Stars of the Corps—Where are They Now?

Every spring, Pointe writers and editors pull out stacks of programs saved over the past season and flip to the casting pages, looking for those telltale circled names: corps members who have caught our eye. Though we don’t claim clairvoyance, many Stars of the Corps we have singled out over the years have moved up the ranks in their respective companies. Take a look at where some of our past Stars of the Corps are now.

 

Mayara Magri and James Hay. Photo by Andrej Uspenski via The Royal Opera House.

Mayara Magri (2013)

Brazilian dancer Mayara Magri’s success on the competition circuit, including the Grand Prix prize at Youth American Grand Prix and a scholarship from Prix de Lausanne, made her an early one to watch. Four years after joining The Royal Ballet, Magri will start off next season as a newly minted soloist.

 

Brendan Saye (2013)

Three years ago, then National Ballet of Canada corps member Brendan Saye was catching eyes in lead roles like the title in Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. His promotion to second soloist in 2013, just after we picked him out as a Star of the Corps, came as little surprise.

 

Nicole Padilla (2014)

Sarasota Ballet’s Nicole Padilla was already a consummate interpreter of Sir Frederick Ashton repertory when we highlighted her in 2014, and since then she’s consistently impressed in ballets by Ashton, Balanchine, Nureyev and more. She was promoted to first soloist this year.

 

Kathryn Hosier in rehearsal. Photo by Karolina Kuras via National Ballet of Canada.

Kathryn Hosier (2014)

In her corps de ballets years at The National Ballet of Canada, American-born Kathryn Hosier had the opportunity to dance a number of featured roles, like the female lead in Spectre de la Rose. Though she anticipated paying her dues in the corps, Hosier didn’t have long to wait. In 2015, she added new roles to her repertoire, like the female lead in Guillaume Côté’s Being and Nothingness, and a new title to her resume: second soloist.

 

Julia Rowe (2014)

After training at the San Francisco Ballet School for one year, Julia Rowe spent five seasons at Oregon Ballet Theatre, climbing to the soloist rank, before returning to SFB as a corps member. Not for long, we knew! Rowe’s well-deserved promotion was announced this year.

 

Emily Bowen in Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude. Photo by Amitava Sarkar via Dance Spirit.

Emily Bowen (2014)

In 2014, Houston Ballet dancer Emily Bowen had already danced roles like Lise in La Fille mal gardée and one of the fiery women in William Forsythe’s Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude. The Pennsylvania native received her demi-soloist contract that very season.

 

Irlan Silva (2014)

Irlan Silva is one of those lucky dancers born with legs, extensions and jumping power to spare. But luck has little to do with his steady rise at Boston Ballet, where his hard work earned him a promotion to soloist this year.

 

Fanny Gorse (2015)

In 2015, then 27-year-old coryphée Fanny Gorse was receiving new recognition under former Paris Opéra Ballet artistic director Benjamin Millepied. Last season, she danced featured roles in La Bayadère and Giselle, and Millepied promoted her to sujet (demi soloist).

 

Amanda Assucena and Alberto Velazquez in Cinderella. Photo by Cheryl Mann via Viva Lifestyle and Travel.

If Joffrey Ballet had ranks, we’re guessing that 2014 Star of the Corps Amanda Assucena would have jumped a few. In the past two years, she’s danced coveted roles like Sugar Plum Fairy and, most recently, the title role in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella. And while some past Stars of the Corps have added roles and moved up ranks, others have changed companies. Former Boston Ballet dancer Brittany Stone (2014) is embarking on her first season at The Washington Ballet under new artistic director Julie Kent. After two years at Complexions Contemporary Ballet, 2014 standout Samantha Figgins joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Former Mariinsky Ballet artist Keenan Kampa has also made some major career moves—back to America and, most recently, onto the big screen in dance movie High Strung.

Though many of our most recent Stars of the Corps have barely gotten their feet wet in their professional careers, they’re already making waves. Like our past nominees, we bet they have big things in store. Happy #MotivationMonday!

Keenan Kampa as Ruby in High Strung. Photo from Rivera Films via Dance Spirit.

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