2021-2022 Season

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Andrew Lester is an award-winning professional dancer based in St. Paul.  Andrew graduated with his BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota in 2006 and has gone on to become a staple of the Twin Cities dance community for almost 20 years. He was a full-time company member of James Sewell Ballet for six seasons. He has also been dancing with local modern company Shapiro & Smith Dance for over 12 years. As a freelance artist, he has collaborated with a variety of esteemed Minnesota companies, including Twin Cities Ballet of MN, Metropolitan Ballet, Continental Ballet, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Ethnic Dance Theatre, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, and the Minnesota Opera. In 2012, he was honored to receive a Sage Award for Outstanding Performer for his work in Shapiro & Smith’s Family and Joseph Morrissey's One. Career highlights include performing for modern dance legend Merce Cunningham, studying under the tutelage of celebrated ballerina Anna-Marie Holmes, and premiering Titicut Follies: The Ballet with James Sewell Ballet in New York City and at the Festival de Danse in Cannes, France.

Katherine is a Minneapolis-based performer, company founder, and dance instructor.  She has danced professionally and toured state-wide with Continental Ballet Company, St. Paul City Ballet, Metropolitan Ballet, and Ballet Minnesota. Katherine is the founder of the 501(3)c non-profit ballet company Minneapolis Ballet Dancers. The company has served as a platform to give opportunities to local professional artists to choreograph and perform their own works. Originally from Wasilla, Alaska Katherine began her early years of dance training based in Vaganova at Anchorage Classical Ballet Academy/Dancer’s Workshop. From the years 2006-2010, she studied the classical technique of Cecchetti as well as tap and jazz, achieving a BFA degree in ballet from Friends University under the direction of Stan Rogers. During that time, she had the honor of working with artists such as Shawn Stevens from New York City Ballet and Dominic Walsh from Houston Ballet/Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre and also had the pleasure of sharing the stage with globally-known guest artists such as Wendy Whalen, Philip Neal, Frederica Vincisori, and Melody Herrera. She has also had the privilege of working with Alaska Dance Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Tuscan, Atlanta Festival Ballet, and TU Dance in summer programs. In 2015 she choreographed and directed North Ballet Academy’s productions of Nutcracker and Coppelia. She became certified in the teaching Progressing Ballet Technique in 2018. Katherine has been dancing for 29 years and currently teaches at Northern Force Dance Company.

Alexia is a ballet teacher at Inspire Ballet Academy. She began her training at the age of 9 under the teachings of Stephanie Heston and Alexander Smirnov.  She spent spring of 2014 at Minnesota Ballet School, where the knowledge she developed allowed her to make it into the Gelsey Kirkland Academy in NYC. She performed in the company’s Nutcracker while enrolled in the pre-professional program. After her year at GKA, she replaced dancing with teaching. Alexia is proud to make a return to the stage with MBT.