
Judy Jacob is from Detroit, where she studied ballet with Evelyn Smith. She trained in London, England, with Anne Heaton, John Field, and Valerie Taylor, and at Butler University (B.A.) and Indiana University (M.S.) with George Verdak, William Glenn, Peggy Dorsey, Anton Dolin, and Kenneth Melville. After graduation, Ms. Jacob danced professionally with Memphis Ballet, performing principal roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker), Swanhilda (Coppélia), and the title role in Cinderella. She also created roles in ballets by choreographers Ron Cunningham, Jill Eathorne Bahr, Norbert Vesak, Robert Kelley, and Philip Jerry. Ms. Jacob was the Associate Artistic Director of Fort Wayne Ballet prior to joining Richmond Ballet in 1995. She was Assistant Ballet Master of the Richmond Ballet professional company for two years and became Director of the School of Richmond Ballet in 1998.
Our professional company is made up of elite dancers from around the world who have helped earn Richmond Ballet critical acclaim. Dance/USA says Richmond Ballet is “a jewel among U.S. dance companies,” while The Washington Post calls it “a company to which dance fans everywhere ought to pay attention.” We’re proud of all that our company dancers bring to Richmond, and the world.
Richmond Ballet II, our second performing company, is comprised of talented young dancers between the ages of 18 and 22. RBII members perform their own diverse repertoire on tour across the Commonwealth as well as alongside the main company in mainstage productions.
Founded in 1993, the nationally recognized Richmond Ballet Trainee Program offers select advanced students a transitional experience to bridge the gap between the academic ballet setting and the world of professional dance. The Richmond Ballet Trainee Program is one of the few in this country that enables aspiring dancers to pursue formal dance training and gain valuable performance experience with a professional company.
Richmond Ballet Trainees - Second Year
First Row: Savannah Cherry, Sage Polak, Emma Block, Gianna DeMassio
Second Row: Sarah Shaw, Gabrielle Goodson, Maia Culbreath, Carrington Martin
Third Row: Madeline Duritza, Seth Mostofsky, Allison Bell, Darius Mealy, Claire Duritza
Richmond Ballet Trainees - First Year
First Row: Kennady Jackson, Ella Warren, Katrina May Thomas
Second Row: Carter Bush, Kendall Taylor, Parker Edmondson, Sheridan Brown, Anna Orzulak, Garrett Janiak
Third Row: Cade Bolz, Gavin Haas, Ephraim Bullock, Daniel Miller
The Artistic Staff at Richmond Ballet is made up of international professionals who each bring incredible talent, expertise, and credentials to their respective roles. With impressive backgrounds and world experience, they offer a unique perspective that has helped shape our organization over the years. For over 40 years, Stoner Winslett has served as the founding Artistic Director of Richmond Ballet, the first major company of professional dancers in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is one of the longest tenured artistic directors of a major ballet company and one of the country’s few female artistic directors. In June 2020, acclaimed choreographer Ma Cong joined Richmond Ballet as its first ever Associate Artistic Director.