Program to be announced later.

http://www.usaibc.com/reunion_performers.htm

Participants:

Rasta Thomas, USA - Senior Gold, 1998 - International Artist

Adrienne Canterna, USA - Junior Gold, 1998 - Freelance Artist

Wu Haiyan, China - Senior Gold, 2002 - Miami City Ballet

Joseph Phillips, USA - Junior Gold, 2002 - American Ballet Theatre

Jeffrey Cirio, USA - Junior Bronze, 2006 - Boston Ballet II

Brooklyn Mack, USA - Senior Silver, 2006 - Orlando Ballet

Igor Antonov, Ukraine - Senior Bronze, 1994 - Richmond Ballet

Marina Antonova, Russia - Senior Silver, 1994 - Freelance Artist

Misa Kuranaga, Japan - Senior Gold, 2006 - Boston Ballet

Ramon Moreno, Cuba - Junior Bronze, 1994 - Ballet San Jose

Yui Yonezawa, Japan - Senior Bronze, 2006 - Ballet San Jose

Yang Zou - performing Giselle with Wu Haiyan

I checked Rasta Thomas's website and it said that he will be dancing with Adrienne Canterna. No information as to their program.

Joseph Phillips indicated on his website that he will be dancing Stars and Stripes with Misa Kuranaga. It looks like he will also be doing Solor's variation from La Bayadere.

Thanks for that listing, ruteyo.

Wu Haiyan (Haiyan Wu in the Miami City Ballet company listings) has danced Giselle with her husband, Yan Zou, and others in the company. (Zou is a soloist with MCB.) They blend well together and he is a super-considerate, super-attentive partner.

Will anyone be in Jackson to attend the performance?

While browsing the IBC site I came across this article, which features a number of Miami hires from the Jackson competition. In addition to Wu, there were Mikhail Ilyin (now, like Phillips, with ABT) and Katia Carranza, who is dividing her time between MCB and her husband Luis Serrano's Ballet Monterey in Mexico).

I was there. Haiyan Wu did the Giselle Pas de Deux that she did in the competition 6 years ago - it was great to see it again. She also did a variation from the Esmeralda Pas de Deux that was just OK. Brooklyn Mack was the star of the show - closing out the night with his "Bouncin' Back" (AKA the torn shirt dance). Adrienne Canterna was there with her new baby - brought her on stage for the final bows. Yui Yonezawa was a last minute cancellation due to an injury. Misa Kuranaga and Joseph Phillips were nice in their Balanchine "Stars and Stripes". Jeffrey Cirio (now with Boston Ballet II) was there and it was nice to see him growing up.

They did not have the special sprung floor that down that they use in the competition so some of the dancers might have held back a little. There was a good crowd of mostly local people. The weather was hot!

ejmc:

I agree it was good to see everyone back in Jackson. I was there at the theatre earlier in the day and the dancers said not only was the floor very hard, but it was extremely slippery. Many of them didn't feel that they could gain the footing they needed even with using rosin. That may have been the reason for "holding back." Despite that, I thought it was a great show. I loved the "Pas Glazunov" that Marina Antonova and Igor Antonov performed. Just beautiful.

The amazing thing to me is the people of Jackson. They are absolutely the most welcoming audience. The dancers feel loved there, and it's no wonder they like going back.

P.S. Rasta and Adrienne's daughter is just adorable. I think she stole the show!!