CHOREOGRAPHERS’ SHOWCASE

A native of Fremont, Ohio, Leigh Anne Albrechta trained at The Fremont Ballet School, Ballet Theatre of Toledo, and later graduated from The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. She joined Charlotte Ballet for two years as a trainee and apprentice, earning the opportunity to work with Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, Mark Diamond, and Dwight Rhoden. In 2009, Leigh Anne joined Louisville Ballet as a trainee and was hired as a Company Artist the following season. She has enjoyed performing a range of classical and contemporary roles, including Juliet in Adam Hougland’s Romeo + Juliet, Valencienne in Ronald Hynd‘s The Merry Widow, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Rose, and Marie in Val Caniparoli’s The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, featured roles in Andrea Schermoly’s Limbic and Rite of Spring, and principal roles in George Balanchine’s Serenade, Emeralds, and Kammermusik No.2. Leigh Anne has danced with Moving Arts Company and Choreographic Residency of Marin during her summers. She is grateful for the support and generosity of the Louisville community.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nicholas Bradley Gray (they/them) began their performing arts training at Milwaukee Ballet School and at First Stage Children’s Theater. Following their graduation from The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, Nicholas received their Bachelor’s Degree in Ballet with a minor in Theatre and Drama from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Throughout their youth, Nicholas attended summer intensives at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Chautauqua Institution. In 2018, Nicholas moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they lived for six years. They worked as a faculty member at Grand Rapids Ballet School and at Grand Rapids Civic Theatre’s School of Theatre Arts, as a freelance Director/Choreographer for Collegiate and Community Theatres, and as a frequent Guest Artist with Grand Rapids Ballet. Nicholas is thrilled to have accomplished so much in their first season as a Company Artist with Louisville Ballet. They have been honored to perform such roles as The Nutcracker Prince in Val Caniparoli’s The Brown-Forman Nutcracker and The Prince’s Friend in Alun Jones’ Cinderella. Nicholas is a proud faculty member of The Louisville Ballet School and serves their peers as the elected Dancer Representative. They are grateful for every single day they have the privilege to do what they love.

Mark, a Virginia native, studied dance under Jefferson Baum at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. In 2004, Mark joined Ballet Tucson, where he danced for two seasons before joining Columbia City Ballet. He spent five years with the Columbia City Ballet as a Principal Dancer. Mark has been a Company Artist with Louisville Ballet since 2012.

Originally from Denver, Colorado, and a military brat, Natalie started dancing at the age of 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She started attending The Louisville Ballet School when her family moved to Louisville in 2022, and joined the Studio Company the following year after graduating high school. Some of her favorite pieces and roles she’s performed have been as a soloist in Brandon Ragland’s Silent Conversations, David Senti’s In Search, various divertisements and corps roles in Val Caniparoli’s The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, and Ching Ching Wong’s 502. When not dancing, Natalie enjoys many kinds of artistic hobbies and journaling.

Daniel Scofield joined Louisville Ballet as a Company Artist in 2022 and has performed roles and works including Romeo in Alun Jones’ Romeo & Juliet, The Nutcracker and Sugar Plum Cavalier in Val Caniparoli’s The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, an Ugly Stepsister in Alun Jones’ Cinderella, Andrea Schermoly’s Appalachian Spring, Ching Ching Wong’s 502 and Grass Is Green, Adam Hougland’s Broken Totem and Cold Virtues, and Anne Jung’s #fourwithsix.

A Louisville native, Daniel began his performing arts training primarily in musical theatre, later focusing more heavily on dance. Daniel graduated Cum Laude from Butler University in 2021, earning a B.S. in Dance/Arts Administration and a Minor in Business. Repertoire performed at Butler included Paul Taylor’s Piazzolla Caldera, Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, Patrick de Bana’s Falling Sky, The Firebird, and The Sleeping Beauty.

As a faculty member of The Louisville Ballet School, Daniel has taught in almost every program, including the Summer Intensive and Louisville Ballet Youth Ensemble. He has created original works for Louisville Ballet (Soma, 2024), for The Louisville Ballet School, and has choreographed multiple local musical theatre productions. When he isn’t dancing or teaching, Daniel loves to hang out with his pets, family, and friends and enjoy the outdoors.

Amber Wickey is originally from Tenafly, New Jersey, where she began her dance training at Nunnbetter Dance Theater under the direction of Leath Nunn. She graduated from Butler University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Dance Pedagogy. After dancing with the Louisville Ballet Studio Company for two years, she joined the Company in 2022.

Amber has enjoyed performing a variety of works with the company, ranging from classical ballet to contemporary. Some of her favorite roles include the pas de trois in George Balanchine’s Emeralds, a soloist in Dysart Award winner Anne Jung’s #fourwithsix, the Confidence Fairy in Adam Hougland’s Sleeping Beauty, Dawn in Robert Curran’s Coppélia, Marie in Val Caniparoli’s The Brown-Forman Nutcracker, and Spring Fairy in Alun Jones’ Cinderella. Amber has also enjoyed dancing in Robert Curran’s Swan Lake and La Sylphide, George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony, Alun Jones’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo & Juliet, Andrea Schermoly’s Appalachian Spring and Limbic, Adam Hougland’s Cold Virtues, Ching Ching Wong’s 502, and Stephen Mills’ Light / The Holocaust & Humanity Project.

When Amber is not dancing, she can be found teaching at The Louisville Ballet School or relaxing with her cats and a good book. Amber is excited to continue bringing dance to the Louisville community!