Principal dancers from Ballet West to lead master classes July 14 at Manassas Ballet

Beckanne Sisk and Chase O’Connell,principal dancers for the esteemed Salt Lake City company Ballet West, will teach two, 2-hour master classes on Saturday, July 14 at Manassas Ballet Academy in Northern Virginia. Both the intermediate and the advanced classes are open to all area ballet students. Each class is $50, with pre-registration both in person at the studio, 9004 Mathis Avenue in Manassas, and via phone at (703) 257-1811, or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Space is limited so register early; walkups are welcome if space allows.

The advanced class at Noon requires students to have a minimum of three years en pointe; the 2 p.m. intermediate class requires a minimum of one year en pointe. There will be a reception for all participants at the completion of the intermediate class for questions and pictures.

Chase O’Connell was born in Fredericksburg, Va. and began his professional training at 13 at the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. He attended the Royal Ballet School in London for two years on scholarship, after which he was offered a temporary contract with the Paris Opera Ballet Company. O’Connell joined Ballet West II in 2012 and was promoted to Principal in 2015. He has performed Principal roles in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Adam Sklute’s adaptation of Swan Lake, George Balanchine’s Symphony in C (Second Movement), Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, Jiri Kylian’s Petit Mort, Overgrown Path and Forgotten Land.

Beckanne Sisk was born in Longview, Texas and studied at Longview Ballet Theater until she was 14. She then moved to Philadelphia, PA to attend The Rock School for Dance Education’s RAPA program on full scholarship for four years, winning the Jerome Robbins award in 2007 and competed at the Youth America Grand Prix from 2007-2010, placing First and Third. Sisk joined Ballet West II in 2010, and was promoted to Principal Artist in 2015. She won the Princess Grace Dance Fellowship Award in 2012 along with the Bronze Medal at the Beijing International Ballet Competition. She has performed leading roles in Anna Marie Holmes’ Don Quixote, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Sir Fredrick Ashton’s Cinderella, Adam Sklute’s Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and was featured on CW reality TV series Breaking Pointe.

ABOUT MANASSAS BALLET ACADEMY
Manassas Ballet Academy (MBA) is the affiliate dance school of Manassas Ballet Theatre, Northern Virginia’s largest professional ballet company. MBA offers superior dance training in the Vaganova method with classes in classical ballet, pointe, pas de deux, character, modern, jazz, Progressing Ballet Technique (PBT) and more. From pre-dance to pre-professional, students are nurtured and challenged. Students are invited to audition for many professional company productions, including The Nutcracker, the crown jewel of the season and a classic family holiday tradition. For information on MBA, go to manassasballet.org, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or call 703-257-1811.