NYCB FRIENDS. When Daniel Ulbricht heads into town at the Byham Oct. 15, he’ll be bringing some “friends” with him. There isn’t much out there, but a few things popped up on YouTube. Sterling Hyltin (click on Sterling) is the Juliet that Peter Martins plucked from the soloist ranks for his new production of Romeo and Juliet as a 21-year old in 2008 and is now NYCB’s youngest principal dancer. Principal Jonathan Stafford has some close ties to the area — he was born in Carlisle and trained at Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. The third principal is Teresa Reichlen, known for her beautiful long lines (she is 5’9″), which can briefly be seen in a magazine shoot (click on Teresa). Pittsburgher Stephen Hanna is a former NYCB principal who now is the older Billy in “Billy Elliot” on Broadway. And two other former Pittsburghers will be in the cast. Corps member Faye Arthurs made a name for herself at Pittsburgh Youth Ballet with her impossibly high extensions and has performed a number of featured roles, including Maria in Jerome Robbins’ “West Side Story Suite.” And corps member Stephanie Zungre, also an alum with Pittsburgh Youth Ballet and a winner of a local National Society of Arts and Letters competition, has performed featured roles in ballets such as George Balanchine’s “Chaconne.”
ARTS, LETTERS AND LIBATIONS. The Pittsburgh chapter of the National Society of Arts and Letters held a fundraiser at the spacious home of Dr. Karl Williams and Mrs. Peggy Smyrnes-Williams ESQ. in Squirrel Hill to benefit the upcoming solo choreography competition in March (date TBA). The theme was South American, with tango and tapas, salsa and sangria. Chairperson Carole Kamin and president Norman Brown led the festivities, which included an auction. For more information on the competition, titled “Choreography: The Art of the Solo,” click on NSAL. Alert: this is for artists from 18 to 33, which opens things up considerably.
SOME EAST IN THE NORTH. Chinese traditional dance artist Yanlai Wu has made the move from Downtown to the North Hills, where she changed the name of her school, formerly Oriental Star Dance School, to Yanlai Dance Academy. Located on Babcock Blvd., the studio, with two classrooms, welcomed students, parents and friends to the grand opening earlier this month. For more information, click on Yanlai.
