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As Company Seasons Close, Many Longtime Dancers Take Their Final Bows

June 15, 2022

It’s the time of year where seasons draw to a close. And as curtains fall for the last time before summer, many longtime dancers are also saying goodbye to the stage. Read on to learn about the most recent farewell announcements.

Ballet West

Ballet West bid farewell to married company members Rex Tilton and Allison DeBona earlier this season. DeBona, a first soloist, gave her last performance on April 9 in Nicolo Fonte’s Carmina Burana; Tilton, a principal, took his final bow on May 14 in Sophie Laplane’s Galantheae and Juliano Nunes’ Orange. Both have joined the faculty at Ballet West Academy, with DeBona serving as principal of its Park City campus.

Festival Ballet Providence

Company artist David Dubois took his final bow on April 30 in Festival Ballet Providence’s Blue Until June program. Dubois joined the company in 2015, performing a variety of classical and contemporary principal roles throughout his career.

Oklahoma City Ballet

Principal DaYoung Jung gave her final performance with the company as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty on May 8 after 10 years with Oklahoma City Ballet. Jung was promoted to the company’s top rank in 2017 while dancing the same role. She received an onstage celebration following her May 6 performance.

Da Young Jung wears a light bronze satin dress with spaghetti straps and a plunging back. She holds onto a stair railing gazing up on a diagonal with a soft smile. She balances on pointe shoes without ribbons with her right leg in a low attitude to the back. She lifts the back of her dress to showcase her shoes.
Da Young Jung. Photo by Jana Carson, courtesy Oklahoma City Ballet.

Charlotte Ballet

Charlotte Ballet company dancer Colby Foss said farewell in May after five years with the company. To cap off his final season, Foss starred as Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty: A Fairy-Tailored Classic and premiered his own work in the company’s Choreographic Lab program.

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

On May 14, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre principal Alexandra Kochis took her final bow as Odette/Odile in artistic director Susan Jaffe’s new production of Swan Lake. Kochis, who danced with Boston Ballet before joining PBT in 2006, caps off a 27-year performance career. In the future, she plans to continue teaching dance and pursue fiction writing, an interest she has developed during the pandemic.

Alexandra Kochis and Alejandro Diaz dance as Odette and Siegfried. Alexandra wears a white tutu and a feather crown headpiece. She stands in 5th on pointe gazing down to the side as Alejandro, wearing white tights and a black, long-sleeve top, stands behind her and holds her waist and looks to her head, his right leg in tendu to the side.
Alexandra Kochis and Alejandro Diaz in Swan Lake. Photo by Rich Sofranko, courtesy Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Rochester City Ballet

Rochester City Ballet company artist Jessica Tretter has retired after 14 seasons with the company. Tretter made her final performance on May 21 as the title role in artistic director Robert Gardner’s Firebird and in a farewell solo choreographed by RCB School artistic director Jamey Leverett.

Cincinnati Ballet

In May, Cincinnati Ballet shared that 14-year corps member Jacqueline Damico Amador retired at the season’s conclusion. Amador gave her final performances during the company’s inaugural Bold Moves Festival May 12–22.

Texas Ballet Theatre

After nearly 20 years with the company, Texas Ballet Theater dancer Carolyn Judson took her final bow on May 21 following her performances of Titania in artistic director Ben Stevenson’s world premiere A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Judson plans to focus on family and her work as a holistic health coach and Gyrotonic instructor going forward.

Carolyn Judson gazes to the audience while balancing on pointe in an arabesque. Her right arm is held a la second and her left arm is lifted on a high diagonal towards the audience..
Carolyn Judson in Nutcracker. Photo by Amitava Sarkar, courtesy of Texas Ballet Theatre.

Miami City Ballet

Miami City Ballet corps member Christie Sciturro retired from the stage this season after 15 years with the company. Sciturro gave her final performances in MCB’s Prodigal Son program on May 22.

Nevada Ballet Theatre

Nevada Ballet Theatre said goodbye to two company artists, Steven Goforth and Rachel Nelson, during its May performances of Carmina Burana. Goforth has danced with NBT since 2012, while Nelson has been with the company since 2015.

BalletMet

BalletMet announced the retirement of nine-year company dancer Kristie Latham. Latham gave her last performance on May 28 in George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux as part of the Director’s Choice program. 

New York City Ballet

New York City Ballet principal Amar Ramasar made his farewell performance in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on May 29. Ramasar, who was fired in 2018 for his role in a nude photo-sharing scandal and later reinstated, danced with the company for more than 21 years.

Ballet Austin

Company artists Constance Doyle, Elizabeth-Jane Moller and Preston Andrew Patterson depart Ballet Austin this season. Doyle leaves after four years with the main company, Moller after two and Patterson after 14.

Temur Suluashvili wears a black long-sleeve top, black tights, and black ballet slippers as he jumps with his feet crossed in 5th. His arms are held down to his side, and he looks towards the audience with his mouth open with an expression of exhaustion and desperation.
The Joffrey Ballet’s Temur Suluashvili in Giselle, staged by Lola de Avila. Photo by Cheryl Mann, courtesy of Joffrey Ballet.

The Joffrey Ballet

The Joffrey Ballet says goodbye to six company members this season. Longtime Joffrey artists April Daly, Temur Suluashvili and Derrick Agnoletti, who have all danced with the company for nearly 20 years, as well as Anna Gerberich and Chloé Sherman, took their final bows during the company’s performances of Don Quixote June 2–12. Miranda Silveira Templer, who joined The Joffrey Ballet in 2021, gave her final performance earlier in May to embark on a freelance career.

Joshua Grant stares intensely forward as he holds Laura Tisserand's waist. Laura's right leg wraps around Joshua's back in an attitude with her foot next to his head. She penchés forward with her arms outstretched to the back and her face also staring forward. She wears pink tights, a black leotard, and pointe shoes. Joshua wears a white cap sleeve shirt, black tights, and white socks and ballet slippers.
PNB soloist Joshua Grant and former principal Laura Tisserand in Agon. Photo by Angela Sterling, courtesy of Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Pacific Northwest Ballet

Pacific Northwest Ballet has announced that soloist Joshua Grant will retire in June following his 21-year performing career. Grant first joined the company as an apprentice in 2001, then danced for National Ballet of Canada and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo before returning to PNB in 2011. Following his final performance on June 12, Grant will continue as co-artistic director of Dance Conservatory Seattle with his husband, Christopher E. Montoya.

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