Paperturn Dracula Program 2023 !!! (6) - Flipbook - Page 13
Meghana Bendre, Apprentice
From: Chicago, Illinois
Sponsored by: Tom & Terry Mcgraw
Meghana Bendre grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and
began her ballet training at The School of DanceWest Ballet in
Naperville, Illinois. Here she trained under the direction of
Regina and Ricardo Moyano. Through her years in the preprofessional company, she attended Regional Dance America
festivals allowing her exposure to many styles of dance and
additionally ample performance opportunities. In the
summers, Meghana furthered her training at summer
programs with the Kirov Academy in DC, Bolshoi Ballet
Summer Intensive in NYC, and the Milwaukee Ballet Summer
Program under scholarship. After graduating High School,
Meghana attended Butler University in Indianapolis, IN. Here,
she trained with a diverse group of incredibly knowledgeable
faculty. Her most notable performances, while at Butler,
include Giselle in Giselle, Waltz Girl in George Balanchine’s
Serenade, the Sugarplum Fairy and Mirliton’s lead in The
Nutcracker, as well as Pas de Trois des Odalisques in Le
Corsaire. In the Spring of 2022, Meghana graduated Cum
Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and
a minor in Education with highest distinction. While at Butler,
she was recognized with the Jordan College of the Arts Deans
Scholarship and the Peggy Dorsey Memorial Ballet
Scholarship. After graduation, Meghana spent a season with
the Lexington Ballet Company. She is very much looking
forward to her upcoming season with Kentucky Ballet
Theatre!
Kelly Hill, Trainee
From: St. Louis, Missouri
Sponsored by: Brie Lowry Cox
Kelly Hill is from St. Louis, Missouri. She began her training at
Patzius Performing Arts, a family-owned studio, and has
trained there for 15 years. In her teens she attended several
summer intensives including St. Louis Ballet (on scholarship),
Nashville Ballet, and Louisville Ballet. At 12, Kelly became a
member of the studios affiliated pre-professional company,
Midwest Ballet Theater. She rose through the ranks and
progressed to company principal, dancing roles such as Clara,
Snow Queen, and Dewdrop Fairy, as well as many lead roles in
company original choreographies. Kelly’s repertoire includes a
variety of both classical and contemporary works. Some of her
favorites include White Swan variation, Esmeralda Variation,
Aurora Vision Variation, Bonjour Brel, and Albinoni Adagio,
among others. Kelly has been dancing with Kentucky Ballet
Theatre since 2021, where she performed featured rolls such
as Spanish Pas de Deux, Chinese Variation, and Columbine
Doll Variation from The Nutcracker, Royal Court Pas de Deux
from The Little Mermaid, and Glenda from The Wizard of Oz.
This is Kelly’s third season with Kentucky Ballet Theatre.
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