Boston Ballet Announces 2021–2022 Company Roster

Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen announces the 2021-2022 season roster. After successfully employing the full Company of dancers during the 2020-2021 virtual season, this season a total of 63 dancers comprise the Company roster, with 51 in the main company and 12 in Boston Ballet II (BBII), Boston Ballet's Second Company.

"We have all been waiting for this re-emergence and the return to live performances. It is a pleasure to welcome our new dancers to the Company and BBII for this renaissance," said Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. "I am looking forward to working with these artists and sharing their special talents with our audiences."

We welcome an incredibly diverse roster this season, with dancers hailing from Armenia, Australia, Brazil, China, Georgia, Ireland, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Spain, and the United States. BBII alumni comprise 36 percent of the Company, and 25 percent are Boston Ballet School alumni. Boston Ballet welcomes six new dancers to the Company including Ángel García Molinero (Madrid, Spain) as a soloist, Michaela DePrince (Sierra Leone, West Africa) as a second soloist, and Primrose Kern (Cairns, Australia), SeokJoo Kim (Busan, South Korea), Nastia Alexandrova (Pacifica, California), and Schuyler Wijsen (Berkeley, California) as artists of the Company. Boston Ballet II dancer Nikolia Mamalakis has been promoted to an artist of the Company. New dancers to join as members of BBII include Joseph Boswell (Spokane, Washington), Finn Duggan (New York, New York), Henry Griffin (Ambler, Pennsylvania), Brock Maye (Stafford, Virginia), Kyra Muttilainen (Richmond, Vermont), Rimi Nakano (Tokyo, Japan), Johanna Sigurdardottir (San Jose, California), and Brooke Wilson (Dover, New Hampshire).

NEW COMPANY DANCERS

Ángel García Molinero of Madrid, Spain, joins as a soloist. García Molinero started dancing at age 11 at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma in Madrid. He joined Spain's Compañía Nacional de Danza in 2015 at age 17 and was promoted to soloist in 2018. He won first prize at Concurso Internacional de Danza Ribarroja in 2014 and first classical prize at Premio Roma Danza in 2017. García Molinero has performed as a guest artist with Roberto Bolle and Friends, Hungarian National Ballet, Augsburg Ballet, and Slovenian Ballet.

Michaela DePrince of Sierra Leone, West Africa, joins as a second soloist. She trained at The Rock School of Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre. In 2012, she joined Dance Theatre of Harlem. A year later, she was invited to join the Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company. In 2014, DePrince joined the Dutch National Ballet, where she rose through the company and was appointed soloist in 2016. DePrince champions disadvantaged young people, with whom she shares her message of hard work, perseverance, and hope, to encourage them to strive for their dream. In 2016, DePrince was named an ambassador for War Child Holland.

Nastia Alexandrova of Pacifica, California, joins as an artist of the Company. She began her training at City Ballet San Francisco in 2004. She continued her studies at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy from 2013-2014. In 2016, Alexandrova joined American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company (ABT) and was promoted to apprentice of ABT later that year. She was promoted to ABT's corps de ballet in 2017.

Primrose Kern of Cairns, Australia, joins as an artist of the Company. She trained with renowned coaches including Prudence Bowen, Jane Devine, Karen Donovan, Maina Gielgud, and Darren Parish in her native Australia. She studied with the Royal Ballet School's Summer Program in 2017, where she won the school's Achievement Award. Kern joined Paris Opera Ballet in 2019 and was invited on the company's Japan tour.

SeokJoo Kim of Busan, South Korea, joins as an artist of the Company. He studied at Peniel High School of the Arts and graduated from Korea's National University of Arts in 2021. In 2016, Kim won the silver medal at the International Ballet Competition Sicilia. In 2020, he won the gold medal at the Seoul International Dance Competition.

Schuyler Wijsen of Berkeley, California, joins as an artist of the Company. He began his ballet education with Paula van der Zwaan and continued his training with the Oakland School for the Arts under the direction of Reginald Ray-Savage and Allison Hurley. In 2017, Wijsen was invited to join the School of American Ballet (SAB), graduating in 2021.

BOSTON BALLET II

Joseph Boswell of Spokane, Washington, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. He began ballet training at the age of 7 with Kristen Potts. He continued his training at the Houston Ballet Academy with Claudio Munoz and Andrew Murphy. He received a full scholarship to Boston Ballet School's Summer Dance Program in 2018 and was accepted into Boston Ballet School's Pre-Professional Program. Boswell was a member of the inaugural BBS Post Graduate program, working with Kathleen Mitchell and Peter Stark.

Finn Duggan of New York, New York, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. He studied at The School of American Ballet from 2007 to 2011 and New York City's Ballet Academy East from 2011 to 2018. He returned to The School of American Ballet from 2018 to 2021.

Henry Griffin of Ambler, Pennsylvania, joined Boston Ballet II mid-season in 2021. He began his training at age 8 at Philadelphia Dance Theatre under Joy Delaney-Capponi and Yosbel Delgado. After attending summer programs at the School of American Ballet (SAB) from 2017-2019, Griffin joined SAB at age 16. He also attended summer programs at Ballet Academy of Texas in 2019.

Brock Maye of Stafford, Virginia, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. He trained at Kirov Academy of Ballet, CityDance School and Conservatory, The Harid Conservatory, and John Cranko Schule. He attended summer intensives at The Harid Conservatory, San Francisco Ballet School, and Ellison Ballet School. He graduated from John Cranko Schule, Akademie A in 2021.

Kyra Muttilainen of Richmond, Vermont, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. Muttilainen began her ballet training at Vermont Ballet Theater in Essex, VT under the direction of Alex Nagiba. She went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance at the Indiana University Jacob's School of Music, where she trained with faculty members Sarah Wroth, Kyra Nichols, Carla Korbes, Michael Vernon, Sasha Janes, and Christian Claessens. She attended Jacob's Pillow Summer Program in 2018 where she trained under Anna-Marie Holmes and performed in Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa's world premiere piece. Muttilainen attended the Chautauqua Institution as an apprentice working with Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and performed with Charlotte Ballet and Nashville Ballet.

Rimi Nakano of Tokyo, Japan, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. Nakano began her dance training with Kishibe Ballet in Tokyo. In 2016, she joined The Royal Ballet School in London and graduated in 2021. While at The Royal Ballet School, she performed in The Nutcracker, Ninette de Valois's Coppélia, Kenneth MacMillian's Elite Syncopation, and Ben Stevenson's Three Preludes.

Johanna Sigurdardottir of San Jose, California, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. Sigurdardottir began her training with Lise la Cour and San Francisco Ballet School. She trained with the School of American Ballet from 2016 to 2020, where she performed with the New York City Ballet in Peter Martin's Sleeping Beauty, the New York Choreographic Institute, SAB Student Choreography workshops, Winter Showings and Winter Ball. Sigurdardottir joined Boston Ballet School's Post Graduate program in 2020.

Brooke Wilson of Dover, New Hampshire, joins as a member of Boston Ballet II. She began her ballet training at age 5 in Dover, NH under the direction of former Boston Ballet dancer Edra Toth. From 2016 to 2020, she attended The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia, PA on full scholarship. There she performed in the International Dance School Festival at the David H. Koch Theatre and as the Snow Queen and lead Spanish in Nutcracker 1776. She also performed in a collaboration with the Curtis Institute of Music.

For full biographies, please visit bostonballet.org.

Boston Ballet is also announcing new protocols for in-person performances. For the well-being and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff, Boston Ballet is implementing updated health and safety protocols for all 2021-2022 performances. All patrons attending a live, indoor Boston Ballet performance must present proof of vaccination or proof of a recent negative COVID test before entering the venue and must wear a mask inside the theater at all times, regardless of vaccination status. For full policy details, please visit bostonballet.org.

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