Program for Smuin's Dance Series 1 - Flipbook - Page 8
ARTIST PROFILES
JULIA GUNDZIK
Julia Gundzik, originally from Oxford, OH, Julia began her
professional training at the Washington School of Ballet and
Cincinnati Ballet Academy. She danced with Cincinnati Ballet II,
before joining the main company in 2023. There she performed
works including Minus 16 by Ohad Naharin, Written and Forgotten
by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Confetti by Gerald Arpino, Alice in
Wonderland by Septime Webre, Our Story and More Room to Play
by David Morse, and world premieres by Amy Seiwert and Jennifer
Archibald. In 2023, she danced with Moving Arts, performing
soloist roles in two world premieres, Intra by Christian Denice and
Yin Yang by Gabriel Lorena. Gundzik joined Smuin in 2024.
CASSIDY ISAACSON
Cassidy Isaacson, originally from Redmond, WA, trained at Pacific
Northwest Ballet before joining Grand Rapids Ballet Company
at age 16. Some favorite works performed during her eight years
at Grand Rapids Ballet include Trey McIntyre’s Wild Sweet Love,
Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close, Penny Saunders’ In Frame,
and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s Written and Forgotten. Isaacson
joined Smuin in 2019.
TESS LANE
Tess Lane trained at South Bay Ballet in Torrance, CA, performing
Robert Kelly’s Summertime at the International Ballet Competition
in Jackson, MI. While with Sacramento Ballet, she performed works
by George Balanchine, Ron Cunningham, and Lila York. Lane joined
California Ballet Company in 2013 and was featured in Swan Lake,
Giselle, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream
as well as Septime Webre’s Peter Pan, The Great Gatsby, and Fluctuating
Hemlines. She also danced in the National Choreographers’ Initiative in
2017 and 2018. Lane joined Smuin in 2018.
MARC LAPIERRE
Marc LaPierre began his early training at Ballet Etudes in Norwalk, CT,
working closely with Christina Fagundes. He attended Ballet Academy
East in New York City under the direction of Darla Hoover and at age
16, Marc furthered his training at The School of American Ballet. At
Los Angeles Ballet he danced works by August Bournonville, George
Balanchine, Aszure Barton and Alejandro Cerrudo. Two years later
he joined Oregon Ballet Theatre, where he danced works by Alvin
Ailey, Ben Stevenson, Nicolo Fonte, Christopher Stowell, and Trey
McIntyre. LaPierre joined Smuin in 2021.
8 • DANCE SERIES 1 • 2024