American Midwest Ballet’s talented professional dancers hail from around the nation and abroad. The company plays a key role in the cultural vitality of the region, inspiring people through its expressive performing artists, acclaimed choreographers, skilled teachers, and stunning productions.
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 an all-new production of Peter and the Wolf with the Omaha Symphony, and regularly creates new works for American Midwest Ballet. As part of the company’s ongoing 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, and Rhapsody in Blue. 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
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 full-length ballet The Wizard of Oz. 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 second season as Ballet Master for the company.
Artists
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: Thistle & Arabian in The Nutcracker; Wizard in The Wizard of Oz; Prince in Snow White; Pas de Trois in Paquita; Jafar in Aladdin. Guesting: Mobile Ballet, Peter Pan
Additional Highlights: An identical twin – member of the Twins Day Festival; second 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; French and Porcelain Doll in The Nutcracker; roles in Swan Lake, French Songs, Group Therapy, Appalachian Song, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Additional Highlight: eighth 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 The Wizard of Oz, The Nutcracker, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Death and the Maiden, In the Style of Bob Fosse, and Appalachian Song
Additional Highlights: selected to train with Pacific Northwest Ballet at the age of eight on full scholarship through a public outreach program; seventh 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; eleventh 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, Party Animals, Giselle, The Diner, and Go West!; Edgar L. Page’s A Slow Drag
Additional Highlights: company rehearsal assistant; fourteenth season with American Midwest Ballet; founding company member
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: 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, Cleopatra, Go West!, Bournonville Divertissements, and Transcription
Additional Highlight: ninth season with American Midwest Ballet
JACK KADZIS
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; Autumn Leaves male soloist in Frank Chaves’ Eva; 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: second season with American Midwest Ballet
CASEY KELLEY
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
Training & Experience: Ballet Nebraska lI; 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 Santa Claus in The Nutcracker; roles in The Nutcracker and Frank Chaves’ Eva
Additional Highlight: second 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, The Bee’s Knees, 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, and Frank Chaves’ Eva
Additional Highlights: performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland; second season with American Midwest Ballet
Richard Marks
Hometown: Waukee, Iowa
Training & Experience: Milwaukee Ballet II; Westside Dance Academy; The Pointe Academy
Featured Repertory: Thistle and Snow King in The Nutcracker; Lion in The Wizard of Oz; Frank Chaves’ Habaneras; Rustic in Bruce Wells’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Dark Angel in George Balanchine’s Serenade; Vicor in Michael Pink’s Dracula
Additional Highlight: fifth season with American Midwest Ballet
Kelanie Murphy
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: Gift of Heart in The Wizard of Oz; Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker; roles in French Songs, The Wizard of Oz, and Habaneras; Ann Reinking and Dylis Croman’s staging of Bob Fosse’s Trumpet Solo from ‘Sing, Sing, Sing’
Additional Highlights: company rehearsal assistant; sixth season with American Midwest Ballet
Kogan Murphy
Artist Sponsors: Steve Martin & Amy Haddad
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Training & Experience: Joffrey Ballet trainee; Ballet Theatre of Indiana, Judith Svalander School of Ballet; Joffrey Ballet summer program
Featured Repertory: Glinda in The Wizard of Oz; lead in Rhapsody in Blue; Arabian Princess, Spanish and French in The Nutcracker; Little Swan in Swan Lake; roles in The Wizard of Oz, Giselle, 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; ninth season with American Midwest Ballet
Katerina Schweitzer
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, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Spanish in The Nutcracker; roles in Death and the Maiden, Group Therapy, The Wizard of Oz, Appalachian Song, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Habaneras; Ray Mercer’s Ghost Light
Additional Highlight: seventh 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: 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; tenth season with American Midwest Ballet
Anna Swenson
Artist Sponsor: Sharon McGill
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: 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, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Seneca Montgomery’s Order in the Chaos
Additional Highlight: eleventh 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: Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Nutcracker Prince, Russian, and Arabian in The Nutcracker; roles in The Wizard of Oz, Death and the Maiden, Appalachian Song, Bricolage, and Habaneras, the Music of Cuba
Additional Highlight: sixth 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 Spanish in The Nutcracker; Little Swan in Swan Lake; roles in Connemara, In the Style of Bob Fosse, One in Three, Transcription, Ella, The Diner, Go West!, Appalachian Song, and Giselle
Additional Highlights: performed several world premieres in Joffrey Ballet’s Winning Works; tenth season with American Midwest Ballet
Apprentices
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
Sophie Graham
Hometown: New Canaan, Connecticut
Training & Experience: Milwaukee Ballet 2; Joffrey Ballet Chicago trainee; New England Academy of Dance
Summer Programs: ART of workshop in Zurich, Switzerland; Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell; Miami City Ballet; Boston Ballet; American Ballet Theatre; Sarasota Ballet
Additional Highlights: roles in 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
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
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
TRAINEE
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
OrthoNebraska is the official orthopaedic hospital and physical therapy provider
for American Midwest Ballet. Special thanks to Dr. Michael C. Thompson, M.D.,
Michelle Reilly, PT, D.P.T., and Dr. Amard “AJ” Abcejo, D.O.