About the Dancers
JACKIE MCCONNELL
A native of Salem, Oregon, she trained at Willamette Ballet Academy under Rik Eastman and Deborah Higginbotham, spending summers at Houston Ballet and Pacific Northwest Ballet. In May 2008, she received her BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where she was a member of the Second Avenue Dance Company, performing in works by Jessica Lang, Christopher Williams, and student choreographers. She makes her debut with CCDC this season, and also currently performs with Cherylyn Lavagnino Dance and Sydney Skybetter.
EDGAR PETERSON
Born in NYC, he trained at the New Ballet School (the school of Ballet Tech, formerly Feld Ballets/NY) starting at age eight, and first performed with the company at age fourteen while still a student. After joining Ballet Tech he appeared with the company in such venues as Jacob's Pillow, NJPAC, the Kennedy Center, and the Joyce Theater. Mr. Peterson left dancing to study at Columbia University after graduating from high school. While at Columbia he joined Dances Patrelle, with whom he performed while pursuing a B.A. in Economics as a full-time student. In 2000 he was invited to rejoin Ballet Tech, where he danced until 2002, when he left the company to complete an academic internship he had begun at Columbia with Standard and Poor's, where he currently works. He has danced with C. Eule Dance since 2002, appearing at the Elan Awards and the Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, and performed with Miral Kotb in 2006. He joined CCDC in 2004.
GISELA QUINTEROS
Born in San Juan, Argentina, she began her dance training at age eight with Nebita Alladio and Alejandra Lloveras. At age twelve she won the silver medal in the ballet competition in Uruguaiana, Brazil. After moving to Buenos Aires she continued her studies with Estella Ermman, Olga Ferri, and Enrique Lommi, and won a scholarship to study in France with Georges Pilletta at the Conservatoire de Dreux. She danced with the Ballet National de Nancy in France under Artistic Director Pierre Lacotte from 1995 to 2000, touring across Europe and worldwide in a mainly classical and neoclassical repertory. Since moving to NYC in 2000 she has danced with choreographers Douglas Dunn, Caron Eule (with whom she appeared at the Elan Awards in 2005 and for the DRA Times Square Summer Solstice in 2007), Lincoln Jones, Erin Hunter, Amanda Selwyn, Nadia Moussa, David Fernandez, Abel Costa, Kenny Larson, and in a short film project for Kyla Ernst Alper. She was a guest artist last season in The Nutcracker at the Westminster Ballet in Baltimore. She joined CCDC in 2006.
KEELIN RYAN
Born and raised in England, she trained at the Rambert School, London, where she choreographed several dances as a student, one of which was presented in the school's 2005 performance at the Linbury Theatre in the Royal Opera House. She has danced with the European Ballet, London, under the direction of Stanislav Tschassov; with choreographer Regina Wielingen; and with Ross Cooper, artistic director of the Curve Foundation Dance Company, Scotland. She is currently a scholarship student at the Merce Cunningham Studio, and first appeared with the Christopher Caines Dance Company in 2007.
MICHELLE VARGO
A graduate of the Juilliard School, she is in her eleventh season with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Ms. Vargo is a long-time member of Rindfleisch Dance, and received a special mention in the New York Times top-ten dance performances of 2005 for her leading role in Rachel Cohen's If the Shoe Fits. She performed the role of Victoria in Cats at Gateway Playhouse in 2004, as well as the featured pas de deux in D. J. Salisbury's The Man Who Would Be King as part of the New York Musical Theater Festival. Also a singer-songwriter, she has toured extensively within the East Coast jamband/political/folk music circuit. This is her fourth season with CCDC.
CORNELIUS BROWN
At age seventeen he started dancing at the Dance Academy in Warner Robins, Georgia, and was subsequently invited to train and perform with Atlanta Festival Ballet. He attended summer programs on scholarship at Columbia City Ballet in South Carolina and Boston Ballet. He earned a BFA in Dance at Southern Methodist University, where he performed in works by Ailey, Graham, Balanchine, Limon, and many others, and appeared also with Fort Worth Ballet. Since moving to New York he has danced as an apprentice with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company; taught at Ballet Tech; and performed with choreographers Caron Eule, Jennifer Archibald, and Young Soon Kim, and with Dodge Dance Company and Redwall Dance Company. Mr. Brown has also worked as a dancer with a number of filmmakers and photographers, including Lois Greenfield. He joined CCDC in 2006.
JUSTIN WINGENROTH
A native of Reading, Pennsylvania, where he received his initial training, his credits include: international tours of 42nd Street (Thief/Ensemble) and Cats (Mistoffelees, Pouncival); regional productions of The King and I (Simon of Legree) and White Christmas; the role of Sam's Fantasy Dancer in the forthcoming film Clear Blue Tuesday; and dancing at Tokyo Disneyland and Hersheypark. Justin is also a member of C. Eule Dance, and first performed with CCDC in 2007.
LAUREN ENGLEMAN
Originally from Canton, Ohio, she graduated in 2004 with a BFA in Dance magna cum laude from Ohio State University, and subsequently studied on scholarship at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio. Since moving to New York in 2004 she has worked with Alyce Finwall/Dance Council Movement Theater, Pat Catterson, Miral Kotb and Friends, and Brandon Colwes. In the 2006/07 she made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in The First Emperor, and she also currently dances with Philippa Kaye Company and Murray Spalding/Mandalas. Ms. Engleman also teaches ballet for children in Queens in Connecticut, and is a certified Pilates instructor. She joined CCDC in 2005.
