Featured Dancers

Eleni Rodriguez

Clara, Snow, Waltz, Chinese

Eleni has been dancing under the direction of Sharon McCormick for the last seven years. This is her sixth year in LACBC’s production of The Nutcracker. She has danced numerous roles, including Candy Cane, Clara’s Friend, Baker, Butterfly, Candy Cane Princess, Intermediate Snow, Harlequin, Chinese Soloist, Snow, and Waltz.

Eleni has auditioned for and been accepted to Boston Ballet’s year round program and the Joffrey Ballet’s Pre-Professional and Trainee year round programs. She has also been accepted in summer intensive programs at the Boston Ballet Elite Program, Joffrey School New York and South, ABT Texas, ABT Michigan, the Pennsylvania Ballet (The Rock), and Los Angeles International Ballet.

Eleni is 16 years old and is a junior at Rim of the World High School. She is the youngest of two kids, and loves to perform. She likes to dance Jazz, Modern, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. Eleni’s main focus is to continue to pursue dance through college, hoping to major in Dance and Choreography. Aside from dance, she thoroughly enjoys photography.

She thanks her parents and brother for supporting her through life, and her teacher Sharon McCormick for her time, guidance and support.

Thomas Thiele

The Nutcracker (Battle Scene), Parent

Thomas is 17 years old and has been dancing for four years, including four years of tap dancing and one year of pas de deux. He is now a senior at San Bernardino High School after spending his freshman through junior years at Rim of the World High School. He enjoys dancing because “it lets me be who I am and not think about the troubles of life.”

This is his fifth season performing in The Nutcracker. He has played the roles of Soldier, Drosselmeyer’s Assistant, Lead Soldier, and Fritz’s Friend. This season he is proudly taking the roles of Arabian Parent and Battle Scene Nutcracker.

Nicholas Shoemaker

Fritz, Mouse Lieutenant

Nicholas is performing in his third season of The Nutcracker. In the past he has played the roles of Fritz’s Friend and a Mouse. This year he is so excited because he is going to play the roles of Mouse Lieutenant and Fritz!

Nicholas has been with the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance for four years. He has taken classes in Boys Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop. He loves to perform in The Nutcracker and Spring Showcase.

Nicholas is 8 years old and is in third grade at Lake Arrowhead Elementary School. His favorite subjects are Math and Science. When he is not busy taking classes at the dance studio, he is studying Jeff Speakman’s Kenpo 5.0 Karate and is currently a Beginning Purple Belt.

Nicholas would like to give many thanks to the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance and Sharon McCormick for giving him this opportunity to play the role of Fritz.

Pam Kupsak

Frau Stahlbaum

Pam became involved with The Nutcracker through her daughter. In 1996 they sat for the first time in the audience for the LACBC production and found it captivating. Amanda could talk of nothing else but dance lessons for her seventh birthday. So began many wonderful years of dance with the Lake Arrowhead Classical Ballet Company.

Pam took classes in the school and performed in the Spring Showcase, but did not play her first on-stage role in The Nutcracker until 2007 when her daughter was playing her last performance as a senior at Rim High School. Pam has carried on the annual tradition since that time, part of the enchantment to coming generations of theater goers.

Tom Zepko

Herr Stahlbaum

Tom got his start in The Nutcracker as sound technician for the LACBC’s first full production in 1994. He joined the cast the following year and has been immersed in many aspects of the production ever since. He has appeared on our stage in several roles over the years — nine seasons as the Russian party guest, two as Herr Stahlbaum, and five as Herr Drosselmeyer.

Tom’s diverse skills include software engineering, website construction (including the ballet company site), photography, music editing, and driving a Zamboni ice resurfacer. But software is his specialty. He worked for many years as a programmer in the aerospace industry, including six very satisfying years at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is currently at East West Ice Palace in Artesia, and among many other duties has built several custom applications for running various aspects of the business.

Gregory Valladao

Herr Drosselmeyer, Spanish

Greg’s passion for dancing began at the age of eight, when he started tap classes at the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance, and performed in his first Nutcracker with the LACBC. He has remained a valuable part of the dance company for fifteen years, with instruction in Tap, Hip Hop, Salsa, Swing, and Waltz. At the age of thirteen Greg studied the art of Flamenco dancing with renowned instructor Armando Neri, performing at the age of nineteen and twenty with Señor Neri’s dance team, and assisting him in instructing two national dance conventions. Greg is currently an instructor at the Lake Arrowhead School of Dance, teaching Tap levels four and five.

Greg plans to attend the Musical Institution of Los Angeles to acquire degrees in Audio Engineering and Music Programming while continuing to pursue his dancing career.