We are so pleased to have the team at Barre writing for us here at 4dancers. Barre produces and distributes health-minded snacks and performance products specially formulated to live up to the rigors of the demanding artist-athlete lifestyle. Learn more about the people involved below.
Contributor Julia Erickson, originally from Seattle, is a Principal Dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Julia received her training on a scholarship with Pacific Northwest Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School. She toured to Europe and Asia with PNB and danced with the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet for two seasons, prior to joining PBT in 2001. Some of Julia’s roles include Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, The Sylph in La Sylphide, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Lady Capulet in Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette, and the leads in Balanchine’s Agon, Prodigal Son, Who Cares? and Serenade.
Julia’s love for cooking began at an early age. She relishes her time experimenting in the kitchen, and she’s thrilled to be able to combine her two major passions, ballet and food, in creating Barre. In her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, Gyrotonic and Pilates, reading the New Yorker, farmers markets, and going on bike rides with Aaron.
Contributor Aaron Ingley, originally from Tallahassee, Florida, studied musical theater at Young Actors Theater before beginning ballet training at age 13 with Southern Academy of Ballet Arts and Tallahassee Ballet. Aaron completed his professional training at Pacific Northwest Ballet School in Seattle, WA, where he performed with that company at the 1999 Edinburgh Festival and the 2000 Hong Kong Festival. He was also featured as Tom Snout in PNB’s production of George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream produced for television by the BBC. He performed professionally with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for nine seasons. A versatile dancer, Aaron was featured in numerous classical and contemporary roles and served as the company’s Principal Character Artist during that time.
In addition to performing and teaching ballet, Aaron is a professional actor and recently completed degrees in History and Management at University of Pittsburgh. A consummate innovator, Aaron pushes the boundaries, helping expand the ways in which art is conceptualized and defined, and is thrilled to be stepping up to the plate with Barre! In his free time he is an avid cyclist and enjoys creating delicious, healthy snacks in the kitchen with Julia.
Contributor Danielle Downey has a been a member of the Barre Team since it’s conception. She travelled to Las Vegas for Barre’s first convention, she did some early graphic design work for the look and brand of Barre, and is now marketing Barre through social media outlets. She has seen Barre go from it’s very earliest stages (straight from the food processor in Julia’s kitchen to the studio in a zip-lock bag) to a real food bar recognized by dancers, athletes, and regular ole’ folk all across the country.
Danielle also dances in the Corps de Ballet with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Prior to joining the company, she trained in the PIttsburgh Ballet Theatre’s Graduate Program. She received her early training with the Lake Erie Ballet and spent summers training with Boston Ballet and Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Contributor Rachael Bane is a Barre team member and senior at Chatham University studying Business Management. As a busy college student with a penchant for healthy eating and nutrition, finding ways to keep her body well-nourished while on-the-go is a top priority! Although she has never attempted dancing en pointe, Rachael has a long held admiration for ballet and the dance world in general. She is excited for the opportunity to connect with the 4dancers community on the topic of building your healthiest self, from the inside out!
Contributor Caroline MacDonald, an intern at Barre, is a Portland, Oregon native who moved to Pittsburgh this year to dance in the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Graduate Program. As a lifelong vegetarian, she has a great interest in living a healthy lifestyle through exercise and good nutrition. Caroline loves to cook and runs her own vegetarian food blog, Caroline’s Kitchen.