Albano Ballet Company : Biographies-Albano & Frederick

Joseph Albano, "Mr. Ballet" in Connecticut was born in New London, Connecticut and is presently the single most influential force in creating dance in Connecticut.

Mr. Albano was trained as a child by Marguarita and Maximillian Froman, Russian dancers who immigrated to New London, CT, in the late 1940's.
During this time the American Dance Festival was in its heyday at Connecticut College.
As a youngster Mr. Albano would go and watch dance greats Martha Graham, Jose Limon and Doris Humphrey among others.
It was during those young years that Mr. Albano found his love for choreography.

Mr. Albano attended Trinity College as a Ribikoff Scholar, graduating in 1960 magna cum laude at the age of 19 1/2 having majored in Pre-Med and a minor in English.

While still in college, Mr. Albano was already in and out of New York City and involved in the dance.
He performed with the legendary Ballets Russe de Monte Carlo, based in New York City and had a De Rothschild fellowship to study the Martha Graham technique and perform with the Company while Ms. Graham was still involved.

In 1960 he founded the Hartford Ballet Company and was its artistic director for the first twelve years.

Mr. Albano has taught many others who are now directors of Connecticut's leading ballet companies, Enid Lynn Rosenthal of the Hartford Ballet Company/Dance Connecticut and Sharon Dante of the Nutmeg Ballet Company to name just two.

Mr. Albano pioneered dance in education in his career and has trained an impressive roster of individual dancers who are performing in leading companies throughout the United States and Europe.
The late Paul Russell, for example, one of the world's leading African American dancers, was trained by Mr. Albano and hailed as America's Black Nureyev.

Mr "A", as he is referred to in the dance world, has been written up in numerous dance manuals for his teaching and choreography.
His skills span the gamut from writer to critic to scenic and costume designer for the ballet arts.

At this point in his life and career, Mr. "A" continues to teach and to perform in the role of Dr. Drosselmeyer in the Nutcracker Ballet while placing heavy emphasis on the directing of the Albano Ballet and choreographing ballets for the expanding Albano Ballet Company.
Mr. "A" also narrates and lectures for the Albano Ballet Company's in-school mini concerts.

Acclaimed ballet dancer Paul Russell, who began his dance training in Hartford with Joseph Albano at the age of 19, returned to Connecticut to perform with the Albano Ballet Company in 1986 and said this of his mentor -
"Joseph rekindles the fire inside me that I haven't experienced since I left here. I've worked with a lot of major choreographers and it's very difficult to recapture that."
The Hartford Courant April 1986

Julia Frederick was born in Boston, Massachusetts and began her training at the Boston School of Ballet with the late
E. Virginia Williams.
During that time, she also performed with the New York City Ballet, Harkness Ballet, Garden State Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, New York City Opera Ballet and myriad other distinguished American ballet companies.

Upon personal invitation by the late George Ballanchine, Ms. Frederick was awarded a Ford Foundation Scholarship at the School of American Ballet in New York City and was chosen to round out a quartet of dancers for the City Center Opera 1962-1963 season.

Ms. Frederick holds the title of being Hartford Ballets first resident ballerina, working with Joseph Albano during the Ballet Company's first twelve years. Subsequently, Ms. Frederick became a principal dancer with Roland Petit's Ballet de Marseilles in France and toured Europe for six years.
Mr. Petit, France's leading choreographer, created special roles for her in his full length and eclectic repertoire.

Ms. Frederick returned to the United States in 1977 to assist Joseph Albano in building the Albano Ballet Company and performed leading roles in the annual Nutcracker seasons as well as spring repertoire ballets.
Ms. Frederick has choreographed for the Greater New Britain Opera Company's "Carmen" and "The Merry Widow".
She revisited New York City to perform Mr. "A"'s "An Afternoon of a Faun" at the David Howard Dance Center Choreographers Concerts and has won favorable reviews on both continents for her lyrical dance style by the worlds' leading critics.

One of Ms. Frederick's many talents is her memory for the steps of a dance, a skill still critical to reproducing any ballet choreographed and performed before the advent of videotape.

Ms. Frederick currently assists the Albano Ballet Company as Instructor at the Mystic branch and in Hartford, Rehearsal Director, Fundraiser and Assistant Director.

Ms. Frederick serves as an officer and board member for the Connecticut Dance Alliance (an umbrella organization fostering dance education, awareness and performance in Connecticut.)

Since 1990, Ms. Frederick has been involved with teaching dance classes at Central Connecticut State University.
Ms. Frederick has also re-staged Mr. Albano's choreography for the American Festival Ballet Company in Boise, Idaho and the Torrington, CT based Nutmeg Ballet Company.

Over the past two years, Ms. Frederick has staged two of Mr. Albano's ballets - "Afternoon Of A Faun" and the "Strauss Waltz Ballet" for Italy's Ariston Pro Ballet Company based in San Remo.

Mr. "A" and Ms. Frederick have worked together for most of the past three decades and continue to discover and train new talent in the ballet arts.

Albano's Nutcracker performances are always accompanied by a full live orchestra, insuring that all who attend are treated to the finest holiday dance experience.

Following each performance at Welte Theater, children are invited on stage for the Sugar Plum Party where, for a nominal fee of $3.00 they will receive their very own miniature nutcracker from the Sugar Plum Fairy herself!

Following each performance at Mohegan Sun Arena, patrons are invited to meet and greet the performers.

December 8th and 9th, 3PM

Welte Theater, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT.
Ticket Purchase Information for
Welte Theater performances:
Please call (860)-232-8898.

December 15th, 2007 at 7PM and December 16th, 2007 at 2PM

Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville, CT.
Ticket Purchase Information for Mohegan Sun Arena performances:
Visit the Mohegan Sun Arena Box Office or call ticketmaster.com at 1.800.477.6849.