23-24 On The Edge - Other - Page 14
GUEST ARTISTS, Cont.
Andre Gallon, Guest Artist
From Jacksonville, Florida, Andre Gallon began his ballet training under Ms. Laurie
Byrd at The Florida Ballet Training Center. He joined the Orlando Ballet School in
his late teens, spending one year as a trainee and one year as a second company
member before being promoted to the main company. During his time at Orlando
Ballet, Mr. Gallon had the opportunity to perform in Michael Pink’s “Dracula” and
American Ballet Theater’s “Don Quixote”. He also performed the roles of Prince
Charming in Victoria Morgan’s “Cinderella” and Prince Desireé in Sleeping Beauty,
along with leading roles in works by choreographers Val Caniparoli and Jessica Lang.
In the summer of 2018, he received a scholarship to attend The Jacob’s Pillow Ballet
Intensive, where he originated roles in a work by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa. In 2021,
Mr.Gallon joined Ballet Memphis where he worked with many choreographers,
including Trey McIntyre, Mariana Oliviera, and Chanel Dasilva. Mr. Gallon joined
Pittsburgh Ballet Theater for the 2024-25 season.
Laura Hernandez, Guest Artist
Laura Hernandez, a native of Niceville, has recently returned home from a four
year stay in Atlanta, Georgia. While there, she sang with the Atlanta Concert
Opera in their production of Beatrice et Benedict. Also, she was a featured soloist
in Atlanta Opera's production of A Dead Man Walking. Before her big move to
Atlanta she sang with the local opera company, Pensacola Opera, in numerous
shows. Most notably, she was Cho Cho san’s mother in Madama Butterfly and
was a featured soloist in Sweeney Todd. She is happy to be back home singing
for her friends, and family.
Camille Loftis, Guest Artist
Camille Loftis is a dance artist and choreographer currently based in
Indianapolis, Indiana. She trained at Northwest Florida Ballet under Todd Allen
and Dorothy Lister from grade 3 until she completed their Pre-Professional
Program. With NFB, she performed corps and soloist roles in classical and
contemporary works and has since returned as a guest teacher, performer, and
choreographer for three years. She has also attended summer programs at
ABT, The Washington Ballet, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and Danse à la Carte in
Montréal.
Camille graduated cum laude from Butler University in May 2023 with high
distinction in both Dance Performance and French. While at Butler, Camille
performed as a soloist in various classical and original contemporary works by
the faculty, notably that of David Ingram, Susan McGuire, Cynthia Pratt, and
Marek Cholewa. She also presented her original choreography annually and
showcased two collaborative works with artists of other mediums, including
one that was presented as her Senior Choreography Project. In 2022, Camille
received the Butler Ballet Director’s Award for Choreographic Excellence and
the Jenny Brunsma Scholarship for the Performing Arts, as well as a dance
Performance Award in 2023.