Hannah Bradshaw has been a proud member of Ballet Arkansas for the past three seasons. Most recently she danced the title role in Paquita and danced in George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie. Hannah began her professional career as an Apprentice with the Oklahoma City Ballet. She went on to be a Trainee with Ballet Met Columbus in Ohio and was chosen to tour with the company to the Detroit Opera House to dance The Nutcracker, as well as being one of two Trainee Swans in Swan Lake with BalletMet and Cincinnati Ballet. Hannah was born in Amarillo, Texas,where she grew up dancing with the Lone Star Ballet. She performed soloist and lead roles in numerous productions with the Pre-Professional Company and taught at the school. She attended summer programs with American Ballet Theatre, Oklahoma City Ballet ,Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and BalletMet Columbus. Hannah also trained at the Landance Conservatory and Ballet Amarillo. She competed in the Youth America Grand Prix in 2006 and 2008, advancing to the New York City final round both years.
Marla Edwards began her classical training with Susan and Buddy Trevino in San Antonio, Texas. After graduating high school in three years, she trained full-time in the level eight program at the Houston Ballet Academy. While in Houston, she performed in many of Houston Ballet’s productions under the direction of Ben Stevenson. After completing the two-year program, Marla accepted a soloist position with Ballet Arkansas under Artistic Director Kirt Hathaway and then Olivier Munoz. During her career at Ballet Arkansas, she performed as Diamond in the Diamond Pas de Trois from Sleeping Beauty, and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. Marla was known in the region for her roles in contemporary ballets, including Solstice, Wings on Wind, and Left the Building, among many others. Since retirement from Ballet Arkansas, Marla has served as Ballet Mistress for Ballet Arkansas for three seasons, earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from UALR and has taught at several local studios where she is proud to pass on the tradition of classical ballet. For the past three years she has been serving in the position of Ballet Mistress for Ballet Arkansas. Marla is married to Chad Edwards and together they have three children: Rene 19, Austin 10, and Ella 6.
Dagny Hanrahan is from New York City. She began her training at Ballet Academy East under the direction of Darla Hoover. She started assisting classes during her time there. After graduating she continued her training in the Professional Division with Pacific Northwest Ballet for two years. She got the opportunity to perform with PNB on numerous occasions. Dagny got to assist classes at Pacific Northwest Ballet School during her time there. She then continued her training at Boston Ballet as a Trainee. Dagny also got to perform in several productions with Boston Ballet. She then received a contract with The Sarasota Ballet. She was a company member their for nine seasons. Her favorite ballet’s/roles to perform while at Sarasota Ballet were, a principal in George Balanchine’s “Who Cares?”, a soloist in Balanchine’s “Theme and Variations”, and a principal in Paul Taylor’s “Airs”. Then Dagny received a contract with Indianapolis Ballet. She has spent the past two years dancing with Indianapolis Ballet and teaching at Indianapolis School of Ballet. She has spent many summers as a staff member at Burklyn Ballet Theatre, teaching and staging classical ballet. Dagny is currently a ballet teacher and choreographer at Indy Dance Academy and Expressenz Dance Center in Indiana. She has also been a guest teacher and guest artist for several years with Hot Springs Children’s Dance Theatre Company and is very excited to return for Coppelia this year!
Deanna Stanton is currently in her eleventh season with Ballet Arkansas. She began dancing in her hometown of Clarksville, Maryland. She credits her early training to her time spent at the Baltimore School for the Arts. Deanna graduated with a BFA in Ballet from the University of Cincinnati – College Conservatory of Music. During this time, she was also a Trainee with Ballet West for two seasons. Since joining Ballet Arkansas, she has had the opportunity to perform principal or featured roles in George Balanchine’s Who Cares?, Gerald Arpino’s Reflections & Birthday Variations, Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet, and Chris Stuart’s Under the Lights. She has also performed Mina in Michael Fothergill’s Dracula, Fairy Godmother in Michael Fothergill’s Cinderella, Big Swans in Swan Lake, Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen & Dew Drop in The Nutcracker. She has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Yuka Oba-Muschiana, Xin Ying, Madison Hicks, Kiyon Gaines, and Tom Mattingly. She has thoroughly enjoyed getting to dance with HSCDT on several occasions as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in the Nutcracker as well as Cinderella in Cinderella. In addition to performing, Deanna has a passion for choreographing. She has created works for New Century Dance Project, the Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project, The Young Choreographers Festival and several works for Ballet Arkansas as well as Ballet Arkansas’ Summer Intensives. She has also created two full length ballets. She wants to extend a special thank you to her husband, daughter, and family for their continued support. Appearing courtesy of Ballet Arkansas.
Artist in Residence, Costumer Designer – William Gordon Henshaw has served as the Resident Costume Designer and Professor of Theatre in the department of Communication and Theatre Arts at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas since 2000, teaching costume and make up design, play analysis, theatre of the non western world and women, gender and race in American Theatre. William received his Master’s of Fine Arts Degree in Drama from San Diego State University in California in 1996, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Transylvaina University in Lexington, Kentucky. William has designed costumes for Oklahoma Shakespearean Festival in Druant, OK, Mixed Players of Ashland, Oregon, Houston (Texas) Children’s Theatre Festival, Miracle Theatre Productions of San Diego, San Jose’s City Lights and opera productions for San Diego State University, Henderson State University and University of Central Arkansas. He has worked as a costume shop manager for Texas Christian University, and Trinity Shakespeare Festival in Fort Worth, Texas and Grossmont Community College in El Cajon, California. Henshaw has also served as a costume technician at Utah Shakespearean Festival, Cedar City, Utah, The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, Oregon Shakespeare Festival Ashland, Oregon, The Santa Fe Opera, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, NY. He also served as the designer for scenic, lighting and costumes for the world premier of THE SCARTLET LETTER Opera at University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas libretto by David Mason and orchestration by Lori Lathium. Henshaw is a member of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology- National Costume Commission and Southwest regional section. The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival has recognized his designs regionally in Arkansas and California.