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Matthew Andersen

@matt_dancer05

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Richmond Ballet Studio Co

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Hello people! My name is Isabella Gaytan, and I’m a trainee at @avantchamberballet in Dallas, TX.

My passion for dance was born at age three when I took my first class at the military base in Sicily, Italy. I owe my foundational training and classroom etiquette to Olivia Sanders Yocum @tulsaballet and CR Trumbo @okcballet With the goal of dancing professionally, I later trained with Joshua Brooksher (Kirov Ballet/Mariinsky Ballet) and Savannah Lee @okcballet graduating from the Oklahoma Youth Ballet Pre-Professional Day Program in 2025 with an International Certification of Dance Studies Diploma through @unesco

During my summers I have trained at Tulsa Ballet @tulsaballet The Oklahoma Youth Ballet @okballettheatre and Little Flower Ballet with Arlene Minkhorst, Lauren Richter, Beatrice Sebelin, Amy Parker, Carla Lopez, LJ Nafarrette, Maria Konrad, and Rebecca Zeese. I’m certified in The First Year of the Eight-Year Program of The Teaching Method of Classical Dance. I work at the YMCA and teach at @nsdpac Next Step Dance. This fall, I started my second season with the Avant Chamber Ballet Trainee Program, where I train for 30+ hours a week in ballet, Romana’s Pilates, jazz, and modern dance @avantchamberballet_trainees

Outside of the studio, I enjoy any outdoor activity, taking friends to organ concerts, baking without a recipe, and cozying up with a good book.

Welcome to my dancer era!

#classicalballet #ballet #dancerera #dancer #dancelife #pilates #moderndance

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the end of an era 💫🔜

I am incredibly honored and excited to announce that I have been offered a Company Apprentice position with the Richmond Ballet for the 2026/2027 season! These past two years in Studio Company have been nothing less than wonderful, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the experiences I had, the things I’ve learned, the people I’ve met, and the memories I’ve made. I am eagerly looking forward to my seventh year with my Richmond Ballet family!

Tour with these amazing people was everything I could’ve asked for. We danced, we celebrated, we laughed, and we cried. A rewarding, exhausting, and fantastic finale for the end of a fantastic season. I love you all so much and I will cherish all the moments we shared this year. ❤️💚🧡

MATCH POINT
Choreography by Ma Cong
Music by Huges Le Bars
Costume Direction by Ma Cong
Costume Execution by Christi Owen
Lighting Design by Parker Lawrence
Photo by Sarah Ferguson @s.fergusonphoto

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Step inside the studio to witness the next generation of artists!

Our Studio Company and Trainees are hard at work preparing for On the Rise: Richmond Ballet Professional Training Program in Performance. Every rehearsal offers a glimpse of their poise, passion, and promise!

Don’t miss the chance to see these exceptional young dancers as they take their next steps toward professional careers. This weekend (Friday, April 17 at 6:30 PM and Saturday, April 18 at 2:00 PM) at VMFA. Tickets are just $23 (including fees). For more information and to purchase your tickets, please visit the link in our bio.

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In rehearsal, Price Suddarth brings precision and presence to his new creation, ‘The Architect.’ Catch this moving ballet, alongside three other never-before-seen pieces, at the New Works Festival, March 19–29 at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Tickets are now available for Moving Art Three: New Works through the link in our bio.

Music: "Pulling a Thread" by Kerry Muzzey. Used with permission.

http://bit.ly/Archi4

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Check out a glimpse of rehearsal for ‘Darkness Visible,’ a new ballet by choreographer David Morse. The piece explores the complex, often contradictory emotional landscape of depression. As David shared in the studio:

“The title of the work is ‘Darkness Visible,’ and I borrowed that from a memoir by William Styron. In his memoir, he’s talking about his experience with severe depression. He describes depression not as a muted sadness, but as a turbulence, a chaos, a mayhem, a storm in his mind — but also a gray drizzle of paralysis. There’s a strange push and pull between that paralysis and a kind of hurricane. I’ve been trying to bring as much of that contrast and imagery as possible into the dancers’ bodies.”

We are grateful to witness our dancers bring that tension and humanity to life in the studio. Don’t miss this moving ballet, alongside three other new creations, at Moving Art Three: New Works, March 19–29 at VMFA. Tickets are still available through the link in our bio.

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Oklahoma Youth Ballet Pre-Professional Day Program – Auditions Open for the 2026–27 Season

Oklahoma Youth Ballet is now accepting auditions for dancers ages 9–23 for our Pre-Professional Day Program, widely recognized as the premier program for serious young dancers in the Edmond area. This immersive program runs Monday through Friday, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, providing intensive, high-level training designed to develop technical mastery, artistry, and professional readiness.

Our curriculum is built on the Vaganova method (Levels 1–6), a rigorous and accelerated pathway equivalent to an 8-year program. Students receive comprehensive instruction in:

Classical ballet studies

Men’s technique

Pointe for female dancers

Contemporary and character dance

Classical variations, repertoire, and partnering

In addition to daily technical training, students in the program:

Participate in annual spring examinations to benchmark progress and skill development

Graduate with a diploma recognized by colleges and professional dance companies

Qualify for local and national competitions

Perform in OYB productions and community outreach performances each year

Gain multiple performance opportunities, working with world-class visiting artists and our distinguished artistic faculty

Audition day is designed to provide dancers with a full experience of our program and includes:

Meetings with our artistic staff to discuss training and development

A tour of our state-of-the-art facilities

A full day of classes that serves as the audition, allowing dancers to demonstrate their technical skill, artistry, and potential for growth

The Oklahoma Youth Ballet Day Program is a unique and unparalleled opportunity for dedicated young dancers in Oklahoma to receive pre-professional training, gain performance experience, and prepare for a successful career in dance.

Auditions are now open for the 2026–27 season. We encourage all serious dancers to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to train in a professional, supportive, and challenging environment.

#OklahomaYouthBallet #OYBDayProgram #PreProfessionalBallet #VaganovaMethod #ClassicalBallet #MensTechnique #Pointe #YoungArtists

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Heading into our 7 final shows of ‘The Nutcracker,’ we’re feeling excited!

It’s not too late to join us for the most magical party of the holiday season at the Dominion Energy Center through Dec. 23! We still have a few tickets available, so get yours before they’re gone through the link in our bio.

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Final week. Final chance to experience the magic! ✨🎄

Join us for the last performances of 'The Nutcracker' through Dec. 23rd at Dominion Energy Center! This beloved family tradition is the perfect way to step into the holiday spirit.

Seats are filling fast. Secure yours now through the link in our bio.

Photos by @s.fergusonphoto

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At Oklahoma Youth Ballet, we hold firmly to the truth that ballet is the perfect balance of strength and grace. Every variation, every partnered lift, every delicate arabesque is the result of discipline, artistry, and collaboration. Ballet is not created alone. It is the shared language of men and women working together—blending strength with grace to create something far greater than themselves.

Ballet has endured for centuries because it is not just a sequence of steps—it is a living art form, born out of harmony and expression. When audiences see a dancer lifted high above the stage, they don’t just see a trick. They witness two artists moving as one, each contributing their unique gifts to create beauty that resonates deeply.

We cannot lose sight of this truth. The art of ballet must be nurtured, supported, and shared—not only for the dancers of today but for generations to come. When you sit in the audience and feel your heart stirred by the music and movement, you are experiencing the culmination of years of training, sacrifice, and passion.

But the arts do not exist in isolation. They need all of us—dancers to train, choreographers to create, teachers to pass down tradition, and communities to support this work. With your support, ballet thrives—not as a relic of the past, but as a living, breathing art that continues to inspire, challenge, and move us.

✨ We invite you to join us. Come watch our performances, support our dancers, and ensure that the art of both strength and grace continues to have a stage. Together, we can preserve the beauty of classical ballet and carry it forward for the next generation.

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Oklahoma Youth Ballet Daytime Training Program

Oklahoma Youth Ballet is proud to offer the highest quality ballet training in Edmond, providing a unique and rigorous daytime program for dedicated young dancers. Rooted in the rich tradition of the Vaganova Russian method, our school is the only classical program of its kind in the region.

Our distinguished faculty bring a wealth of international experience, having served as principal dancers in world-renowned companies such as the Mariinsky Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and Boston Ballet. With mentorship from artists who have earned top honors at international competitions, students receive world-class instruction that prepares them for both professional careers and collegiate opportunities.

📅 Auditions for the 2025–2026 Program close at the end of August 2025.
Please note: dancers who wish to join for the second semester will be required to audition.

This is a rare opportunity to train in a program that upholds the highest standards of classical ballet while nurturing artistry, discipline, and passion.

📍 Edmond, Oklahoma
🌐 Learn more: www.okdancecenter.com/oklahomayouthballet

#OklahomaYouthBallet #OYB #VaganovaMethod #BalletTraining #EdmondOK #ClassicalBallet #BalletLife #FutureDancers #DanceExcellence #BalletEducation #OklahomaArts

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I am so incredibly thankful to have spent an amazing 3 weeks at @richmondballet , I met so many amazing and inspiring people that pushed me but also lifted me up! I made so many memories and had nothing but good experiences. Signing off- residing class photographer.
(I love you level B😘)

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#summer #summerintensive #richmondballet #rva #ballet #dancer #pointe #rva #balletdancer

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