Principal Dancers

MARÍA VALENCIA-ALVAREZ

María trained at a young age in a variety of disciplines and dance styles including ballet, jazz, lyrical, and aerial silks. Her many performances include Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Mozart's The Magic Flute, Le Corsaire (Medora), Don Quijote (Kitri) among others. Notable roles she has danced with The Ithaca Ballet are The Nutcracker (Snow Queen, Coffee, and Sugar Plum Fairy), Midsummer Night's Dream (Helena), Snow White (Snow White), Giselle (Giselle), Little Mermaid (Little Mermaid) Samantha Sprague Iddings “Pangs”, “Solstice”. Tucker Davis "Optimal Distance", "All Show & No Go" and "Ellipses". Kara Skrubis “Solace”, “To Them”, “Everything”. Maria has also choreographed several pieces performed by the Ithaca Ballet at "WinterDance" in the past few years, included “A journey, a voyage, a tour…. “ Valkyries”, "Red Thread", "Per Áspera Ad Astra" and "Tango". From 2013 to 2017, María taught in some of the most renowned studios in Edmonton, AB, Canada and performed in several international dance festivals with Synaethesis Dance Theatre. Furthermore, during her last period in Edmonton she was appointed director of "Pique Dance Centre" during her transition to Ithaca. She is a certified teacher from the American Ballet Theatre, having completed the Teachers Training Program from Pre-Primary to Grade 5 Level of the ABT National Training Curriculum. She is thrilled to join the Ithaca Ballet Company for her seventh year and keep being an active member of the Ithaca dance community.

Madegan has been dancing with the Ithaca Ballet since she was 9. She continued to train and perform while getting a degree in biology and movement studies, and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2019. After completing a graduate program in Movement Analysis and Somatics, she returned to Ithaca Ballet to dance, teach, and coach company members on injury prevention and rehabilitation. Her favorite roles to perform include Dewdrop Fairy in The Nutcracker, Peasant Pas de deux in Giselle, and Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. She has also performed in many original contemporary works including Stratus, Tiny Bubbles, and Blues in Pieces. Madegan is passionate about applied neuroscience and kinesiology, and continues to integrate her academic expertise with her approach to ballet training. She is the founder of Kinesthesia Movement Therapy, where she works as a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist (RSMT) and Certified Movement Analyst (LBMA). She is also a faculty member at Integrated Movement Studies, the premier accredited institution for becoming a Certified Movement Analyst.