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Assaf Benchetrit is a graduate of the Rubin Academy for Music and Dance in Jerusalem, Israel. His professional credits include Panov Ballet, Jerusalem Dance Theater, Israeli National Ballet Company, Joffrey Ballet, Metropolitan Classical Ballet and Alabama Ballet. Assaf holds a BS in Computer Science, BFA and MFA in Dance, and was a faculty member at Yale University, Columbia University, Rutgers University, Hollins University, Montclair State University and Raritan Community College. Currently he is Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance at UNH.
Naomi received her early training in dance under Kay Welch in Lyndonville, Vermont, with summer intensives at Broadway Dance Center, the Joffrey ballet in NYC and the Boston Ballet School. As a scholarship student in Boston Ballet’s training program, she performed in Boston ballet’s Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, and went on to perform with the Orchesis Dance troupe while attending her physical therapy studies at the University of Vermont. She taught classes and performed liturgical dance under the direction of Cheri Williams, and now teaches at the Northeastern Ballet Theatre. Naomi works as a physical therapist, and provides consultations and Dance Injury Prevention seminars to dancers in NH and beyond. She is a homeschooling mother of two, and dances for the sheer joy of it. She has been performing with the Northeastern Ballet Theatre since 2013 under the direction of Edra Toth with soloist roles in Le Corsaire, Sleeping Beauty, and Nutcracker, and several lead roles including Wilhelmina in Dracula, Anna in The Snow Queen, Katrina in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Maria in The Sound of Music, as well as Sugar Plum Fairy.
Nathan Moyer was born in Concord, New Hampshire. He began his dance training at Colby-Sawyer College at the age of 18. In his sophomore year, Nathan went to Paris with Wells College for the Arts. He lived in Paris for eight months and trained in modern dance under the direction of Thierry Verger. In 2003 Nathan enrolled at the University of New Hampshire. While at UNH, Nathan studied ballet under former Boston Ballet dancers, David Drummond & Larry Robertson. Nathan graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2005 with a bachelor degree in theatre and dance. Nathan performed with Ballet New England in 2005 and 2006. In the summer of 2006, Nathan furthered his training at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. In late 2006, Nathan moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to continue his pursuit of ballet. While living in Buenos Aires, Nathan studied under Teatro Colon principal dancer Maria Chichi Diaz, and he was accepted into the Teatro Colon’s Men’s ballet program. In April 2007, Nathan founded DanceAbroad Argentina, a study abroad program for dancers. Currently, Nathan divides his time dancing and teaching in New England and Argentina, and he is the director of DanceAbroad Argentina.
Elyssa Bigos started her training at the age of six at The Robertson’s School of Classical Ballet with Larry and Colleen Robertson. She continued her training at various schools in the seacoast area with teachers such as Susan Duffy, Christine Simes, Elisa Gerasin, Edra Toth, and John Ling. She was a company member with Northeastern Ballet Theatre for two years and toured with Boston Dance Company for their production of “The Nutcracker”. She has attended summer intensive programs at Festival Ballet Providence, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, and Burklyn Ballet Theatre where she was one of few chosen to perform in “Aladdin” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. She also spent a summer at Carolina Ballet Theatre under the direction of Hernan Justo where she became a company trainee. Since returning to New Hampshire, Elyssa has performed as a guest artist with companies and schools across New England.
Iona Darling was born with the innate love of dance, so she started ballet lessons with Northeastern Ballet Theatre at age five, and since age 12, has spent her summers training in New York City with Ellison Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Performing in The Nutcracker every year has become part of Iona’s life, progressing from the role of Baby Mouse to Clara to Snow Queen to Sugar Plum Fairy. The pandemic made the life of an aspiring ballerina difficult, but she is grateful to be performing again.
Ben is thrilled to be back for another production with NBT! Previous credits with the company include The Sound of Music, The Wizard, Le Corsaire and many seasons of The Nutcracker. Musical theater credits include West Side Story, Evil Dead the musical, A Chorus Line, Fun Home and more. Ben has a B.A. in Theater and Dance from the University of New Hampshire, class of 2018.
Among a lifetime of credits, Alan has toured, built stages for U2, Pink Floyd, The Grateful Dead, many others. He’s appeared in several nationally televised adverts, as teenager, personally auditioned for Francis Ford Coppola. He’s written, minitoured, and was ‘The Learning Man’, his play about his TBI and recovery.
Professional production began at age 9, dancing as ‘Party Child’ in Boston Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’, 1972, then ’73, ’74. Miss Edra Toth was dancing the lead roles in these productions. “We share Miss E. Virginia Williams as teacher”.
Emily grew up in Buffalo, NY where she trained with the American Academy of Ballet under director Maris Battaglia. She attended ballet summer intensive programs including Chautauqua Institution, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. After four years dancing with the UNH Ballet Company, she graduated from UNH in May with degrees in nutrition and dance. Emily is currently pursuing her master’s in nutritional sciences at UNH while preparing to become a registered dietitian. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to continue dancing both professionally and recreationally in the New England area.
Jake Pleadwell is a local dancer/performer on the New Hampshire Seacoast. He began performing at 9 years old with the New Hampshire theatre project and was in his first professional show in The Mysterious Case of Walter Mitty in 2005. His most notable television performance was in 2015 when he played the role of Justin Bieber on Hawaii 5.0. He explored movement by participating in athletics in High school but was not introduced to dance until he attended Plymouth State University where he performed in a number of contemporary pieces. Years later he found himself the Arabian dancer in Great Bay Academy of Dance’s rendition of an 1836 Portsmouth Nutcracker. He later went on to perform the following year in GBAD’s Nutcracker as the Nutcracker. Through that performance he was introduced to the UNH Dance Company where he has performed in pieces like The Artist, and Sleeping Beauty.
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26 Glendon Street
Wolfeboro, NH - info@northeasternballet.org
- 603.834.8834