CORSU ROLE MODELS
Daniel R. Durrett, Boston Ballet. Liza Voll Photography.
Daniel R. Durrett
Daniel R. Durrett started dancing at age 5 at Dr. Lyrica Joy Ministries Ballet School, then trained at UpTown Arts for two years. Cincinnati Ballet Artistic Director Victoria Morgan offered Durrett a full scholarship to continue his training at the Cincinnati Ballet Otto M. Budig Academy. In 2013 Durrett competed in theYAGP semi finals and won 1st place in Classical and 2nd place in Contemporary. He advanced to the YAGP NYC Finals and was invited to join Houston Ballet’s Second Company. Durrett received the Gold medal in the Pre Professional Division of the Indianapolis International Ballet Competition in June 2015, and joined Houston Ballet as an Apprentice in November 2015.
Durrett then was promoted in July 2016 to Corps De Ballet and performed more works by Stanton Welch and Justin Peck. Durrett Joined Boston Ballet as an Artist in 2017 and has performed Principal roles in Jerome Robbin’s "Fancy Free", John Cranko’s "Romeo and Juliet",William Forsythe’s "In The Middle Somewhat Elevated".
Nicole Fannéy, Ballet West. Beau Pearson Photography.
Nicole Fannéy
Nicole Fannéy began her training at the International Ballet Academy in Cary, North Carolina and was coached by Haydée Gutierrez. In 2015, she was awarded the Grand Prix at the Youth America Grand Prix Tampa Semifinal. She performed in Youth America Grand Prix’s Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala in Tampa in 2015 and 2016, and in Indianapolis in 2015.
Nicole attended Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship in 2015, and in the summer of 2016, studied at the Paris Opera Ballet School. She joined Ballet West as a trainee in 2016, and Ballet West II in 2018. Miss Fannéy joins Ballet West in the fall of 2020.
Mayumi Enokibara in Miami City Ballet's production of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. Alexander Iziliaev, Courtesy MCB.
Mayumi Enokibara
Mayumi Enokibara is 23 years old and is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She grew up dancing at the School of Theatro Municipal and moved to Miami, Florida when she was fourteen to pursue her dream of being a professional ballet dancer.
At age 18, Mayumi received a contract with the Miami City Ballet, where she continues to dance today. Mayumi Enokibara, was named Pointe's '2019 Star of the Corps'! their status.
Gustavo Ribeiro, Miami City Ballet.
Tom Styrkowicz Photography
Gustavo Ribeiro
Gustavo Ribeiro, a native of Vitoria, Brazil, is a professional dancer for Miami City Ballet. He has danced for the Washington Ballet and Kansas City Ballet. He received full scholarship to Palucca Hochschule for Tanz Dresden - Germany, Joffrey Academy of Dance and Orlando Ballet School. Ribeiro has performed many principal and soloist roles in George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Jiri Kylian works. He has also choreographed for Kansas City Ballet, Expressão e Arte, Orlando Ballet, YAGP and more. Ribeiro is Progression Ballet Technique and American Ballet Theater National Curriculum certified.
Ella Titus, Miami City Ballet.
Alexander Iziliaev Photography.
Ella Isabelle Titus
Ella Isabelle Titus was born in Clearwater, Fla. She started ballet training at the age of three with Maureen Gibson. As a young girl she began performing with Florida West Youth Ballet under the direction of Pavel Fomin and began intensive ballet training with Haydee Gutierrez. Titus received scholarships to attend summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet School and Miami City Ballet School. At age 14, she moved to Miami to attend MCB School full-time as a scholarship student, and was offered an apprenticeship at age 16.
Two years later, in 2015, Titus graduated from Miami Beach High School and joined Miami City Ballet’s corps de ballet. In 2015, Titus was featured in season two of Teen Vogue’s documentary series “Strictly Ballet", which followed six MCB School students in their final year of training. She was proud to represent Miami City Ballet School, the company and her home state of Florida.
Riley McMurray, Houston Ballet.
Ashkan Roayee Photography.
Riley McMurray
Riley McMurray started dancing at the age of 8 with Faubourg School of Ballet, in Hanover Park, Illinois under the direction of Watmora Casey. At the age of 13 he attended the Houston Ballet Academy Summer Intensive Program on a full scholarship. One year later he joined the Houston Ballet Academy as a full time student under the direction of Shelly Power. After training in the School for 4 years, he was invited to join Houston Ballet II, led by ballet master Claudio Muñoz. After just a few months with the second company, McMurray joined Houston Ballet as an Apprentice in March of 2018. He was later promoted to Corps de Ballet in March of 2019 and has performed many works under the direction of Stanton Welch, including featured roles in Stanton Welch’s "The Nutcracker" and "Sylvia" and a Principal Role in Edwaard Liang’s "Murmuration".
Claire Coffman, Atlanta Ballet.
Kim Kenney Photography.
Claire Coffman
Claire Coffman was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and at age 6, she began her formal training at the Houston Ballet Academy. Claire progressed through every level in the Academy, culminating with her promotion to invited guest with Houston Ballet II. During that time, Claire was given the opportunity to perform alongside the second company and the professional company in numerous productions. She started her professional career as an apprentice with the Atlanta Ballet in the 2019/2020 season.
Khandis Pettingill, Houston Ballet Academy. Ashkan Roayaee Photography
Khandis Pettingill
Khandis Pettingill first began her training at her mother’s private dance studio in Arizona before joining Ballet Etudes- a pre-professional dance company. In 2014, Khandis attended her first summer intensive at the Houston Ballet Academy, and was accepted on full scholarship into the year- round program two years later at age 14. In 2018, Khandis was promoted to be an Invited Guest to Houston Ballet II, where she had more opportunities to work and dance alongside the company, perform lead roles in academy shows, and was selected to attended the Paris Opera Ballet summer program as a foreign exchange student. Khandis recently returned to dance after taking a one year injury leave, and is thrilled to be dancing with the Houston Ballet Academy again.
Gianluca Benedetti, Tulsa Ballet.
Jeremy Charles Photography
Gianluca Benedetti
Gianluca Benedetti began his dance training at La Sylphide in his hometown San Felice Circeo, Italy. He then moved to Parma, Italy for the next five years to continue his ballet studies at Professione Danza Parma. In that time, he competed at the New York Finals of the Youth American Grand Prix, the International Competition Tanzolymp in Germany, the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland, and he won the bronze medal at the XXI International Meeting of Academies for Ballet Teaching in Cuba. In 2016, he joined the Houston Ballet Academy and continued to train alongside Houston Ballet II during his second year at the school. He joined Tulsa Ballet as a TB2 member in 2018/2019 season and is now in the main company as an apprentice. He will start next season as a corps the ballet dancer.
Emma Barrall, UCLA.
YAGP Vam Productions Photography
Emma Barrall
Emma Barrall is from Houston, TX but will be moving to LA in the fall of 2020 to attend UCLA with a major in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics. She started dancing at a young age at West University Dance Centre and took her training more seriously in high school—joining 713 Dance Ensemble and participating in YAGP as well as many other competitions and performances. Emma has most appreciated the grit and determination gained from dance and their application to her IB studies and hopefully future endeavors. She hopes to continue dancing through college with a minor or club!