Sofia Albers – San Francisco Ballet , corps de ballet.
Antonia Deprey – Miami City Ballet, corps de ballet.
MPAD Student 2008-2019
Antonia Deprey was born and raised in Palo Alto. At age four, she was enrolled in her first dance classes at Menlo Park Academy of Dance and trained for 11 years with Sarah-Jane Measor, Michael Lowe, Chantelle Pianetta, Lauren Mindel, Isabelle Sjahsam and many other faculty members of the MPAD school. She attended summer intensives of the American Ballet Theater, School of American Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet and Boston Ballet. She also worked with Bay Area teachers Kristin Elliott, Pierre-François Vilanoba and Kristin Long. At age 15 she pursued her training at the San Francisco Ballet School where she spent four years under the leadership of Patrick Armand. As a student of the San Francisco Ballet School, she performed alongside the San Francisco Ballet in various programs including Balanchine’s Symphony in C, Tomasson’s Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Don Quixote. She also performed multiple ballets and excerpts in the school’s showcases including Tomasson’s Haffner Symphony, Christensen’s Beauty and the Beast, and Saint-Leon’s Animated Frescoes. She joined the BalletMet 2 company for the 2023-2024 season. She joined Miami City Ballet’s corps de ballet in 2024.
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Louise Hautefeuille – Boston Ballet, second soloist.
MPAD Student 2006-2017
Louise Hautefeuille began dancing at age 4 at Menlo Park Academy of Dance, studying under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She attended summer programs at Master Ballet Academy, L’Ecole de Danse de l’Opéra de Paris, and Boston Ballet School. After receiving first place at San Francisco Youth American Grand Prix in 2017, she was invited to join Boston Ballet School as a trainee. At Boston Ballet School, Hautefeuille was awarded the Pao Scholarship in 2018. She has performed alongside the Company in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, George Balanchine’s Coppélia, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker, and Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty. She also performed in Boston Ballet School’s Next Generation program. Her Boston Ballet repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Chaconne (demis), Lia Cirio’s Chaptered in Fragments, Stephen Galloway’s DEVIL’S/eye, William Forsythe’s Blake Works I, Mikko Nissinen’s Swan Lake (pas de trois, Tall Swans) and The Nutcracker, Jean Coralli and Jule’s Perrot’s (adapted by Larissa Ponomarenko) Giselle, and Melissa Toogood’s Butterflies Don’t Write Books. She’s also performed in virtual dance films including Paulo Arrais’ A New American Classic filmed on location at The Langham, Boston, Chyrstyn Fentroy’s Preface, John Lam’s moving pARTs, and Serge Lifar’s Suite en Blanc (Cigarette variation) as part of BB@yourhome: The Art of Classical Ballet. Hautefeuille joined Boston Ballet as an artist in 2019 and was promoted as a second soloist in 2023.
Jasmine Jimison – San Francisco Ballet, principal.
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Zoe Magnussen – New York City Ballet, corps de ballet.
MPAD Student 2005-2016
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Leighton Shiveley – The Juilliard School graduate.
MPAD Student 2005-2019
Leighton Shiveley began dancing at age 4 at Menlo Park Academy of Dance, studying under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She completed the RAD syllabi from Primary through Advanced II, earning high scores and distinction, and was awarded the prestigious RAD Solo Seal in spring 2018.
Leighton attended summer intensive programs at Jacob’s Pillow, Nederlands Dans Theater, The Juilliard School, Hubbard Street Dance, and American Ballet Theatre.
Leighton became a Menlowe Ballet apprentice in spring 2018 and was promoted to full company member later that year. Leighton graduated from The Juilliard School in New York City in 2023.
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Daniela Thorne – Staatsballett Berlin, corps de ballet.
MPAD Student 2008-2017
Daniela Thorne began dancing at the age of 6 at Menlo Park Academy of Dance, studying under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. After competing at the Youth American Grand Prix finals in 2016 and 2017, Daniela was awarded the Gillian Murphy Scholarship to study at the University of North Carolina School of Arts (UNCSA) under Susan Jaffe. At UNCSA, she performed principal roles in Marius Petipa’s Paquita, and Raymonda, Sir Fredrick Ashton’s Symphonic Variations, and George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. In 2018, Daniela competed in the Prix de Lausanne, and in 2019 she moved to Amsterdam to study with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In Amsterdam she performed with the company’s corps de ballet in Wayne Earling’s Nutcracker and Muizenkoning, and later went on tour with the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company to perform Hans Van Manen’s In and Out. In the winter of 2019, Daniela was asked to join the Junior Ballet Zurich with Christian Spuck, where she has since performed Christian Spuck’s Dornröschen, and the Junior Ballet’s Impulse with works from Juliano Nunes, Craig Davidson, and Bryan Arias. She joined Staatsballet Berlin in the Corps de Ballet in 2022.
Headshot by Jos Schmid
Candy Tong – Complexions Contemporary Ballet, company member.
Rebecca Trockel – former Ballet West II.
Rebecca Trockel began dancing at age 8 at Menlo Park Academy of Dance, studying under the Royal Academy of Dance curriculum. She completed the RAD syllabi from Primary through Advanced II, earning high scores and distinction, and was awarded the prestigious RAD Solo Seal in spring 2018. She attended summer programs at Vaganova Ballet Academy Summer Intensive in Alicante, L’Ecole de Danse de l’Opera de Paris, San Francisco Ballet School, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School. After attending their summer intensive in 2018, Rebecca was invited to join the San Francisco Ballet School. After a year of training with the San Francisco Ballet, Rebecca was invited to be a trainee for Ballet West. Rebecca joined Ballet West II as an artist in 2021.
