Professional ballet dancer, Greenwood native returns home for role in "The Nutcracker"
November 24, 2008
Contact: rmartin@lander.edu
Office of University Relations and Publications
Gray Davis
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Gray Davis has performed in ballets such as "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," and "Don Quixote." His performances have taken him to Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Denmark, and, of course, the United States. Now, the Greenwood native will return home for his first professional performance in the town in which he was born.
Davis' performance comes in the form of a holiday treat from Greenwood-Lander Performing Arts. The group is offering two showings of a Ballet Spartanburg production of "The Nutcracker," Saturday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., in Lander University's Cultural Center Auditorium. Davis will dance the role of the Cavalier.
Though he was born in Greenwood, Davis moved to Peachtree City, Ga., at a young age. It was in Georgia that his interest in dance began. "My stepmother had a dance school there," said Davis. "I began by taking one ballet class a week, but I was playing a lot of sports also."
Davis said that his commitment to ballet did not really get serious until he became a dance student at the S.C. Governor's School for the Arts, where he studied under Stanislav Issaev. At the age of 16, Davis had his first glimpse of New York City when he traveled there to compete in the Youth American Grand Prix.
"The biggest surprise for me when I went to New York was seeing all the different dancers and people from other countries," said Davis. "I had spent most of my time here at the Governor's School. The studio in New York was overwhelming for me at the time, in addition to being overwhelmed by a city like New York."
Davis returned for the 2004 annual dance competition and walked away as the winner. He was awarded acceptance into the New York City-based American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, an apprentice ballet performance and training program made up of 14 dancers from around the world. Joining the main American Ballet Theatre Company in 2007, Davis performs with them regularly at the over 2,000-capacity MET in New York City and at venues across the U.S. and the world. In his time with American Ballet theatre, Davis has met celebrities such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Robert De Niro.
During the upcoming performance at Lander, Davis will share the stage with several dancers from the Greenwood area who are around the age he was when he started his first ballet courses in Georgia. For dancers just starting out Davis had this to say, "Dance is a fun performing art to pursue; it just takes a lot of commitment and a lot of work as you progress. It's good for young performers to be very dedicated to the art form."
Davis will also be joined on stage by fellow American Ballet Theatre performer and New York City native Nicole Graniero.
Graniero also joined the Studio Company in 2004; she joined the main American Ballet Theatre company in 2006. She has performed in productions such as "Flames of Paris" and "Giselle."
Both Davis and Graniero have performed in several productions of "The Nutcracker" throughout their careers. Graniero will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the upcoming Ballet Spartanburg production.
Since 1966 Ballet Spartanburg has been enriching lives through the art of dance by presenting national and international dance companies. Today, Ballet Spartanburg is recognized as a regional dance company with an exceptional commitment to education and outreach activities in the Upstate.
The Ballet Spartanburg production is sponsored by Elliott Davis LLC and Lakelands Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Clinic Inc.
Ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for all students (18 and younger). Patrons can purchase tickets for this and other GLPA performances at the Lander box office Monday-Friday, Dec. 1-5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To purchase tickets by phone or for further information about the 2008-2009 GLPA season, call 864-
388-8326. GLPA staff can also be reached by e-mail at glpa@lander.edu.
