Dancers
Robert Wesner
Artistic Director
Bobby first performed at his church choir as a boy. Before any official training in anything he would put on performances for his fathers barnyard animals singing anything they would request. They later returned the favor by winning him Grand Champion Market Hog in the Ashland County Fair! The money earned would afford him an audition tour, which would prove quite profitable career wise. During his Fair going days, he also ran into the dedicated and talented Hellie Schussler who taught him to dance and encouraged and nurtured a hidden artist to explore the craft of choreography at a very young age. This, as well as many other opportunities of leadership, led to a very fast rise in the professional world. Bobby's hog money scored him a job with Ballet Arizona, under the direction of Michael Uthoff (now Ib Anderson). During his stay in Phoenix, he had the honor of working with American Classics such as Fredrick Franklin, Daniel Ezralow, Moses Pendelton of Momix, the Artistic Directors of Pilobolus, Kevin O'Day, Jowali Willa Jo Zolar of Urban Bush Woman, and his wife Brooke Wesner. Other great masterpieces that Wesner has performed are the "Profiteer" in The Greentable by Kurt Josse; "Iago" in The Moore's Pavone by Jose Limon; "Tico" in Company B by Paul Taylor, (also in Taylor's Esplanade); two works of Anthony Tudor: Lilac Garden and Leaves are Fading; and The Jester in Earnst Uthoff's Carmina Burana. Wesner has traveled with Ballet Arizona to perform in Caracas, Venezuela; Breckonridge, Colorado; and Long Beach, California. Independently, Wesner has traveled and performed with various companies all over the northeast region of the US and in Italy. He also took the opportunity to sing in nightclubs while vacationing in Bangkok and at Club Met in Tahiti! Bobby is the father of two beautiful daughters, Genevieve and Ella. The Wesners live in Ashland, Ohio and are involved in much of the dance activity that happens in North Central Ohio including Verb Ballets, Ashland Regional Ballet, and Dancing Wheels. Bobby is also Interim Artistic Director of Ashland Regional Ballet. He has maintained a choreographic relationship with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for over seven years and is always happy and challenged returning to the stage under the baton of Robert Moody. Wesner has choreographed on Ballet Arizona, Semaphor DanceWorks, Ashland Regional Ballet, Neos Dance Theatre, Verb Ballets, and Dancing Wheels. He is credited in the creation process of Opus Cactus, choreographed by Moses Pendelton.
Brooke Wesner
Brooke started dance at the ripe old age of three! She too found and studied under Schussler for her pre-professional training. Her presence on stage has been said to offer "lyrical melodrama" and "a most prominent...elegance"(The Arizona Republic and the Arizona Daily Star). Her natural ability to emote reinforced her performance based training, giving her an opportunity to explore leading roles from a very young age. After studying with master teachers such as Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, Patricia McBride, and Basil Thompson, Brooke accepted work with the Milwaukee Ballet. During her stay, she performed Michael Smuin's the Tempest; Balanchine's Serenade, and more. Brooke then moved to Ballet Arizona to dance many principal and soloist roles. Some of the highlights of her stay in Phoenix were dancing the "Snow Queen" in Ib Anderson's the Nutcracker. Her long lines and flexibility served for a beautiful "Arabian" and "Dark Angel" in Balanchine's Serenade. Brooke performed in Paul Taylor's Company B; a Soloist in Giselle; the Greentable by Kurt Josse; "Desdemona" in Jose Limon's The Moore's Pavon; Lady Lost Found by Danny Ezralow; the original "Bird" in Moses Pendelton's Opus Cactus; HELLBLONDEGROOVE by Kevin O'Day; a "Saloon Girl" in Billy the Kid (while six months pregnant); and Apollo by Balanchine. She has guessed with Momix in an international tour where she performed for the President of Italy and shared the stage with James Taylor. Brooke has appeared many times with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra as a guest artist and with the Arizona Opera in their Aida. Her performance quality and technical stamina has intensified now that she is a mother of two and wife to Bobby. Though her focus has changed she remains dedicated to the vision of Neos Dance Theatre and is a valuable asset to its success.
Jurijs Savonovs
Jurijs Safonovs, Ballet Master, is a native of Riga, Latvia. At the age of 10, Jurijs joined the Riga Choreographic Ballet School. After graduating in 1996, Jurijs began his professional ballet career with the Latvian National Ballet Theatre. In 2001, Mr. Safonovs came to the United States, where he continued dancing and became a principal dancer with Virginia Ballet Theatre. Since beginning his U.S. career, Jurijs has guested with many different ballet companies, including Great Lakes Festival Ballet (Warren, OH), Pointe of Departure (Cleveland, OH), Ballet Etudes (Miami, FL), KTB (Alaska), and others . Dancing has taken Mr. Safonovs to many countries worldwide, including England, Germany, Spain, France, Holland, China and Russia.
Juliana Freude
Juliana Freude is a native of Akron, Ohio where she trained for twelve years at The University of Akron Dance Institute. Miss Freude was the soloist in the Dance Institute production of The Snow Maiden and received the Gena Carroll Scholarship. Miss Freude has also appeared with The University of Akron Repertory Dance Company in many roles including a soloist in Onda 9 by Ana Lobe, and Letting Go by Travis Gallin. She has spent summers training with Jennifer Muller Modern Dance, Nashville Ballet, Charleston Ballet Theatre, Connecticut Ballet and Ohio Dance Theatre. Miss Freude understudied with the Ohio Ballet in Rite of Spring and performed Dracula. Juliana performed with Nashville Ballet as a trainee in The Nutcracker and was also an apprentice with the Charleston Ballet Theatre. While dancing with the Charleston Ballet she has performed original works such as Rite of Spring, Sleeping Beauty, and Great Gatsby choreographed by Jill Eathorne Bahr. She also performed a variety of dances from Broadway and Bob Fosse such as Chicago, The Producers and others. After leaving Charleston Ballet, she worked with Ohio Dance Theatre performing in ballets such as Swan Lake, Fairy Forest, and more. Miss Freude has danced with Dancing Wheels performing the leading role of Helen Keller," A Tribute to her Teacher choreographed by Christopher Fleming, as well the works Unconquered Warriors choreographed by Nai Ni Chen, Walking on Clouds by David Receve, and Alice in Wonderland by Bobby Wesner. She has worked and performed with Stuart Pimsler Dance and Theatre Company in a piece called Trucks and Leverage. This is Juliana's third season with Neos Dance Theatre.
Jennifer Moll Safonovs
A native of Stow, Ohio, Jennifer started dancing at the age of 6 and trained with Christine Jones Meneer for 12 years. She was an original member of Meneer's pre-professional company Children's Ballet Theatre and danced leading roles in several ballets, including The Nutcracker, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty. Ms. Moll graduated with high honors from Indiana University with Bachelors degrees in Classical Ballet performance and Psychology. While at IU, Jennifer was trained and coached by Violette Verdy, Jacques Cesbron, John Meehan, Susan Pilarre, Mark Godden, and John Clifford. She performed principal roles in George Balanchine's The Four Temperaments, Serenade, and Stars and Stripes, as well as in several original works by Verdy, Cesbron, and Godden. Jennifer danced professionally with Virginia Ballet Theatre for two years, and then went on to perform with Akron's Ballet Theatre of Ohio and Cleveland's VERB Ballets. In addition to performing, Jennifer teaches ballet and is a certified Pilates instructor. She has taught ballet and Pilates classes as part of Old Dominion University's Dance Department, in Norfolk, VA. Jennifer is happy to begin her second season with Neos Dance Theatre.
