New Hampshire Dance Company Makes History

Southern NH Youth Ballet (SNHYB), the performing company of Southern NH Dance Theater, made history recently by becoming the first dance company from New Hampshire to perform at the Regional Dance America (RDA) Northeast Festival.

SNHYB is a performing member of RDA Northeast, a nation-wide association of pre-professional dance companies.  SNHYB was officially evaluated in May 2005 in Harrisburg, PA where the dancers has to take a ballet class and present two original works of choreography in front of all the current directors of RDA Northeast companies.  SNHYB is the first and only company from New Hampshire to be invited into this prestigious organization.

This past May, thirteen company dancers accompanied Artistic Director Patricia Lavoie and four chaperones to the annual festival in Ashland, Ohio, hosted by RDA Northeast member company Ashland Regional Ballet.  The festival took place on the campus of Ashland University from Wednesday evening, May 24th through Saturday night, May 27th.  The dancers attended various master classes for three days and attended performances by other member companies each evening.  SNHYB dancers performed on the Friday night Concert Performance.  They performed an original work "Romanian Nightingale" choreographed by SNHYB guest artist Jeremy Collins (former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer).

SNHYB dancers attending the festival this year included:  Joshua Bate (19 of Melrose, MA), Amberlyn Beninati (17 of Wakefield, MA), Ashley David (15 of Amherst, NH), Jessica Davison (17 of Bedford, NH), Brendan Duggan (18 of Amherst, NH), Stephanie LeRette (17 of Merrimack, NH), Aubrey Pearson (14 of Merrimack, NH), Krista Puderbaugh (18 of Candia, NH), Melissa Reed (14 of Amherst, NH), Lauren Shepard (15 of Litchfield, NH), Lauren Thomas (15 of Amherst, NH), Emily Walsh (16 of Manchester, NH), and Elisabeth Wilson (14 of Mont Vernon, NH).

Southern NH Youth Ballet dancer, Elisabeth Wilson, was given one of the top honors at this year's Regional Dance America (RDA) Northeast Festival in Ashland, Ohio.  She received the Barbara Weisberger Northeast Founder's Award for an outstanding performance to a dancer based in classical ballet at the festival for her performance in "Romanian Nightingale" partnered by fellow SNHYB dancer Joshua Bates.  Elisabeth also received a $200 cash scholarship at the festival as well.  Congratulations Elisabeth!!

Related Link: For More Information about Regional Dance America, Click Here