MCB School Promotions!

In March, news broke that Miami City Ballet School students Ellen Grocki and Alex Manning had been invited to join the company. JUST IN —  two more students from MCB School are slated to join the professional ranks of the company! We are proud to announce that Raechel Sparreo and Émilien Rivoire will be joining MCB as corps de ballet members when the 2014-2015 Season opens in October. Read about each dancer’s reaction to the exciting news below!

WECOME TO MCB RAECHEL SPARREO!

I am from Buffalo Grove, Illinois. I started ballet when I was 3 at Bataille Academy of Danse. At 11 years old, I began training at Faubourg School of Ballet under Watmora Casey, Tatyana Mazur, Ernesto Quenedit, Victor Alexander and Maray Gutierrez. I also trained at Fox Ballet with Terry Fox. I first came to Miami City Ballet School in 2010 for the 5-Week Summer Intensive. I loved it so much that I returned the following summer. At the end of the intensive, I was lucky enough to be invited to attend Miami City Ballet School for the 2011-2012 School- Year Program. I had unforgettable experiences that year and the next, performing not only with the school, but also with the company in the Nutcracker, Giselle, and Coppélia. This year, my third year with the school, I was very fortunate to study with MCB as a student apprentice.

The day I found out I was being promoted, the other students and I had end-of-year conferences with Ms. Callaghan and our teachers. My classmates and I had similar meetings in December in which we discussed our futures and were given advice on our dancing, so I was expecting something identical. When Ms. Callaghan gave me the news, I immediately burst into tears of joy! Émilien’s meeting was actually right after mine and he was the first person I told. I then called my mom to give her the big news to which she replied “Shut up!” and cried too.  When Emilien came out of his meeting and told me that he had received the same news, we hugged and cried! I cannot wait for this coming season and to live my dream! -Raechel

WELCOME TO MCB ÉMILIEN RIVOIRE!

I come from Lille, a city in Northern France. I started ballet when I was 8 at the Ballet du Nord of Roubaix and the Conservatory of Lille. When I was 12, I studied at the Paris Opera Ballet School for a year. I later studied at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Music et de Danse de Paris until I was 16. In 2011, I attended the School of American Ballet summer intensive and was invited to stay for the year round program. I first came to Miami City Ballet School for the 2013 summer course. During the last week of the program, I was offered a position as a student apprentice with the Miami City Ballet.

My teachers told me about my contract during our end of the year meetings. At first my jaw dropped, I couldn’t believe it! After all these years of training I finally reached my goal. I was so exited I immediately called my mom to tell her the great news. I’m really proud to be part of the MCB Family! – Émilie

Read about our Company Promotions here!