Andrea Hill, Founder and Artistic Director (click here to see Andrea and her students at work)
Andrea Hill began dancing at age five, when she first appeared on stage in Boston Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Her training includes many of the finest ballet teachers in North America: Marcia Dale Weary (CPYB); Christine Hennessy (Royal Winnipeg Ballet); Winthrop Corey (National Ballet of Canada); Arthur Mitchell (Dance Theatre of Harlem); and instructors of the Joffrey Ballet. While in NYC, Andrea was invited to attend National Ballet of Canada's company class with Rudolf Nureyev and Erik Bruhn. She danced professionally with the Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, as a soloist with the Dallas Metropolitan Ballet, and has worked with numerous dance companies, theatre organizations, and symphony organizations.
Andrea has earned national recognition in the ballet community from The School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, North Carolina School of the Arts, and many other prestigious schools and companies. Her students have received numerous awards and recognition - including two students receiving awards from the prestigious Rudolph Nureyev Foundation (2002-2003 and 2018-2019), two recipients of American Ballet Theatre's "National Training Scholarship" in 2003 and 2004, and three recipients of the NSLI for Youth Moscow (invited to study at the Bolshoi in Moscow) in 2011, 2014, and 2016 (awards are given to only 15 to 20 dancers among thousands worldwide).
Hill has students dancing professionally with American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Ballet Magnificat, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (NYC), Avant Chamber Ballet (Dallas), etc.
A highly acclaimed choreographer, Andrea has taken beloved tales from classical literature and brought them to life with rich musical scores that she has carefully selected and arranged. She has created a variety of ballet repertoire including Phantom of the Opera, The Snow Queen and Beauty and the Beast, along with her own versions of ballet classics such as A Carolina Nutcracker (a highly acclaimed version of The Nutcracker based on Wilmington history).
Andrea has earned national recognition in the ballet community from The School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Bolshoi Ballet Academy, North Carolina School of the Arts, and many other prestigious schools and companies. Her students have received numerous awards and recognition - including two students receiving awards from the prestigious Rudolph Nureyev Foundation (2002-2003 and 2018-2019), two recipients of American Ballet Theatre's "National Training Scholarship" in 2003 and 2004, and three recipients of the NSLI for Youth Moscow (invited to study at the Bolshoi in Moscow) in 2011, 2014, and 2016 (awards are given to only 15 to 20 dancers among thousands worldwide).
Hill has students dancing professionally with American Ballet Theatre, Miami City Ballet, Ballet Magnificat, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (NYC), Avant Chamber Ballet (Dallas), etc.
A highly acclaimed choreographer, Andrea has taken beloved tales from classical literature and brought them to life with rich musical scores that she has carefully selected and arranged. She has created a variety of ballet repertoire including Phantom of the Opera, The Snow Queen and Beauty and the Beast, along with her own versions of ballet classics such as A Carolina Nutcracker (a highly acclaimed version of The Nutcracker based on Wilmington history).
Diane Orio Gerberg, Company Ballet Mistress and Instructor for Ballet
Diane Orio began her studies with Fred Danieli at the Newark Ballet Academy at the age of eight. She was a member of the Garden State Ballet from 1959-1967. She continued her studies at the School of American Ballet when she auditioned for Robert Joffrey and was taken into the Joffrey Ballet where she danced from 1968-1982. Diane danced major roles in Deuce Coupe, As Time Goes By, Cakewalk, Green Table, Moves, Viva Vivaldi, The Dream and many others.
In 1978 she was appointed Ballet Mistress and was privileged to work with such choreographers as Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Kurt Jooss, Alvin Ailey and Elliot Feld. During that time she set Moves for the Joffrey Ballet and Moor's Pavane for American Ballet Theater. She spent two months in Reggio Amelia, Italy, and was Ballet Mistress for the company. She was requested by Twyla Tharp to be completely in charge of her ballets at the Joffrey Ballet.
Ms. Orio choreographed Reverie, a pas de deux for Joffrey dancers Denise Jackson and Gregory Huffman. She has taught for the American Ballet Center, Galveston and San Antonio Workshops with Robert Joffrey, Chicago Ballet and in Italy with the Alto Balleto in Reggio Amelia. Ms. Orio was Ballet Mistress for the Princeton Ballet for four years. She and her husband Alan moved to the Wilmington area, and Diane joined the City Ballet of Wilmington in 2005. Dancers in the City Ballet Company have been privileged to work with Diane on Gerald Arpino's Viva Vivaldi (performed in 2016) and recently worked with both Diane Orio and Nina Danilova on Raymonda variations performed in Hill's A Midsummer Night's Dream in May 2017 at The Wilson Center.
In 1978 she was appointed Ballet Mistress and was privileged to work with such choreographers as Jerome Robbins, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, Kurt Jooss, Alvin Ailey and Elliot Feld. During that time she set Moves for the Joffrey Ballet and Moor's Pavane for American Ballet Theater. She spent two months in Reggio Amelia, Italy, and was Ballet Mistress for the company. She was requested by Twyla Tharp to be completely in charge of her ballets at the Joffrey Ballet.
Ms. Orio choreographed Reverie, a pas de deux for Joffrey dancers Denise Jackson and Gregory Huffman. She has taught for the American Ballet Center, Galveston and San Antonio Workshops with Robert Joffrey, Chicago Ballet and in Italy with the Alto Balleto in Reggio Amelia. Ms. Orio was Ballet Mistress for the Princeton Ballet for four years. She and her husband Alan moved to the Wilmington area, and Diane joined the City Ballet of Wilmington in 2005. Dancers in the City Ballet Company have been privileged to work with Diane on Gerald Arpino's Viva Vivaldi (performed in 2016) and recently worked with both Diane Orio and Nina Danilova on Raymonda variations performed in Hill's A Midsummer Night's Dream in May 2017 at The Wilson Center.
Merlee Hill, Instructor for Ballet and Modern
Merlee began ballet at the age of 2 years old at the Ballet Theatre of Central PA and has continued her study of ballet for over 18 years. She was a principle dancer with the Ballet Theatre of Central PA where she danced such roles as The Sugar Plum Fairy partnering with American Ballet Theatre’s Arron Scott in The Nutcracker, The Princess in The Firebird, Abigail Williams in a ballet interpretation of the play The Crucible, and many others. Merlee has been invited to perform with Louisville Ballet, Pilobolus Dance Company, and North Carolina Dance Theatre. She has received acceptances into summer programs with The Joffrey Ballet in their Advanced Trainee Program and attended American Ballet Theatre summer intensives in Irvine, California in 2003 and Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2006. She has worked with guest teachers from The Vaganova Ballet Academy, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company, Philadanco, Limon Dance Company, and others. In addition to ballet, Merlee has also studied Modern dance and was a principal dancer with Brio, a modern dance company in State College PA.
Nina Danilova, Permanent Guest Faculty/ Advisor
Nina Danilova is a 1978 graduate of the Lunatcharski University of the Arts in Moscow, Russia. A doctoral candidate at the State Institute of Theatrical Arts, Ms. Danilova specializes in teaching, staging classical ballets and choreography. She is also a graduate of the Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Ms. Danilova has danced with the Kirov Ballet Company in Russia, was a Principal dancer with the Moscow State Ballet Theatre and since 1983 has taught and staged ballets around the world, including Russia, Poland, Italy and the United States.
Ms. Danilova has recently published "Eight Female Classical Variations," served as editor for the magazine “Soviet Ballet” and the book “Thirty Variations from Classical Ballet Repertoire.” She also served on the faculty at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington from 1991 to 1996, when she left to join the North Carolina School of Arts. In addition to teaching, she has also staged classical ballet for NCSA and created several original choreographic pieces. Nina is a frequent guest teacher and adviser for The City Ballet of Wilmington.
Nina Danilova worked with City Ballet staging the 5 Raymonda Variations performed as part of Hill's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Nina Danilova is a 1978 graduate of the Lunatcharski University of the Arts in Moscow, Russia. A doctoral candidate at the State Institute of Theatrical Arts, Ms. Danilova specializes in teaching, staging classical ballets and choreography. She is also a graduate of the Vaganova Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Ms. Danilova has danced with the Kirov Ballet Company in Russia, was a Principal dancer with the Moscow State Ballet Theatre and since 1983 has taught and staged ballets around the world, including Russia, Poland, Italy and the United States.
Ms. Danilova has recently published "Eight Female Classical Variations," served as editor for the magazine “Soviet Ballet” and the book “Thirty Variations from Classical Ballet Repertoire.” She also served on the faculty at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington from 1991 to 1996, when she left to join the North Carolina School of Arts. In addition to teaching, she has also staged classical ballet for NCSA and created several original choreographic pieces. Nina is a frequent guest teacher and adviser for The City Ballet of Wilmington.
Nina Danilova worked with City Ballet staging the 5 Raymonda Variations performed as part of Hill's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Jan Burkhard, Guest Artist and Faculty
Jan Burkhard began her professional training at the School of American Ballet at the age of 9. She performed numerous ballets with New York City Ballet and was involved in the New York Choreographic Institute. Upon completion, she was also the recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award in 2005 for Most Outstanding Promise. In the fall of 2005, she became a member of Carolina Ballet’s corps de ballet. In 2009, she was nominated for the Princess Grace award. She rose through the ranks and was promoted to Principal in 2011. She has performed principal roles including Princess Aurora, Juliet, Firebird, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Giselle.
Jan has danced the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in City Ballet's A Carolina Nutcracker and is on the City Ballet Summer Faculty.
Jan Burkhard began her professional training at the School of American Ballet at the age of 9. She performed numerous ballets with New York City Ballet and was involved in the New York Choreographic Institute. Upon completion, she was also the recipient of the Mae L. Wien Award in 2005 for Most Outstanding Promise. In the fall of 2005, she became a member of Carolina Ballet’s corps de ballet. In 2009, she was nominated for the Princess Grace award. She rose through the ranks and was promoted to Principal in 2011. She has performed principal roles including Princess Aurora, Juliet, Firebird, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Giselle.
Jan has danced the role of Sugar Plum Fairy in City Ballet's A Carolina Nutcracker and is on the City Ballet Summer Faculty.
Adam Crawford Chavis, Guest Artist and Faculty
Adam joined Carolina Ballet in August 2009. He received his professional training at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and the School of American Ballet in New York City. Adam has choreographed several ballets, one for NCSA (spring workshop in 2008) and one at SAB (student choreographic workshop in 2009). In 2009 he was chosen to dance for the New York Choreographic Institute. Adam has danced with City Ballet in the principal role of Drosselmeyer in A Carolina Nutcracker, as Hook in Peter Pan, and is on the City Ballet Summer Faculty.
Adam joined Carolina Ballet in August 2009. He received his professional training at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and the School of American Ballet in New York City. Adam has choreographed several ballets, one for NCSA (spring workshop in 2008) and one at SAB (student choreographic workshop in 2009). In 2009 he was chosen to dance for the New York Choreographic Institute. Adam has danced with City Ballet in the principal role of Drosselmeyer in A Carolina Nutcracker, as Hook in Peter Pan, and is on the City Ballet Summer Faculty.
Alex Manning, Guest Artist and Faculty
Alex Manning is a Company member with Miami City Ballet. He began his training with the Ballet Theatre of Central Pennsylvania under the direction of Andrea Hill. After six years, Alex studied with Walnut Hill and then furthered his training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the Direction of Marcia Dale Weary. During his time at CPYB, he also received private training with Laszlo Berdo and Leslie Hench. Manning was awarded the Jerome Robbins Scholarship while at CPYB.
Alex Manning is a City Ballet Guest Artist and a Permanent Guest Faculty. Alex joined City Ballet for A Midsummer Night's Dream as Oberon and is on City Ballet's Summer Faculty.
Alex Manning is a Company member with Miami City Ballet. He began his training with the Ballet Theatre of Central Pennsylvania under the direction of Andrea Hill. After six years, Alex studied with Walnut Hill and then furthered his training at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet under the Direction of Marcia Dale Weary. During his time at CPYB, he also received private training with Laszlo Berdo and Leslie Hench. Manning was awarded the Jerome Robbins Scholarship while at CPYB.
Alex Manning is a City Ballet Guest Artist and a Permanent Guest Faculty. Alex joined City Ballet for A Midsummer Night's Dream as Oberon and is on City Ballet's Summer Faculty.
City Ballet
5814 Oleander Dr. #3 Wilmington NC 28403 Email: achill@cityballetofwilmington.org
5814 Oleander Dr. #3 Wilmington NC 28403 Email: achill@cityballetofwilmington.org
