Welcome Four New Woman Dancers to Ballet Quad Cities for the 2017-2018 Season!
Aubrey Clayton
Aubrey's early dance training included Cullman Ballet Theatre School, the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and Bossov Ballet in Pittsfield, Maine. She also took Master Classes in St. Petersburg, Russia with Gennady Selyutsky & Lyubov Kunakova and performed at the Estrada Theatre during the 2009 International Ballet Festival.
In 2010, Aubrey joined Nashville Ballet as a trainee and was elevated to a company apprentice in 2015. Under the direction of Paul Vasterling, Aubrey enjoyed performing in works such as Carmina Burana, Peter Pan, Cinderella, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Swan Lake, Dracula, role of Spanish in The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Seasons, and Something Wicked. Most recently she had the opportunity to perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where the Nashville Ballet made its debut appearance performing The Ben Folds Project as a part of the Ballet Across America series. Aubrey has also performed in works by Gina Patterson, Christopher Stuart, Banning Bouldin, and Salvatore Aiello. When she is not dancing, Aubrey enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and is currently working towards a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Bridget Polei
Bridget trained in ballet, modern, and jazz at Ballet Conservatory in Lewisville, Texas where she was a member of the pre-professional company LakeCities Ballet Theatre. While at LakeCities Ballet Theatre she had the opportunity to perform the Balanchine works Serenade and Concerto Barocco under the direction of Shawn Stevens. Bridget spent her summers training at PNB, ABT, Houston Ballet, Colorado Ballet, and Joffrey.
Bridget graduated from the University of Oklahoma's highly renowned Ballet program with a focus on Health and Exercise Science. While at OU she performed Reymonda, La Bayadere, Firebird, Onegin, and in other university Opera and Musical Theatre productions. She was a teacher assistant for courses in World Dance and Understanding Dance. In February 2017, her choreography "Migration" was chosen to be presented at OU's Young Choreographer's Showcase. Bridget is very excited to start her professional dancing career at Ballet Quad Cities this fall.
Ashley Coffin
Ashley grew up in Overland Park, Kansas and began her dance training at Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice. Furthering her training, Ashley spent summers at American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Oklahoma City Ballet, and Kansas City Ballet. In summer 2016 Ashley had the opportunity to study under Roser Muñoz and Joan Boix at CDC. Centre de Dansa de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, where she performed Uwe Sholz's Santus Y Ave Verum, from "The Great Mass", at the XVII Cita con la Danza Festival in Benicàssim, Spain. Ashley graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a BFA in Ballet Pedagogy and a Minor in General Business. There she was a member of the Oklahoma Festival Ballet and Contemporary Dance Oklahoma performing works including Firebird, Carmina Burana, La Bayadère, Rags to Jazz Time, The Nutcracker, Brodie's Introspection, Tethered, and In the Garden. Ashley also had the opportunity to perform as a guest artist in Human After All with Hartel Dance Group, a modern company based in Oklahoma City.
Ashley continues to explore her interests as a teacher and choreographer. She choreographed Cortex ('16) and We Move Lightly ('17) that were selected as a part of the University Theater's Young Choreographers' Showcase, as well as Nova Matí ('16), Rods and Cones ('16), and Five Frames ('17) which was selected to perform at the Festival of the Arts in Oklahoma City presented by the Arts Council of Oklahoma City. Ashley is excited for her first season with Ballet Quad Cities.
Mica Ward
Mica, originally from Lockport, Illinois, began her training at The Academy of Dance Arts under the direction of Sherry Moray, Irina Starovoitova, and Jennifer Grapes. Mica began her professional career at age 17 with The Albany Berkshire Ballet, where she toured Madeline Cantarella Culpo's rendition of The Nutcracker. In 2012 she joined the Montgomery Ballet under the direction of Darren McIntyre. During her time working with Mr. McIntyre, she performed some of her favorite roles including, Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, one of the Wilis in Act II Giselle, Clara in The Nutcracker, as well as leading roles in Flower Festival in Genzano and Le Spectre de la Rose. She was also featured in The Games We Play, by Australian choreographer Timothy O'Donnell. Mica joined Ballet San Antonio for their 2015 season. During her time with Ballet San Antonio, she had the opportunity to perform in various works by Gerald Arpino, such as The Land of Snow, Waltz of the Flowers, and Viva Vivaldi, as well as Ben Stevenson's Swan Lake and Peter Anastos' Peter Pan. Mica is excited to be joining Ballet Quad Cities for her first season.
