Vaught Contemporary Ballet was founded in January 2015 by artistic director, Katie Vaught. VCB creates original story ballets meant to represent, reflect and reveal the triumphs and failures of modern society. The company is based in Baltimore, MD and has shown work at Baltimore Theatre Project, Dance Place, The Jack Guidone Theater and Joe’s Movement Emporium.
The Company
Elenaluisa Alvarez
Elenaluisa Alvarez grew up in Lima, Peru, and trained at the Estudio de Ballet Lucy Telge under the guidance of Gloria Centurion and Patricia Ramirez. There she was able to perform with the Municipal Ballet of Lima as Clara in the Nutcracker and Cupid in Don Quixote, among other ballets. In 2013, she moved to North Carolina to study Dance Performance at East Carolina University, where she trained in ballet, modern, jazz and tap. There she earned an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (URCA) grant highlighting choreography. After graduating in 2017 Magna Cum Laude, she headed to Israel to take part in the International Dance Journey program with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Since 2018 she has been performing with Bowen McCauley Dance Company and now VCB.
Aly Cardinalli
Aly Cardinalli is the Dean at the American School of Inspiration, a performing arts school for adults in Damascus, MD. Aly was an established soloist ballet dancer and is now a performing arts specialist, a master choreographer, vocal director, and eastern regional award winning theater director. Genres of expertise include modern, classical ballet, theater jazz, African, Hula, and Tap. He trains educators throughout the country, and is also an accomplished operatic coach. Performing credits include: Jerry Mulligan in An American in Paris, Coricopat in CATS, Ensemble in Once on This Island, Seymour Krelborn in Little Shop of Horrors, Trepak in Nutcracker. Choreography/Directing credits include: CATS, Smokey Joe’s Café, King & I, Chicago, Contact, Swan Lake, Batboy, Dracula, Giselle, Victor/Victoria. Complete bio at www.asinspiration.com @mralycardinalli
Iren Chashper
Iren graduated from George Brown College (Toronto) with a degree in dance performing studies. She has danced with Goshen Theatre- 2002-2018 (Israel) and Ballet Panov Theatre- 2015-2018 (Israel). Currently, she’s performing with CRDE- Classical repertory Dance ensemble, and Vaught Contemporary Ballet. VCB is very happy to have her join the ranks this year.
LaTeisha Melvin
LaTeisha Melvin (Baltimore, MD) began her formal dance training at the Baltimore School for the Arts and received her B.F.A. in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University, as a recipient of the Hutzler’s prize, the Joan G & Joseph Klein Jr. scholarship and 4-year departmental scholarship. Further studies include the American Academy of Ballet, Peabody Conservatory, American Dance Festival and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Theatre; all on scholarship. LaTeisha is currently a working artist and choreographer in the DMV area. Notably, in 2018, she appeared on the FOX TV show SYTYCD season 15 where she was a gold ticket recipient and academy week contestant. As a freelance artist she has danced with “Ashani Dances” from Seattle, WA, “Dance Iquail” from Philadelphia, PA and “UNUM” from Baltimore, MD and Raw Arts dance company.. As a choreographer, she has presented work at the Gonda Theatre, James Weldon Theatre, Durham Performing Arts Center, and the Youth America Grand Prix, as well as.guest artists and company choreographer at Georgetown University, and Coppin State University.
Ashley Taylor
Ashley Taylor, a native of northern Virginia, began her training in ballet, modern, and jazz at Ravel Dance Studio under the artistic direction of Janet Hall. She went on to earn her B.A. in Dance from The University of Alabama, graduating summa cum laude, where she performed with Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, Tuscaloosa Community Dancers, and in Dance Alabama! student choreography concerts. She was one of two 2014 recipients of both the Edith Barnes Award for choreography from the Department of Theatre & Dance and the Dance Alabama! Senior Scholarship. Following graduation, Ashley danced with Ballet Theatre of Maryland from 2014-2018, where she performed in multiple full-length ballets including The Nutcracker, Excalibur, The Sleeping Beauty, and Aladdin in addition to outreach programs and showcases. She is currently a freelance performer and choreographer and has also conceived and directed two well-received concerts featuring thematic dance alongside poetry readings and other art forms. She is passionate about using the arts to tell meaningful stories with the intention of sparking deep reflection and spiritual conversation. She has traveled extensively around the world and has performed and taught dance in China, Japan, Ecuador, and Zambia. She lives in Annapolis with her husband, Jesse.
Katie Vaught, Artistic Director
Katie Vaught is originally from Winchester, Virginia and trained at Vostrikov’s Academy of Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Shenandoah University. She currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland and is the artistic director of Vaught Contemporary Ballet. Her work has been shown at Baltimore Theatre Project and Joe’s Movement Emporium. Vaught previously danced with Mich-Mash Productions and Deviated Theatre and has worked as a dance instructor in the DMV for the past 12 years. She recently received the Marc Ryder Choreography Grant and will begin work on this new piece in the fall of 2017.
