Telluride’s Valerie Madonia trains the troupes

Valerie Madonia is a Telluride local who, for years, commanded the world stage as a prima ballerina with The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Earlier, she was in the corps de ballet of the National Ballet of Canda and danced solo roles with American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov. Madonia still makes guest appearances at ballet galas and teaches around the globe. The pointe is the lady knows her stuff.

Madonia founded, with Shirley Fortenberry, the nonprofit that eventually became the Telluride Dance Academy. For the past month, she has been rehearsing 30 young dancers from the Telluride region, including members of the Telluride Dance Academy, to perform in the cast of the State Street Ballet’s production of Sergei Prokofiev’s “Cinderella.” The composer completed the popular ballet in 1944, first performed in 1945 at the Bolshoi in Moscow.

Cast members include:

Cinderella Stand In: Abby Purcell

PAGE: Zoe Rommel

FAIRY ATTENDANTS:
Shen Geldbaugh
Koko Waller
Ida Green
Hutton Hein
Kira Ptak
Margaret Byrom

FIREFLIES:
Brooke Skelton
Cirkine Sherry
Abby Purcell
Terra Hazen
Sydnee Kimmel

MICE:
Sierra Heller
Bernadette Bianchi
Alexandria Ludian
Taylor Dahl

BIRDS:
Katy Bowlby
Tate Donley
Kelsey Howe
Sophie Hickox

OWLS:
Emma Spaulding
Ebba Green
Jesse Cheroske
Skyler Nunn
Matisse Mulligan
Sam Finger
Brianna Brown
Alyssa Ludian
Molly Shapiro
Sydney Evans
Pauline Sherry
Hailey Byrom

For more on the challenges she faced and memories of “Cinderellas” past, click the “play” button and listen to Valerie Madonia’s podcast.