Sarah Lane and Simon Wexler Announced As Special Guests for Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER

Sarah Lane, former principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, and Simon Wexler, former principal dancer of Texas Ballet Theater, will appear as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's production of The Nutcracker on December 11 and 12, 2021 at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Sarah Lane, born in San Francisco, California, began her dance training in Memphis, Tennessee under the direction of Pat Gillispie at the Memphis Classical Ballet. She pursued her training at the Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, New York under the guidance of Timothy Draper and Jamey Leverett.

Ms. Lane was received a full scholarship to the Boston Ballet's Summer Program and was awarded first place and the Capezio Class Excellent Award at the North American Ballet Festival. She was also a National Young Arts Foundation Winner in Dance/Ballet, and through YoungArts became a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

In 2002, Ms. Lane was the Silver Medalist in the Junior Division at the Jackson International Ballet Competition, and also won the Bronze Medal at the Youth America Grand Prix Competition.

Also in 2002 Ms. Lane joined American Ballet Theatre's studio company and in 2003 joined the main company as an apprentice. In 2004 Ms. Lane joined American Ballet Theatre's corps de ballet, in 20007 she was appointed a soloist, and in 2017 she was appointed a principal dancer.

Ms. Lane's extensive repertoire includes the title role in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, the title role in Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Nikiya in La Bayadere, Galya in The Bright Stream, Swanhilda in Coppelia, Gulnare in Le Corsaire, Kitri in Don Quixote, Clara in Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, as well as principal roles in ballets and works choreographed by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Frederick Ashton, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, and Antony Tudor.

Ms. Lane has created roles choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky including Miranda in The Tempest, Princess Praline in Whipped Cream, Columbine in Harlequinade, and Spring Rose in Seasons.

Ms. Lane was a recipient of the Princess Grace Award in 2007, and Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts in 2008. She was the dancing double for Natalie Portman in Fox Searchlight Pictures feature film, BLACK SWAN.

Ms. Lane is also in demand as a guest teacher having taught for the Kansas City Ballet School, the ABT William J. Gillispie School, Lake Cities Ballet theatre, Colorado Ballet Academy, Skidmore College, Santa Fe College, and the Barcelona Ballet.

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 has since danced various soloist and principal roles. 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 (Skomorok), Chamber Symphony, and Whipped Cream, Benjamin Millepied's Daphnis and Chloe, 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, 2020, and 2021, 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.

In 2020 Mr. Wexler appeared in Zhong Jing Fang's Perception, a dance film made in coordination with American Ballet Theatre's Moving Stories series.