Erika Overturff, Artistic director & CEO

Erika Overturff is the founder of American Midwest Ballet, the region’s professional ballet company. Under her leadership as artistic director and CEO, American Midwest Ballet enriches the area through an exciting array of professional dance performances and a strong commitment to cultural education and community engagement.

Erika began her training in Iowa at the Academy of Ballet, studying at summer programs including North Carolina School of the Arts, American Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet Theater, and the Kirov Academy. Following early high school graduation as valedictorian, Erika earned her B.F.A. in ballet performance and teaching from the University of Utah, which she attended on a full scholarship. She graduated cum laude in just three years and was chosen outstanding senior by the ballet department faculty.

Erika went on to dance with Montgomery Ballet, Alabama Ballet, Omaha Theater Ballet, and American Midwest Ballet. She has performed principal and soloist roles in a wide range of classical and contemporary repertoire. Audiences have enjoyed Erika’s performances in roles such as Eileen in Swing, Swing, Swing!, Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lucy in Dracula, Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, Myrtha in Giselle, the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, and roles in Ann Reinking’s In the Style of Bob Fosse and Harrison McEldowney’s Call It Off. Erika has also been a faculty member and guest teacher for schools around the United States.

As a choreographer, Erika has received critical praise for her work. She served as répétitrice for Montgomery Ballet and resident choreographer for Omaha Theater Ballet. She has worked on several collaborations with Opera Omaha, created a production of Peter and the Wolf with the Omaha Symphony, and regularly creates new works for American Midwest Ballet. In collaboration with Joslyn Art Museum, Erika has choreographed original ballets inspired by museum artwork or exhibitions, including Connemara, Cleopatra, Go West!, Appalachian Song, and The Bee’s Knees. Other featured works include Tropico, Party Animals, The Diner, Ella, Sweet and Low-Down, Rhapsody in Blue, and Cinderella. Erika also created American Midwest Ballet’s lively and entertaining version of the holiday favorite The Nutcracker, which has premiered to enthusiastic audiences both at home and on tour. For her vision and achievements, Erika was named a recipient of the Midlands Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards, honoring area entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals.

Erin Alarcón, Ballet Master

Artist Sponsor: OrthoNebraska

Erin Alarcón began her dance training with Christine Taylor at North Jersey School of Dance Arts in Hackettstown, NJ where she was also a member of New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet under the direction of Luba Gulyaeva. Erin went on to graduate magna cum laude with a B.A. in dance performance from Mercyhurst University Dance Department under the direction of Tauna Hunter. During her time there she performed both principal and soloist roles, as well as choreographed several works for the dance department. In addition to her classes and performances, Erin spent two years teaching the open ballet classes at Mercyhurst University. During the summers she studied with Eglevsky Ballet and Joffrey Ballet. She has been coached by many wonderful artists including Laura Alonso, Bruce Marks, Vivi Flindt, and Bill Evans. Erin had the opportunity to study dance abroad with Valerie Valentine of the Dutch National Ballet, where she worked directly with Ms. Valentine, as well as Maurice Causey, then Ballet Master for Netherlands Dance Theater.

Erin danced professionally with SoMar Dance Works and Ballet Concert, and has appeared as a guest artist with Iowa Dance Theater performing the title role of Cinderella. With American Midwest Ballet, she has performed the principal roles in Giselle, Swan Lake, The Wizard of Oz, and Alice in Wonderland, for which she won the Omaha Entertainment Award for Best Featured Dancer. In Erika Overturff’s The Nutcracker, Erin has danced the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop Fairy and Snow Queen. Erin has choreographed several works for American Midwest Ballet, including the award winning full-length ballet The Wizard of Oz and last season’s Fragile Creatures. Erin served as Operations Manager for the company for seven years and has taught master classes and workshops throughout the Midwest. Erin is a founding company member; this is her third season as Ballet Master for the company.

MARSALIS ANDERSON-CLAUSELL

Hometown: Roswell, Georgia

Training & Experience: Trained in classical ballet at Metropolitan Ballet Theater under the tutelage of prima ballerina Maniya Barredo for 10 seasons and trained in classical and contemporary dance with Atlanta Ballet; summer intensives at Orlando Ballet with Oliver Munoz, Nashville Ballet; national choreography including South Eastern Regional Ballet Association [SERBA] American and Canadian with Robert Barnett and the late John Magnus; Ballet Pensacola, two seasons as a soloist and three seasons as a principal dancer

Featured Repertory: Snow King, Thistle and Arabian in The Nutcracker; Wizard in The Wizard of Oz; Grasshopper and Dressmaker in Cinderella; roles in The Diner, Fragile Creatures, Love Games and Gerald Arpino’s Confetti.

Additional Highlights: An identical twin – member of the Twins Day Festival; third season with American Midwest Ballet

Nora Carr

Hometown: Burnt Hills, New York

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in dance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; Akjun Ballet Theatre; Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet; Northeast Ballet Artist; summer programs at American Ballet Theater, Miami City Ballet, Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive, CPYB; scholarship recipient at New York Summer School of the Arts

Featured Repertory: Gift of Wisdom in The Wizard of Oz; Clara, French and Porcelain Doll in The Nutcracker; Spring Fairy in Cinderella; roles in Fragile Creatures, Swan Lake, French Songs and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Additional Highlight: ninth season with American Midwest Ballet

Elena Carter

Hometown: Seattle, Washington

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in dance and B.A. in mathematics from the University of Arizona; Pacific Northwest Ballet School; summer programs at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Perry Mansfield, Ballet Austin, Los Angeles Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and Pacific Northwest Ballet

Featured Repertory: roles in Cinderella, The Wizard of Oz, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Death and the Maiden, Fragile Creatures, and Ray Mercer’s Speed Date.

Additional Highlights: selected to train with Pacific Northwest Ballet at the age of eight on full scholarship through a public outreach program; eighth season with American Midwest Ballet

Ryan Christopher

Hometown: Golden, Colorado

Training & Experience: International Youth Ballet School and Performing Arts Conservatory of Texas summer program; professional dancer with Ballet Ariel and Boulder Ballet; guest artist throughout the United States

Featured Repertory: soloist in Paquita; pas de trois in Swan Lake; pas de six in Giselle; pas de deux in French Songs; Snow King and Cavalier in The Nutcracker; Wizard in The Wizard of Oz; featured roles in On My Mother’s Side and Go West!

Additional Highlights: former baseball and football athlete; professional costume and prop designer; twelfth season with American Midwest Ballet

Claire Goodwillie

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Training & Experience: Omaha Theater Ballet School; summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet and Ballet Austin; apprentice with Omaha Theater Ballet

Featured Repertory: Gift of Courage in The Wizard of Oz; title role in Cleopatra, Rat Queen and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker; Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; featured roles in Sadako, Giselle, The Diner, and Go West!; Edgar L. Page’s A Slow Drag

Additional Highlights: company rehearsal assistant; fifteenth season with American Midwest Ballet; founding company member

Sophie Graham

Hometown: New Canaan, Connecticut

Training & Experience: Milwaukee Ballet 2; Joffrey Ballet Chicago trainee; New England Academy of Dance

Featured Repertory: roles in the Nutcracker and Cinderella with American Midwest Ballet; Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Swan Lake, and Beauty and the Beast, and a premiere in Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis show along with roles in George Balanchine’s Sylvia and Who Cares

Additional Highlight: second season with American Midwest Ballet

Alexandra Hoffman

Artist Sponsors: John Ritland, Greta Vaught, & Mia Ritland

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio

Training & Experience: Ana Lobe of Cleveland San Jose Ballet; summer programs at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Nashville Ballet, and Louisville Ballet; trainee with Louisville Ballet

Featured Repertory: Stepsister in Cinderella, Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker; Gift of Wisdom and Emerald Queen in The Wizard of Oz;  Maiden in Death and the Maiden; Fee in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Little Swan in Swan Lake; roles in Group Therapy, Fragile Creatures, Bournonville Divertissements, Transcription, and Don Quixote Pas de Deux

Additional Highlight: tenth season with American Midwest Ballet

JACK KADZIS

Artist Sponsors: Amy Haddad & Steve Martin

Hometown: Boston, Massachusetts

Training & Experience: Trained with the Boston Ballet School; apprentice with Sarasota Ballet; dancer with Milwaukee Ballet II; summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet, Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet

Featured Repertory: Cavalier in The Nutcracker; Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz; Fox and Dancing Master in Cinderella; Autumn Leaves male soloist in Frank Chaves’ Eva; Gerald Arpino’s Confetti. roles in Michael Pink’s The Nutcracker, Coppélia, and Beauty and the Beast, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Illuminations & The Dream, George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations & Diamonds, Jerome Robbins’ The Concert

Additional Highlight: third season with American Midwest Ballet

CASEY KELLEY

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska

Training & Experience: Ballet Nebraska II; American Midwest Ballet Junior Company; American Midwest Ballet School of Dance; Omaha Academy of Ballet; summer programs with Ballet West and American Midwest Ballet; guest artist with Omaha Dance Project and One For All Musical Theater

Featured Repertory: Tin Woodman in The Wizard of Oz; Battle Nutcracker and Gingerbread Man in The Nutcracker; roles in Go West!, Fragile Creatures and Frank Chaves’ Eva

Additional Highlight: third season with American Midwest Ballet

Leah Kressin

Hometown: Carlsbad, California

Training & Experience: Bachelor of Arts in dance from California State University Long Beach; San Elijo Dance and Music Academy on merit scholarship, City Ballet of San Diego, San Diego Ballet Collective; master classes with Gelsey Kirkland, David Howard, Susan Jaffe, Abbie Seifel, Desmond Richardson, Lawrence Rosenberg, Ivan Vargas; summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, Escuela Internacional de Flamenco Manolete

Featured Repertory: roles in The Nutcracker, Wizard of Oz, Cinderella and Swing, Swing, Swing!

Additional Highlight: third season with American Midwest Ballet

ERICA LOHMAN

Hometown: Indianapolis, Indiana

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in Dance Performance and Choreography from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (summa cum laude, with honors); performed with De La Dance Company, Kansas City Ballet, Wylliams Henry Contemporary Dance Company, and Albany Berkshire Ballet

Featured Repertory: roles in The Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Love Games and Frank Chaves’ Eva

Additional Highlights: performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; third season with American Midwest Ballet

Richard Marks

Hometown: Waukee, Iowa

Training & Experience: Milwaukee Ballet II; Westside Dance Academy; The Pointe Academy

Featured Repertory: Prince in Cinderella; Thistle and Snow King in The Nutcracker; Lion in The Wizard of Oz; roles in Fragile Creatures, The Diner, Go West, Stormy Monday in Frank Chaves’ Eva, Ray Mercer’s Speed Date and Swing, Swing, Swing.  Rustic in Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade; Vicor in Michael Pink’s Dracula

Additional Highlight: sixth season with American Midwest Ballet

Kelanie Murphy

Artist Sponsors: Polina & Bob Schlott

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in dance performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City; Madison Ballet, Minnesota Ballet; performed with Kansas City Ballet, Wylliams/Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Judith Svalander School of Ballet; summer programs at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Kansas City Ballet

Featured Repertory: Winter Fairy in Cinderella; Gift of Heart in The Wizard of Oz; Dew Drop Fairy and Snow Queen  in The Nutcracker; roles in Fragile Creatures, Gerald Arpino’s Confetti, Frank Chaves’ Eva and Habaneras; Ann Reinking and Dylis Croman’s staging of Bob Fosse’s Trumpet Solo from ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’

Additional Highlights: director of AMB Summer Intensive; company rehearsal assistant; seventh season with American Midwest Ballet

Kogan Murphy

Artist Sponsor: Dick & DeAnna Miller Charitable Trust

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Training & Experience: Joffrey Ballet trainee; Ballet Theatre of Indiana, Judith Svalander School of Ballet; Joffrey Ballet summer program

Featured Repertory: Cinderella in Cinderella; Glinda in The Wizard of Oz; lead in Rhapsody in Blue; Arabian Princess, Gingerbread and French in The Nutcracker; Little Swan in Swan Lake; roles in The Diner, Fragile Creatures, Appalachian Song, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Additional Highlights: Miss Illinois talent scholarship and Miss Douglas County; teacher for AMB’s Discover Dance scholarship program; tenth season with American Midwest Ballet

Katerina Schweitzer

Artist Sponsors: Michael & Michelle Thompson

Hometown: Vero Beach, Florida

Training & Experience: apprentice with Gelsey Kirkland Ballet; Space Coast Ballet Academy; Kirova Ballet Academy of Miami; private training by Heidi Khursandi; Gelsey Kirkland Ballet Academy graduate; summer programs at American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Ballet Vero Beach, Kirova Ballet Academy of Miami, and Gelsey Kirkland Academy

Featured Repertory: Clara and Sugar Plum Fairy  in The Nutcracker; Summer Fairy in Cinderella; roles in Gerlad Arpino’s Confetti, Death and the Maiden, Group Therapy, The Wizard of Oz, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Ray Mercer’s Ghost Light and Speed Date.

Additional Highlight: eighth season with American Midwest Ballet

Amaris Sharratt

Hometown: Tucson, Arizona

Training & Experience: Ballet Arts; summer programs at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, and Ballet Tucson on full scholarship; performed with Milwaukee Ballet II, Houston Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theater, Ballet Tucson, Earthen Vessels, and Hopestone Dance Company

Featured Repertory: Fall Fairy in Cinderella; Poppy Queen and Gift of Courage in The Wizard of Oz; lead in French Songs; Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Arabian and Chinese soloist in The Nutcracker; roles in Giselle, Paquita, Cleopatra, Go West!, Swan Lake, and Ella; Sandra Organ Solis’ Pearl

Additional Highlights: performed in Edinburgh, Scotland as a scholarship recipient at Burklyn Ballet Theater; eleventh season with American Midwest Ballet

Anna Swenson

Hometown: Spokane, Washington

Training & Experience: Ballet Arts Academy; trainee program at school of Alberta Ballet; summer programs at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Joffrey Ballet’s Jazz and Contemporary program, and School of Alberta Ballet

Featured Repertory: Fairy Godmother in Cinderella; Glinda and Emerald Queen in The Wizard of Oz; Snow Queen and Arabian Princess in The Nutcracker; Big Swan in Swan Lake; featured roles in Blackbird, Appalachian Song, Go West! and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Seneca Montgomery’s Order in the Chaos

Additional Highlight: twelfth season with American Midwest Ballet

WYATT WEECES

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in ballet performance from Friends University; Rogers Ballet; summer programs at Next Generation Ballet and Oklahoma City Ballet

Featured Repertory: Cavalier, Arabian and Russian in The Nutcracker; Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; roles in The Wizard of Oz, Death and the Maiden, Gerald Arpino’s Confetti, Fragile Creatures, Go West, Bricolage, and Habaneras

Additional Highlight: seventh season with American Midwest Ballet

Whitney Woods

Hometown: Westlake Village, California

Training & Experience: Joffrey Ballet trainee; guest artist at Pacific Festival Ballet; California Dance Theatre; summer programs at Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theatre New York, Houston Ballet, and Kirov Academy of Ballet

Featured Repertory: Poppy Queen in The Wizard of Oz; Porcelain Doll and Gingerbread in The Nutcracker; Little Swan in Swan Lake; roles in Connemara, Fragile Creatures, In the Style of Bob Fosse, Transcription, Ella, The Diner, Go West!, Appalachian Song, and Giselle

Additional Highlights: performed several world premieres in Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works; eleventh season with American Midwest Ballet

KELSEY CORDER

Hometown: Alma, Arkansas

Training & Experience: Louisville Ballet Studio Company; Western Arkansas Ballet

Summer Programs: Burklyn Ballet Theater, Kansas City Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater

Additional Highlights: performed in George Balanchine’s Serenade with Louisville Ballet; attended and performed in multiple Regional Dance America Southwest festivals

Eliza harden

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in ballet performance from the University of Oklahoma School of Dance (summa cum laude); Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory; DuPont Manual Youth Performing Arts School; Village Dance Theatre

Summer Programs: Cincinnati Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory, BalletMet

Additional Highlights: performed at the Mexico City International Dance Festival; voted “Outstanding Senior” by dance professors

Noah Kargman

Hometown: Roanoke, Virginia

Training & Experience: Roanoke Ballet Theatre; Loudoun Ballet Performing Arts Company; Burton Center for Performing Arts

Summer Programs: Roanoke Ballet Theatre, Charlotte Ballet

Additional Highlight: second season with American Midwest Ballet

CYAN LOVE

Hometown: Miami, Florida/Jupiter, Florida

Training & Experience: Miami City Ballet School, Paris Ballet and Dance, and Orlando Ballet School

Summer Programs: San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Joffrey Ballet Academy, Ballet West, Paris Ballet and Dance, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Ballet Hispánico

Additional Highlights: Performed lead roles in Sleeping Beauty, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Nutcracker with Paris Ballet and Dance by director Jean-Hugues Feray; also performed in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker with Miami City Ballet; performed in The Nutcracker with Orlando Ballet

Megan Lynch

Hometown: Winona, Minnesota

Training & Experience: B.F.A. in ballet and B.A. in history from the University of Utah; Ballet Blake, Rochester, Minnesota; Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts

Summer Programs: Kansas City Ballet School, Joffrey Ballet, International Summer Program (Inchon, Korea), Ballet Austin, Joffrey Ballet School

Additional Highlights: received the Outstanding Senior Award from the University of Utah School of Dance; performed in Inchon, Korea, under the direction of Oleg Vinogradov in Paquita

Mateusz Lojewski

Hometown: Camanche, Iowa

Training & Experience: Bossov Ballet Theater, Koltun Ballet Boston, Ballet Arts Worcester

Summer Programs: Bossov Ballet Theater, School of American Ballet, Walnut Hill School for the Arts

Additional Highlights: Managed costumes, props, and backdrops for production of The Nutcracker; demonstrated for an online program in Taiwan.