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BREAKING POINTE SHOW INFORMATION

 "BREAKING POINTE"

Thursdays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET) on The CW

For the first time ever, the beauty and grace of ballet, the world's preeminent dance form, will be brought to television.  Viewers will also see the dark side of this seemingly perfect world; the jealousy, competition and intensity that exist behind the scenes at a professional ballet company.  For under the tights and tutus lie warriors, who battle in a gritty world of extreme athleticism, focus and dedication, while hunting for the unattainable…perfection.

"Breaking Pointe" rips back the curtain on the inner workings of elite Salt Lake City Ballet Company, Ballet West.  It obliterates the notion that ballet is a dated art form and shatters pre-conceived stereotypes about the men and women who give their lives to the world of ballet.  Beneath their perfect exteriors, these dancers have the toughness of linebackers, punishing their bodies to achieve perfection and dancing through injuries and pain. 

Led by Artistic Director Adam Sklute, a former dancer and Associate Director of The Joffrey Ballet, Ballet West and Ballet West II's company of 48 dancers includes:  Principal Artist Christiana Bennett, Soloist Ronnie Underwood, Demi-Soloist Allison DeBona, Demi-Soloist Rex Tilton, Beckanne Sisk, Kathleen Martin and Ronald Tilton.

Shot in a rich, cinematic style, "Breaking Pointe" pulls the viewer directly into the company, where they will experience the exhausting rehearsals, the stylized glamour of the dancers' life and the vibrant and dynamic main-stage performances. 

            It's every little girl's dream to grow up and become a ballerina, but nobody knows what the world of competitive ballet is really about.  No one sees the sacrifice and discipline it takes to look perfect for the audience.  Nobody knows that in order to advance and get the best roles, dancers have to navigate the complicated social politics inside the company.  And, no one sees, when the curtain goes down, the drama that bleeds into the dancers' private lives…until now.

BREAKING POINTE is produced byBBC Worldwide Productions.  Kate Shepherd ("Big Brother," "Wife Swap") is executive producer.  Izzie Pick Ashcroft ("Dancing with the Stars") and Jane Tranter ("Top Gear," "Dancing with the Stars," "Torchwood") are executive producers forBBC Worldwide Productions.

 CREDITS FOR "BREAKING POINTE" ON THE CW

Day and time:                                       Thursdays (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)

Network debut:                                   May 31, 2012

Format:                                                It's every little girl's dream to grow up and become a ballerina, but nobody knows what the world of competitive ballet is really about.  Now, for the first time ever, the beauty and grace of the world's most established dance form will be brought to television.

Cast:                                                    Adam Sklute, Artistic Director, Ballet West

                                                            Christiana Bennett, Principal Artist, Ballet West

                                                            Ronnie Underwood, Soloist, Ballet West

Allison DeBona, Demi-Soloist, Ballet West

Rex Tilton, Demi-Soloist, Ballet West

                                                            Beckanne Sisk, Artist, Ballet West

Kathleen "Katie" Martin, Dancer, BalletWest II

                                                            Ronald Tilton, Dancer, BalletWest II

Executive Producers:                            Kate Shepherd, Izzie Pick Ashcroft and

Jane Tranter

Origination:                                          Salt Lake City,Utah

Produced by:                                       BBCWorldwide Productions

"BREAKING POINTE"

COMPANY MEMBER BIOS

Name: Christiana Bennett

Age:  32

Hometown: Townsend, Massachusetts

Ballet West's Prima Ballerina, Christiana Bennett joined the company in 1999.  She was promoted to Soloist in 2003 and then to Principal in 2004.  She trained at the Pennsylvania Ballet,SchoolofAmerican Balletand Pacific Northwest Ballet.  At 32, Bennett is near retirement, yet insists her time is definitely not up.  She is married to fellow Ballet West Principal Christopher Ruud.

Name: Ronnie Underwood

Age: 30

Hometown: Tulsa, Oklahoma

One of Ballet West's rising stars and leading dancers, Ronnie Underwood joined the company in 2011 as a Soloist.  His goal is to become a leading Principal Dancer.  Underwood shatters all pre-conceptions of professional ballet dancers.  In his free time he builds old hot rods, rides motorbikes, parties and is a self-proclaimed ladies' man.

Name: Allison DeBona

Age: 28

Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Currently one of Ballet West's rising stars, Allison DeBona joined Ballet West in 2007 and was promoted to Demi-Soloist in 2011.  She hopes to be a Principal at Ballet West one day.  She trained at The Parou Ballet Company and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet.  DeBona is fiercely competitive and will stop at nothing to make her dreams come true. 

Name: Rex Tilton

Age: 24

Hometown: San Diego, California

Rex Tilton joined Ballet West in 2008 as an apprentice.  He is currently a Demi-Soloist and has performed several lead roles alongside the company's principal dancers.  Tilton comes from a large family of nine, with six out of the seven children dancing professionally around theUnited States, including his brother Ronald, who is also at Ballet West. 

Name: Beckanne Sisk

Age: 19

Hometown: Longview, Texas

Considered to be the future of Ballet West, Beckanne Sisk joined Ballet West II in 2010, followed by Ballet West in 2011.  She has studied ballet since the age of 5.  She began her training at the Studio of Creative Arts and, at age 13, was awarded a full scholarship to The Rock School for Dance Education inPhiladelphia, where she studied until 2010.

Name: Kathleen "Katie" Martin

Age: 23

Hometown: Grayslake, Illinois

A self-proclaimed "girly girl," Kathleen Martin joined Ballet West II in 2010.  Her dream ballet role is to perform the lead in "Romeo & Juliet."  When she is not working, she enjoys cooking, reading and relaxing.  She is in a relationship with fellow dancer Ronald Tilton.

Name: Ronald Tilton

Age: 20

Hometown:San Diego,California

Ronald Tilton joined Ballet West II in 2010.  He began his training at age 9 inSan Diego,California.  He continued his training on full scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School from 2008-2010.  In the future, he would like to perform the role of  Tybalt in "Romeo and Juliet."

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