PRESS ROOM 7th Season: Onyx View Press Release 2023 Fiona Flamingo View Press Release 2023 The Nutcracker & The World's Fair View Press Release 6th Season: |non| fiction View Press Release 2023 Fall Fête: Twisted Tales View Press Release

Josiah Gundersen 2nd season with Ballet 314 Josiah Gundersen began his dance training at Studio West Dance Academy in Olympia, Washington when he was 15, though he's been dancing his entire life. In 2015 he relocated to St. Louis to attend Webster University where he graduated with a BFA in Modern Dance (2019). Since graduating, Josiah became a founding member of Resilience Dance Company and has collaborated extensively with independent choreographers Emily Duggins and Jacob Henss. Josiah is an active choreographer, most recently creating a work for Webster University which was chosen to be performed at the ACDA Gala. He is also a contributing dance writer for St. Louis Dance HQ. When he is not dancing, you can find Josiah exploring different neighborhoods of St. Louis and giving walking history tours for the Missouri History Museum. Return

Meet Ballet 314's Dancers MEET OUR DANCERS Resident Artists Rachel Bodi (she/her) Read Bio Marcela Gómez Lugo (she/her) Read Bio Nicolette Kolesnikova (she/her) Read Bio Bella Schmitt (she/her) Read Bio Bianca Wajack (she/her) Read Bio Rachel Colombe (she/her) Read Bio Abbie Hinrichs (she/her) Read Bio Abigail Kresno (she/her) Read Bio Robert Poe (he/him) Read Bio Kendall Dietrich (she/her) Read Bio Wren Hood (she/her) Read Bio Emily Low (she/her) Read Bio Ashley Stettes (she/her) Read Bio Collaborating Artists Megan Buckley (she/her) Read Bio Jamila Scales (she/her) Read Bio Eugenia Jones (she/her) Read Bio Laura Roth (she/her) Read Bio Guest Artists Josiah Gundersen (he/him) Read Bio Aubrey Vaughan (she/her) Read Bio Nathan Krueger (he/him) Read Bio Thomas Proctor (he/him) Read Bio Samuel Lawson (he/him) Read Bio

VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES THE ACCUSED Experience the world premiere of The Accused. This harrowing ballet unveils the gripping story of Tituba, the first woman accused in the Salem Witch Trials. This performance is the final installment of our "Beyond The Barre" docuseries, featuring our Friday evening cast. This 6th season closing program will also include the St. Louis premiere of Lark Ascending—an ASL-inspired ballet by Dance Magazine featured choreographer, William Smith—and Envy of Angels by Robert Poe. Filmed and produced in collaboration with Dancing Fox Pictures. Purchase Virtual Ticket Stream on EncoreNOW Program -Colin Ellis, St. Louis Dance HQ ".... they created a show to demonstrate the versatility of their dancers. The Lark Ascending showcases the dancers’ technical expertise, Envy of Angels their emotional quality of movement, and The Accused their acting capabilities. The night was truly about the dancers, and they delivered. " BEYOND THE BARRE Beyond the Barre offers an intimate look at Ballet 314, blending behind-the-scenes glimpses, rehearsal footage, and personal interviews. Filmed and produced in collaboration with Dancing Fox Pictures. Stream on EncoreNOW View Trailers Ragtime: The American Experience Ragtime: The American Experience is a heart-wrenching story that will lead you to re-examine the American Dream. Ballet 314 Artistic Director Robert Poe’s energizing and historically informed production of Ragtime: The American Experience brings a unique re-telling of E.L Doctorow’s epic American novel. Three families from different racial and cultural backgrounds navigate the social change during the turn of the century in New York. We watch them face the impact of racism, police brutality, and domestic abuse while in pursuit of their American Dream. Stream on EncoreNOW Program -Sarah Crawford, St. Louis Dance HQ " This ballet doesn’t just expose its audiences to harsh realities...it immerses audiences in the raw emotions from these experiences from start to finish. " Read Review FALL FÊTE: ANGELS & DEMONS Fall Fête: Angels & Demons is Ballet 314’s 6th season opener, which highlights their professional ballet company with contemporary ballet and gripping storytelling- all with an autumn twist. Stream '25 Performance 2025 Program Stream '24 Show on EncoreNOW -Sarah Crawford, St. Louis Dance HQ " Fall Fête celebrated Ballet 314’s growth as a company and took the audiences’ breath away with gorgeous dancing and engaging stories behind the pieces performed. " Read 2023 Review THE NUTCRACKER & THE WORLD'S FAIR In this narrated, unique re-telling of “The Nutcracker,” Ballet 314 unites St. Louis’ favorite historical event with the timeless holiday tale. Audiences will enjoy the classical Tchaikovsky score with reimagined storyline, characters, and scenery that reflect the grand and whimsical St. Louis 1904 World’s Fair. Directors of Ballet 314, expressed their enthusiasm, stating "We take immense pride in our Nutcracker production, where our diverse company and community performers beautifully represent our audience members.” Stream on EncoreNOW View Trailer Program

Athletico Physical Therapy is proud to partner with Ballet 314 and provide physical therapists to help keep dancers at peak performance. Athletico’s Partnership with Ballet 314 Athletico Physical Therapy is proud to partner with Ballet 314 and provide physical therapists to help keep dancers at peak performance. Athletico is a leading provider of orthopedic rehabilitation services to communities, employers, and athletes with more than 900 locations in 24 states and the District of Columbia, including several locations throughout the St. Louis area. Injury Prevention & Training Tips As the Official Provider of Physical Therapy for Ballet 314, we’re happy to provide the following tips to keep you dancing: Common Hip Injuries in Dancers 4 Common Ankle Injuries in Dancers Are Injuries Common for Dancers? 5 Important Stretches for Dancers For more injury prevention, recovery, and overall health & wellness tips, check out the Athletico Blog. Turn Your Setbacks Into Comebacks Are aches, pains, or injuries holding you back? The Athletico team is here to help you get back to doing what you love. Addressing pain early on has been shown to reduce overall healthcare costs and the need for unnecessary imaging tests, including X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans. Take the first step in writing your comeback story by scheduling a free assessment. You'll have the chance to sit down one-on-one with a licensed healthcare professional who will assess your current condition and recommend the best treatment option - which could mean starting physical therapy that same day. For more information on our free assessment or to get started, click here.

Emily Low 2nd season with Ballet 314 Emily Low is a dancer from the St. Louis area and is in her first season with Ballet 314. She has been dancing since she was 2 years old and it has always been her passion. Throughout her training, Emily would spend her summers doing training intensives such as St. Louis Ballet, Big Muddy, Peridance Capezio Centre, and Treadfast Dance Co. Emily graduated from the Southeast Missouri State Dobbins Conservatory of Theatre of Dance with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Dance. While at school she trained under Hilary Peterson, Philip Edgecombe, Ashley Tate, Arianna Russ, Thomas Proctor, and Alyssa Alger. She also worked in residency with Emily Haussler, Mike Esperanza, and Joshua Blake Carter. She is trained in ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, and tap. She has performed with with Cape Specialty Entertainment as well. Emily is excited to continue her art with Ballet 314 and to continuing growing as an artist and a person with the company. Return

Robert Poe Artistic Director robert@ballet314.org Biography A native of Aiken, South Carolina, Robert Poe has enjoyed a professional dancing career since 2004. For almost 17 years, he has performed with Columbia City Ballet, Cedar Lake II, Nashville Ballet, and the Nashville Opera before coming to St. Louis to dance with Missouri Ballet Theatre. In 2011, he became a founding member of The Big Muddy Dance Company and spent 9 seasons rehearsing, performing and choreographing with the company before leaving to flourish his own non-profit dance organization, Ballet 314. Since coming to St. Louis, Robert has also appeared with local organizations like the St. Louis Ballet and performed for two summers with the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, where he was part of the original cast of the world premiere opera, "Fire Shut Up In My Bones". He has taught for numerous dance studios and Universities across St. Louis and Illinois as well as throughout the South East and his choreography has been seen on several dance companies throughout the years; Nashville Ballet, Nashville Ballet II, Missouri Ballet Theatre, The Big Muddy Dance Company, La Voute, Leverage, Missouri Baptist University and most recently he has created a collaborative, dance centric work on La Voute inspired by "The 63106 Project" in partnership with Before Ferguson, Beyond Ferguson. In February of 2019, Robert co founded Ballet 314, St. Louis' newest ballet company, and serves as Co-Artistic Director with Rachel Bodi. Through this company, he has co-published a children's book, "The Nutcracker and the 1904 World's Fair", based off of the ballet he co-created and premiered in December of 2019, spearheaded a community initiative entitled Project Change which encompassed the premiere of his first full length ballet entitled "Ragtime, the American Experience" in July 2021. Ballet 314's mission is to celebrate local talent in the community and to start showcasing diversity and equity in the classical dance arts. Back to Leardership

Aubrey Vaughan Founding Company Member Growing up in Cullman, Alabama, Aubrey began her dance training at Cullman Ballet Theatre and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. She also received her earlier training under the instruction of Natalya Getman and Andrei Bossov, at the Bossov Ballet Theatre School, in Pittsfield, Maine. She traveled with Bossov Ballet to St.Petersburg, Russia to perform at the 2009 International Ballet Festival. In 2010, Aubrey began her professional career as a Nashville Ballet trainee and was elevated to a company apprentice in 2015. Under the direction of Paul Vasterling, Aubrey enjoyed performing in the following works: Carmina Burana, Peter Pan, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Swan Lake, role of Spanish in The Nutcracker, Seasons, and Something Wicked. While at Nashville Ballet, she had the opportunity to work with choreographers including Gina Patterson, Banning Bouldin, and resident choreographer, Christopher Stuart. In 2017, Aubrey performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. where the Nashville Ballet made its debut appearance performing The Ben Folds Project as a part of the Ballet Across America series. During the 2016-2018 seasons, Aubrey danced as a company member with Ballet Quad Cities. Her highlighted performances included the lead role of Sugar Plum Fairy and Rat Queen in the Nutcracker, the Mad Hatter in BQC’s debut performance of Alice in Wonderland, and Lucy in Deanna Carter’s Dracula. Since moving to St. Louis Aubrey has had the opportunity to dance with the Modern American Dance Company (MADCO) and she is currently in her sixth season as a member of Ballet 314. Aubrey and her husband are expecting their first child this fall and are thrilled to be growing their family. Return

NUTCRACKER COMMUNITY CAST Dance alongside Ballet 314’s professional dancers in “The Nutcracker & The World’s Fair”. Auditions are open to youth and adult dancers with any dance experience. There’s a role for everyone! Experience this incredible opportunity to perform this re-imagined holiday classic. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CONTACT US What makes this Nutcracker different? "The Nutcracker & the World’s Fair" is an original Ballet 314 production! You will join Clara and her sisters on an adventure through the unique sights, sounds, and sweets of the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. What is the cost to audition? Open audition fees are $20 You can pay this fee online or bring cash/check made payable to Ballet 314. When is the performance and where? December 11-13, 2026 | Edison Theatre When do the students rehearse? All rehearsals will take place on Sunday afternoons and begin in September 6th, 2026 They will take place in two locations: Central Studio in the Central West End with Mr. Robert and Ms. Marcela or at Devine Performing Arts in Wildwood with Mrs. Rachel and Ms. Ashley Parents/Dancers can pick their preferred location during registration. Please be aware that different roles rehearse in different locations. What is the cost to participate in this Nutcracker? Youth and adult cast have a $225 participation fee. Families with two or more participants will receive a discount of 15% off the final total. What is included in this fee? $225 participation fee for Youth and Adult Cast Members Includes: 10 Weeks of Coaching: Receive personalized coaching from our expert directors and rehearsal assistants, designed to elevate your performance skills. Costumes* : All performers' costumes will be provided and tailored to fit by our wardrobe team. *Does not include performance undergarments and required shoes.* Exclusive Class with the Company: Participants 18+ are invited to take ballet class alongside Ballet 314's professional dancers during dress rehearsals and performances. Participants under the age of 18+ will take class from a Ballet 314 company member. Youth Performance Mentorship Workshop: Young performers will benefit from an intimate workshop experience with Ballet 314's own professional company members regarding backstage etiquette, stage makeup and hair, etc. Cast T-Shirt: Cast members can look forward to getting their t-shirts signed by fellow performers and members of the professional company! Individual Professional Photograph in Costume: All participants will have a professional photo taken in costume to encapsulate their Nutcracker experience. Performance Streaming Link*: Unlimited access to video streams of both casts following the Nutcracker performance. Relieve the magic anytime you wish with this exclusive benefit! *Video links will be sold at $35/cast following the production. Do you have scholarships? Yes, every year we have need-based scholarships! Once you register for an audition, we will send you the application.

Ashley Stettes Founding Company Member Ashley Stettes is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a Minor in Fine Arts Entrepreneurship. Born and raised in St. Louis, Ashley returned to the area after college and is excited to be in her sixth season with Ballet 314! Aside from dancing with Ballet 314, Ashley also serves as a Rehearsal Assistant for Ballet 314's nutcracker community cast, an Adjunct Professor of Dance at Missouri Baptist University, and the Assistant Director of Devine Performing Arts. She has also formerly performed with Common Thread Contemporary Ballet (2018) and Leverage Dance Theater (2018-2019). Ashley is thrilled to be able to share her passion for dance with so many throughout the St. Louis region. Return

OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT Ballet 314 Boutique OPEN DURING PERFORMANCES Volunteer Sign up Follow Our Social Media Become A Donor Donate Questions? Email us at support@ballet314.org

Lauren (Wren) Hood 1st season with Ballet 314 Lauren (Wren) Hood was born in Santa Cruz, California, and began her training at age five with teachers Diane Cypher and Robert Kelly at the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, “The Studio of Classical Ballet”. She also studied with Linda Lock, Edward Ellison, Peter Boal, Susan Bryant, Carrie West Suslov, and Maria Torija. She attended Ellison Ballet School intensives in New York, New York, three years in a row from 2013-2015 under the direction of Edward Ellison. Wren also trained in Seattle, Washington, with the Pacific Northwest Ballet in 2016 and in Houston, Texas, with the Houston Ballet in 2018. She participated in Regional Dance America from 2010-2017 and received Scholarships and Awards for her choreography at The Ballet Alliance in 2023. Wren left Ballet for five years and returned in 2024, where she trained in Columbus, Ohio, with BalletMet. She starts the 2025-2026 season as one of the newest company members of Ballet314 in Saint Louis, Missouri Return