Riley Sharp, Apprentice

Riley Sharp began her ballet training at Ballet Tech of Ohio at age 4. While there she studied with director Claudia Rudolf Barrett, as well as Cincinnati Ballet dancers Cervilio Amador, Sergey Pakharev, and Gema Diaz.  Over the years, she has studied modern with Ka-Ron Brown Lehman, and contemporary with Kathy Meyer.

She performed one year as an Apprentice with De La Dance Company, and spent her senior year studying at the Hairston School of Dance with Sarah Hairston (former principal, Cincinnati Ballet) and Oliver Arana. 
Riley has danced many lead roles, including Kitri (Don Quixote) Sugar Plum Fairy, Dew Drop, and Snow Queen (Nutcracker), Alice (Alice in Danceland), Gamzatti (La Bayadere), Paquita, and others. Riley has been a summer intensive scholarship recipient for Ballet Met, Kansas City Ballet and Bolshoi Ballet, and attended The Art of Classical Ballet intensive twice, studying with renown instructor Magaly Suarez.
In the past few years, she has had the opportunity to choreograph several contemporary pieces for solo and ensemble performances.  
She has placed at YAGP in both the classical and contemporary divisions, and won 1 st  Place at both the NFMC Ballet and NFMC Contemporary competitions in both the Junior and Senior levels.
In 2023, Riley was selected as a dance model for the Pas de Deux Dance Photography Conference in Chicago, where she had the opportunity to model in front of 60 professional dance photographers over a 3 day period.
Riley is thrilled to start her first year as an Apprentice with Kentucky Ballet Theatre!