Artistic Staff
Alabama Ballet Company
MEET OUR ARTISTIC STAFF
Christopher Stuart
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Christopher Stuart, originally from Sandy Hook, CT, was first introduced to the Arts by his grandmother, who frequently took him to see performances of all types of ballet and musical theatre. This was where Christopher first fell in love with the stage. He began his formal training with Steve Sirico, Angela D’valda Sirico, Franco De Vita and Raymond Lukens, and now with a child of his own, he understands why the arts are so important to enriching our community, especially its children.
Roger VanFleteren
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Roger VanFleteren, Associate Artistic Director, is a native of Michigan where he began his training at the age of twelve with Charmaine Shick. VanFleteren is a former American Ballet Theater soloist and also performed as a principal dancer with the London City Ballet. VanFleteren has performed in repertoire by Kenneth MacMillan, Twyla Tharp, George Balanchine, and Mikhail Baryshnikov and danced the title role in Agnes De Mille’s last ballet, “The Other”.
jon upleger
REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
Jon Upleger began his formal training under the direction of Petrus Bosman and David Keener at the Virginia School of the Arts. Upon graduation, he joined Nashville Ballet in 2000. During his time at Nashville Ballet, Upleger has performed roles from such varied repertoire as Romeo inRomeo & Juliet, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, Prince Charming in Cinderella, the Sugar Plum Cavalier in Nashville’s Nutcracker and Dracula in Paul Vasterling’s Dracula.
ALEXANDRA upleger
company teacher & coach
Alexandra Upleger trained in Ohio under Ana Lobe until 2008 when she joined Nashville Ballet. She danced with the company until 2018, during which time she performed principal roles in Nashville’s Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Dracula, Peter Pan, Cinderella and Western Symphony. She also performed leading rolesin ballets by Christopher Bruce and Jiri Kylian and had the pleasure of working with Christopher Wheeldon, Brian Enos, Darrell Moultrie, Gina Patterson, James Sewell and Christopher Stuart.
Luiza Boaventura
GUEST REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
A former Alabama Ballet company dancer, Luiza Boaventura started to study ballet at the age of 7 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, at Classical School of Uberlândia under the direction of Guiomar Boaventura, and graduated in 2005. From 2010 to 2013 she danced with Dance Alive National Ballet in Florida. She also performed with Gulf Coast Ballet Theatre in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Civic Ballet of Volusia County in 2011, Jacksonville Ballet Theatre, Grupo Mineiro de Dancas Classicas, Brazil, and Classical Ballet of Tampa in 2012, as a Guest artist.
Alabama Ballet Company
MEET OUR ARTISTIC STAFF
David Page
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Biography
Joelle Tucker
COMPANY & production STAGE MANAGER
Biography
Joelle is in her eighteenth season with Alabama Ballet. A Birmingham native, she graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a degree in theatre. While at UAB, Joelle stage managed and performed in numerous productions, and received awards & recognition from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She also works with the Alabama Dance Festival Showcases and has taught stage management at UAB Department of Theatre. Joelle enjoys all the various aspects of her work with Alabama Ballet, and is grateful for the opportunity to rise to new challenges for such a wonderfully gifted company.
Wendy Gamble
COSTUME DIRECTOR
Biography
Wendy Gamble is returning to the Alabama Ballet for her eighteenth season as Costume Director. She also spent an additional five years as Costume Assistant training under Betty Smith. Ms.Gamble assisted in the creation of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, Donizetti Variations, Tarentella and Serenade. She has also worked in the construction of new costumes for Giselle, Paquita and Swan Lake. Design credits for Ms. Gamble include costumes for Pas de Quatre, La Bayadere; and Roger VanFleteren’s Roson, Shoo-Pah, Bonnie and Clyde, Cinderella, Messin’ with Mozart, Dracula, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Death and the Maiden, Of One Voice, 1 and 5, UnRavelled; and Alice for Alice in Wonderland. She has especially enjoyed the design and construction of the costumes for our productions of Jiri Kylian’s Sechs Tanze, and Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo. Wendy has also created costumes for Germaul Barnes’ In the Folds, Frederick Rocas’ Kali, Teri Weksler’s Bonhomie, Nadine Barton’s Watts and Nerves, JaMorris Rivers’ The Purple Ones and Michael Fothergill’s Laid to Wrest and Chiaroscuro. Along with her work at the Alabama Ballet, Wendy has enjoyed working with Wes Chapman in assisting to costume the wonderful students at the Alabama School of Fine Arts and collaborating with Opera Birmingham to costume the students for their production of Hansel and Gretel.
