Alexander Baden Bryce
Alexander trained at the Anne Fraser School of Dance on the Sunshine Coast Queensland for nine years, before being accepted into the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Studying classical ballet from a young age, Alexander completed the RAD Advanced 2 syllabus graduating Dux with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance). In 2009 he was awarded a scholarship to Taipei International Dance Elite Academy in Taiwan. Alexander has worked with many internationally renowned choreographers including Harold Collins MBE, Paul White, Lisa Griffiths, Daniel Jaber, Shaaron Boughen, Csaba Buday and Paul Zivkovich, as well as Simon Hoy. Alex has been a proud member of the Melbourne Ballet Company since 2009.
Kristy Lee Denovan (Corea)
Kristy was born in Melbourne where she started ballet at the age of 6 at Vivienne’s Academy of Ballet, and from then on knew that ballet would be her life. She was accepted into The Australian Ballet School in 2006, and received many scholarships during her three years there. In her graduation year 2008 Kristy was chosen to represent the School and Australia at the prestigious Prix De Lausanne in Switzerland, where she was awarded a prize. In 2009 she joined The Australian Ballet performing in many ballets including Les Sylphides, Stanton Welch’s Sleeping Beauty and Divergence, Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker, Petrouchka, and Romeo and Juliet, Alexei Ratmansky’s La Schoula, Suite En Blanc, The Silver Rose, Coppelia, Don Quixote, Graeme Murphy’s Romeo and Juliet, Stanton Welch’s Madame Butterfly, Checkmate, Beyond Bach, and The Merry Widow as well as many Galas around the world from Rome to Colombia. Kristy has been with Melbourne Ballet Company since 2013 and has already performed many of the company’s signature pieces as a Principal Artist.
Shannon Groves
Shannon, born in Ontario Canada, trained from a young age at the Quinte Ballet School of Canada, graduating from the Arts Umbrella Graduate Dance Program in Vancouver. She has been dancing with the Melbourne Ballet Company since arriving to Australia in 2010, during which time she has performed both locally and inter-state. Shannon has also recently worked with the MotionLab at Deakin University, performing work by Professor Kim Vincs. Shannon is currently a full time dancer with Melbourne Ballet Company where she has performed in many programs and works choreographed by Simon Hoy including Le Sacre du Printemps, Infinite Space, On Air, Motion Transcend, Divenire, Dark Before Daylight, Lucidity, Archè as well as In One Day by Hoy and Robert Kelly.
Johanna Lee
Johanna attended the Australian Ballet School from 2004 to 2006 graduating with an Advanced Diploma of Dance and is currently a full-time dancer with Melbourne Ballet Company. Since 2012 Johanna has performed in many programs and works by Simon Hoy including Le Sacre du Printemps, Infinite Space, On Air, Lucidity, Archè, Motion Transcend, Divenire, Dark Before Daylight and also In One Day by Hoy and Robert Kelly. Johanna has toured extensively with the Company performing in many theatres throughout Australia. Johanna was a member of Sydney Dance Company (SDC) between 2007 and 2009, performing many roles including Connor Dowling’s duo Dreamt I was a Real Boy as part of the Sydney New Breed Spring Dance Festival at the Sydney Opera House, Rafael Bonachela’s We Unfold at the Helpmann Awards and Bonachela’s 360 as part of the Sydney Festival First Night (which also featured on the hit TV series So You Think You Can Dance) and Aszure Barton’s Sid’s Waltzing Masquerade. While at SDC Johanna toured extensively throughout Australia and New Zealand and has also danced in Opera Australia’s Melbourne Autumn season of Eugene Onegin and Aida, choreographed by Graeme Murphy and Janet Vernon.
Luca Scarpa
Luca began his study of ballet and dance at the National Academy of Dance in Rome, studying ballet with Fara Grieco and Dora de Panfilis, male technique with Zarco Prebil, Pas de deux under Tuccio Rigano and acrobatics with Massimiliano Dezi. He completed his studies at the Maison de Danse under Denis Ganio, undertaking ballet classes run by Ganio (of Opéra de Paris) together with contemporary dance classes by Vittorio di Rocco of Opéra de Nice. Luca also undertook workshops with such distinguished dancers as Paolo Mangiola and Davide di Pretoro of the McGregor Dance Company, Andrej Petrovic of the Akram Khan Company, and David Zambrano from P.A.R.T.S. Experience Most recently (2012 -14) with the Polish Dance Theatre in Poznan (Poland) where Luca danced pieces such as Minus 2 created by Ohad Naharin (Director of the Batsheva Dance Company), 40 by Jo Stromgren, Jesien Nuembir by Jacek Przybylowicz (of Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company) and Woman in tomatoes by YossyBerg. Prior to this (2011-12) Luca danced with Ballet Bratislava in Slovakia, performing work including Six Dances by Jiri Kylian, Twenty by Lukas Timulak, Mario Radacovsky’s Romeo and Juliet (of NDT and Les Grand Ballets Canadienne). In 2010 -11 Luca danced with Dantzaz Konpainia (formerly Ballet Biaritz Junior Company) in San Sebastian (Spain) including Heart Apples by Itzik Galil, together with works by Gauthier, Garcia, Koch and others.
Masha Peker
Born in Ukraine, Masha commenced her ballet training at the school of Shostakovich, after which time she relocated to the United States for three years before settling in Melbourne Australia. Whilst in Australia Masha studied full time at the Beverley Rowles School of Dance followed by the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, under the Direction of Christine Walsh. Masha’s experience includes a number of performing opportunities with the Melbourne Ballet Company on their Australia New Zealand tour, Tachkin’s St Petersburg Ballet Theatre’s Melbourne season of Swan Lake, Opera Australia, ACB’s Australian Conservatoire of Ballet Swan Lake, Paquita, Ritualism, Sleeping Beauty, and current performances with Melbourne Dance Theatre Giselle and Swan Lake.
