Gregory M. George Artistic Director |
 |
CBT is proud to continue its relationship with Artistic Director Gregory M. George. A native of Michigan, Mr. George began dancing at age eight in Wayne, Michigan. From age 12 to 18 he studied at the Jordan College of Music, a division of Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana with George Verdak (formerly with Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Becoming professional at the age of 16, he danced with the Indianapolis Ballet Theatre. He continued his studies with a full scholarship at the Ruth Page Foundation Chicago Ballet School, directed by Larry Long. |
For four years Mr. George danced leading roles for the Ohio Ballet in Akron, Ohio, touring extensively throughout the United States and performing pieces by Ruthanna Boris, Paul Taylor and Balanchine. He performed in several festivals including Jacob’s Pillow and the Spoleto Festival in Italy, as well as performing in original works reviewed in Dance Magazine. Returning to the Indianapolis Ballet, he performed leading roles in Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, Romeo and Juliet, Giselle, Swan Lake, Sylvia, Raymonda and Gaite Parisienne. Mr. George has a well-earned reputation as a respected dancer, teacher, choreographer and director for companies and universities across the Midwest. He has performed and choreographed musicals for Wisconsin University, Ann Arbor Civic Players and Bay View Theater Arts, in addition to TV commercials, plays and fashion shows as well as ballets for many companies as a guest resident director, dancer and choreographer. Over the past seven years with CBT, he has produced full-length ballets such as Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Nutcracker, and has choreographed over 100 other repertory works for other CBT performances. Mr. George treats his students as young professionals, interjecting into his teaching techniques information regarding his vast experience with stage direction, lighting, set design, history and of course, wonderful stories of his adventures along the way. Mr. George’s 41 years of experience allows him to collaborate with dancers of all ages. |
|
Patricia Villaneuva |
|
| Patricia Villanueva is excited to be part of CBT for this Nutcracker season. This is her fifth production as Rehearsal Assistant. She has served as ballet mistress and rehearsal director for both the children’s company of the Greater Lansing Ballet Company and the children’s company of the Holland Area Youth Ballet in Holland, Michigan. Ms. Villanueva’s performing experience includes principal dancer with the Greater Lansing Ballet Company and soloist with Aerial Dance Company, a modern repertory company also in Holland. She has performed as a guest artist with the Happendance Professional Company in Shards and in their production of Peter and the Wolf. As a teacher, Ms. Villanueva instructs ballet at Happendance and has taught at Academy of Dance Arts in Lansing, the Holland Area Arts Council, Lakeshore Ballet Arts in Grand Haven and has been a guest instructor at Zeeland Public Schools, Hope College in Holland and at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. |
|
