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William A. Gentes, Founder and Director William Gentes was born in Vietnam and raised in California. He began his ballet training with Kenneth Delmar and at the Marin Ballet School with Maria Vegh. Mr. Gentes then trained on full scholarship for four years at the San Francisco Ballet School, where he also performed with the San Francisco Ballet. In 1990, Mr. Gentes toured Europe as a guest artist with the Universal Ballet Company of Korea. He danced with the Miami City Ballet, touring nationally and internationally. Mr. Gentes danced with the Milwaukee Ballet and taught on the faculty at the Milwaukee Ballet School. He then danced with BalletMet inColumbus, and retired from dancing in 2001 In the summers of 2001, 2002 and 2003, Mr. Gentes taught and choreographed at the Chautauqua Institution’s School of Dance. The Lockport City Ballet was founded in August of 2002, and the Classical Ballet of Western New York was founded in July 2004. Mr. Gentes is also a guest teacher and choreographer for Ballet Western Reserve in Youngstown, OH.

Susannah Dwyer Gentes,Originally from Williamsville, NY, Susannah Dwyer Gentes received her ballet training at the American Academy of Ballet. She attended summer programs at the New York State Summer School of the Arts in Saratoga, the School of American Ballet in New York City, and Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle. Ms. Gentes continued her training on scholarship at the School of Cleveland Ballet, where she also performed and toured with the Cleveland Ballet. Ms. Dwyer danced professionally for 11 years with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Louisville Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, and BalletMet in Columbus. While in Columbus, she taught on the faculty of the BalletMet Dance Academy. Ms. Gentes has also been a teacher and ballet mistress at the Chautauqua Institution’s School of Dance, and has been a guest teacher for Ballet Western Reserve in Youngstown, OH. In November of 2005, Ms. Gentes was a recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award from Business First Magazine.

Lockport City Ballet: 58 Main Street | Lockport, NY | 716-434-4940 • 716-390-6242 | email: lockportcballet@aol.com