Clifton resident Teresa Reichlen, 19, now a dancer with the New York City Ballet, will perform with the company at The Kennedy Center, March 3-7. She will be a featured dancer in both the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 and "Jewels" ballets.
"The New York City Ballet is the best in the country. What she's doing at The Kennedy Center is a major role," said Ilona Russell, who runs the Russell School of Ballet in Chantilly with husband Thomas. "I am very happy for Teresa and proud that we have been instrumental in her success."
The daughter of Roy and Gladys Reichlen of Balmoral has been dancing since she was 4 or 5, including six years at Russell.
"She would dance all day long, every day, if she could," said her father, in awe of his daughter's talents. "She is completely dedicated to dance."
Locally, Teresa trained at the Manassas School of Dance, the Fairfax Ballet, the Alexander Center of Performing Arts and the Russell School of Ballet before moving to New York.
"From the minute she walked through the door (at age 10), I knew she was going to be a professional dancer. She had the right natural instrument," said Russell. "She has a very unassuming personality; it makes her very well liked."
Teresa attended St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton, Centreville High School, her freshman year, and graduated from the Professional Children's School in New York. She is now a part-time student at Barnard College.
In 1999, she studied on a full scholarship at the summer program of the School of American Ballet (SAB) — the official school of the New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center. She entered SAB full-time in the fall of the same year. In October 2000, she became an apprentice with the New York City Ballet, and in October 2001, she joined the company as a member of the corps de ballet.
Since joining the New York City Ballet, Reichlen has performed featured roles in George Balanchine's "The Nutcracker" ("The Arabian Dance)," "Raymonda Variations," "Hippolyta," "Queen of the Amazons" in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "La Bonne Fee" in "Harlequinade," "Lilac Fairy" in "Sleeping Beauty," Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2 and "Rubies" in "Jewels." She also performed in Robert La Fosse's "Land of Nod," which was created for the New York City Ballet's 2002 Opening Night Gala.
Several other students from the Russell School of Ballet have gone on to dance in the Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet and other companies.
<mh>NYC Ballet Schedule
<lst>* March 3 and 6 at 7:30 p.m.: "Serenade," "Apollo" and Symphony in C.
* March 4 at 7:30 p.m. and March 6 at 1:30 p.m.: "Concerto Barocco," "Prodigal Son" and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2.
* March 5 at 7:30 p.m. and March 7 at 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.: "Jewels."
Tickets are $45 to $110 and may be charged by phone through Instant-Charge at 202-467-4600 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Call 800-444-1324 or visit www.kennedycenter.com.