Dancers
Pre-Professional Division Dancers:
Rachel Cockerham, Katie Constantine, Kaitlyn Green, Kelsey Jennings, Sarah Kujala, Natalie Lynn, Sophie Mullaney, Natalie Muneses, Maggie Snow, Claire Vizzi, Meighan Winner, Zoe Zimmerer
Artistic Director, Barclay Pease and Executive Director, Pamela Villeneuve with 2009 Pre-Professional Division Dancers
Professional Division Dancers:
Ashley Kathryn Henschen
Ashley Kathryn Henschen began her dance training at Towson University’s Children’s Dance Division where she had the opportunity to perform with the Moscow Ballet, at Walt Disney World in Florida, and at various other venues in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. After high school graduation, she attended the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Summer Program. She went on to earn her B.F.A in Dance Performance from Towson University, graduating Cum Laude. While a scholarship student at Towson, she performed every year with the Dance Company and was able to understudy and perform lead and soloist roles in The Nutcracker and Raymonda as well as several other classical and contemporary works. After graduation she received professional positions with the Baltimore Ballet, Howard County Ballet, and the Harford Ballet Company where she has danced soloist roles in The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides and Beauty and the Beast. Kathryn was a semi- finalist as a 2002 Maryland Distinguished Scholar of the Arts. She has been accepted into programs for Ballet Austin, Richmond Ballet, and Nashville Ballet.
Lindsey Hinchliffe
Lindsey has been dancing since the age of 3 when she started taking classes at Harford Dance. Since 1999, she has studied at White Marsh Ballet Academy where she was a member of their resident company, Baltimore Dance Ensemble (BDE), for 9 years. While with BDE, she performed numerous roles including Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, as well as Snow White and Princess Genevieve of 12 Dancing Princesses. Lindsey joined Harford Ballet Company this current season as an apprentice. Lindsey has also received numerous scholarship awards through the Maryland Council for Dance and has attended summer intensive programs with Dance Educators of America, Point Park University and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Lindsey was also a recipient of the Edward Stewart Memorial Scholarship in 2005 and 2006. She is currently a junior attending the Science and Math Academy Program at Aberdeen High School. Lindsey has studied ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and modern and is planning on pursuing a dance major, with a focus on ballet.
Heather Brooke Malone
Heather Brooke Malone received her training at The Baltimore School for the Arts under the direction of Norma Pera, Stephanie Powell, and Tony Wilson. Upon graduation she went on to dance with various companies such as Ballethnic Dance Company in Atlanta, GA, Lake Erie Ballet, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Oakland Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s second company. While dancing with these companies Heather performed in various ballets such as Balanchine’s Western Symphony and Square Dance, Dwight Rhoden’s Glory Fugue, Paul Taylor’s Company B, and Agnes De Mille’s Three Virgins and a Devil. She also performed many of the classics such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, and Paquita. Heather is currently pursuing her degree in Psychology and Dance at Towson University while dancing with Harford Ballet Company.
Hannah Mackenzie-Margulies
Originally from Lexington, MA, Hannah MacKenzie-Margulies received her early training at the Lexington School of Ballet under the tutelage of Mary Peterson, Linda DiBona Brassel, and Roseann Ridings. She later studied at the Boston Ballet School with Diedre Miles-Burger, Parren Ballard and Kathleen Mitchell. She has also participated in a number of summer programs including the Nutmeg Conservatory, Boston Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet School, Academie Americaine de Danse de Paris, and the Northwest Professional Dance Project. Following her graduation from high school MacKenzie-Margulies was accepted on scholarship into the Joffrey Ballet School’s Trainee Program in New York City. There she studied with Francesca Corkle, Era Jouravlev, John Magnus, Liz D’Anna, George de la Pena, and Davis Robertson. While in New York she also performed professionally with Ballet Verite, directed by Seth Gertsacov. MacKenzie-Margulies’ repertoire includes the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, selections from Balanchine’s Raymonda, Flowers, and Trepak from The Nutcracker, selections from Paquita, and original works by Lauren Edson and Maurice Causey. Currently, she lives in Philadelphia where she studies with Barbara Sandonato, attends the University of Pennsylvania, and dances with a Lindy Hop troupe, the West Philly Swingers. This is MacKenzie-Margulies’ first season with the Harford Ballet Company.
Jill Stern May
Jill is thrilled to be joining the Harford Ballet Company this year. She began her early training with the Dance Theater of Pennsylvania and spent her summers studying with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, the Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet, and as a scholarship student at the BalletMet Academy. Jill received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Florida where she danced with the Floridance Company and was selected to perform at the national showcase of ACDFA. Jill performed professionally as a principal with the Howard County Ballet for 5 seasons. Favorite roles include Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, Peter in Peter Pan, and Sugar Plum in the Nutcracker. Jill received her Doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Maryland in 2008 and is currently practicing as a pediatric physical therapist.
Emily Runkle
Emily Runkle was born in Baltimore, MD and first began studying ballet with Cindee Vellee and Caryl Maxwell. During high school, she trained at The Rock School for Dance Education - the official school of the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philidelphia. She has also danced as a trainee with Ballet Magnificat!, America's premiere professional Christian ballet company in Jackson, Mississippi. Emily was recently married and is glad to start her first season with the Harford Ballet Company.
Amber Nicole Slack
Nikki Slack began at the age of seven taking dance classes at Turning Pointe dance center in Catonsville, MD. Nikki came to Ballet with Cindee Velle in 2001 where she performed and choreographed award winning pieces for the school and competition team. She was also a member of the Columbia Chamber Ballet, performing the Nutcracker at local festivals and outreach events. Nikki is currently pursuing her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Education at Towson University. While at Towson, Nikki has had the opportunity to perform in works by Vincent Thomas and in Donald McKayle's "Rainbow Round My Shoulder" restaged by Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell. Nikki continues to produce her own choreographic works which she showcases at Towson's annual Dance Majors Performance Project. Recently Nikki performed with the Baltimore based company, The Collective in their community project, "Going Green".
Kendra L. Kenlone Smith
Kendra Kelone (Smith) was originally from Brooklyn, NY, but was raised in Las Vegas, NV. She started dancing at the age of 15 and her formal training began at The Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts where she graduated in 2000 with a degree in Dance Performance. She graduated Cum Laude from Towson University where she earned her B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Education in May 2008. While in college, Kendra performed with the Towson University Dance Company where she was first cast as Brynne in "Land Flat" restaged by Chris Elam, Artistic Director of Misnomer Dance Theatre, featured as a soloist in "Todo Cambia," an original work by Dr. Susan Haigler-Robles and was selected to perform with VTDance among many other faculty and student works. In addition to performing, teaching and choreographing on a regular basis, Kendra collaborated with other artists on inter-disciplinary projects such as choreorgraphing "Now What?" an award winning Dance for the Camera project. Her additional student collaborations include film, dance photography and theater. Prior to joining Harford Ballet Company, she trained with companies such as Baltimore Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Kendra is also the Dance Program Director at Annapolis Middle School where she teaches Dance and directs the Annapolis Middle School Dance Company. Kendra is very excited as this is her first season with Harford Ballet Company. She would like to thank her husband Joel E. Smith for his unconditional love and support in always doing whatever it took to help make her dreams come true.