Besides excelling in their school work, taking dance classes, rehearsing and performing regularly in the company’s productions, this group of eight dancers, who made up the original San Pedro City Ballet company, performed for the Los Angeles Special Olympics; were participants for the opening ceremony for the Inner City Games at the Universal Amphitheater, hosted by Arnold Schwarzenegger; performed at a fashion show to benefit people with AIDS, hosted by Rachel Hunter, with many celebrities in attendance; did substitute teaching for the Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro; were introduced by City Councilman Rudy Svorinich when they performed Sing, Sing, Sing for the grand opening of the Warner Grand Theater; performed at Luckman Theater’s BalletFest; and performed at numerous company fundraisers over the years. They were a loyal, enthusiastic, and talented group and gave us all many years of pride and joy.
Becky Armor – For her senior year of high school, Becky’s family moved to Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, where she trained at the Academy of Dance in Warner Robins, Georgia. She: Was Queen Marzipan in The Nutcracker of Middle Georgia at the Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia; Was on the teaching staff of the Academy of Dance; Was featured choreographer at the National Thespian Conference of Georgia; Was choreographer and member of first place talent group, National Beta Convention, held in Atlanta, Georgia; Was choreograher for The Music Man; Was lead dancer in the role of Zanetta Shinn in The Music Man; Was awarded Best dancer and choreography for The Music Man; Performed the role of Lucy in the Academy of Dance’s production of Dracula; Was the only freshman asked to join the highest level of ballet at the University of Georgia; Was invited to join Ballet Ensemble of the University of Georgia. Following graduation with honors in 2001 from Northside High Shcool in Warner Robins, Becky traveled through Europe with long-time best friend and fellow San Pedro City Ballet alumna Sarah Goodrich. She attends the University of Georgia as a political science major and dance minor, is a member of Sigma Kappa sorority, was featured Sigma Kappa freshman for Fall Recruitment 2002, and is public relations co-chair.
Sarah Goodrich – Sarah graduated from Peninsula High School in 2001 and is at school at the University of California at Santa Barbara, majoring in dance. She received a $3,000 scholarship from the Junior Women’s League of Palos Verdes to help further her studies at school. She was asked to be the assistant to the director for the school’s winter show and is currently the only freshman in the dance department’s spring show. UC Santa Barbara has a strong modern program, which is Sarah’s strength. Sarah has the desire to fulfull her dream of completing her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at Santa Barbara and going to New York to dance.
Jaimie Jones – A graduate of Peninsula High School in 1999, Jaimie is currently enrolled at Harbor College and is Assistant Project Coordinator in her uncle’s business, Corporate Builders. She is majoring in construction engineering. She has taught ballet at the San Pedro Ballet School and performs with San Pedro City Ballet.
Heather Lawson – Heather graduated from Peninsula High School in 1996 and went to University of Oklahoma on a dance scholarship. She was a member of the Oklahoma Festival Ballet—the company at the University—and performed various original works and many classical works, including Balanchine’s Serenade. She toured France three times with Oklahoma Festival Ballet, performing in Bordeaux, Claremont-Ferrand, and Nice. Heather received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a dance major, with an emphasis on ballet performance, in 2000, with distinction. She was also a member of Tridelt Sorority. Upon graduation, she rejoined the San Pedro City Ballet company and teaches and choreographs for the San Pedro and Redondo Beach Ballet Schools. She was manager for both studios for about one-and-a-half years. She is studying for her license in the Pilates method and teaches at the John Garey Pilates Studio in Long Beach.
Adrienne O’Melveny – Adrienne was a graduate of Peninsula High School in 2000. She attends the University of California in San Diego, majoring in psychology and minoring in dance. She dances and choreographs with the dance company at UCSD. This summer she will be attending the University at Siena near Florence, Italy, studying the Italian language and culture for two months. Since she has been at UCSD, she has danced in The Nutcracker for San Pedro City Ballet in December 2000 and helped backstage at Nutcracker 2001.
Angel Papadakis – A 1999 graduate from Peninsula High School, Angel is currently a student at University of Southern California, majoring in law and political science and history. She is a Golden Scholar at USC and just joined the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a high academic achievement organization. Angel dances in the USC Repertory Dance Company and choreographs for their student performances. The past three summers, she has worked at the First Methodist Church in Pasadena, choreographing their annual musical performances. This summer, she is going to Chicago to the Giordano Jazz Dance World Congress, a choreographer’s competition, to enter her choreography. Angel teaches, choreographs, and performs at San Pedro City Ballet and works at her father’s restaurant, Papadakis Taverna, in San Pedro.
Alexis Petru – Alexis graduated from Peninsula High School in 1999 and is enrolled at University of California, Berkeley, majoring in cultural anthropology and minoring in environmental studies. For two years, she was news editor, writer, and reader at KALX, the campus radio station. Currently, she is administering the University of California-funded student-oriented Reuse/Recycling Program. She has a California Alumni Scholarship and will graduate in 2003. Her dance experience gave her the confidence and the poise she needed to handle interviews. She had a stress injury, which ended her dance career. Alexis has credited that experience as enabling her to overcome obstacles and giving her the confidence to face setbacks. She has an appreciation and love of dance and visits the studio and attends performances when she is in town.
Elaine Rensing – Elaine graduated from Narbonne High School in 1997 and from the University of Oklahoma in 2001, majoring in advertising. She had a dance scholarship and an academic scholarship to University of Oklahoma, where she participated in student choreography. In the summer of 2000 she had an internship with Reynolds and Associates, an advertising agency in Manhattan Beach. Currently, Elaine is teaching at the Redondo Beach and San Pedro Ballet Schools, taking dance classes, and dancing with San Pedro City Ballet.
Copyright © 2002 San Pedro City Ballet