The Alexandra Ballet is a pre-professional ballet company in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1949, that cultivates top dance talent. The company regularly performs classical ballets including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pas de Quatre, Les Sylphides, and an annual performance of The Nutcracker. Many guest choreographers have worked with Alexandra Ballet including Marek Cholewa, Petrus Bosman, and Kennet Oberly.
History
In 1949, Alexandra Zaharias first opened the Alexandra School of Ballet at Olive and Boyle in the city of Saint Louis. Prior to 1949, there were few ballet schools or ballet teachers in St. Louis. Alexandra Zaharias decided to go to New York to study under George Balanchine after seeing legendary ballerina Alexandra Danilova dance Swan Lake at the Kiel Opera House. When she returned to St. Louis, she opened the Alexandra School of Ballet.
Alexandra School of Ballet
As a pre-professional ballet school, Alexandra Ballet focuses exclusively on classical ballet. Established in 1949, Alexandra Ballet is the only St. Louis ballet school to continually provide pre-professional ballet training in Vaganova (Russian), Paris Opera (French), Enrico Cecchetti (Italian), Balanchine (American), Bournonville (Danish) ballet techniques. Dance classes range from creative dance and pre-ballet for young dancers just starting out to technical training in academic ballet, pointe work, variations, pas de deux, character, modern, and men’s classes, all designed for the serious ballet dancer. All of the school's faculty has been selected with great care and is led by Alexandra Zaharias.
Today
The company is an early member of Regional Dance America (RDA), achieving RDA's highest ranking of "Honor Company" status, and has been host to the Mid-States Regional Dance America Festival. Currently, the company has over 30 dancers that regularly win scholarships and awards each year. The company performs at the Purser Center of Logan University in Chesterfield, Missouri, as well as at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center of University of Missouri-St. Louis in Saint Louis, Missouri. Its repertoire consists of both classical and contemporary pieces, as well as its annual December performance of The Nutcracker.
Professional alumni
Andrea Lucas
Antonio Douthit
Chavo Killingsworth
Cheryl Balbes McIlhon
Dillon Malinski
Elizabeth Farrell
Ellen d`Hemecourt
Emily Stephenitch
Eugenia Hoeflin
Jaha Vanderford
Jane McGary
Jennifer Deckert
Jennifer Reed
Jessica Ruhlin
Lisa Wolfsberger
Louise Nadeau
Makenzie Howe
Mariko Kumanomido
Mary-Jean Cowell
Megan Buckley
Philip Gardner
Rachel Peppin
Rodney Hamilton
Sara Stockman
Sarah Little
Sarah Megel
Sharon Lampros
Susan Checkett Heidemann
Past performances
A Midsummer Night’s Dream 1993, 1999, 2006, 2013
Alice in Wonderland 2003
Ballare 1989
Charminade 1986
Cinderella 2009
Concerto 1988
Concerto Polonaise 1993, 1999
Coppelia 2001, 2008, 2014
de l'innocence 2007
Don Quixote Suite 2010
Elagiague 1997
Esmeralda 2005
Fete Polonaise 1987
Horra Tango 2009
The Firebird 2007
Flute Fantasy 1999
Frescoes 1997
Giselle 1990, 1999, 2010
Good Gracious, Gershwin! 1994
Diana and Actheon Pas de Deux 1992
Happy Ending 1991
Harlequinade 1999, 2005
Kermes in Bruges 2010
Konservatoriet 2008
L’ Audition Improptu 1994
La Bayadere (Kingdom of the Shades) 1993, 2005
La Fille Mal Gardee 2002
Larks and Follies 1987
Le Corsaire (Pas de Deux) 2005
Le Jardin Animee 1996, 2013
Leib der Tanz 1991
Les Patineurs 2008
Les Sylphides 1994, 1999, 2009
Moldavian Suite 2007
Nutcracker (annually) Napoli 2007 Odyssey 1990 Origami 1993, 2000 Pagosiana 2005 Paquita 1991, 2006 Pas de Quatre 1985, 1988, 2000, 2007 Peter and the Wolf 1990 Pezzi per Ametisto 1993 Pollaca Guerriera 2008 Quartet 1989 Reflections of Childhood 1992 Rinforzando 1991 Rodeo 1998 Rumors 1995 Sinfonetta 1990 Swan Lake 1996, 2005 (Pas de Deux, Act II) Symphonic Danse 1991 The Sleeping Beauty 1998, 2004, 2012 Totenlieder 1987 Triangulum 1992 Trio For Four 1989 Unplugged 2010 Untitled for Unaccompanied Cello 1989 La Vivandiere 1994