Shreveport Dance Academy Announces Summer Intensive Faculty

]EMILY LOSCOCCO, former principal dancer of Festival Ballet Providence, PHILLIP BROOMHEAD, former principal dancer of the Houston Ballet and the Royal Ballet, and BETSY McBRIDE of American Ballet Theatre, and SIMON WEXLER former principal dancer of Texas Ballet Theatre will be members of the faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Emily Loscocco and Phillip Broomhead will be on the faculty from July 24-28, 2017, and Betsy McBride and Simon Wexler will be on the faculty from July 31-August 4, 2017.

EMILY LOSCOCCO's first ballet teacher was Wayne Stewart of the Royal Ballet. She received her formal ballet training under the guidance of Galina Kozlova at the Kirov Academy in Washington D.C. She had also received a scholarship for the Boston Ballet Summer Program.

In 2007 Ms. Loscocco joined the Orlando Ballet where she danced in ballets by Twyla Tharp, Peter Stark, Richard Cook, Christopher Fleming, Bruce Simpson, George Balanchine, Bruce Marks, and Fernando Bujones.

In 2009 Ms. Loscocco pursued her career joining BalletMet where she danced in ballets by Gerard Charles, Dwight Rhoden, David Nixon, Bergit Scherzer, and Devon Carney.

In 2011 Ms. Loscocco joined Festival Ballet Providence as principal dancer. Ms. Loscocco has continued to expand her repertoire including the role of Calliope in George Balanchine's Apollo, the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in Mihailo Djuric's production of The Nutcracker, the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, Carnival of Venice of Pas de Deux, and principal roles in Balanchine's Agon, and in ballets by George Birkadze, and Victor Plotnikov.

From 2015-16, Ms. Loscocco joined Alaska Dance Theater as a principal dancer, and was also a member of the faculty of the company's school.

Since 2016 Ms. Loscocco has been pursuing a career as a freelance guest artist and teacher.

Ms. Loscocco was awarded a top 12 at the Youth American Grand Prix and was given a scholarship for further studies at the Munich Ballet in Germany.

In 2012 Ms. Loscocco appeared in A Night of Ballet 2012 at the Mongolian State Academic Theater of Opera and Ballet, dancing with Altan Dugaraa of the Boston Ballet.

PHILLP BROOMHEAD was born in London, England and received his ballet training at the Royal Ballet School. In 1981 he joined the Royal Ballet. He was promoted to soloist in 1983 and to principal dancer in 1986.

While dancing with the Royal Ballet Mr. Broomhead's classical repertoire included the roles of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the Prince and the Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, Albrecht in Giselle, Solor in Natalia Makarova's production of La Bayadere, Benvolio in Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, the Prince in Peter Wright's production of The Nutcracker, the King of the East in MacMillan's Prince of the Pagodas, and Colas in Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee.

Mr. Broomhead's contemporary repertoire included principal roles such as the Rubies Pas de Deux in George Balanchine's Jewels, Richard P. Arnold in Ashton's Enigma Variations, the White Couple in Ashton's Les Patineurs, Oberon in Ashton's The Dream, and Ashton's Rhapsody, Scenes de Ballet, and Symphonic Variations; The Dark Angel in MacMillan's Orpheus, the First Movement in MacMillan's Concerto, and the MacMillan ballets, Elite Syncopations, Le Baiser de la Fee, The Song of the Earth, Manon, Mayerling, Solitaire, and Gloria; David Bintley's Consort Lessons, Galantries, Sons of Horus, The Young Apollo, and The Planets; Jiri Kylian's Return To The Strange Land; Glen Tetley's Voluntaries and Dances of Albion; Hans van Manen's Four Schumann Pieces; and Balanchine's Serenade, Concerto Barocco, Stravinsky Violin Concerto and Ballet Imperial.

Mr. Broomhead created roles in Bintley's Still Life At The Penguin Café (the Southern Cape Zebra) and Enclosure, Ashton's Varii Capricci, Richard Alston's Midsummer, MacMillan's Isadora, Ashley Page's Pursuit, Slow Talk Fast Walk, and Bloodlines; Wayne Eagling's Frankenstein and Beauty and the Beast; and Michael Corder's L'Invitation Au Voyage and Number Three. He has performed in Ashton's A Birthday Offering, in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen; Sir Frederick Ashton's Daphnis and Chloe to celebrate the Queen Mother's 90th Birthday; and many other royal galas. He also appeared with the Royal Ballet on its international tours.

Mr. Broomhead joined the Houston Ballet as a principal dancer in January 1991. He made his Houston Ballet debut in the role of the Prince in Ben Stevenson's Cinderella. He has also danced the roles of Prince Siegfried in Stevenson's Swan Lake, the Prince in Stevenson's The Sleeping Beauty, the Prince and Dr. Drosselmeyer in Stevenson's The Nutcracker, Romeo in Stevenson's Romeo and Juliet, the title role and Gamache in Stevenson's Don Quixote, Des Grieux in MacMillan's Manon, Danilo in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, the title role in Stevenson's Dracula, Misgir in Stevenson's The Snow Maiden, Julius Caesar in Stevenson's Cleopatra, Dr. Coppelius in Stevenson's Coppelia, Daphnis in Tetley's Daphnis and Chloe, the Shah in Ronald Hynd's Papillon, the Artist in Ashton's The Two Pigeons, Widow Simone in Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, and principal roles in Stevenson's La Peri, Stevenson's Alice in Wonderland, MacMillan's Solitaire, Gloria, and Elite Syncopations, William Forsythe's In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Paul Taylor's Company B, Sean Kelly's Sinuosity, Stanton Welch's Indigo, The Core, and The Tales of Texas, Balanchine's Symphony in C (Second Movement) and Serenade, and Harald Lander's Etudes.

In 2003 Mr. Broomhead was also appointed to the position of balletmaster for the Houston Ballet in addition to his performance responsibilities as a principal dancer.

In 2004 Mr. Broomhead retired from the stage and assumed his position of balletmaster for the Houston Ballet on a full-time basis. In 2011 Mr. Broomhead left the Houston Ballet to pursue a career as a freelance teacher and coach.

In 1998 Mr. Broomhead staged Coppelia for the Chamberlain Ballet in Dallas, Texas and created Vespri for the Houston Ballet Academy's annual performance.

Mr. Broomhead has appeared as a guest artist with some of the world's leading companies including the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Scottish Ballet, and the Yugoslav Ballet. He has also appeared as a guest artist with many regional ballet companies in the United States.

Mr. Broomhead is in great demand as a teacher and coach, and in 2014 he was on the faculty for the Goh Ballet Academy's Summer Intensive, and in 2016 he was on the faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive.

BETSY McBRIDE is originally from Coppell, Texas. She began her training at the Ballet Academy of Texas. At age 14, she continued her training at Texas Ballet Theater's School. She performed Clara in The Nutcracker with Texas Ballet Theater and joined the company under O.B.E. Ben Stevenson at age 15.

Ms. McBride was an American Ballet Theatre National Training Scholar and performed in George Balanchine's Mozartiana during ABT's tour of Texas at age 11. She was awarded the Grand Prix at the 2007 Youth American Grand Prix Regional Competition and was a finalist at the 2012 Helsinki International Ballet Competition.

Ms. McBride danced for Texas Ballet Theater from 2007 to 2015. Some of her principal roles include Ben Stevenson's Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Nutcracker, Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, Svetlana in Stevenson's Dracula, Green Lady and Solveig in Stevenson's Peer Gynt, Waltz Girl and Dark Angel in George Balanchine's Serenade, Solo Girl in Balanchine's Rubies and the pas de trois in Glen Tetley's Voluntaries, as well as roles in Ji?í Kylián's Petite Mort, Val Caniparoli's Lambarena and Kenneth MacMillan's Gloria.

Ms. McBride joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in June 2015. Her repertoire with American Ballet Theatre includes Columbine and a Sister in The Nutcracker, the Fairy Fleur de farine, Silver Fairy and Red Riding Hood in The Sleeping Beauty, a little swan and Lead Czardas in Swan Lake, Lead Gypsy and Demi Soloist Dream in Don Quixote, roles in Alexei Ratmansky's Piano Concerto, Symphony number 9, and Firebird, George Balanchine's Valse Fantaisie, the Quartet in Benjamin Millepied's Daphnis and Chloe as well as roles in Romeo and Juliet, La Fille Mal Gardee, Sylvia, Whipped Cream, Le Corsaire, Golden Cockerel, and Giselle.

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, SIMON WEXLER immigrated to the United States in 1993 when he was only nine months old. At age eight Mr. Wexler started his dance training at the Academy of Ballet in Tucson, Arizona under the guidance of Linda Walker and Gary McKenzie. Mr. Wexler began his intensive ballet training, at 13 years-old, at the prestigious Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. where he trained under the guidance of Anatoli Kucheruck and Vladimir Djouloukadze.

Upon graduation from the Kirov Academy of Ballet, Mr. Wexler joined Orlando Ballet II where he trained with Peter Stark, Olivier Munoz, and Artistic Director, Robert Hill. While with Orlando Ballet, Mr. Wexler danced featured roles in Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and Le Corsaire as well as performing the Basilio male variation in Don Quixote for a charity gala. In 2010, Mr. Wexler left the Orlando Ballet and joined Texas Ballet Theater under the directorship of Ben Stevenson O.B.E. Mr. Wexler was promoted to the rank of First Soloist in 2013 and in 2014 was again promoted to the rank of Principal.

Mr. Wexler's repertoire includes the roles of the Cavalier and Snow Prince in Ben Stevenson's The Nutcracker, Blue Bird in Stevenson's Sleeping Beauty, Pas de Trois in Stevenson's Swan Lake, Renfield in Stevenson's Dracula, Benvolio and Paris in Stevenson's Romeo and Juliet, Cupid in Stevenson's production of Don Quixote, Peasant Pas de Deux in Giselle, Camile in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, and the Male Principal Lead in George Balanchine's Rubies, as well as George Balanchine's Theme and Variations.

Mr. Wexler has also distinguished himself in contemporary ballets including roles in Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort, Glen Tetley's Voluntaries, Kenneth MacMillan's Gloria, Val Caniparoli's Lambarena, Stevenson's Four Last Songs, Stevenson's Mozart Requiem, Stevenson's Sylvia Pas de Deux, and Stevenson's Five Poems.

From 2015-17 Mr. Wexler was a member American Ballet Theatre, and he expanded his repertoire to include roles in Frederick Ashton's Sylvia, and La Fille Mal Gardee, Kevin McKenzie's production of Swan Lake, Anna-Marie Holmes' production of Le Corsaire, Alexei Ratmansky's The Golden Cockerel, and Balanchine's Prodigal Son.

Mr. Wexler is currently pursuing a career as a freelance guest artist and master teacher.

In 2010, Mr. Wexler won the Silver Medal at the Youth American Grand Prix Competition in Orlando, Florida and later that year was named a Semi-Finalist at the Jackson International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. In 2012, Mr. Wexler traveled to Helsinki, Finland to compete in the Helsinki International Ballet competition where he made it to the Semi-Finals.

In 2011 Mr. Wexler performed alongside American Ballet Theater and San Francisco Ballet principal dancers in the "Stars of Russian Ballet Gala" in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In 2012, Mr. Wexler was a guest artist with the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet where he performed as the Jester in their production of Cinderella, and in 2015 Mr. Wexler was on the faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Program.

In 2013, Mr. Wexler appeared as a guest artist with Studio A Dance, where he performed the Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote alongside fellow Texas Ballet Theater principal dancer Betsy McBride for a gala performance in Dallas, Texas.

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