Milwaukee – Michael Pink, artistic director of the Milwaukee Ballet, today announced the addition of nine new dancers to the company for the 2005-06 season. In addition to attracting dancers from all over the United States, Pink has hired dancers from across the globe, including Colombia, Spain and Russia.

“In my thirty years of experience in the dance world, I have never been so confident of the caliber of the new and returning dancers of the Milwaukee Ballet,” Pink said. “They are a group of young, exciting and talented men and women who will brighten the performing arts landscape in Milwaukee for years to come.”

New Dancers

Leading Artists

Christian Laverde König – From: Cali, Colombia

– Most recent company affiliation: Maximum Dance Company of Miami

Ryan Martin – From: Oakland, CA

– Most recent company affiliation: Ballet Met

Luz San Miguel – From: Madrid, Spain

– Most recent company affiliation: Ballet Met

Artists

Dale Jordan – From: Long Island, NY

– Most recent company affiliation: Sarasota Ballet of Florida

Diana Stetsura – From: Russia

– Most recent company affiliation: Ballet Internationale, Indianapolis Apprentices

Susan Gartell – From: Chandler, AZ

– Most recent company affiliation: Milwaukee Ballet II

Courtney Kramer – From: Crystal Lake, IL

– Most recent company affiliation: Milwaukee Ballet II

Michael Linsmeier – From: Cato, WI

– Most recent company affiliation: Milwaukee Ballet II

Jacqueline Mosicke – From: Sussex, WI

– Most recent company affiliation: Milwaukee Ballet II

Returning Dancers

Leading Artists

Jeanette Marie Hanley – Denver, Colorado

David Hovhannisyan – Yerevan, Armenia

Tatiana Jouravel – Kiev, Ukraine

Andrey Kasatsky – Moscow, Russia

Douglas McCubbin – Melbourne, Australia

Jennifer Miller – Hershey, Pennsylvania

Marc Petrocci – Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada

Jennifer Provins – Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Karisa Stich – Wausau, Wisconsin

Artists

Christopher Fellows – Ithaca, New York

Ian Grosh – West Bend, Wisconsin

Adam Sterr – Green Bay, Wisconsin

Raven Wales – East Troy, Wisconsin

Kara Wilkes – Greendale, Wisconsin

Petr Zahradnicek - Brno, Czech Republic

Apprentice

Brent Whitney – Traverse City, Michigan

Cristian Laverde König

Cristian Laverde König was born in Cali, Colombia. He trained at the Colombian Institute for Classical Ballet – Incolballet, and graduated from the National Ballet School in La Habana, Cuba. Mr. Laverde König was a finalist in the single division at the 2002 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS. He has danced as a soloist with Ballet International, Indianapolis; the Hartford Ballet; Ballet de Cali and the National Ballet of Cuba. Mr. Laverde König has appeared as a guest artist in Japan, Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba and Panama, and has also performed at International Ballet Festivals in Cuba, Italy and Hungary. Mr. Laverde König was most recently a principal dancer with Maximum Dance Company of Miami.

Luz San Miguel

Born in Madrid, Spain, Luz San Miguel received her training at Carmina Ocana Ballet school, and on a scholarship at the Municipal Institute of Ballet in Antwerp, Belgium. She has danced with Ballet Met (Columbus, Ohio), Charleston Ballet Theater (South Carolina), Dresdner Ballet (Dresden, Germany) and Leipziger Ballet (Leipzig, Germany).She also performed as a guest artist in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and several U.S. cities. She has danced principal roles in ballets by John Cranko, Balanchine, John Neumeier, Nacho Duato, Tudor, Stanton Welch, Uwe Scholz, David Nixon, Glen Tetley, Trey McIntyre and Val Caniporeli, among others.

Ryan Martin

Born in Oakland, California, Ryan Martin received his training with Virginia’s ODU Ballet, the National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada, and on a scholarship at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has danced with Ballet Met (Columbus, Ohio), Charleston Ballet Theater (South Carolina), Dresdner Ballet (Dresden, Germany) and Leonid Jakobson’s Choreographic Miniatures (St. Petersburg, Russia). Mr. Martin has performed as a guest artist in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Portugal, Japan, and several U.S. cities. He has danced principal roles in ballets by John Cranko, Balanchine, Leonid Jacobson, John Neumeier,
Stanton Welch, Nacho Duato, David Nixon, Trey McIntyre, Glen Tetley and Val Caniporeli, among others.

Diana Stetsura

Diana Stetsura trained at Russia’s Perm Ballet School from 1988-1996 under Ludmila Saherova. From 1996-1997, she was a soloist in the Kremlin Ballet of Moscow. Ms. Stetsura was principal dancer for the State Musical Theatre of Belarus from 1998-2000, and principal dancer at Columbia Classical Ballet from 2001-2002. In 2003, she was the principal guest artist with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Diana has performed lead roles in productions of Don Quixote, Carmen, La Sylphide, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Allegro Brilliante, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Le Corsaire. She was a finalist in two international ballet competitions. In 2002, she received the highest award for Best Stage Debut in Belarus for her performance as the lead dancer in Giselle.

Dale Jordam

Originally from Long Island, New York, Dale Jordan received her formal ballet training with Maggie Black and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School under the direction of David Holliday. For the past three years, Ms. Jordan has been with The Sarasota Ballet of Florida, where she enjoyed dancing roles such as pas de trois and four little swans in Swan Lake, numerous variations from Paquita, Kate Lt. Pinkerton's fiancé from Madame Butterfly and various other classical and contemporary ballets.

Susan Gartell

Susan Gartell began her dance career in Chandler, Arizona. There she studied under Nadja Langenhorst and Saron Meko as part of Ballet Etudes, a youth ballet company.  She continued her training at the University of Arizona on scholarship as a dance major.  Ms. Gartell was then accepted into the Milwaukee Ballet II program where she spent two years. She is delighted to be an apprentice with the Milwaukee Ballet Company.

Courtney Kramer

Courtney Kramer is originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and received her formal training locally at The Judith Svalander School of Ballet. She continued her studies on scholarship at The University of Arizona graduating in December of 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance. In addition, Ms. Kramer has studied on scholarship with the schools of Ballet Met and American Ballet Theatre.  She was pleased and honored to have performed the world premiere of Michael Pink’s Little Dancer Aged Fourteen this past spring at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Michael Linsmeier

Originally from Cato, Wisconsin, Michael Linsmeier began his training at the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance in Manitowoc.  He continued his studies at the Virginia School of the Arts, where he performed a variety of works including, Les Patiniurs, The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Mr. Linsmeier has also spent time with various summer programs including the Boston Ballet, the Houston Ballet and the Royal Ballet School.  This is Mr. Linsmeier’s inaugural season with the Milwaukee Ballet.

Jacqueline Moscicke

Originally from Sussex, Wisconsin, Jacqueline Mosicke received her formal training at the Milwaukee Ballet School on full scholarship. In 2001 and 2002, Ms. Mosicke played the role of Marie in the Milwaukee Ballet’s The Nutcracker. In 2003 she received honorable mention in the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts competition. Ms. Mosicke has also been privileged to participate in summer programs with Vail International Dance Festival and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Founded in 1970, the Milwaukee Ballet Company strives to inspire its audiences to think within and beyond traditional ballet through the presentation of quality performances and the implementation of educational opportunities.  With an annual operating budget of $5 million, the Milwaukee Ballet Company presents more than 40 performances to 70,000 people each year. For more information about the Milwaukee Ballet, call (414)-902-2103 or visit the Milwaukee Ballet online at www.milwaukeeballet.org.