Nayara Lopes and Sterling Baca in Esmeralda pas de deux
Nayara Lopes and Sterling Baca (Pennsylvania Ballet) in Esmeralda pas de deux, music by Riccardo Drigo, choreography by Marius Petipa. Shot at Panama Ballet Festival Gala concert, 28.7.2019 in Panama City.
All galleries from Panama Ballet Festival 2019 Gala Concert
Nayara Lopes is currently a First Soloist with Pennsylvania Ballet. She was born in Curitiba, Brazil. Nayara Lopes began dancing at age six. She trained at the School of Theatre Dance Guaira in Brazil and later at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York. Nayara also competed in ballet competitions such as the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) finals in New York, where she received the Mary Day Special Award, as well as the YAGP regionals in Columbia, SC, where she was the 2011 Grand Prix winner. Nayara danced with Orlando Ballet II, which she joined in 2010; the National Ballet of Canada, which she joined as an apprentice in 2011; and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, which she joined in 2015. Nayara joined Pennsylvania Ballet for our 2016/2017 season as a member of the corps de ballet, and was promoted to Soloist for the 18/19 season.
Sterling Baca is a Principal Dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet. His hometown is Larkspur, Colorado, USA. Sterling Baca began his training at age 11 at the Academy of Colorado Ballet and later with world-renowned instructor German Zamuel. He then studied with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), at first attending five of their summer intensive programs (as a National Training and Bender Foundation Scholar) and later in their elite pre-professional program at the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School with full scholarship. Sterling danced with American Ballet Theatre, where he began in 2010 as a member of their second company. He was invited to join the main company as an apprentice in May 2011 and soon after promoted to the corps de ballet in December of that same year. Sterling joined Pennsylvania Ballet as a Principal Dancer for our 2016/2017 season. Sterling also appeared on season 4 of Dance212, a popular online series that follows dancers trying to make it in New York City. As well, he was in the short film, On a Grass Field, which won Best Short Film at the 2014 New Jersey Golden Door Film Festival. In January 2016, Sterling was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine for their “25 to Watch” issue.
Photo by Jack Devant ballet photography © with kind permission of Panama Ballet Festival, special thanks to Ivan Sepulveda
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