Company.

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Founder/Artistic Director

Rose Hutchins

Image: Karielle Silk Photography

Rose Hutchins holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where she led an academic study to develop and test a somatic-based contemporary ballet technique curriculum designed to prepare today's ballet dancers more fully for the demands of contemporary ballet choreography. This research culminated with a choreographic work titled Essence which Hutchins completed remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. NEW STAGE, a documentary about dance artists in lockdown, featured excerpts of this piece along with Hutchins' reflections on the experience. Other notable achievements include Hutchins' work Embark, which was performed at Regional Dance America/Pacific, and her award-winning choreography Degas. Hutchins also published "Sociopolitical Influences on the Creation of the Ballet Giselle" in The Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, receiving the distinction of "best paper" in the arts division.

Artistic Collaborators

Allen Russell

Image: Christal Wagner

Allen Russell is a violinist, composer and instructor based in Milwaukee, WI. He began his musical studies on the violin at age 5, and studied at the String Academy of Wisconsin with Mimi Zweig and David Becker before later going on to study with Jerome Franke and Dr. Bernard Zinck. Allen has performed with his Hot Swing quartet Swing Chevron at festivals such as the Midwest Gypsy Swingfest, as well as historic venues such as the Green Mill. With the string quartet Tontine Ensemble, Allen has participated in premiering the new works of modern composers and has had his own compositions performed in collaboration with Milwaukee Ballet, UWM Dance, Danceworks Inc., Water St. Dance, Danceteria, and Hyperlocal. Allen is a registered Suzuki Violin instructor and holds a Master of Fine Arts in String Performance and Pedagogy from UW Milwaukee. 

Dance Artists 2021–2022

Rebecca Bass

Image: Jocelyn Miyara

​Rebecca Bass holds a degree in Dance and Economics from Barnard College of Columbia University. As a student at Barnard, she co-founded and served as artistic director of Columbia University Ballet Ensemble. Her training in classical ballet includes summer intensives at the School of American Ballet and the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Cara Burke

Image: Jessie Jeanne Stinnett

Cara is a New Hampshire native freelance dancer and performer. She graduated from Boston Dance Theater’s trainee program in April 2022 under Artistic Directors Jessie Jeanne Stinnett and Itzik Galili. With BDT she has performed in works by Junichi Fukuda, Isvel Bello, and Maleek Washington. She has understudied works by Yin Yue, Rosie Herrera, Rena Butler, Micaela Taylor, Marco Goecke and Itzik Galili. Cara has attended summer intensives at University of New Hampshire, Joffrey’s New York City Jazz & Contemporary program, and Sarasota Contemporary Dance. She was a part of the first annual Lila Dance Festival in NH founded by Elyssa Bigos where she performed an original work by Hernan Martínez, an Argentinian based choreographer.

Jacqui DeFrança

Image: Michael Ellis

​Originally from West Boylston, Massachusetts, Jacqui DeFrança is a graduate from Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles where she received a B.A. in Dance. She has had the pleasure of performing at venues such as: Ailey Citigroup Theater, St. Mark's Church, Joe's Pub, Milk Studios, Dixon Place, Lightbox, and SPACE Gallery. Jacqui has also danced at various showcases including: ACDF, Western Arts Alliance Annual Conference, Reverb Dance Festival, APAP, and CFDA/Vogue presentation. As well as stage, she has experience with TV and Film, dancing in Video Music Awards performance with Rihanna, Oh Land's music video Renaissance Girls and acting and dancing in the short films Out of Zinc and Big Breakin'. Learning under artistic director Mike Esperanza, Jacqui was a member of BARE Dance Company from 2008-2016. She also has worked with New York City based, Flying Under The Radar (FUTR) with artistic director Marlon Taylor-Wiles since 2014. Currently she resides in Biddeford, Maine where she and her husband run their own ice cream shop. She feels the best part about being an artist is the freedom in not doing just one thing.

Veronica Druchniak

Image: Liv Powell

Veronica Druchniak is a former principal dancer with Maine State Ballet. She is a proud member of the Equity Membership Candidate Program, and has performed with several local theatre companies. She has spent the past two years traveling the world and doing what she loves as a production dancer aboard the Queen Mary 2. Onboard, she premiered a new contemporary work, Adagio, to international acclaim. Now back in Maine due to the pandemic, Veronica has found her place teaching at Studio for the Living Arts and Encore Dance Company, and performing with Ballet Bloom Project and Safe Haven Ballet in New Hampshire. Veronica holds a BA in Mathematics with a minor in Physics from the University of Southern Maine. 

Rachel Epling

Image: Alexander Watson

Rachel completed her BFA in Dance and BA in Biological Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2017— discovering an enriching, complementary interplay between the two. While attending UCSB, she had the opportunity to perform works by Anna Halprin, Yvonne Rainer, José Limón, Andrea Miller, and Jacqulyn Buglisi, along with many other wonderful choreographers. Rachel was a member of the UCSB touring dance company, and has performed in England, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and NYC. Following graduation Rachel had the pleasure of teaching and performing professionally in the San Francisco Bay Area. Rachel performed her own work at SF Movement Arts Festival 2019, with Caroline Liviakis Dance Company, and with Mogli's Movers Artist Collective. She appeared as a soloist in the CLDC film "Better Than You Doin You" which has been shown in film festivals world-wide. She moved to Maine in the summer of 2020, by way of Brooklyn, New York, where she is enjoying teaching at Dance Moves Maine, and exploring with her dogs.

Hannah Haines

Image: Lydia Huibregtse

Hannah Haines is a dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in southern Maine. She received her early training at Jose Mateo Ballet Theater and The Brookline Ballet. Hannah graduated from Skidmore College in 2019 with a BA in Anthropology and Dance. While at Skidmore she had the opportunity to perform works by faculty and guest artists, as well as repertory by Isadora Duncan, Ohad Naharin, and Paul Taylor. She has continued to study and perform early modern dance as an Apprentice with Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company. Hannah has presented her own choreography at The Frances Tang Teaching Museum, American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers Festival, and at Engine Gallery. She currently teaches ballet and contemporary dance at Dance Studio of Maine South.

Nicole Gerkey

Image: Alba Garcia

Nicole Gerkey earned her Bachelor's Degree in Dance with a Minor in Theatre from Wayne State University, in Detroit, Michigan. While in attendance at WSU, Nicole was fortunate to perform various modern and contemporary works and be involved in multiple theatre productions, ranging from musical theatre to Shakespeare. Upon graduation, Nicole moved to San Francisco and had the pleasure of premiering her first solo work at the LEVYSalon. Additionally, she performed professionally with Caroline Liviakis Dance Company in film and concert dance projects, and worked with other local Bay Area choreographers, including Mogli’s Movers Collective. Nicole is currently a company member with Detroit based contemporary company ConteXture danceDetroit, and teaches dance locally at studios in the Metro Detroit area. 

Sarah Grace

Image: Ricky Gee Photography

​Sarah Grace is a dancer, singer, and choreographer originally from Pennsylvania but currently
based out of NYC. Grace received her initial training from Berks Ballet Theatre and then studied
at Mercyhurst University under the tutelage of former Ballet West principal Tauna Hunter. At
Mercyhurst, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dance with a choreography concentration and a
Bachelor of Arts in English, graduating summa cum laude. Grace's performance credits include
dancing with Mark Dendy Dance and Theatre for Lincoln Center Out of Doors, Salvatore
LaRussa Dance Theatre, The MoveShop, and performing as a Jet Girl (Clarice) in West Side
Story at White Plains Performing Arts Center, among others. Choreography credits include
commissions for New England Ballet Collective (now known as New England Ballet Theatre of
CT), Lake Erie Ballet, the Erie Festival of Dance, and Mercyhurst Ballet Theatre, as well as
creating contemporary solos for Youth American Grand Prix contestants and working on
personal projects presented at American College Dance Festival and choreography showings
throughout New York. Grace is also a certified Pilates instructor and currently teaches Pilates
classes throughout Manhattan.

Elly Lovin

Image: Alison Lamb

Elly Lovin grew up studying classical ballet and pointe with Robert Thomas and Miyoko Kato of the Joffrey Ballet and earned a BFA in Dance from the University of Iowa with a focus in ballet, modern dance and performance. She has been a Registered Yoga Instructor since 2008 and has developed and taught yoga and creative movement programs in public and private schools in Taipei, Chicago and New York City. Elly now lives in Portland with her husband and son, where she teaches for The Portland Ballet, Casco Bay Movers, and Waynflete Schools. As a Maine Arts Commission Teaching Artist, she holds creative dance residencies for school children around Maine, and is twice a recipient of the MAC Dance Ed Grant (2018, 2020). Elly feels most alive at the beach or in a room of laughing, moving children, resonating with the sentiment of Isadora Duncan: “I do not teach children. I bring them joy.”

Emily Lutts

Image: Tyler Briskie

Emily Lutts was 2.5 years old when she began dancing at the York Dance Academy in York, Maine. She was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix competition where she performed a variation from Paquita coached by Angela V. Carter. After attending a summer program at Boston Ballet she was invited to train in the intensive division at the Boston Ballet School where she studied the Vaganova technique under Tatiana Legat, and Carol Roderick. As a student she performed in the Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker at the Wang Theatre. The following year she was accepted to The HARID Conservatory and trained there under a full-tuition merit scholarship. She began her professional dance career in New York City where she danced with New American Youth Ballet and also performed as a supernumerary in the Bolshoi Ballet’s The Pharaoh’s Daughter at The Metropolitan Opera House. She was a company member of The Portland Ballet where she performed the soloist roles of Arabian Princess in A Victorian Nutcracker, and Myrtha in Giselle. She was an original member of Hard Candy Dancers, an aerial and burlesque dance company in Denver. She has performed as a guest artist with the Albano Ballet, and with Safe Haven Ballet, where she was invited to perform the role of Mercedes in their encore performance of Don Quixote, and the role of Lead Mirliton in The Nutcracker. 
Emily is a Certified Personal Trainer and holds a B.A. in biology from Metropolitan State University of Denver. 

Erica Maillet

Erica pursued her pre-professional ballet training at the Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, in Holyoke, MA. She also attended summer programs at the American Academy of Ballet, Massachusetts Academy of Ballet, and Ballet Hartford. In 2015 she began her professional career with Mystic Ballet, in Mystic, CT where she performed works by Sergei Vanaev, and Lauren Edson. She has since then performed with Dimensional Dance, in Hartford, CT, and Ballet Hartford, in Hartford, CT. During her time at Ballet Hartford, she performed works by Silas Farley, Michelle Thompson Ulrich, Calvin Bittner, Caleb Mitchell, and Elizabeth McMillan, as well as classical roles in Romeo and Juliet and Les Sylphides. She has toured with the company to New York City to perform at the Alvin Ailey CitiGroup Theater, Actors Fund Theater, Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center, and Times Square. In 2019, she was a Co-Founder and Company Artist with the New England Ballet Collective, where she performed at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, in Hartford, CT, Ballet Hispanico, in New York City, and The Academy of Music, in Northampton, MA. She also loves to teach and has taught at various schools in Connecticut for the last 7 years. Erica is currently a Freelance Dancer in New York City.

Juliet Mazzola

Image: EricaMariePhotography

Juliet Mazzola is originally from Bennington, Vermont, where she began her ballet training at the Berkshire Dance Theater. She has spent summers studying at the Boston Ballet School, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet School, Colorado Ballet, BalletX, Arch Contemporary Ballet, and The Workshop Series. She also studied as a Trainee at the Joffrey Ballet School her senior year of high school. In 2018, Juliet graduated from The Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College with a BFA in Dance and a Concentration in Ballet. While studying at Purchase she spent a semester abroad at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She has performed many works by various renowned artists including George Balanchine, Gerald Arpino, Silas Farley, Stephen Pier, Michelle Thompson Ulerich, Bettijane Sills, Iratxe Ansa and Taryn Russell. Juliet began her professional career in 2018 as a Company Artist with Ballet Hartford. For the 2019 season Juliet and seven other professional dancers co-founded and co-directed their own company, New England Ballet Collective, where she was Company Artist and President. Juliet is currently working as a Freelance Dancer in New England.

Rhiannon Pelletier-Guerrette

Image: Janet Davis courtesy of Maine State Ballet

Rhiannon is a Maine-based professional dancer, choreographer, dance instructor, and entrepreneur. She holds the title of “Principal Dancer” with Maine State Ballet, having performed just about every leading role in the company’s repertoire; “Director” of Maine Dance Center in Raymond; and is a co-owner of children’s entertainment and performance company, Rent-A-Princess. Her dance training is based largely in Maine, Boston, and New York, and she continues working with the industry’s best on artistic projects and training the next generation of dancers. She balances her professional endeavors with being a wife to husband, Travis, and mom to son, Julian (and their two beagles). Rhiannon is thrilled to be a part of the Ballet Bloom Project, and see real professional dance opportunities continue to grow in her home state.

Hannah Ranco

Image: Adam Ranco

Hannah Ranco is a current student at Dean College earning her BFA in dance studies with a concentration in choreography. Her work has been featured at Starlight Theatre with the Dance Complex’s Tiny and Short series as well as at Third Life with Kelley Donovan. At Dean, her work was chosen for multiple stage performances as well as to attend the American College Dance Association Conference in Vermont. Hannah has also worked on multiple video sets and concerts with artists such as Sydney the Singer, C-DOT, Flo Rida, and Talons of Spring. When Hannah is not dancing or choreographing, she enjoys teaching at local studios and enjoying the outdoors! 

Brooke Sowerby

Image: Janet Davis courtesy of Maine State Ballet

Brooke Sowerby is a former dancer with Maine State Ballet. She became an apprentice in 2015 and rose to the rank of soloist for her final two years with the company before moving on to college. Brooke attends Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. She will graduate in Spring 2022 with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Dance Performance. While at college, Brooke has had the pleasure of dancing for faculty and student-led projects, expanding her movement vocabulary beyond ballet, and utilizing somatic education to deepen her understanding of dance and the body. Currently she is on her way to finish her final year in college, and intends to pursue a path in performing arts to continue doing what she loves. 

Kelsie Steil

Image: Dustin Newhouse

Kelsie Steil graduated from Plymouth State University with a Bachelors in Adventure Education and a Minor in Dance in May, 2018. There she received the 2018 Contemporary Dance Ensemble award for her achievements in choreography. Her latest work is an ongoing duet danced between herself and dancer Max Auger called IMMORTAL!. The work had its most recent showing in FAB15 in February, 2020 and is funded in part by New England Foundation for the Arts’ New England Dance Fund, with generous support from the Aliad Fund at the Boston Foundation. In November 2019 she presented her piece Cast in Maine Moves IV. Kelsie has had the joy of living, dancing and teaching locally and internationally. One of her most major projects was a three-part film series based in Lithuania, which can be viewed on her website. In the midst of making dance works, she works as a Pilates and Dance instructor while spending as much time in nature as possible.