Donna Ross Joins Motion 41 Dance's Summer Intensive Faculty

Donna Ross, former soloist of the Joffrey Ballet, will be on the faculty for Motion 41 Dance's Summer Intensive from June 10-15, 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Donna Ross, a native of Midland, Texas, began her formal ballet training at Kathleen Crofton's Ballet Center of Buffalo in Buffalo, New York. In addition to Miss Crofton, Ms. Ross also studied under the guidance of Nathalie Krassovska, David Gayle of the Royal Ballet, Frank Bourman, Errol Addison, and Erling Sunde. Ms. Ross further pursued her studies on scholarship at The Joffrey Ballet School and privately with David Howard, Maggie Black, Melissa Hayden, Marjorie Mussman, Wilhelm Burmann, and Alexander Filipov.

Ms. Ross was promoted into Kathleen Crofton's Festival Ballet of New York where she performed principal roles in ballets such as The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Les Sylphides, Flower Festival at Genzano Pas de Deux, and Bluebird Pas de Deux.

At the age of 16, after performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, partnered by The Joffrey Ballet's Paul Sutherland, Ms. Ross was invited by director, Sally Brayley Bliss, to join Joffrey II. In 1976, Ms. Ross was promoted into the main company, The Joffrey Ballet, where she performed through 1978.

Ms. Ross danced the Foxtrot in Frederick Ashton's Façade and Cobweb in Frederick Ashton's The Dream, and featured roles in La Vivandiere, Gerald Arpino's Kettantanz, Agnes De Mille's Rodeo, and in works by John Cranko, Twyla Tharp, and George Balanchine. Jennifer Dunning of the New York Times described her as "a young dancer to watch".

Ms. Ross also appeared in PBS' "Dance in America Series", "Live From The Greek Theater" in Los Angeles, California in Agnes De Mille's "Conversations About The Dance" performing with dancers from The Joffrey Ballet and the Bella Lewitsky Dance Company, and Gregory Peck and The Beach Boys.