Princeton Ballet School Celebrates Merit Scholarship Award Recipients, Recognizes Seniors

Princeton Ballet School, the official school of American Repertory Ballet (ARB), presented scholarship awards and recognized its graduating seniors at its Annual Spring Production. This year's production, The Sleeping Beauty, was presented at Patriots Theatre at the War Memorial in Trenton, N.J.

The Audrée Estey Award is named for Princeton Ballet School's founder and is given to rising seniors of exceptional talent and dedication and who serve as role models to others. This year's recipients are AnnaLee Brody of Princeton, N.J., Nichole Heiser of Skillman, N.J. and Annika Kuo of Belle Mead, N.J.

The Ruth Pettit Award was established by Ms. Pettit's family in her memory. Ms. Pettit was a Princeton Ballet School parent volunteer who worked in ARB's wardrobe department. Her daughter, Dodie, went on to a career on Broadway. The 2017 recipient of the Ruth Pettit Award is Kaila Jones of Plainsboro, N.J.

The Nora Orphanides Award goes to an outstanding young pre-professional. The 2017 recipient of this award is Zoya Pavlovsky of Ewing, N.J. Pavlovsky, who started ballet at the age of four at Princeton Ballet School, has completed three years in the Professional Training Program. This summer, she will be attending the Princeton Ballet School Summer Program and will be an American Repertory Ballet Trainee for the 2017-18 season.

The Molly Clifton Award was established by Lisa and Lionel de Ravel to honor the memory of Ms. Clifton, a fellow dancer with Ms. de Ravel in American Repertory Ballet. It goes to a younger female dancer of great promise, and this year it went to Naomi Namboodiripad of Plainsboro, N.J.

The Edwards Scholarship was established by Sally Edwards and her husband Don to be given to a very young dancer who exhibits a great enthusiasm and joy in dance classes. This year, the Edwards Scholarship was awarded to Madeleine Rambow of Princeton, N.J.

The Maria Youskevitch Scholarship Fund was established in 2013 at the initiative of Ildiko Henni-Jones to honor Maria Youskevitch, the 2014 recipient of the Audrée Estey Award for Excellence in Dance Education. This year, Hailey Wright of Flemington, N.J., received this scholarship to continue her studies in the American Repertory Ballet Trainee Program.

The Marlene Volpe Scholarship was established in 2016. Ms. Volpe is a long-time supporter of American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School and was a founding supporter of ARB's flagship residency program, DANCE POWER. It is presented to a promising student. This year's recipient is JorDan Cunningham of New Brunswick, N.J.

Princeton Ballet School also salutes its 2017 Graduating Seniors: Thalia Centolanza of Somerset, N.J.; Zoe Countess of Annandale, N.J.; Sophia D'Adamo of Monroe Township, N.J.; Tina Lu of Princeton, N.J.; Dominique Rafael of East Brunswick, N.J.; Alexandra Raslowsky of Ringoes, N.J.; Ryan Ricca of Belle Mead, N.J.; Zoya Pavlovsky of Ewing, N.J.; Diana Tang of Princeton, N.J.; Gracen Taylor of Cranbury, N.J.; and Haley Wright of Flemington, N.J.

Princeton Ballet School has gained a national reputation for its excellent dance training since its founding in 1954 by Audrée Estey. It currently serves over 1,000 students, starting at age three, and includes a large open enrollment division for adults. Princeton Ballet School has studios in Cranbury, New Brunswick and Princeton and offers classes in ballet, modern dance, jazz, hip-hop, CardioBallet and CoMBo (Conditioning for the Mind and Body). Students from the school have gone on to dance in professional ballet and contemporary dance companies in the United States and abroad. Graduates have danced with such diverse organizations as New York City Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Miami City Ballet, Complexions, Mark Morris Dance Company, Twyla Tharp, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet West and on Broadway.

For more information about American Repertory Ballet and Princeton Ballet School, visit arballet.org or call 609.921.7758.

Pictured: This year's awardees with ARB Artistic Director Douglas Martin, ARB Workshop Seniors Ballet Mistress and Princeton Ballet School senior faculty member Maria Youskevitch and Princeton Ballet School Director Pamela Levy. Left to Right: Zoya Pavlovsky - Nora Orphanides Award; Hailey Wright - Maria Youskevitch Scholarship; Kaila Jones - Ruth Pettit Award; AnnaLee Brody - Audrée Estey Award; Nicole Heiser - Audrée Estey Award; Naomi Namboodiripod - Molly Clifton Award; Annika Kuo - Audrée Estey Award; JorDan Cunningham - The Marlene Volpe Scholarship; and Madeleine Rambow - The Edwards Scholarship