Kara Hanretty
Kara is originally from Upstate, New York. She began her ballet training in her hometown, at the Center Of Ballet and Dance Arts, under director Deborah Boughton. At the age of 13, she moved to Philadelphia, PA to continue her training at the Rock School for Dance Education, where she studied on full scholarship. During her summer studies, she was a full-scholarship student at the summer intensives of the Chautauqua Institute, and American Ballet Theatre (New York). In 2007 Kara was awarded the Jerome Robbins Scholarship, and from 2006–2008 she was a finalist in the Youth America Grand Prix ballet competition in New York. While competing, Kara was selected as a featured artist for the Youth America Grand Prix “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow” Galas in 2006 and 2008. In 2008, Kara joined Ballet Arizona, where she danced in numerous full length classical ballets, including Ib Andersen's Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and The Nutcracker.