in Spring 2010, Julia sought a better in-between rehearsal snack. At home in her kitchen, she created just that. She shared them with other dancers receiving rave reviews. Soon she and Aaron found themselves in the role of entrepreneurs with a growing snack bar business. Barre is available nationally in Whole Foods Stores as well as online.

Hear more from Julia and Aaron about Barre-Real Food Bar in Part Two of their interview on January 17, 2014.

Aaron Ingley

Originally from Tallahassee, Florida, Aaron studied musical theater at Young Actors Theater before beginning ballet training at age 13 with Southern Academy of Ballet Arts and Tallahassee Ballet. Aaron completed his professional training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, where he performed with that company at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival and the 2000 Hong Kong Festival. He was also featured as Tom Snout in PNB's production of George Balanchine A Midsummer Night's Dream produced for television by the BBC.

Aaron performed professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for nine seasons. A versatile dancer, Aaron was featured in numerous classical and contemporary roles and served as the company's Principal Character Artist during that time.

In addition to performing and teaching ballet, Aaron is a professional actor and recently completed degrees in History and Management at University of Pittsburgh. A consummate innovator, Aaron pushes the boundaries, helping expand the ways in which art is conceptualized and defined.

Aaron is an avid cyclist and as co-owner of Barre, enjoys creating delicious, healthy snacks in the kitchen with Julia.

Szabolcs (Sabi) Varga received his training at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997 he was named Best Young Dancer at the International Rudolf Nureyev Competition. Upon graduation he joined Alberta Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen. There he performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2002 Nissinen invited Varga to join Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. Varga is married to former Boston Ballet soloist Melanie Atkins, who is currently Children's Ballet Mistress and faculty member with Boston Ballet School.

Szabolcs (Sabi) Varga received his training at the Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest, Hungary. In 1997 he was named Best Young Dancer at the International Rudolf Nureyev Competition. Upon graduation he joined Alberta Ballet under the direction of Mikko Nissinen. There he performed principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Helgi Tomasson, and Christopher Wheeldon. In 2002 Nissinen invited Varga to join Boston Ballet as a member of the corps de ballet. He was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. Varga is married to former Boston Ballet soloist Melanie Atkins, who is currently Children's Ballet Mistress and faculty member with Boston Ballet School.

Guillaume and Heather joined the National Ballet of Canada around the same time – in the late nineties, becoming Principal dancers in 2004 and 2005. And although they knew each other for years, it was not until many years later that they began dating.

They discovered a chemistry between each other when they were paired together but did not act on this discovery for quite some time.

Their chemistry was strong on stage, so Heather and Guilluame were paired for many lead roles and the audience loved what they saw.

Today, the couple look forward to spending time with family and enjoying each other in the studio.  Their friendship and energy as a couple is infectious and their interview together purely inspirational (not to mention fun).

Today's special episode of Balancing Pointe Podcast celebrates the holiday of Love as I interview one of ballet's most famous married couples, Megan Fairchild and Andy Veyette, both principal dancers with the New York City Ballet.  

Megan and Andy met when they were both rising stars at the New York City Ballet and were married in July 24, 2011 in the backyard of Crabtree’s Kittle House, in Chappaqua, N.Y.

When Andy first met Megan, he began to pursue her, but she knew of his “bad boy” reputation and did not immediately fall for him.

Eventually, however, his efforts paid off and now the couple are happily married living and working together as principal dancers with NYCB.

Their laughter filled interview make it apparent they are a perfect match!

Ekaterina Shchelkanova, a former soloist of American Ballet Theatre and Kirov Ballet, established the Open World Dance Foundation in 2010 after recognizing that the art form she loves could help the many orphans in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia. Through Open World Foundation, she also runs a successful summer intensive program, presenting students a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Ekaterina, or Katya, began her journey in St. Petersburg, Russia. From the time she was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a dancer. In 1988, she graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy,;in the class of Professor Ludmila Safronova, one of Agrippina Vaganova's last students. She was invited to the Kirov, now Mariinsky Theater, and started her career with the company as a soloist.

After performing the Kirov rep for several years, Katya decided to uproot and move to New York. In a class with beloved teacher David Howard, she had a chance meeting with Mikhail Baryshnikov. After explaining that she was not dancing with a company at the time, he encouraged her to keep dancing. With his words of encouragement, she built her confidence and in January 1995, Ekaterina joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). There she worked with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, dancing solo and leading parts in the broad repertoire of American Ballet Theatre and travelling extensively with the company.

In 2001, Ekaterina left ABT to work with Twyla Tharp in creating "Moving Out", the Broadway musical by Billy Joel. Just one year later, she debuted in the Oscar award winning film, Chicago, in the role of Hunyak. She and the other principal actors received a Screen Actors Guild Award. Then in 2004, Ekaterina produced and starred in The End of Silence,a film by Anita Doron.

Later, in 2005, Ekaterina served as Artistic Director of Berlin Children's Art Festival and began her teaching and coaching career at Royal Ballet of Canadian and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal.

In her heart, Katya knew she needed to reach out to children in a more meaningful way. She began to reflect on the difficult life of a ballet dancer and her gratitude for her much needed family's support. She then started to wonder about those who don't have parents.

These thoughts lead Ekaterina to research orphans in Russia, a country that has the highest number of orphans anywhere in the world. Russian orphanages are numbered rather than named; there are 120 in St. Petersburg alone. Ekaterina knew she had to get involved, and when she mentioned the idea to her friend, Baryshnikov, he encouraged her to follow her instinct.

The Open World Dance Foundation Summer Intensive is now in its third year and will be held in Riga, Latvia, birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maris Liepa, and Alexandr Godunov. dancers. Auditions in America are held in five different locations throughout January or can be submitted via DVD. The intensive presents a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy of St Petersburg, Russia receiving coaching from the world's most elite instructors.

Open World Dance Foundation will also be offering their first teachers program and conference for ballet instructors, coaches, and studio owners lead by Professors of Vaganova Academy Irina Trofimova and Ludmila Safronova who were both students of Agrippina Vaganova. These amazing women will provide lectures on Vaganova methods by level which will be followed immediately with observation of their teaching reinforcing those approaches as they are used in the studios of the summer intensive program. Special pricing available for those attending with students.

Ekaterina Shchelkanova, a former soloist of American Ballet Theatre and Kirov Ballet, established the Open World Dance Foundation in 2010 after recognizing that the art form she loves could help the many orphans in her hometown of St. Petersburg, Russia. Through Open World Foundation, she also runs a successful summer intensive program, presenting students a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy.

Ekaterina, or Katya, began her journey in St. Petersburg, Russia. From the time she was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a dancer. In 1988, she graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy,;in the class of Professor Ludmila Safronova, one of Agrippina Vaganova's last students. She was invited to the Kirov, now Mariinsky Theater, and started her career with the company as a soloist.

After performing the Kirov rep for several years, Katya decided to uproot and move to New York. In a class with beloved teacher David Howard, she had a chance meeting with Mikhail Baryshnikov. After explaining that she was not dancing with a company at the time, he encouraged her to keep dancing. With his words of encouragement, she built her confidence and in January 1995, Ekaterina joined the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). There she worked with choreographers Twyla Tharp and Mark Morris, dancing solo and leading parts in the broad repertoire of American Ballet Theatre and travelling extensively with the company.

In 2001, Ekaterina left ABT to work with Twyla Tharp in creating "Moving Out", the Broadway musical by Billy Joel. Just one year later, she debuted in the Oscar award winning film, Chicago, in the role of Hunyak. She and the other principal actors received a Screen Actors Guild Award. Then in 2004, Ekaterina produced and starred in The End of Silence,a film by Anita Doron.

Later, in 2005, Ekaterina served as Artistic Director of Berlin Children's Art Festival and began her teaching and coaching career at Royal Ballet of Canadian and Les Grands Ballet Canadiens de Montreal.

In her heart, Katya knew she needed to reach out to children in a more meaningful way. She began to reflect on the difficult life of a ballet dancer and her gratitude for her much needed family's support. She then started to wonder about those who don't have parents.

These thoughts lead Ekaterina to research orphans in Russia, a country that has the highest number of orphans anywhere in the world. Russian orphanages are numbered rather than named; there are 120 in St. Petersburg alone. Ekaterina knew she had to get involved, and when she mentioned the idea to her friend, Baryshnikov, he encouraged her to follow her instinct.

The Open World Dance Foundation Summer Intensive is now in its third year and will be held in Riga, Latvia, birthplace of Mikhail Baryshnikov, Maris Liepa, and Alexandr Godunov. dancers. Auditions in America are held in five different locations throughout January or can be submitted via DVD. The intensive presents a rare opportunity to train with master teachers with a direct connection to Vaganova Ballet Academy of St Petersburg, Russia receiving coaching from the world's most elite instructors.

Open World Dance Foundation will also be offering their first teachers program and conference for ballet instructors, coaches, and studio owners lead by Professors of Vaganova Academy Irina Trofimova and Ludmila Safronova who were both students of Agrippina Vaganova. These amazing women will provide lectures on Vaganova methods by level which will be followed immediately with observation of their teaching reinforcing those approaches as they are used in the studios of the summer intensive program. Special pricing available for those attending with students.