COMPANY DANCERS Veronica had the opportunity to perform in Mozart’s Requiem, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, and George Balanchine’s Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, and Walpurgisnacht. This is Veronica’s first season with Boulder Ballet. MATTHEW HELMS began his training in Colorado on full scholarship at the Academy of Classical Ballet, where he danced principal roles in The Nutcracker, Giselle and Le Corsaire. He then studied on full scholarship with Mark and Sandra Carlson and German Zamuel at the International Ballet School where he performed soloist roles in The Nutcracker and Peter Pan. Matthew competed in the 2008 Youth America Grand Prix and the 2008 Denver Ballet Guild Competition where he received a full scholarship to The Ballet West Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah. Matthew has been a guest artist with ballet companies in Utah, California, and Idaho, and for the last three years has performed leading roles in ballets such as The Nutcracker, Paquita, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, and Le Corsaire. He choreographed a contemporary ballet that was premiered in the Ballet West Academy Spring show in 2009. Matthew was promoted to the Ballet West Pre-Professional Trainee Program in 2010 and has trained with artists from American Ballet Theatre, Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Kirov Ballet and David Taylor Dance Theater. Matthew has studied martial arts since age three, has been acting since age four, and has appeared in movies, commercials and TV shows as an actor or a fight choreographer. This is Matthew’s sixth season with Boulder Ballet. MELISSA HESLEP received her training at the School of Orlando City Ballet for 13 years under the direction of Beatrix Aldana and spent her summers training with teachers including Luba Gulyaeva, Mark Spivak, Valeria Sinyavakaya, and Veronica Aldana. She performed with the student company until 2001, and upon graduation was accepted into the 2002 Youth America Grand Prix finals in New York City. In Orlando, she performed with Russian Ballet under the direction of Vadim Fedotov and has spent the last five seasons with Central Florida Ballet under the direction of Vasile Petrutiu. She has also had the opportunity to travel as a guest artist for many venues in the United States. Her repertoire includes classics such as The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, and The Nutcracker, and contemporary works. This is Melissa’s sixth season with Boulder Ballet. MARTIN JUSTO is from Caracas, Venezuela, and began dancing in 1999. He trained with Quinte Ballet School in Canada and School of Carolina Ballet Theatre. He has toured throughout Uruguay with CBT and has recently traveled and performed as a guest in Fujinomia, Japan, dancing pas de deux from Giselle, La Bayadere, and Swan Lake. Some of his signature roles are the charming young Nutcracker Prince in Hernan Justo’s The Nutcracker, the Mad Scientist in Madeline Jazz’s Super Heroes, and the male soloist in A Tango for Angelina. While dancing with CBT, Martin performed works by renowned contemporary choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden’s Beatle Juice, and Alonzo King’s Map. This is Martin’s second season with Boulder Ballet.
Program 6 Boulder Ballet | 2017 Season