Arantxa Ochoa: Pennsylvania Ballet’s Shining Star!
In every ballet company worldwide, there is a strong presence of dancers trained in Spain, Pennsylvania Ballet is no exception. The company with an eclectic repertoire is a good match for dancers from Europe where the style is diversified. So, to this gem of a company came Arantxa Ochoa.
Arantxa (pronounced Aroncha) began her training participating in rhythmic gymnastics at age 6 in her hometown of Valladolid, Spain and at 12 started ballet classes with the noted teacher Victor Ullate in Madrid. She was in good company for among her classmates were Angel Corella, Joaquin de Luz and Tamara Rojo. She left home at an early age, attended the summer intensive program at the School of American Ballet and continued her training at the Academie de Danse Classique Princess Grace in Monte Carlo under the directorship of Marika Besobrasova for two years. Besobrasova had a strong influence on her because she instilled the quality of being a whole person, not just a dancer, to her students. She had her hopes on a position with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot, when a summer workshop with the Hartford Ballet in Connecticut changed the course of her life. She was offered a contract to join the company and danced with them for two years. It was here that she met her future husband, Russian dancer Alexander Iziliaev.
Other American companies took note of Ochoa. John Clifford in California offered her a place in a company he was planning in Los Angeles but that never materialized. Sandra Jennings, then ballet mistress for the Pennsylvania Ballet saw Arantxa in class at Steps on Broadway in New York. Jennings suggested that Arantxa come to Philadelphia for the company’s annual Nutcracker season. This was a wise choice for all concerned. She officially joined the company in 1996, was promoted to soloist in 1999 and became a principal in 2001. Alexander, who was dancing with the New York City Ballet, joined her in Pennsylvania in 2000. She found the small professional ballet company a perfect place for her. Arantxa says that “everyone at Pennsylvania ballet was very helpful in the advancement of her career. Pennsylvania Ballet is wonderful and the advantages in being in a smaller company are many.” She credits, Roy Kaiser the director, ballet mistress Tamara Hadley and ballet master Jeffrey Gribler for making the company feel like a family. It is a hard-working group of dancers with long rehearsal periods. They present two fall programs, a "Nutcracker" season and three spring programs. Their contract is for 36 weeks with the summer off to do guest spots or just relax. Arantxa loves dancing the classics; Sleeping Beauty, Giselle and Romeo and Juliet, but also enjoys the Balanchine repertory and new contemporary works by the company’s resident choreographer Matthew Neenan and Christopher Wheeldon and Kirk Peterson. Her repertoire also included James Kudelka’s The Firebird, ballets by Peter Martins, Jerome Robbins, and Twyla Tharp. She has danced in festivals and galas throughout Europe. Her idol was Margot Fonteyn and she also drew inspiration from former ABT principal dancer Cynthia Harvey and present day ballerina Sylvie Guillerm.
Arantxa finished her formal academic education on correspondence, learned English at Berlitz and has acquired some college credits with hopes of continuing her education through the LEAP program for higher education when time permits. She and Alexander have been married for seven years and are very happy with their decision to stay in Philadelphia. He is also a principal dancer with the company. She says that they are “homebodies.” They have a full life. In addition to ballet class, Arantxa does Pilates to stay in shape. Her advice to young dancers is to “always work hard and don’t give up.” Down the line, she has plans to teach, passing along her talents to the next generation of dancers and Alexander has become an accomplished photographer. Pennsylvania Ballet will next perform "Coppelia," April 18th through 27th at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. Check their website www.paballet.org for details.