SLK Ballet School Faculty
SARA KNIGHT
Founder, Artistic Director
Sara Knight is the Founder and Artistic Director of Chevalier Ballet, Chevalier Ballet Conservatory, and the SLK Ballet School. A graduate of England's Royal Ballet School, an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dance ( A.R.A.D.), graduate of the Royal Ballet School Teacher's Training Course (R.B.S. Dip. TTC.) and first British graduate of Russia's Vaganova (Kirov) Ballet Academy. Ms. Knight is a recipient of the Royal Ballet School Award for Excellence personally awarded by Dame Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet. Link to Sara's bio here.
DANIEL ULBRICHT
Classical Ballet, Repertoire
Daniel Ulbricht was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, and began his dance training at the age of 11. At age 16, Mr. Ulbricht was invited by the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, to continue his training. As a student at SAB, Mr. Ulbricht performed with New York City Ballet as a Jester in Peter Martins' The Sleeping Beauty.
In December 2000, he became an apprentice with New York City Ballet and in November 2001 he joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet. In January 2005, Mr. Ulbricht was promoted to the rank of soloist and principal dancer in May 2007. During his time there, he has danced featured roles in a number of Balanchine, Robbins, Martins, and Wheeldon ballets including George Balanchine’s Prodigal Son, Tarantella, Stars and Stripes, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Mozartiana, Nutcracker, Symphony in 3, The Steadfast Tin Soldier: Jerome Robbins’s Fancy Free, Interplay, Suite of Dances, Four Seasons, A Suite of Dances; and Peter Martins’s Jeu de Cartes, Hallelujah Junction, Eight More, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo + Juliet among many others.
Mr. Ulbricht has also danced Tarantella at the 2004 Kennedy Center Honors to celebrate the Balanchine Centenary. He has also performed at a number of national and international festivals and galas. Mr. Ulbricht is a guest teacher at the School of American Ballet, Ballet Academy East, as well as, teaching at a number of well-known national dance schools, private schools, and universities throughout the United States. Mr. Ulbricht is currently the Artistic Advisor of Manhattan Youth Ballet. He is also the Artistic Director of New York State Summer School for the Arts in Saratoga Springs, NY. Mr. Ulbricht is also founder and director of “Stars of American Ballet”, a touring group focusing on high art, education and outreach. Mr. Ulbricht is also the co-founder and producer of “Dance Against Cancer”, an annual benefit for the American Cancer Society. Mr. Ulbricht is also on the board of the National Dance Institute.
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More information at danielulbricht.com and starsofamericanballet.com
MIKHAIL ILYIN
Mens’ Class, Pas de Deux, Classical Ballet, Character, Feldenkrais Method
Born in St. Petersburg, Mikhail Ilyin is a graduate of Vaganova Ballet Academy in 1998 with BA in Arts. In 1999, he joined the Boston Ballet for two years, then Miami City Ballet where he became principal in 2003.
Mikhail joined American Ballet Theatre in January 2008. His repertoire includes leading roles in "Swan Lake", "Paquita", "Stars and Stripes", "Sonatine", "The Afternoon of the Faun", "Ballet Imperial", "The Reassuring Effects of Form and Poetry", "Symphony in C" ( I, III and IV movements), "Giggling Rapids" (A. Ailey), "Nine Sinatra Suite" , "Apollo", "Theme and Variations", "Allegro Brilliante", "Le Corsaire", "Coppelia", "Nutcracker", "Giselle", "Ballo della Regina", "Glinka pas de trois", "Dances at the Gathering", "Donizetti Variations", "Prodigal Son", "La Source", "Western Symphony"( I and III); “In the Upper Room”, "Rabbit and Rogue" (T. Tharp), "Etudes" (H. Lander) and many others.
Mikhail won the gold medal at the IV "Vaganova-Prix" International Ballet Competition (1998), awarded a diploma at the 8th Paris International Dance Competition (1998), won the highest awarded prize - Silver medal at the VI New York International Ballet Competition (2000), won the Bronze medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi (2002).
Mikhail is an Artist in Residence with Ballet Mississippi. In 2005, he was chosen by Dance Magazine as one of the “to watch” dancers of today. Currently, Mikhail is a faculty member at the ABT's JKO, the French Academy of Classical Ballet as well as guest teaching classes and workshops around NYC. He has taught, staged and choreographed across the United States. Mikhail is fully certified with all the levels of ABT's National Training Curriculum Pedagogy Program and the Feldenkrais Method of Somatic Education ( a 4-year Professional Training Program in Awareness Through Movement and Functional Integration).
ALEXANDRA HARRINGTON
Classical Ballet, Pointe, Pilates, Yoga
Alexandra Harrington trained at SLK Ballet School in New York City. During which time she was chosen to dance with the English National Ballet and Central Ballet School in London as part of the exchange program. Upon graduation from SLK Ballet School in June 2015, Alexandra accepted a contract with Ballet Theatre UK and moved to England for their 2015/2016 season. Alexandra toured extensively around the UK performing various corps and soloist roles. Since moving back to NYC to freelance in 2016, Alexandra has performed as a guest artist with the Long Island Ballet Theatre, Chevalier Ballet, and other various productions around New York City.
Alexandra is also a certified Pilates teacher through Balanced Body and is passionate about sharing what she knows through her own personal experiences. She has been teaching Pilates around NYC and for the SLK Ballet School since 2016 and continues to dance with Chevalier Ballet, freelance, and teach at the SLK Ballet School.
CLEMENT MENSAH
Contemporary
Clement Mensah was born and raised in Ghana, West Africa. He moved to the Netherlands at the age of 11. After high school and graduating from CIOS (sports academy) he went to Amsterdam School of Arts and graduated in June 2008.
He went to the Alvin Ailey School in 2007 as an exchange student where he received a fellowship to study. He was member of the Student Performing Group at the Alvin Ailey School while apprenticing with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2008. He has also been part of the Francesca Harper Project, danced with Elisa Monte Dance Company from 2008 until the summer of 2010 performing both national and international.
Clement joined the Matthew Westerby Company in 2009 and led the hugely successful Project Poetry Live in partnership with the Litchfield Performing Arts, Connecticut. He has taught workshops and master classes at different institutions and schools such as Dance Wave in Brooklyn, NY, Alvin Ailey School, The Theater School in Amsterdam, Codart in Rotterdam and artist in residence at Dancers’ Workshop, WY and Bennington College, VT as well as assisting teachers and teaching at the Center for Advance Training (C.A.T.) at Trinity Laban.
Mr. Mensah became international student mentor to Codarts in Rotterdam, Holland after receiving his MA degree in Dance Performance at Trinity Laban School of Contemporary Music and Dance in London in 2011 and joined Reggie Wilson/Fist and Heel Performance Group in that same year.
As a former member of Ronald K. Brown/Evidence A Dance Company, Clement performed with the Limón Dance Company as a guest artist in the fall of 2012 and joined Battery Dance Company at the beginning of 2013. He is very grateful for the wonderful opportunities of teaching, performing and choreographing.
ROBIN CANTRELL
Contemporary & Improvisation, Choreography
Robin Cantrell is a native of St. Paul Minnesota and received her BFA in Ballet Performance at the University of Utah as a Willem F. Christensen scholarship recipient.
Robin’s professional performing career has spanned two decades, where she has worked with numerous dance companies including City Ballet of San Diego, Rioult, Collective Body Dance Lab, Rebecca Kelly Ballet, and is currently a member of Battery Dance and Passaflume & Dancers. With Battery Dance Robin has had the opportunity to perform, teach, and present her own choreography in over 60 countries worldwide. Robin is the subject of the award-winning documentary, “Moving Stories”, about the cultural diplomacy work conducted by the company.
Robin currently dances for Gabrielle Lamb's PigeonWing Dance and is the Artistic Director of her own company: Indelible Dance -- a Brooklyn based dance company that creates otherworldly dance films and presents multimedia immersive dance events. She recently made her directorial debut with her first feature length film: Odyssey.
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More information visit indelible.dance.com
VLADIMIR DVOROVENKO
Character
Vladimir Dvorovenko received his training at the State Ballet School and State University of Art in Kiev, Ukraine. He has taught and performed both nationally and internationally with the Ballet Theatre of Ukraine.
Vladimir and his wife Olga Dvorovenko, are both on the staff of Dance Cavise, and are parents of Irina Dvorovenko, the former Prima Ballerina and principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre in New York City.
In addition to teaching classical technique at Dance Cavise, Vladimir also teaches a unique Character class based on ethnic Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, and Gypsy movement.
Vladimir is currently on staff at the Alvin Ailey Ballet School, Ellison Ballet School and SLK Ballet School.
SEAN SCANTLEBURY
Contemporary
Sean Scantlebury, a member of Battery Dance Company since 2003, is a performer and teacher who is equally adept within the styles of modern, ballet and hip-hop. A native of Barbados, Sean is a naturalized citizen of the U.S. He moved to New York City as a child and at the age of 8 was invited to study at the New York City Public School for Dance. He became a member of Ballet Tech, the Company directed by Eliot Feld, performing in the Company's Joyce Theater seasons in New York for 10-years.
During his first season with Battery Dance in 2003, Sean took part in a residency in Krakow and Poland, performing for the European Conference on Tolerance. Since then, he has performed, taught and led "Dancing to Connect Workshops" in Algeria, Australia, Burma, Cambodia, China, Germany, Ghana, Hungary, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.
His hip-hop classes have served as a magnet for urban youth everywhere. In New York, he has served as Battery Dance's teaching artist at public schools including Washington Irving High School, P.S. 257 in Brooklyn, I.S. 162 in the South Bronx for three years at the Millennium High School in Lower Manhattan.
SIMON EGERTON
Music Associate
Simon Egerton started working as a dance répétiteur at 18, working with many of the great schools and companies; Royal Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, LCDT, Kirov Ballet. He worked with Nureyev, Messerer and Barishnikov, was a founder member of Central School of Ballet (as well as being its first director of music), wrote the show Biography for the great American dancer William Louther, before returning to studies, as a singer at GSMD in London, aged 22.
Simon started his acting career with the physical comedy troupe Natural Theatre Co. Numerous acting credits include: Brassett in Charley's Aunt (Royal Exchange) alongside Michael Sheen, Lysander in Phelim McDermott's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (E.S.C.) and Maximillian in John Doyle's acclaimed production of Candide.
As well as a successful acting career, Simon has been Head of Music and singing studies at several of London’s drama academies and coached at Opera North and the Royal Opera House working with composer Ben Park. He is an award-winning Musical Director, still writing, directing and composing in the theatre, including music for SLK Ballet School and is delighted to be associated with the school.
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SHIMAKO HORII
Guest Accompanist
Shimako Horii, Pianist, a native of Osaka, Japan came to United States 1999 to study at Mannes College of Music in New School University where she earned a Master of Music.
On 2001, as a winner of the concerto competition, Shimako performed L.V. Beethoven's piano concerto No. 4 with Mannes Orchestra, conducted by Samuel Wong. Her performances throughout her time in Mannes include various venues such as Symphony Space, The Weill Recital Hall in the Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, and Columbia University. She extended her study with her teacher Irina Morozova and finished her professional study program on 2003.
Shimako has been working in various programs and auditions in New Jersey Performing Arts Center such as vocal and modern dance class in Young Artists Institute, vocal class in Summer Youth Performance Workshop, The Jeffrey Carollo Scholarship Recital, and The Star Ledger Scholarship Recital.
Since 2010, Shimako accompanies at several major ballet schools in NYC such as Joffrey Ballet School, Ellison Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, 92nd Street Y, Ballet Arts Center, Manhattan Youth Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Broadway Dance Center, and Gelsey Kirkland Academy. Shimako also accompanied various rehearsals and workshops with major ballet dancers and coaches such as Misty Copland, Paloma Herrera, Sophiane Sylve, and Maina Gielgud.
September 2016, Shimako joined SLK Ballet School NYC as a regular piano accompanist.