Company

Audrey Lukacz, Company Dancer
Joined Ballet RI:  2020 

Hometown: Portsmouth, NH 

Training/Education: Portsmouth School of Ballet, BA in Dance Pedagogy from Butler University 

Favorite Quote: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou  

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why: I think it’s hard to pick just one favorite since there are just so many beautiful ballets out there. I think if I had to choose, I would say Romeo and Juliet and Onegin to watch. But my favorite role I’ve done so far has been Carabosse in the Sleeping Beauty. There is just something so fun and so powerful about getting to play a role that is so far from reality. Something comes over you on stage and it’s a feeling like nothing else.  

Accomplishment you are most proud of: I am most proud of receiving my bachelor’s degree from Butler University in 3.5 years and getting my first professional contract with Ballet RI.  

Fun Fact about yourself: I do wheel thrown pottery and thrift avidly! I also can pogo stick with no hands.  

Follow Audrey on Instagram @audreylukacz  

 

Name: Katherine Bickford Vigly

Company Position:  Company Artist

Joined Ballet RI:  In 2015 as a trainee. Promoted to Apprentice in 2017 and Company in 2019.

Hometown: Miami, FL / Fryeburg, ME

Training/Education: Dance Empire, Portland School of Ballet, Canada’s National Ballet School, B.S. in Ecology and Environmental Science from the University of Maine

 Favorite Quote:

“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

But also:

“I hate quotations.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why:  

Yikes, it is very hard to choose… and it is always changing. My most recent favorite was dancing the solo girl in Katarzyna Kozielska’s ‘Ode’. It was a role that I felt I could keep dancing forever because I felt so present and myself in it. My mind never wanted to wander; I was fully able to enjoy getting lost in the moment while dancing it.

 Accomplishment you are most proud of:  Making a career as a professional dancer.

Fun Fact about yourself:  I like learning about insects and how they shape our world. Bombus perplexus is my favorite.

Follow Katherine on Instagram @kjjbickford

 

MORE

Name:  Clay Murray

Company Position:  Company Artist

Joined Ballet RI:  Joined Ballet Ri in 2022 as Company Member

Hometown: Hattiesburg, MS

Training/Education: South Mississippi Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet Academy, Pacific Northwest Ballet

Favorite Quote:  “I won’t break, I’ll just bend, and I’ll sway.” -Kacey Musgraves

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why:

There are so many amazing roles I’ve gotten to do in my career. A few favorites have been Bluebird in “Sleeping Beauty”, Sugarplum Cavalier in “The Nutcracker”, Iago in “Moore’s Pavane”, First Pas De Deux in Yury Yanowsky’s “Death and the Maiden”,Jester in Yury Yanowsky’s “Cinderella”, and Azure Barton’s “Les Chambres Des Jacques.”

Accomplishment you are most proud of:  Overcoming a major knee surgery and coming back to ballet.

Fun Fact about yourself:  I love going to concerts and the gym.

Follow Clay on Instagram @claymurray

 

 

Name: AJ Maio

Company Position: Company

Joined Ballet RI:  Joined Ballet RI in 2022 as an apprentice. Promoted to Company in 2023.

Hometown: Barrington, RI

Training/Education: School of Ballet RI, University of Utah BFA

Favorite Quote: “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” A.A. Milne

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why: Being the Nutcracker in Ballet RI’s production because getting to dance the Trepak dance is so much fun.

Accomplishment you are most proud of:  Graduating from the University of Utah with my Ballet BFA degree.

Fun Fact about yourself:  I love Ukrainian folk dancing and teach character dance at the School of Ballet RI.

Follow AJ on Instagram @a.m_j08

 

 

Name:   Tara McCally
Company Position:  Company member
Joined Ballet RI:  2021
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Training/Education: Feijoo Ballet School under Nelson Madrigal, Lorna and Lorena Feijoo
Favorite Quote: “The best is yet to come” -frank Sinatra
Favorite Role or Ballet & Why:  It is impossible to narrow down all the roles if been lucky to perform and choose just one favorite, so two roles I hold close to my heart are “Jackie” in Yury Yanowsky’s “Jackie” and “solo woman” in Katarzyna Kozielska’s “Ode”. Both roles challenged me emotionally, physically and truly made me a better dancer.
Accomplishment you are most proud of:   Though I am so proud of all of my achievements in ballet, I am most proud of the family I’ve made on the east coast!
Fun Fact about yourself:  I’m related to Alexander Hamilton and John Wilkes booth

Follow Tara on Instagram @Tara.mccally

Name:  Corinne Mulcahy

Company Position:  Apprentice

Joined Ballet RI:  Joined Ballet RI in 2022 as a Junior Apprentice. Promoted to Apprentice in 2023.

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA

Training/Education: The School of Philadelphia Ballet

Favorite Quote: “They say love is the best investment; the more you give, the more you get in return.“ – Audrey Hepburn

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why: My favorite role with Ballet RI has been Bluebird in Yury Yanowski’s Beauty Awakened, as it allowed me to challenge my technique while enjoying the entire process. With Philadelphia Ballet II, I danced as Aurora and Snow White, embracing the opportunity to delve into these character roles and discover nuanced ways to bring their stories to life.

Accomplishment you are most proud of:  I am most proud of my ability to balance multiple areas of life while continually achieving personal growth in each one.

Fun Fact about yourself:  I am working toward my Bachelor’s in Data Analytics and Psychological Sciences at UPenn.

Follow Corinne on Instagram @corinnemulcahyy

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Anna Lisa Wilkins
Company Position:  Company Dancer
Joined Ballet RI:  2020
Hometown: East Longmeadow, MA
Training/Education: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (Go Hoosiers!)
 Favorite Quote: Have courage and be kind. Beauty will save the world.
Favorite Role or Ballet & Why:  Emilia from José Limón’s Moor’s Pavane. To tell such a dramatic and powerful story through subtlety and detail was an incredible artistic challenge, and one I hope to revisit one day. (Also, the costume was FABULOUS!)

Accomplishment you are most proud of: Having the opportunity to work for an organization as both a dancer and an administrative manager. I’m living my dream while also gaining experience that will help me develop and impact live performance art from both sides of the stage.

Fun Fact about yourself: Everyone in my family was born on the 13^th or 31^st – completely by chance.

Follow Anna Lisa on Instagram @annalisa.wilx

Name: Nina Yoshida-Webster

Company Position: Company Artist

Joined Ballet RI:  Joined Ballet RI in 2021 as a Company Artist.

Hometown: Madison, NJ

Training/Education: Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet, B.A. in Dance Performance, St. Mary’s College of California’s LEAP (Liberal Education for Arts Professionals) program.

Favorite Quote: “The dance goes on forever. So shall I. So shall we.” ~ Gelsey Kirkland

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why: 

It’s so hard to pick just one since they are all so different! I loved the acting and technical challenges in performing Aurora in Sleeping Beauty. The challenges this role presented forced me to grow into Aurora’s character in the process. I also got to work on footwork and musical playfulness when I performed the Jumping Girl in George Balanchine’s Who Cares? Last but not least, my hands-down favorite acting role, which had some pretty challenging dancing in it too, was the younger stepsister in Cinderella. It was my first experience playing with comedy on stage. Getting to hear the audience’s laughter and reactions in real time was one of the most rewarding performance experiences I’ve had!

Accomplishment you are most proud of: 

Graduating from St. Mary’s College all while planning my wedding and dancing full-time with Ballet RI!

Fun Fact about yourself: 

I have walked every single block in Manhattan with my now husband, Kincade. I also love to garden, as well as sew and knit my own clothes and dancewear!

Follow Nina on Instagram @ninaballerina98

Name:   Hannah Wood 

Company Position:  Apprentice 

Joined Ballet RI:  2021

Hometown: Westminster Maryland 

Training/Education: Carroll County Dance Center and BalletMet before BalletRI

 Favorite Quote: “It’s better to fall in originality than to succeed in imitation.”– Herman Melville

Favorite Role or Ballet & Why: George Balanchine’s “Serenade” The choreography of this Ballet combined with Tchaikovsky’s seamless music creates  breathtaking scenes that are not only interesting to watch but dance as well. This ballet will always be one of my favorites to perform

Accomplishment you are most proud of:  Receiving my first paid contract with BalletRI

Fun Fact about yourself:  I love board games

Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannah_elisebeth