Tulsa Ballet artists Jaimi Cullen, Nao Ota, and Jun Masuda have been promoted to lead positions for the company’s 2023-2024 season.
Tulsa Ballet Artists Promoted for Next Season
Jaimi Cullen joined Tulsa Ballet’s TBII in 2011 and the main Company a year later in 2012. Born in Rochester, New York, Jaimi studied at Draper Center for Dance Education and Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program before joining Tulsa Ballet II.
About her promotion to Principal, Angelini said:
“Jaimi has always had a flair for the dramatic… And for that I mean for roles that require a commanding personality, a delicate vulnerability and a marked sensuality. We have seen her grow from being a tentative swan in the corps de ballet to maturing into a commanding presence in her role of Rosalia in Vendetta, a Mafia Story. Just this season she excelled in the title role of Kenneth Tindall’s Carmen, lit the stage as The Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and made us dream with her interpretation of the title role in Cinderella.”
Nao Ota joined TBII in 2017. She was promoted to Apprentice in 2018, Corps de Ballet in 2019 and Soloist in 2022.
“Whether she dances the title role of sensory Carmen, or the role of kindhearted Cinderella, she will own that character. Additionally, she is gifted with a tremendous technique, which allows her to dance every leading role in the classical repertory with extreme competence. Lastly, her natural movement quality enables her to excel in contemporary works, and her charisma on stage draws the eye of every audience members to her dancing.”
Jun Masuda is the third of the former TBII dancers to be promoted to the rank of Principal. During his one year in the second company he performed the leading role in Dorothy and the Prince of Oz, then was promoted to the main company as Corps de Ballet in 2020 and Demi-Soloist, Soloist the following season.
“Jun is a natural talent, he can dance any and every classical leading role with panache and sensitivity, he is gifted with stunning movement quality, which allows him to excel in contemporary works, he is also an excellent partner, and has enough charisma to light up the stage from the moment he walks on it!”
Other promotions of Tulsa Ballet artists include Aina Oki from Demi-Soloist to Soloist and Yuki Toda and Michael Paradiso from Corps de Ballet to Demi-Soloists.
Maintaining their commitment to develop dancers within their own organization, Tulsa Ballet will also promote five dancers from TBII to the main company. Jonathan Teague Applegate, Alison Cervantes, Talisson Farias, Maria Rita Rapisarda, and Ian Stocker will be apprentices next season.
“They are a testament of the strength of our program, and to how well it prepares young dancers to the professional career. Since its inception in 2005, hundreds of young dancers joined the TBII program, a program meant to bridge the gap between the academic studies of dance and a career in our field. The vast majority of our alumni went on to professional careers, some with our organization and others with many companies around the country and the world. I am proud of how this program has evolved, and how it provides the tools to young Artists to hone their craft in the very competitive arena of dance today.” – Marcelo Angellini
Tulsa Ballet will also welcome a new Soloist, Aubin Le Marchand (who comes to Oklahoma from Croatian National Theater), to the Company.
Also, trainee Morgan Davis has been promoted to TBII, and the following dancers have been added to the roster of Tulsa Ballet artists: Shi Jean Kim, Polina Chepyk, Yui Hakamada, Jenna Potvin, Sophie Mossa, Sophie Poulain, Senna Dewulf, Zoe Ferla, Haruka Tanabe, Michael Stadtherr, and Chase Marcot.
Featured Photo of Tulsa Ballet Jaimi Cullen, Nao Ota, and Jun Masuda. Photo by Hilton Price.
