INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATRE
presents
The
20th Anniversary
Performance Season
INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATRE
presents
The
20th Anniversary
Performance Season
INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATRE
presents
The
20th Anniversary
Performance Season
INTERNATIONAL BALLET THEATRE
presents
The
20th Anniversary
Performance Season
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Company Members
RYAN BURTON
Ryan Burton was born in Coupeville, Washington, and began his formal dance training under the direction of Vera Altunina at the age of twelve. To continue his education, Ryan attended numerous Summer Intensives under full scholarship at The Joffrey Ballet School, Houston Ballet Academy, and most notably, The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre.
His favorite role he has ever performed was as Jonathan in International Ballet Theatre’s annual production of Dracula, and he dreams of performing in the ballet Scheherazade as the Golden Slave.
ELIZABETH CAMERON
Elizabeth Cameron was born in Kirkland, WA, and began her ballet training at the age of three with the International Ballet Academy. She spent 8 years in rhythmic gymnastics, where she traveled extensively for competitions in the US and Canada, including the 2019 Open Camp in Lake Placid, New York and the nationwide 2021 Level 9 Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In 2022, she joined IBA’s Pre-Professional division. Over the last two years, she has gained tremendous artistic experience by performing with IBT in Dracula, The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Jungle Book, and more. In October 2023, she was invited to perform with the Grand Kyiv Ballet in Swan Lake and Snow White as part of their US tour, which gave her invaluable knowledge about what it means to be a performing artist. In 2024, she attended the Ellison Ballet NYC Summer Intensive and ART of Ballet masterclass in Marseilles, France.
NATAN LUBOW
Born in Russia, Natan grew up in Seattle, where at age six, he decided to pursue the study of ballet after seeing IBT's production of The Nutcracker. He has trained with the International Ballet Theatre, Ballet Fantastique, Emerald Ballet Theatre of Bellevue, Spectrum Dance Theater of Seattle, Olympic Ballet, and as well as under the mentorship of Mr. Marco Carrabba.
Natan has attended Summer Intensive Programs at the Portland Festival Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet Arizona, Eugene Ballet, OKC Ballet, and Spectrum Dance Theater, as well as at IBT. Most recently, he finished an apprenticeship with Ballet Fantastique's productions and collaborations in Eugene, Oregon. He is excited to perform with The International Ballet Theatre this season. He has performed with countless ballets with IBT, including Dracula, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, The Jungle Book, and Giselle.
“I wish to tribute the late Mr. John Magnus for refocusing my energy and for teaching me and many others the ideology and physical embodiment of ballet as an art.”
DARIA NAUMOVA
Hailing from Moscow, Russia, Daria started ballet at 13 at the Ledyakh Ballet School and then trained at the Lavrovsky Ballet Academy. Soon after, she continued her studies at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy under Ekaterina Vyacheslavovna Kluchareva. When she was on her summer breaks, she spent her time training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy with many outstanding teachers. Last year, she continued her studies at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School before joining the International Ballet Academy.
MARCELO VERGARA-OCHOA
Marcelo Vergara Ochoa is a talented ballet dancer based in Washington. He began his ballet journey at the age of five, inspired by a performance of The Nutcracker by Olympic Ballet Theatre, particularly captivated by Mr. Le Yin's remarkable jumps. This early inspiration fueled his passion for dance and led him to remarkable recognition early in his career, earning 3rd place in the semifinals of the 2018 World Ballet Arts Competition (WBAC) and securing 1st place at the 2019 competition. After the challenges of the pandemic, Marcelo showcased his resilience by winning 2nd place at the 2023 Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) semifinals. A proud alumnus of the Olympic Ballet School, he trained under the esteemed Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev. Marcelo has also performed as a guest artist with the Grand Kyiv Ballet corps de ballet, further broadening his experience on stage. To refine his craft, he participated in prestigious summer intensives at Ellison Ballet and The Rock School, where he honed his technical skills and artistic expression. After impressing in a class with Mr. François Serre Y Berga, Marcelo received an invitation to join the International Ballet Academy (IBA), marking an exciting new chapter in his career. With a dedication to his art and a passion for performance, Marcelo continues to pursue excellence in the world of ballet.
LEO ROSE
A Seattle native, Leo Rose first encountered the theatre in high school. After graduating, he began his dance training with various instructors throughout Seattle before attending Spectrum Dance Theatre's Academy program. Some years later, he began building his classical technique at the International Ballet Academy. The construction continues today. He has had the opportunity to perform throughout the greater Seattle area in a wide array of venues, including in Dracula with the International Ballet Theatre and as Herr Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker!
ASH SCALZO ZAKHARENKO
Ash Scalzo Zakharenko was born in Seattle, Washington. She started ballet at age 6, studying under Mary Reardon and Vivian Little at Dance Fremont. As her passion for dance grew, she decided to pursue ballet more seriously and attended her first summer intensive at the International Ballet Academy in 2022. During the Intensive, she was accepted into the full-year program, and halfway through the year, she was invited to join the pre-professional program.
Ash participated in IBT productions of Dracula, The Nutcracker, Wizard of Oz, Swan Lake, and Forest Song. Most recently, she attended the Washington School of Ballets summer intensive in DC. Two summers ago, she attended Russian Masters Ballet summer intensives in Alicante, Spain, and Burgas, Bulgaria.
Apprentices
CHARLOTTE HUME
Charlotte Hume was born in Seattle, Washington. At the age of three, she found the International Ballet Academy next to her dad's boxing gym and has stayed there ever since. She has always looked up to the Professional Division students and is elated to finally have the opportunity to join the program herself.
She has attended the TANZOLYMP ballet competition in Berlin, Germany, and has been part of numerous IBT performances, such as The Nutcracker, Dracula, Giselle, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and more. Charlotte’s most inspiring performance experience was as Clara in The Nutcracker.
INARA TOCCI-PONCE DE LEON
Inara Tocci-Ponce de Leon was born in Kansas City, Missouri, but has lived in Washington her entire life. She started ballet at age five with Pacific Northwest Ballet and has always dreamed of dancing professionally.
After being a student at PNB for ten years, Inara decided to audition for the International Ballet Academy and has since attended IBA's summer dance program. She continues pursuing her dream of dance at IBA's Professional Division and joins IBT for its upcoming performance season.
EMMA LIN
Emma Lin was born in Shanghai, China, as a Taiwanese citizen. She began studying classical ballet at the age of four and later explored contemporary, modern, and jazz styles. Emma moved to the United States when she was nine and joined the International Ballet Academy in 2023 after attending a summer intensive. After a year, she was invited to join the IBA Professional Division.
Emma has participated in numerous productions, including The Nutcracker, Giselle, and Stars of Tomorrow, and has competed in events like TANZOLYMP in Berlin and the Taiwan Grand Prix. In 2021, she was invited to the Joffrey Ballet Chicago’s summer program and studied there for two months.
MADELINE OLLIS
Madeline Ollis was born in Kirkland, Washington. She began ballet training at the International Ballet Academy at the age of three. Over the years, she has developed her love for dance and her technique by training in ballet, jazz, contemporary, modern, character, and flamenco. In addition to her studies at IBA, Madeline recently attended summer intensives at Orlando Ballet and The Royal Ballet of London.
Madeline has thoroughly enjoyed performing in several International Ballet Theatre productions, such as The Nutcracker, Dracula, Giselle, Best of IBT, Wizard of Oz, The Jungle Book, and Alice in Wonderland.
FRANCINE RITZMAN
Francine Ritzman was born in Tacoma, Washington. She began dancing at the age of four and joined the Evergreen City Ballet when she was seven. With ECB, she performed in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and Hansel and Gretel. Francine has also attended summer programs at ECB, Long Beach Ballet, and, most recently, Ellison Ballet in New York City.
ELLA SACCONE
Ella Saccone was born in San Diego, California. She discovered her love for ballet at age nine when she moved to Virginia and started taking classes with the Virginia National Ballet. In 2020, she moved to Sammamish, Washington, and joined Issaquah Dance Theater, where she performed as a member of their competition team.
She has also attended multiple summer intensives, such as American Ballet Theatre, Boston Ballet, and Oregon Ballet Theatre.
EMILY SUTANTO
Emily Sutanto has been an IBA dancer for 12 years, starting at the age of five. She joined the Professional Division in 2024 and is excited to perform in IBT's upcoming productions. In her prior years, she has performed in Dracula, The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, and more. Her most memorable roles were Chinese in The Nutcracker and Chil in the Jungle Book.
Over her years of dancing, she has had the opportunity to attend several summer intensives, including those with The Bolshoi Ballet, Ellison, and Colorado Ballet.