Bios
New Bridges Ballet
Claire Sargenti
Artistic Director,
Choreographer, Dancer
Claire received her early ballet training in San Diego under Nancy Robinson, Sara Viale, and Erlends Zieminch. She later moved to New York City to dance as a trainee at the Joffrey Ballet School. She has performed with various groups all across America, including a guest performance with the Royal Ballet of London and the Beijing Opera Ballet. Her choreography has been performed at the University of California, Irvine and at the Joffrey Ballet School. She would like to thank Lisa Naugle and Benjamin Houk for inspiring her choreography, and her family and friends for their faithful support.
"Praise Him with tambourine and dancing." Psalm 150
Alexandria Bailey
Dancer
Alexandria Bailey first began to dance in St. Louis, Missouri, at the age of four. She moved to New Orleans in 1996 and began ballet training with Kathy Gamble's classical ballet studio. By 2006, she was also dancing with New Orleans Ballet Association, New Orleans Creative Center for the Arts, and New Orleans Dance Academy; as well as being privately taught by Kimberly Matulich. She first left home in the summer of 2008 when she attended Dance Theatre of Harlem's summer intensive. From there, she went on to study at the Joffrey Ballet School in NYC and the Washington School of Ballet in Washington, DC. She enjoys having over forty stuffed animals with her no matter where she lives.
Natalie Del Ricco
Dancer
Natalie Del Ricco got her first glimpse of dance through many years of theater summer camp at Mother McAvlley Performing Arts High School in South Chicago. She started training professionally in ballet at the age of 14 at Salt Creek Ballet School in Illinois. Since then she has trained with Chicago Ballet, Columbia College Chicago, Joffrey Ballet School New York, and Colorado Ballet. She has over 15 nicknames and when she isn't dancing she's probably hanging out with friends.
Lauren Zaleta
Dancer
Lauren began her training at the age of two and a half as a tap dancer performing at regional shows across the greater Philadelphia area. In addition to her tutelage in tap under Debra Sparks-Allison of the Pennsylvania Ballet, she began broadening her repetiore and trained extensively in Fosse style Jazz.
It was at that point that Lauren began her journey towards a professional career in Ballet, taking Ballet classes and performing with the Bucks County Children's Ballet Company as well as The Brandywine Ballet Company. During this period, she also studied under Donna Cherry, Jeffrey Gribler, and Martha Chamberlin of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
She has since danced at The Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia and the jazz focused satellite school of The Rock, The Rock West. She is currently studying at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City under former principle dancer of the Joffrey Ballet Company, Francesca Corkle; former principle of the New Jersey ballet, Era Jouravleva and director of the company Dance Fusion, Dorell Martin. During her tenure at the Joffrey Ballet school she has become involved in choreography, creating and performing several pieces.
It was at that point that Lauren began her journey towards a professional career in Ballet, taking Ballet classes and performing with the Bucks County Children's Ballet Company as well as The Brandywine Ballet Company. During this period, she also studied under Donna Cherry, Jeffrey Gribler, and Martha Chamberlin of the Pennsylvania Ballet.
She has since danced at The Rock School of Ballet in Philadelphia and the jazz focused satellite school of The Rock, The Rock West. She is currently studying at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City under former principle dancer of the Joffrey Ballet Company, Francesca Corkle; former principle of the New Jersey ballet, Era Jouravleva and director of the company Dance Fusion, Dorell Martin. During her tenure at the Joffrey Ballet school she has become involved in choreography, creating and performing several pieces.