Former principal dancer Victoria Hulland returns to Sarasota Ballet in a new artistic role. As Artistic Assistant to the Directors, Hulland will be working directly alongside Director Iain Webb and Assistant Director Margaret Barbieri, with her main responsibility being a stager of the repertoire she danced in over her sixteen years with the company.
Earlier this year, Hulland was working with Webb and Barbieri on setting Sir Frederick Ashton’s The Dream pas de deux for American Ballet Theatre’s Raising the Barre Workshop.
“I loved working with Victoria at RTB, seeing her in full command of the dancers, yet also warm and encouraging in her coaching and inspirational in her demonstration.” Barbieri continues, “Interacting with her has always felt so effortless, it dawned on us that her talent and experience would make this position with the ballet a truly remarkable next step for not only her, but for The Sarasota Ballet as a whole.”
Webb adds “Working with her in the studio for over 15 years was always a joy. Watching her take up the helm of coaching, and passing on her knowledge, it felt like the most organic next step for Victoria and for the Company. You could see everything that she had learnt from Margaret flowing out of her into every dancer she worked with.”
Hulland joined Sarasota Ballet in 2007 as a corps de ballet dancer and in two short years rose through the ranks to become a principal dancer.
She performed a breadth of ballets spanning the company’s repertory and has subsequently worked with many of the ballet world’s legendary icons such as Sir Antony Dowell, Sir David Bintley, and Sir Peter Wright. Hulland has also worked directly with prestigious repetiteurs including Grant Coyle, Sandra Jennings, Christopher Carr, and Sally Bliss.
“Words cannot express how excited I am to return to The Sarasota Ballet. I am incredibly grateful to Iain, Maggie, and Joe for their trust, and honored that they want me to continue with this amazing Company, working with so many people that made my 16 years such a treasure” says Hulland. “This is a home coming for me, and I cannot wait to see my Sarasota Ballet family once again.”
Featured Photo of Victoria Hulland and Ricardo Graziano in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand. Photo by Frank Atura.
