Richmond Ballet
The State Ballet of Virginia
Sabrina Sabino
Company Dancer
Sabrina Sabino is originally from upstate NY where she began her ballet training at an early age. She furthered her education while training at Canada’s National Ballet School for four years which included an exchange program to the John Cranko School in Stutlgart, Germany. After graduation, she spent 1 season with the Washington Ballet performing with the company as a trainee. This is Sabrina’s 11th Season with Richmond Ballet which includes 2 years in RBII.
Education & Training
Ballet Art by Delia Foley in upstate New York, Canada’s National Ballet School, Trainee with The Washington Ballet, Summer intensives: John Crank School in Stuttgart Germany, Boston Ballet, Nutmeg Conservatory, Chautauqua Ballet, and Canada’s National Ballet School. Sabrina has also attended NCI (National Choreographers Initiative) for two summers.
Professional Experience / Career Highlights
Principal role in Theme and Variations, Cinderella in Cinderella, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, and Sugar Plum in The Nutcracker.
What inspired you to become a professional dancer?
When I was about 3 years old I would always go to my older sisters’ ballet performances and my parents could not stop me from dancing in the aisles. They knew they had to put me into ballet as well and I have been dancing ever since! When I started to become really serious about ballet my parents kept allowing me to go to summer intensives to see if I was truly up for the challenge. While there, you dance all day long and I would always wish that I could do that every day, not just during the summer. Well here I am, dancing all day long as my profession! I could not in a million years be here without my parents’ constant support.
What is your favorite role that you’ve performed with Richmond Ballet?
I loved performing in all of the ballets listed in “Professional Experience”. It’s hard to choose one! I always love the challenges that come with Balanchine Ballets. When I first learned “My One and Only,” a variation in Who Cares?, I knew I was up for a big challenge, but it was very satisfying to rehearse and perform. I would say the same challenge came with Theme and Variations, but I loved every minute of it!
What do you enjoy about being part of Richmond Ballet?
Richmond Ballet is a small company so it allows everyone to dance a lot. There is a lot of hard work that goes into putting a performance together and that brings not only the dancers, but the entire organization together.
What do you like about living in Richmond?
I love that you can have the feeling of being in a city or the country all in a matter of a few miles. Richmond is full of great places to eat and play games, but also so many beautiful walking/hiking trails as well. And of course the James River!
A photo gallery of Sabrina's artistry
Company Dancers
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.
Cody Beaton
Celeste Gaiera
Enrico Hipolito
Colin Jacob
Khaiyom Khojaev
Garret McNally
Jack Miller
Eri Nishihara
Naomi Robinson
Joe Seaton
Sarah Joan Smith
Izabella Tokev
Ira White
Naomi Wilson
RBII Dancers
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.
Jackson Calhoun
Courtney Collier
Zacchaeus Page
Paul Piner
RBII Apprentices
RBII Apprentices are the top level of the Pre-Professional Division of School of Richmond Ballet. They receive an intensive training program, full scholarship, living stipend and are the bridge to RBII, our second company. Their time is divided between RBII rehearsals and the Trainee Program, performing in Lecture Demonstrations, Richmond Ballet Company mainstage performances and the end of season showcase performance with RB Trainees.
Richmond Ballet II Apprentices
Seated (L-R): Gianna DeMassio, Rachel Nash
Standing (L-R): Michael Duncan, Hannah MacLeod, Darius Mealy
TRAINEES
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 and Third Years
First Row- Senior Trainees: Kennady Jackson, Sarah Shaw, Gabrielle Goodson
Second Row: Katrina May Thomas, Sheridan Brown, Anna Orzulak, Parker Edmondson, Kendall Taylor, Ella Warren
Third Row: Carter Bush, Gavin Haas, Cade Bolz, Garrett Janiak, Daniel Miller
Richmond Ballet Trainees - First Year
First Row: Anne Pearson Gremer, Kristen Soyars Green, Isabella Vanik
Second Row: Gillian Carr, BriAnna Binzak, Savannah Wyatt, Claire Kehoe, Alexis Dawson, Kinsey Phelps, Chelsea Hacking
Third Row: Kiera Luci Dulog, Gillian Grossman, Oliver Gardner, Sydney Stutzman, Benjamin Piner
Artistic Staff
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.
Stoner Winslett
Artistic Director
Ma Cong
Associate Artistic Director
Judy Jacob
Artistic Associate & Chairman of Faculty
Jerri Kumery
Artistic Associate
Igor Antonov
Artistic Associate and Richmond Ballet II Director
Lauren Fagone
Répétiteur and Artistic Coordinator
