Webb, Casady to Appear in Shreveport Ballet's NUTCRACKER, 12/3 & 4

SARA WEBB and IAN CASADY, principal dancers of the Houston Ballet, LAURA FEIG, former principal dancer of the Atlanta Ballet, and CRISTIAN LAVERDE KÖNIG, former principal dancer of the Milwaukee Ballet, will appear as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's production of The Nutcracker which will be performed in Shreveport, Louisiana, and El Dorado, Arkansas.

SARA WEBB and IAN CASADY will appear as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's performances of The Nutcracker on December 3 and 4, 2011 at the Riverview Theatre in Shreveport, Louisiana.

LAURA FEIG and CRISTIAN LAVERDE KÖNIG will appear as guest artists in the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker on December 10, 2011 at the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium in El Dorado, Arkansas.

SARA WEBB received her early ballet training at the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre and at the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida, from which she graduated in 1996.

Ms. Webb was invited to join the Houston Ballet in 1997. She was promoted to principal dancer in 2003.

Ms. Webb has performed principal roles in several of Ben Stevenson's productions of the classics including Aurora and Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker, Kitri in Don Quixote, Swanhilda in Coppelia, the title role in Giselle, and in Stevenson's original narrative ballets, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Svetlana in Dracula, Alice and Tiger Lily in Alice in Wonderland, the title role in Cinderella, and Esmeralda Pas de Deux.

Ms. Webb has also expanded her repertoire to include the roles of Lise in Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee, the title role in Stanton Welch's Madame Butterfly,the title role in Welch's Marie Antoinette, Odette/Odile in Stanton Welch's production of Swan Lake, the title role in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, the title role in Maina Gielgud's production of Giselle, the title role in La Sylphide, Nikiya in Welch's production of La Bayadere, Katherina in John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew, and the title role in James Kudelka's Firebird.

Ms. Webb also created the role of Wendy in Trey McIntyre's Peter Pan, the role of Thumbelina in McIntyre's The Shadow, Stanton Welch's Mediaeval Baebes, and a principal role in Christopher Bruce's Hush.

Ms. Webb has also appeared in principal roles in works by contemporary choreographers including Stanton Welch's Nosotros, Divergence, Maninyas, Garden of Mirth, Indigo, Tutu, Velocity, Elements, and Bruiser; Stevenson's Four Last Songs and Five Poems; Serge Lifar's Suite en Blanc; Harald Lander's Etudes; George Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Apollo, The Four Temperaments, Western Symphony, Symphony in C, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Serenade; Sir Frederick Ashton's Les Patineurs, Christopher Bruce's Ghost Dances, Sergeant Early's Dream, and Rooster; Nacho Duato's Without Words; Trey McIntyre's Second Before The Ground; William Forsythe's In The Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Lila York's Rules of the Game, Natalie Weir's Steppenwolf and The Host; Julia Adam's The Accidental, Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land and Falling Angels, Glen Tetley's Voluntaries, Mark Morris' Sandpaper Ballet, William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Antony Tudor's The Leaves Are Fading, Jerome Robbins' In The Night, Kenneth MacMillan's Song of the Earth, and Christopher Wheeldon's Carousel (A Dance) and Rush.

Ms. Webb was a finalist at the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Jackson, performing Stevenson's Twilight, which Ben Stevenson created for Ms. Webb and her partner, Ian Casady. Ms. Webb also performed the world premiere of Twilight at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in 2002.

During the 2008-09 season Ms. Webb appeared as a guest artist with Ballet West in Michael Smuin's The Tempest, and also appeared as a guest artist with Ballet West dancing the role of Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty.

Commenting on Ms. Webb's artistry, Molly Glentzer of the Houston Chronicle described her as a "ballerina who dances from the soul, bleeding musicality, technical virtuosity, speed, fearlessness and spunk through her gracefully arched feet and liquid arms. Her lightness of being is so palpable, she seems to float even when she's standing; and when a partner lifts her, you almost wonder if she's attached to flying wires."

Ms. Webb was honored to perform two of Ben Stevenson's works -- Twilight and Esmeralda Pas de Deux -- at the June 2003 gala honoring Ben Stevenson on the occasion of his retirement as artistic director of the Houston Ballet.

IAN CASADY was born in Marin County, California, and received his training there under the guidance of David Roxander and Jody White at Dance Theater Seven. He joined the Houston Ballet in 1998 after studying at the Houston Ballet's Ben Stevenson Academy. Mr. Casady was promoted to soloist in 2002 and to principal dancer in 2007.

Mr. Casady's principal roles in classical works include Marc Antony in Ben Stevenson's Cleopatra, Romeo in Stevenson's Romeo and Juliet, Frederick in Stevenson's Dracula, the Prince in Stevenson's Cinderella, the Prince in Stevenson's The Nutcracker, Prince Florimund in Stevenson's The Sleeping Beauty, Pinkerton in Stanton Welch's Madame Butterfly, Dandini in Welch's Cinderella, Prince Siegfried in Welch's production of Swan Lake, Louis Auguste in the world premiere of Welch's Marie, Des Grieux in Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, Solor in Welch's production of La Bayadere, James in Auguste Bournonville's La Sylphide, in a production staged by Johnny Eliason, and Lucentio in John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew.

Mr. Casady created the role of King Louis in Stanton Welch's full-length ballet, Marie Antoinette.

Mr. Casady has also danced principal roles in George Balanchine's Symphony in C, Jewels (Emeralds), and La Valse, Trey McIntyre's Second Before The Ground and Peter Pan, Paul Taylor's Company B, Stevenson's Twilight, Four Last Songs, and Five Poems; Jerome Robbins' Fancy Free, Christopher Wheeldon's Rush, MacMillan's Song of the Earth, and Welch's Indigo, Velocity, Falling, Red Earth, Elements, Tutu, The Core, and A Doll's House.

Mr. Casady has also been given the opportunity to show his versatility in contemporary repertoire including roles in Christopher Bruce's Ghost Dances, Hush, Rooster, Sgt. Early's Dream, Grinning In Your Face, and Swan Song, Hans van Manen's Grosse Fugue, Five Tangos, and Solo; Nacho Duato's Without Words and Jardi Tancat, and Jiri Kylian's Forgotten Land, Svadebka, Petit Mort, and Soldiers Mass.

Mr. Casady was a finalist in the 2002 Jackson International Ballet Competition and is proud to have been a founding member of the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater.

LAURA FEIG trained at the Seiskaya Ballet Academy and later studied with Maggie Black.

Ms. Feig began her career with the Atlanta Ballet under the direction of John McFall, where she spent ten years, becoming a principal dancer with the company.

Ms. Feig has also performed as a member of Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, the National Ballet of Canada, BalletX, Chautauqua Ballet, and Ballet NY.

Ms. Feig has toured the United States, Canada and Japan starring in Twyla Tharp's Movin' Out in the role of Judy.

Ms. Feig has danced principal roles in the classics including Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. She has also performed leading roles in works by Julia Adam, George Balanchine, Val Canaparoli, Matthew Neenan, Michael Pink, Ben Stevenson, Christopher Wheeldon, and Lila York.

Ms. Feig has had many roles created for her by choreographers including Christopher Hampson, Edwaard Liang, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Alexei Ratmansky, Margo Sappington, and Stanton Welch.

CRISTIAN LAVERDE KÖNIG was born in Colombia and received his early ballet training at the Incolballet (Colombian Institute of Ballet) in Cali, Colombia. Mr. König pursued his studies at the National School of Ballet in Havana, Cuba, where he was given a full scholarship for two consecutive years. He was a finalist at the first and second International Ballet Competition for students held in Havana, Cuba. Upon graduation, in 1996, he joined the National Ballet of Cuba as a member of the corps de ballet.

Mr. König joined the Ballet de Cali as a soloist in 1997. Upon pursuing his career in the United States, Mr. König joined the Hartford Ballet as a soloist in 1998, and in 1999, joined Ballet Internationale as a soloist.

In 2000 Mr. König joined the Maximum Dance Company as a principal dancer.

Mr. König's repertoire includes principal roles in Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Coppelia, The Flames of Paris Pas de Deux, Le Corsaire Pas de Deux, Diana and Acteon Pas de Deux, Flower Festival At Genzano Pas de Deux, Napoli Act III, Raymonda Pas de Dix, Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet, La Bayadere, and Spartacus, and George Balanchine's Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Valse Fantaisie, and Rubies, Twyla Tharp's Sinatra Suite, Martha Graham's Diversion of Angels, Natalya Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyov's Creation of the World, Alberto Mendez's Munecos (Dolls), Nacho Duato's Por vos Muero, Spencer Gavin Hering's Dichotomy, Andrea Dawn Shelley's Invonice, and Ivan Tenorio's Cantata.

With the Maximum Dance Company Mr. König danced principal roles in David Palmer's Bound for Brubeck, Yanis Pikieris' and David Palmer's elements and Adiemus, KT Nelson's Below The Rim, Ivonice Satie's Arroq, and Yanis Pikieris' Imagined Notions and Lecuna Passion.

Mr. König has created roles in David Palmers', Einsled, Passing Through, and Mist, Yanis Pikieris' and David Palmer's Follow Me, Spectrum, Random Studies, Romantic Interludes, and The Rite of Spring, Yanis Pikieris' The Four Seasons, Paolo Mohovich's Hotel Presidente, Ruslan Gawriljuk's O Encontro, and Jean Christophe Blavier's Sky Is The Limit.

In 2005 Mr. König joined the Milwaukee Ballet as a principal dancer. Mr. König expanded his repertoire to include the role of Jonathan Harker in the Christopher Gable/Michael Pink production of Dracula.

In 2007 Mr. König left the Milwaukee Ballet to pursue a career as a freeLance Guest artist, and in 2009 he appeared with the National Ballet of Slovakia as a guest soloist. He also participated in the creation of Infinite Movement Ever Evolving (iMEE) and O Dance.

In 2002 Mr. König was a finalist at the USA International Ballet Competition. The Governor of his home state in Colombia honored him in 2003 with an award for "Outstanding Achievements in the Arts Abroad". He was invited by the Consulate General of Colombia in Houston to be featured in the gala, "Talento Inspirado", showcasing important Colombian artists widely recognized.

Mr. König has toured extensively throughout many countries and has appeared as a guest artist in Japan, Brazil, and Guatemala. He has also appeared as a guest artist in the National Ballet of Panama's production of The Sleeping Beauty, the Ballet de Cali's production of The Nutcracker, Ballet Anna Pavlova's Don Quixote, and the Yung Ballet of Costa Rica's premiere of The Sleeping Beauty.

Mr. König has also appeared as a guest artist with many regional ballet companies in the United States including Ballet Florida and the Dominic Walsh Dance Theatre.

He has also taken great pride in representing his country dancing in international ballet festivals in Italy, Hungary, Scotland, and Cuba.

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