Our Dancers

Peninsula Dance Theatre 2013 - 2014
Dancer Biographies Below

2013 - 2014 PDT Company Dancers

Dancer Biographies

Principal Dancers

Dalton Alden-Welfl

Dalton Alden-Welfl, a Senior in High School, has been studying dance with Bremerton Dance Center (BDC)
since the age of 3. While performing with BDC she held the lead roles of the Caterpiller in Alice in Topsey Turvey Land and Wendy in Peter Pan. Through her graduation to the performing company of PDT, she has appeared in numerous productions of the Nutcracker, Season Opener, and Choreography Showcase and held supporting roles in Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Coppellia. She has performed the lead role of Porsch, Mercutio’s saucy and
pugnacious love interest in PDT's rendition of Romeo and Juliet and most recently “Druzella”, one of the Ugly Stepsisters in our recent production of Cinderella.

Sophie Robertson

Sophie Robertson joined Peninsula Dance Theatre in 2011 and feels fortunate to be a principal company member. She started ballet and other dance styles at the age of three at Harbor Dance and Performance Center in Gig Harbor. Since dancing with PDT, some of her favorite roles include Cinderella in Cinderella, Grissis in Pas de Quatre, Prayer in Coppelia, and Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. This past spring she traveled with the company to Phoenix to participate in her first Regional Dance America festival. Summer Intensives she has attended include Houston Ballet, New York City Dance Alliance, Boston Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and PDT. This year she received a full scholarship to New York City Dance Alliance's Nationals as a Regional Oustanding Dancer Runner-up. Sophie is a junior in high school and her dreams are to continue her academics and receive a university BFA in dance. She enjoys Ultimate, Skiing, and other sports. Her many thanks go to PDT and her teachers for furthering her goals and her friends for their support.

Ryan Marshall

Ryan Marshall has been performing off and on with PDT since 1996. Ryan is a Sheet Metal Mechanic at PSNS, having graduated from his apprenticeship in2008. A few of his favorite past roles include Cavalier, Snow King, and Herr Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker. As well as, Hungarian Prince in Swan Lake and Prince Désiré in Sleeping Beauty.

Rachael Spear

Rachael Spear is a junior in high school and has been dancing for 13 years. This marks her sixth year in the company and first year as a principal company member! Some of her favorite roles have been Clara in The Nutcracker and the Spring Fairy in Cinderella. Her favorite dance trips so far have been the Craft of Choreography Conference in Orem, Utah and Regional Dance America in Montreal, Quebec. While she isn't at dance, Rachael is a Teen Mentor at Green Mountain Elementary, involved in the school yearbook, and is
involved in the leadership program at school.

Alexandra Murray

Alexandra Murray is a senior in high school and is a principal company member of Peninsula Dance Theatre. Alex attended the summer ballet intensive in Santa Cruz California for two summers, she also attended the Mid-Columbia ballet intensive in the tri cities last summer and she attended American Ballet Theaters California summer intensive this summer and had an amazing time. Alex has been in many of PDTs productions, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia,Cinderella and many more, and is
looking forward to the performances to come. Aside from dance, Alex enjoys golf, spending time with her family at Haven Lake, and snowboarding.

Performing Members

Michelle Ascencio

Michelle Ascencio has lived in Bremerton her whole life, and is currently a sophomore in High School. She has been dancing for eleven years, and is beginning her fifth year as a member of Peninsula Dance Theatre. Michelle has performed in many PDT productions including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Coppelia, The Nutcracker, and her favorite, the annual Choreography Showcase. This past summer, Michelle attended Summer Dance Lab's amazing two week intensive in Walla Walla, along with Bremerton Dance Center’s one week summer intensive. Outside of dance, Michelle enjoys maintaining her 4.0 GPA, photography, travel, math and science, reading, painting, and playing her flute in the marching and concert bands.

Hailey Ennen-Lawson

Haliey Ennen-Lawson is a Junior in high school and a Running Start student at Olympic College. She has
been dancing for five years, four of which have been with Bremerton Dance Center BDC. She wishes that she had started sooner because she loves every minute of it. Her favorite ballet roles include the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid from BDC’s Spring Recital and Harem in The Nutcracker .Hailey studied with State Street
ballet in California for a 4 week intensive this Summer, as well as a 3 week intensive with DASSdance in Seattle. While she loves ballet, modern and contemporary are her favorite styles of dance, and she aspires to one day become a choreographer in these genres.

Ceilidh Countryman

Ceilidh Countryman a junior in High School, is happy to return for her third year as a performing
member of Peninsula Dance Theatre. So far her favorite roles at PDT have been the Arabian Princess in The
Nutcracker and Summer Fairy in Cinderella. She began dancing at age three with Liberty Bay Danceworks, and started dancing with Bremerton Dance Center at age eight. Ceilidh has been to two of Regional Dance America’s festivals, and has studied at Summer Dance Lab and two of American Ballet Theatre’s summer
intensives. When not dancing, she enjoys reading, swimming, and spending time with friends and family.

Lydia Caldwell

Lydia Caldwell is a 16 year old a sophomore in High School and has been dancing since age 4. Lydia looks forward to her 3rd season as a performing member of Peninsula Dance Theatre and performing in her 10th production of PDT's The Nutcracker. Lydia has received partial tuition scholarships from PDT to attend Mid-Columbia Ballet's intensive in Richland, WA for the past two summers, as well as attending BDC's intensive for the past 4 summers. In her spare time, Lydia enjoys baking cookies, hanging out with her "dance family", listening to music, and laughing. Lydia would like to thank her family, friends, teachers, coaches, and most importantly her parents for their endless support and encouragement!

Hailey Somerday

Hailey Somerday is a Sophomore in High School. She has been dancing at BDC since she was three years old. This is her third year as a performing member with PDT. One of her favorite roles she had has so far is the lead in "Can or Can't I be Country" PDT performed at the Kitsap County Fair. The past two summers Hailey has attended Mid-Columbia Ballet summer intensive and the past three years has attended BDC's summer intensive. While not dancing, Hailey enjoys hanging out with friends and spending summers at Lake Roosevelt. Hailey would like to thank all of her teachers and her Mom and Dad for their continued love support.

Zan Montieth

Zan Montieth is a junior in High School. Before moving to the Northwest, Zan lived in New York where at the age of ten he began his training with Carol Lawrence School Dance. This year he is proud to be performing with PDT for his fourth year. Last year he attended Regional Dance America/Pacific for the first time. In the spring he performed with Bainbridge Dance Center in their performance of Cinderella. Last summer he took part in BDCs summer intensive for the second time.

Cory Ogdahl

Cory Ogdahl is a freshman in High School and lives in Port Orchard. He has been dancing with Bremerton Dance Center 10 years and is now a performing member with PDT. He has spent his summers attending intensives with Houston Ballet Academy in 2013 on full scholarship and Pacific Northwest Ballet on tuition scholarships for 2012 and 2011. Some of Cory's favorite roles have included; Jeweler in Cinderella, Chinese, Nutcracker & Fritz in The Nutcracker and the Stinky Cheese Man in PDT's Jr. Company School Tour.

Savannah Lane

Savannah Lane has been dancing for 14 years. Currently as a performing member of PDT, one of her favorite roles was the Little Mermaid in Bremerton Dance Centers’ spring recital. Other memorable parts include Harajuku and the Emerald Jewel Fairy. She began her training at MK Ballet School and then later went to JPB Le Petit Ballet. She also volunteered as a teacher's assistant at Admiral Theater's summer program in 2012. Savannah is a Junior in High School. During her leisure time, she enjoys various activities such as skiing.

Zoe Hazen

Zoe Hazen has been a member of PDT since 2010 and has been dancing with BDC for 12 years. This is Zoe’s first year as a performing member in the company. Zoe attended Regional Dance America’s Festival in Phoenix last spring and had a great time taking classes and making new connections. This past summer Zoe attended Evergreen City Ballet’s dance intensive for three weeks where she thoroughly enjoyed working with a variety of dance teachers and choreographers. Her favorite roles include: Earl in The Little Mermaid and Gretel in Hansel in Gretel. She has enjoyed being a ribbon dancer and snow corps member in The Nutcracker. Zoe loves to be with her friends and family, is an avid “crafter”, enjoys music, and is a cheerleader with her Junior High.

Courtney

Courtney is a 14 year old freshman. This season will be Courtney’s 4th year dancing as a member of PDT. She began dancing at age 8 with BDC and has studied ballet, jazz, modern and hip-hop. Courtney has performed in many PDT productions including Cinderella, Coppelia, Season Opener, The Nutcracker, and Choreography Showcase. Over the summer months, Courtney has attended Northwest Dance Intensive, Evergreen City Ballet’s Summer Intensive and BDC’s Intensive. She would like to thank BDC and PDT teachers and her family for their continued support. She would also like to thank The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office for their generous donations, which have made it possible for her to attend the summer intensives.

Phoebe Russell

Phoebe Russell lives in Bremerton and is currently in her freshman year in Junior High. This is her twelfth year of dancing and her fourth year of being in the company. Her favorite parts so far have been: Snow Corp in The Nutcracker and a Ballroom guest in Cinderella. When she is not dancing she enjoys reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Peninsula Dance Theatre 2013 - 2014 Dancer Biographies Below