Performance Ballet & Dance Opportunities
Northwestern Pennsylvania
Oil Region Ballet Company
Oil Region Ballet Company
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The Oil Region Ballet, or "ORB" as it is commonly referred to by its loyal followers, is a non-profit performance ballet company. ORB's mission is to enhance the arts in our region by creating ballet awareness, educating the public as well as area dance talent, while bringing quality full - length ballet performances to our communities.
Our Team
The leadership of Oil Region Ballet believes in making the Art of Ballet approachable and relatable to modern audiences and the rapidly changing world. Through the adaptation of modernized folk tales and literature, ORB's performances provide both real and fictional role models. All are rich with relatable characters who learn valuable moral lessons and overcome challenges with humor and personal growth.
Artistic Director
Deborah Femovich
Oil Region Ballet’s Founder, Executive Director, and Artistic Director. Deborah is native of Michigan. She studied under such renowned names as Ed Riffle, Rich Ron, Sally Seven, Bene Arnold, Barbra Hamblin, Douglas Bentz and Conrad Ludlow. She is a graduate of University of Utah and Point Park College. She has a Bachelors's degree in Fine Arts with a major in Ballet. Deborah was a member of the Grand Rapids Ballet.
Her post-graduate studies include a certification in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Deborah taught dance in Grand Rapids, Pittsburgh, and Morgantown before relocating to this area where she has continued to teach for eighteen more years.
She is a great believer in giving dancers the opportunity to perform full-length ballet productions in a professional and supportive environment. The joy of performing is a dancer's greatest reward.
Choreographers
Megan Davis
Megan Davis, originally from Saegertown, PA, started her dance training at Allegro Dance Arts under the instruction of Gretchen Myers. When she turned 12, she moved to Pittsburgh to study pre-professionally in classical ballet where she trained and resided with Cynthia Castillo and Damien Martinez. She proceeded to compete in many ballet competitions such as Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) and Universal Ballet Competition (UBC) where she was awarded many scholarships and overall placements throughout the years. Megan was also a member of ORB until 2017. In 2021, Megan signed her first professional contract with Minnesota Ballet in Duluth, Minnesota. While there, she danced many corps de ballet roles as well as principal roles. The Duluth News Tribune raved, “Dew Drop Fairy Megan Davis was most impressive. Her precision on pointe was finely tuned. Davis confidently suspended her Renverse and attacked her Italian Fouettes while she and her waltzing flowers swept across the stage in mesmerizing patterns.” Megan is very excited to be back at ORB as a choreographer for this season
Victoria Stachelrodt
Victoria Stachelrodt was born in Pennsylvania. She began her dance career when she was three and trained in studios such as Lake Erie Ballet and Erie Dance Conservatory where she studied the Cecchetti style ballet. At the age of 16, Victoria began teaching ballet, jazz and hip hop. Victoria danced in the Oil Region Ballet for four years, two of those years spent as a soloist. Victoria went on to dance at Slippery Rock University. Soon thereafter she was given the opportunity to perform Martha Graham's "Celebration" at The Joyce Theatre in Manhattan, New York. Shortly afterwards, Victoria performed with the Slippery Rock University in their BFA concerts and 60x60x60 concerts. Victoria graduated from Slippery Rock University in 2022 where she trained in Martha Graham modern and ballet. Victoria began choreographing with the Oil Region Ballet and teaching ballet and jazz at Fusion Dance Center in the Fall of 2022.
Costume Mistress
Tina Borger
ORB's amazing costumer resides in Tennessee. With the help of her husband and fellow costume engineer David Borger, Tina brings the extraordinary ORB characters to life.
Once the Artistic Director has conceived of a character and envisioned its form, she sends the idea with dancer measurements to Tina. With this concept in hand and working from her home in the outskirts of Nashville, Tina's team must engineer how to bring the character to life. Tina and David love the large and challenging character tasks, while Deborah Femovich sews the more mundane corps costumes locally.
After the cast of characters is complete, a truck full of creations must now parade up the road to Pennsylvania.
During each dress rehearsal and performance, Tina is tirelessly repairing the heavily used costumes behind the scenes.
Team Photographers
Our talented team of volunteer photographers capture ORB's magical moments.
Gary Stone
Leigh-Anne Williams
Tom Leech
Set Design
Lori Hart
ORB's talented set artist is a Jr/Sr Language Arts and Art teacher in the Cranberry School District. With her guidance, fellow set artist volunteers engineer the extravagant sets for each ballet.
Once the Artistic Director conceives of the story and design conception, Lori takes the plans from paper to its full size construct. Volunteer construction teammates help Lori cut, nail, hinge and paint all scenes in a complete production. Each entire set must be able to fold down and pack into a 24 foot truck for transport from theater to theater.
