Sarah Lane, Christine Shevchenko and Devon Teuscher have been promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer and Calvin Royal III has been promoted to the rank of Soloist.  The promotions, announced today by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, become effective September 1, 2017.

Sarah Lane began her dance training in Memphis, Tennessee under the direction of Pat Gillespie at the Memphis Classical Ballet. She continued instruction with Timothy Draper and Jamey Leverett at the Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, New York.  In 2002, Lane was a Young Arts Winner in Dance/Ballet and became a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.  Lane was the Silver Medalist, the highest medal in the Junior Division, at the Jackson International Ballet Competition (2002). That same year, Lane also won the Bronze Medal at the Youth America Grand Prix Competition.

Lane joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in August 2003, became a member of the Company’s corps de ballet in April 2004 and was appointed a Soloist in August 2007.  Her roles with the Company include Galya in The Bright Stream, the Fairy Spring in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, Swanilda in Coppélia, Gulnare in Le Corsaire, Amour and a flower girl in Don Quixote, Anne in Christopher Wheeldon’s VIII, the Flames of Paris pas de deux, Giselle and the peasant pas de deux in Giselle, Golden Cockerel in The Golden Cockerel, Young Girl in The Green Table, Vera in A Month in the Country, Clara, the Princess in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Olga in Onegin, Youngest Sister in Pillar of Fire, one of Juliet’s friends in Romeo and Juliet, Princess Aurora and Princess Florine in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de deux from Stars and Stripes, Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, Waltz in Les Sylphides, a Goat in Sylvia, a leading role in Theme and Variations and roles in Bach Partita, Birthday Offering, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Chamber Symphony, Désir, Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes, Her Notes, In the Upper Room, The Leaves Are Fading, Monotones I, Raymonda Divertissements, Seven Sonatas, Sinatra Suite, Some Assembly Required, Symphony in C and With a Chance of Rain.  Lane created the Chinese Dance in Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, the Fairy Miettes qui tombent (Breadcrumb) in The Sleeping Beauty, Miranda in The Tempest, Princess Praline in Whipped Cream and a role in Demis Volpi’s Private Light.  Lane was a recipient of the Princess Grace Award in 2007 and a 2008 Leonore Annenberg Fellowship in the Arts.  She was the dancing double for Natalie Portman in Fox Searchlight Pictures’ feature film Black Swan.

Christine Shevchenko was born in Odessa, Ukraine where she was chosen to train in rhythmic gymnastics and ballet at an Olympic School.  At age eight, she moved to the United States and trained at Pennsylvania Ballet’s Rock School.  She danced the children’s lead in Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker and was featured in the NBC special Degas and the Dance. In 2003, Shevchenko became the youngest recipient of the Princess Grace Award.  Other awards include the Bronze Medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi and 2005 Gold Medal and Title of Laureate at the Moscow International Ballet Competition.  Shevchenko joined ABT’s Studio Company in August 2006, became an apprentice with ABT in December 2007 and joined the corps de ballet in June 2008.  She was promoted to Soloist with ABT in 2014.

Her repertoire with the Company includes Polyhymnia in Apollo, a Shade in La Bayadére, Milkmaid in The Bright Stream, the Fairy Summer in Cinderella, Lead Mazurka/Czardas in Coppélia, Kirti, Mercedes and a flower girl in Don Quixote, Lead Can-Can Dancer in Gaîté Parisienne, Lead Persian Lady in The Golden Cockerel, Myrta in Giselle, Partisan Woman in The Green Table, Nanine in Lady of the Camellias, one of The Nutcracker’s Sisters in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Lilac Fairy and Diamond Fairy in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, the pas de trois and Italian Princess in Swan Lake, Ceres and Diana in Sylvia, Mademoiselle Marianne Chartreuse in Whipped Cream and roles in Bach Partita, Birthday Offering, Brahms-Haydn Variations, Company B, Duets, Her Notes, Mozartiana, Piano Concerto #1, Raymonda Divertissements, Seven Sonatas, Sinfonietta, Symphonic Variations and Thirteen Diversions.  She created roles in AfterEffect, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once and Private Light.

Devon Teuscher began her dance training at the age of nine under Deanna Doty of the Champaign Urbana Ballet Academy in Champaign, IL and continued her training at the Vermont Ballet Theatre School in Essex, Vermont under the direction of Alex and Kirsten Nagiba. From 2002 to 2006, Teuscher attended American Ballet Theatre’s Summer Intensive and was a National Training Scholar from 2003 to 2006.  In January 2005, she relocated to New York City to dance at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School on full scholarship.  Teuscher joined ABT’s Studio Company in 2006, became an apprentice in December 2007 and a member of the corps de ballet in June 2008.  She was promoted to Soloist with ABT in 2014.

Her repertoire with the Company includes Polyhymnia in Apollo, a leading role in Bach Partita, a Shade in La Bayadère, Summer Fairy and Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Aurora and Lead Mazurka/Czardas in Coppélia, Gulnare in Le Corsaire, Mercedes and a flower girl in Don Quixote, Myrta in Giselle, Partisan Woman in The Green Table, Lead Persian Lady in The Golden Cockerel, Caroline, The Bride-To-Be in Jardin aux Lilas, Spanish Dance and one of The Nutcracker’s Sisters in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Rosaline’s friend and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Candide (Sincerity), Lilac Fairy and Diamond Fairy in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile, the pas de trois AND Spanish Princess in Swan Lake, Terpsichore and Diana in Sylvia and roles in Airs, Baker’s Dozen, Chamber Symphony,Citizen, Company B, Duets, Dumbarton, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once, Gong, In the Upper Room, Sinfonietta, Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Symphonic Variations, Thirteen Diversions, Citizen, Company B, Duets, Dumbarton, Everything Doesn’t Happen at Once, Gong, In the Upper Room, Sinfonietta, Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Symphonic Variations, Thirteen Diversions and Valse Fantaisie.  She created the Fairy Candide (Sincerity) in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty and leading roles in After You, Her Notes, Serenade After Plato’s Symposium and With a Chance of Rain. 

Calvin Royal III began his formal dance training under the direction of Suzanne Pomerantzeff and Patricia L. Paige at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida at age 14. He was a finalist at the Youth America Grand Prix Scholarship Competition in New York City in April 2006 and joined the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in September 2006.  Royal was also the recipient of the Ethan Stiefel Scholarship in 2006 and 2007.  He joined ABT II (now ABT’s Studio Company) in December 2007 and joined the main Company as an apprentice in October 2010 and the corps de ballet in April 2011.

His repertoire with the Company includes Espada in Don Quixote, Persian Man in The Golden Cockerel, the Recruit in Alexei Ratmansky’s The Nutcracker, Carnival Dancer in Othello, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Spanish Prince and Prince Fortune in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty, von Rothbart, Benno and the Spanish Dance in Swan Lake, Jaseion in Sylvia, Prince Cocoa in Whipped Cream and roles in Bach Partita, Black Tuesday, Brahms-Haydn Variations, Clear, Company B, Duets, Her Notes, Piano Concerto #1, Raymonda Divertissements, Seven Sonatas, Sinfonietta, Symphonic Variations and Thirteen Diversions. He created a Fairy Cavalier in Ratmansky’s The Sleeping Beauty and roles in Aftereffect (first production), After You and Serenade after Plato’s Symposium.

Royal was a 2014 winner of a grant from the Leonore Annenberg Fellowship Fund for the Performing and Visual Arts.

American Ballet Theatre’s Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera house continues through July 8, 2017. For tickets and information, please visit www.abt.org.

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