Jim Orrante

Jim Orrante, is now in his 18th season with BalletMet in Columbus Ohio. He is a native of Los Angeles and a recipient of a Princess Grace Choreography Award in 2005 as well the Special Project Award for Dance Tech.  He has danced numerous roles ranging from Cavalier and Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, Step Mother in Cinderella, and Dracula in Dracula. He has choreographed several works including his first full length ballet in 2009, The Great Gatsby, Coming into View, WaterColor, and most recently Illuminated Tapestry.

Jim attended the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, studying ballet under Don Hewitt as well as North Carolina School of the Arts. He attended the International Summer Workshop in Hungary; danced with Memphis Ballet, Nevada Dance Theatre and Los Angeles Chamber Ballet. He is on the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan. A recipient of the Violetta Boft Award, he has performed as a guest of L.A.’s Dance Kaleidoscope, England’s Northern Ballet Theatre and Dance St. Louis. He and his wife, former dancer Sonia Welker, have a son, Isaac and daughters Aiyana and Imara.

Bio/Sketch
Courtesy of BalletMet
2013

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Categorized as: ARTIST, Ballet, Choreographer