September 13, 2007

Erin Duffy leaves Ballet San Jose

New dancers join company

Ballerina Erin Duffy of Los Gatos is leaving Ballet San Jose to accept a scholarship to Columbia University in economics.

Duffy made her company debut with Ballet San Jose in 2000 after graduating from St. Francis High School. During the last several years, she attended De Anza College part-time and discovered a passion for learning.

“I immediately was drawn to various business courses such as marketing and accounting,” she says. “I've been at BSJ since I graduated from high school. I feel like I've grown up and learned so much from the company. I still can't believe I'm not going to be dancing this upcoming season. But at this point in my life I want to see what Columbia and New York have to offer me. It was a nerve-racking decision since I love the company and people I work with, but I felt it was time to begin the next chapter of my life. I know deep down that it would be foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity to attend Columbia on a scholarship.”

In the seven seasons Erin has danced with Ballet San Jose, she performed in over 35 programs and nearly 50 ballets. Some of her favorite memories include: “Gaite Parisienne,” “Graduation Ball,” “Stravinsky Piano Pieces,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Who Cares?” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Slavonic and Hungarian Dances.”

Five new company members will join the ballet when rehearsals begin in October.

Keira Schwartz, an Australian/American comes from Sarasota Ballet. Cynthia Sheppard, who has danced as a supplemental dancer with the ballet in the past and also has experience with San Francisco Ballet, Smuin Ballet and Oakland Ballet also joins the company as well as Mads Eriksen, from Denmark, who comes from the Royal Danish Ballet, Brieanna Olson, a new apprentice from Colorado Springs and Michael Wagley, a new apprentice from Texas.

The ballet also announced several promotions including: Shannon Bynum from Fresno, who is now an apprentice, but was a trainee last year; Jeremy Kovitch, from Mt. Pocono, Penn., who was an apprentice with BSJ last year; Akira Takahashi, from Nagano, Japan, who also was an apprentice with BSJ for the last two years; and San Jose resident Sarah Stein, a new apprentice from BSJ School, who was a trainee last year.

Four new trainees will be appointed from within Ballet San Jose School during the coming season.

Ballet San Jose’s 2007-08 Season opens Nov. 15 with Dennis Nahat’s “Carmina Burana” and closes May 4 with “The Firebird.” Also in the season’s offerings are “Swan Lake” and “Just Balanchine,” a spring repertory program of dances by George Balanchine and “The Nutcracker.” A special children’s series of short ballets will include the World Premiere of Lise la Cour’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in May.