The Nutcracker

Mark Jelks

Bay City Ballet Artistic Director

September 2007 to present

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Mark began his ballet training at The Birmingham Ballet and at the Alabama School of Fine Arts under Dame Sonia Arova and Thor Sutowski, The Atlanta Ballet and on scholarship at The School of American Ballet in New York. After high school Mark attended Birmingham-Southern College as a dual music/dance major where he studied ballet with Mira Popavich and Gaenor Grange. Mark was invited to dance with the Scottish Ballet on the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

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After returning from Scotland Mark moved to New York City and began to guest artist around the country while studying with acclaimed Ballet Master, David Howard. It was here, after retiring from dancing, that Mark was invited to teach at the world famous David Howard Dance Center as well as the David Howard Teacher Training Programs. At this time Mark began his career as company pianist for American Ballet Theater under Mikhail Baryshnikov. He also began playing for many major broadway shows including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats, Gypsy and the Tony award winning production of Carousel directed by Nicholas Hytner and choreographed by Sir Kenneth MacMillan. In addition to teaching Florida, Mark is also principal pianist for YAGP and guest pianist for Houston Ballet.

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