Profiles

2020 Stars of the Corps: 10 Dancers Making Strides In and Out of the Spotlight

October 18, 2020

The corps de ballet make up the backbone of every company. In our Fall 2020 issue, we highlighted 10 ensemble standouts to keep your eye on. Click on their names to learn more!


Dara Holmes, Joffrey Ballet

A male dancer catches a female dancer in his right arm as she wraps her left arm around his shoulder and executes a high arabesque on pointe. Both wear white costumes and dance in front of a blue backdrop onstage.

Dara Holmes and Edson Barbosa in Myles Thatcher’s Body of Your Dreams

Cheryl Mann, Courtesy Joffrey Ballet


Wanyue Qiao, American Ballet Theatre

Wearing a powder blue tutu, cropped light yellow top and feather tiara, Wanyue Qiao does a piquu00e9 retiru00e9 on pointe on her left leg and pulls her right arm in towards her.

Wanyue Qiao as an Odalisque in Konstantin Sergeyev’s Le Corsaire

Gene Schiavone, Courtesy ABT


Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson, Houston Ballet

Three male dancers in tight-fitting, multicolored costumes stand in positions of ascending height from left to right. All extend their right arms out in front of them.

Joshua Guillemot-Rodgerson (far right) with Saul Newport and Austen Acevedo in Oliver Halkowich’s Following

Amitava Sarkar, Courtesy Houston Ballet


Leah McFadden, Colorado Ballet

Wearing a white pixie wig and a short light-pink tunic costume, a female ballet dancer poses in attitude front on pointe with her left arm bent across her ribs and her right hand held below her chin.

Leah McFadden as Amour in Colorado Ballet’s production of Don Quixote

Mike Watson, Courtesy Colorado Ballet


Maria Coelho, Tulsa Ballet

Maria Coelho and Sasha Chernjavsky in Andy Blankenbuehler’s Remember Our Song

Kate Lubar, Courtesy Tulsa Ballet


Alexander Reneff-Olson, San Francisco Ballet

A ballerina in a black feathered tutu stands triumphantly in sous-sus, holding the hand of a male dancer in a dark cloak with feathers underneath who raises his left hand in the air.

Alexander Reneff-Olson (right) as Von Rothbart with San Francisco Ballet principal Yuan Yuan Tan in Swan Lake

Erik Tomasson, Courtesy SFB


India Bradley, New York City Ballet

Wearing a blue dance dress with rhinestone embellishments and a sparkly tiara, India Bradley finishes a move with her arms out to the side and hands slightly flexed.

India Bradley practices backstage before a performance of Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2.

Erin Baiano, Courtesy NYCB


Bella Ureta, Cincinnati Ballet

Wearing a white dress with pink corset, Bella Ureta does a first arabesque on pointe in front of an onstage stone wall.

Bella Ureta performs the Act I Pas de Trois in Kirk Peterson’s Swan Lake

Hiromi Platt, Courtesy Cincinnati Ballet


Alejándro Gonzales, Oklahoma City Ballet

Dressed in a green bell-boy costume and hat, Alejandro Gonzu00e1lez does a sautu00e9 with his left leg in retiru00e9 and his arms in a long diagonal from right to left. Other dancers in late 19-century period costumes watch him around the stage.

Alejandro González in Michael Pink’s Dracula at Oklahoma City Ballet.

Kate Luber, Courtesy Oklahoma City Ballet


Nina Fernandes, Miami City Ballet

Wearing a long white tutu and crown, Nina Fernandes does a saut de chat in front of a wintery backdrop as snow falls from the top of the stage.

Nina Fernandes in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

Alexander Iziliaev, Courtesy Miami City Ballet

2020 stars of the corps alejándro gonzales alexander reneff-olson bella ureta corps de ballet dara holmes india bradley joshua guillemot-rodgerson leah mcfadden maria coelho nina fernandes stars of the corps wanyue qiao