Mary Kay Cottrill
Ballet
Having been exposed to a variety of classical ballet forms, The Royal Academy of Dancing, Cecchetti and Vaganova, has made Mary Kay a versatile dancer. She began her dance training with Audrey Share in Southern California receiving “Highly Commended and Honors”. MK is the first graduating class of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She has received scholarships and awards from the School of American Ballet, Chicago City Ballet, Marin Ballet, Ballet West, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hartford Ballet and the Norris Foundation Dance Award. Her professional career includes the Long Beach Ballet, performing in the Rite of Spring, Song of Norway, and The Nutcracker. She then moved to Chicago to join the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet, under the direction of Maria Tallchief, as a soloist performing in Aida, La Sonnambula, and Faust. MK has also danced with the Pennsylvania-Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet West, Tau Dance Theatre, Hawaii State Ballet, Corpus Christi Ballet, Ballet Florida, The Long Beach Ballet Ambassador Tour to China, Paradise Dance Theatre, Key West Contemporary Dance Company and Key West Dance Collective. Some of her roles include Firebird, Sugar Plum Fairy, Autumn, Giselle, Blue Bird, La Bayadere Pas de Deux, Les Sylphides, Romeo & Juliet, Paquita, Swan Lake and L’Histoire du Soldat. She has choreographed Tales of the Carnival Animals; Forbidden Dragon; Dark to Light; Skyfall; Gently Weeps; All of Me; Because; Lakme; Bolero; Fly Me to the Moon; Scent of a Woman; Jewels; The Museum; Arts Alive; Shade of Winter; Earth Festival; Neon; Dubzilla; 2 n 1; Paquito Paquita; The Gift; Crazy Diamonds; Dueling Plums; Magenta; Mirlitons; Carol of the Bell; Atom Heart. Credits from Television, Movie and Theatre include Fame, Class Acts, Clio Award, Levi’s, National Geographic Documentary, Liberty House, Six Weeks, The King and I and Flower Drum Song. Mary Kay has taught for over 16 years from ages 3 to 70. She attended the ABT National Training Curriculum in NYC and the Academy of Russian Ballet Teachers Seminar in St Petersburg, Russia. She is very excited to be living in Kansas City, having the opportunity to share with the next generation of students at KCB and the R.O.A.D. Scholarship Program.