Summer is on its way and we are so thrilled to be preparing for our first Summer Intensive in our new spaces! Still Pointe Ballet is proud to have some incredible artists and professionals coming to join us June 13-17 and June 20-24. We love to use summer as a time of inspiration and are grateful to be able to offer the chance to study with some truly inspiring teachers right here at home!
Wei, Dongsheng
Graduated in 1987 from the Beijing Dance Academy with a major in Professional Performing Arts, Ballet. Mr. Wei has been ranked China’s National Number One Artist by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, registered in China’s national “Who is Who,” and bestowed the title of Ballet Master by the National Ballet of China. Mr. Wei was the leading principal dancer in the National Ballet of China till 1991. Then he moved to the United States and where he performed 14 years as the principal dancer for the Atlanta Ballet. Later in 1997, after retiring from the Atlanta Ballet, Mr. Wei opened his own dance academy, the AtlantaProfessional Dance Academy, with his bellowed wife Ms. Jenny Jue Chen. With his professional experience and knowledge in dance, he is leading his academy to become internationally recognized. It is famous for being Quarter Finalists in NBC’s America’s Got Talent Season 9 live TV show in NYC’s Radio City Music Hall in 2014 and for the grand title “Amazing Star” winner in Amazing Chinese (China’s Got Talent) TV show hosted by CCTV China in 2015. He was listed in the USA National register’s “Who is Who” in 2004. He is now working on a cultural exchange program between the USA and China and is also teaching classical Ballet in Johns Creek Georgia along with teaching around the world as a guest Ballet Master.
Lucas Labrador
Lucas Labrador was born in Cosquín, Argentina. He graduated from The Rock School in Philadelphia. Lucas won first place in the pas de deux category at the Youth America Grand Prix in Atlanta and second place in the ensemble category at the New York City finals. As a part of Atlanta Ballet 2, he has performed lead and starring roles in Bruce Wells’s Beauty and the Beast and Snow White, Viktor Plotnikov’s World Premiere, Nadia Mara’s Apasionado and Tina Bohnstedt’s Eclipse. He spent two seasons at Ballet Nacional de Argentina, under the direction of Royal Ballet principal dancer Inaki Urlezaga. Lucas toured Argentina, Spain and Portugal, performing roles in Frederick Ashtons’s Birthday Offering, and William Dollar’s Le Combat, Giselle and La Traviatta. As an Atlanta Ballet apprentice, Lucas performed Ricardo Amarante’s The Premiere, Jiří Kylián’s Return to a Strange Land, Yuri Possokhov’s Don Quixote, Firebird and The Nutcracker (Spanish, Russian and French), Johan Kobborg’s Sylphide (Pas de Six), Mark Morris’ Sandpaper Ballet, Liam Scarlett’s Catch and Vespertine, Claudia Shreier’s First Impulse, Kiyon Ross’ Sum Stravinsky, and Dwight Rhoden’s Sunrise Divine. Most recently, Lucas has performed as a guest artist, leading roles with Indianapolis Ballet in Sleeping Beauty, Raymonda, and Valse Fantaisie by George Balanchine.
Megan Johnson
Megan Johnson trained with Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts for 7 years. Additionally, she was a professional company member of Georgia Dance Theatre for those 7 years.
Mrs. Johnson has had the honor of dancing the lead role of Maria in Artistic Director Sherri Davis’ original work of West Side Story, demi-soloist in Giselle, Fleur De Lyes in Hunchback of Notre Dame, Lilac Ferry in Sleeping Beauty, Odette in Swan Lake, Blanche Ingram in Sherri Davis’ original Ballet Jane Eyre,as well as Sugar Plum Fairy, Dewdrop, Snow Queen, Dolls, Ribbon Candy, Chinese and Arabian lead in Georgia Dance Theatre's productions of The Nutcracker Ballet. In addition, Megan performed the lead role of Juliet in Georgia Academy of Dance & the Performing Arts' 2017 production of Romeo & Juliet.
Carly Hammond
Carly Hammond began her formal training at Geiger Ballet under the guidance of Artistic Director Mary C. Geiger. She is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington with a Bachelor of Science in Ballet Performance and an Outside Field in Education. While attending Indiana University, she performed principal roles in Appalachian Spring, The Four Temperaments, and Donizetti Variations, and was featured as a soloist in Violette Verdy’s Variations for Eight and the Sugar Plum Fairy in Michael Vernon’s The Nutcracker. Following graduation, she was a member of the corps at Ballet San Antonio for 3 seasons. There she performed featured roles in Gabriel Zertuche’s Dracula and The Nutcracker, as well as a Harlot in Ben Stevenson’s Romeo and Juliet and the Pas de Trois in Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lake. Ms. Hammond performed the principal couple in Gerald Arpino’s Confetti, and as a demi-soloist in Frederick Franklin’s Tribute. For her last season at BSA, Ms. Hammond danced the role of Kitri’s Friend in Willy Shives’ Don Quixote and Gerald Arpino’s Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. In 2018, Ms. Hammond joined The Georgia Ballet, and was featured as a Little Swan in Swan Lake Act 2 and as the Waltz Girl in Les Sylphides. Additionally, she has danced the role of Lise in an excerpt of La Fille Mal Gardee, as well as one of Swanhilda’s Friends in Coppelia. For the 2021-2022 season, Ms. Hammond performed the Peasant Pas de Deux and the demi-soloist Wilis Moyna in Giselle. She also performed the Snow Queen in Daet Rodriguez’s The Nutcracker, as well as Flames of Paris and a demi-soloist in Paquita. Carly is very excited and grateful to be returning to Still Pointe for the summer!