DANCERS
JACLINE HENRICHS
Joined March 2012
Jacline's performances are generously supported by Natasha Labovitz and John Haeckel.
Jacline Camille Henrichs, a native of Victoria, Texas, began her dance training at age 13 with Victoria Ballet Theatre under the direction of Founding Artistic Director Debbe Busby & Assistant Artistic Director Kelly Klein. While obtaining her undergraduate degree at Texas Woman's University, Jacline continued her dance training with Hugh Nini of Denton Ballet Academy and Artistic Director Kelly Lannin of Lake Cities Ballet Theatre. After graduating from TWU with a B.S. in Kinesiology & Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in science and dance, Jacline moved to New York City to pursue her professional dance career. She has since danced with Eidolon Ballet in Concert and performed in productions by choreographers Christopher Caines and Giada Ferrone. She has also appeared as a guest artist with Victoria Ballet Theatre in Victoria, TX. In addition to dancing with XAOC Ballet, Jacline dances with mishiDance and MoveWorks.
Since joining XAOC Contemporary Ballet in March of 2012, Jacline has performed repertory as a soloist at the Young Choreographers Festival, Counterpointe Series, Brooklyn Dance Festival, the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition, the Rider University Emerging Choreographers Competition, and Boston Dance Contemporary Dance Festival.
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DANIELLE RUTHERFORD
Joined May 2013
Born in South Jersey, Danielle started performing as a part of the nationally recognized dance team at Jersey Cape Dance and Gymnastics Academy. From there, she began her formal ballet training with Phyllis Papa at the Atlantic City Ballet Theater Academy. She continued on to graduate from the ballet department at Walnut Hill School of the Arts, under the direction of Michael Owen. Danielle moved to New York City to attend Marymount Manhattan College, where she performed works by director Katie Langan, Nancy Lushington, John Butler, and Mark Morris. She graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in dance and received the prestigious Gold Key Award for excellence in ballet.
Danielle has originated many roles in XAOC’s repertory and has performed at multiple venues, including Battery Dance Festival, Norte Maar’s CounterPointe, Pushing Progress, and Brooklyn Dance Festival. In 2015, she was a part of XAOC’s Project Ignite, their Fifth Anniversary Gala, which in addition to an evening length performance, provided outreach and financial assistance to local children’s hospitals. Other productions she has recently been involved in include Buglisi Dance Theatre's annual performance tribute, the Table of Silence Project 9/11, and Ballet Theatre Company’s The Nutcracker. Danielle currently dances with XAOC Contemporary Ballet and Exit 12 Dance Company.
MICHELLE THOMPSON ULERICH
Joined August 2015
Originally from California, Michelle Thompson Ulerich trained at San Francisco Ballet for nine years. She also received training from Kirov Academy of Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Tisch School of the Arts Summer Program. She moved to Texas and joined Ballet Austin in 2001. During her 14 years with Ballet Austin, she performed in works by Stephen MIlls, Balanchine, Ulysses Dove, Twyla Tharp, Nelly van Bommel, KT Nelson, James Gregg, Thang Dao, Greg Dolbashian, Jennifer Hart, Jimmy Orrante, Amy Seiwert, Gina Patterson, Thaddeus Davis, and Sidra Bell. Also during her time in Austin she completed a Dance and Humanities degree from St. Edward’s University. Michelle moved to New York in August of 2015 and began dancing with XAOC Contemporary Ballet. She has enjoyed the diverse repertoire by Eryn Renee Young as well as the wonderfully supportive dancers and diverse performance opportunities.
The Moving Beauty Series in Brooklyn, Blanton Museum,Califa Arts Collaborative, Ballet Zaida, Motion Dance Theater, Illusory Impressions, San Angelo Civic Ballet, Ballet Conservatory of South Texas, Ballet Austin, Ballet Spartanburg,The Empathy Series, and most recently Translated in New York commissioned Michelle for choreography. Michelle’s Illusory Impressions collaboration and co-directorship with composer Catherine Davis was given an award by the Austin Critics’Table for excellence in a Site-Specific work as well as Robert Faires’ Top 10 Classical Music/Dance Treasures of 2016. She currently teaches dance at SUNY Purchase, instructs yoga privately, and also teaches through the NYC Yoga Project which brings yoga to under served populations. She also dances and choreographs with Spark Movement Collective and she is a proud mom of two boys.
MARIKA KOSSAKOWSKI
Joined February 2019
A New Jersey native, Marika Kossakowski started dancing at the age of 3 at a local competition dance studio. It wasn’t until age 11 she realized ballet was her true passion and started her ballet training at Ballet Technique under the direction of Julie Caprio. She was then invited to study abroad in St. Raphael, France at Autrand Ballet France under the direction of Pascale Autrand for the duration of her sophomore year of high school. She completed her final two years of high school at Walnut Hill School for the Arts under the direction of Michael Owen. She graduated magna cum laude and received the Dance Departmental Award of Excellence in 2017. Marika has been training privately with Caridad Martinez, Olga Kostritzky, Daniel Catanach, and Francois Perron in NYC. She attended Charlotte Ballet, Koltun Ballet, Walnut Hill, Ellison Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, and Briansky Ballet summer intensives all on full or very generous scholarships.
She has performed in many ballets and contemporary works, including the roles of Sugar Plum and Dew Drop Fairy in The Nutcracker, the First Shade Variation in La Bayadere, and excerpts from Stars and Stripes. She has performed in many shows put on by the non-profit organization Live Dance Live in NYC who work to raise money for people in need through art. She has also danced for and with children of special needs at the Rock Brook School in Skillman, NJ on multiple occasions. She enjoys using her love for dance to help others. She is extremely excited to embark on her professional journey with XAOC Contemporary Ballet.
MISA MOCHIZUKI
Joined February 2019
Misa Mochizuki is a classical ballet and contemporary dancer in NYC and abroad. She started dancing at the age of 5 under Sakiko Yoshikawa and Yutaka Yoshikawa at Yuki Ballet Studio in Japan. She came to NY in 2012 and trained at the Joffrey Ballet School and Ballet Arts. Now she has danced with several companies including Benjamin Briones Ballet in NY, Albano Ballet Company in CT as soloist, Albany Berkshire Ballet in NY as principal and The Next Stage Project in NY among others, performing in classical and contemporary repertoire.
